The Advocate's Illusion

by Teresa Burrell

  “But you let him live with you,” JP said.

  “They were going to let him live with the child alone. I thought it would be better if I was here to keep an eye on things. I realize I failed by not recognizing he had drugs in the house, but I assure you I won’t fail again.”

  “Russell told the court he was moving in with you.”

  “So I heard, but it’s not true. Russell asked to move in and I told him no. After that trick he pulled last time, I don’t need the trouble. I also told him the only way I would take Sarah is if he was not in my home.”

  JP turned to Paul, who had remained silent. “How well do you get along with Russell?”

  “I’d say we’re good friends—when he’s not using. He really is a fun, easy-going guy to be around, but I share my wife’s concern that he has an addiction he can’t beat. He’s not the same person when he’s using drugs.”

  “Do you have any children?” JP asked them both.

  “No, we were never blessed with children,” Sheila said. “I love my niece to death, and Denny is a very sweet little boy. I love him too. When they were living at home with their mother, Denny would go out with us sometimes when I’d take Sarah for visits. I’ve taken them both twice now since they’ve been in foster care. We don’t want to see them split up, and we’d love to have them both in our home.”

  “Would you feel comfortable supervising visits with Russell?”

  “Absolutely, and I have no trouble reporting him if I suspect he’s using. Look, he isn’t going to intentionally hurt his daughter. He loves her very much, and she loves him. Sarah needs to spend time with him, but not alone. If the children are here, we can do family things together and make it more normal for Sarah.”

  Paul spoke up. “We talked about it, and if there is any concern, we can work his visits around my schedule so I’m here as well. We’re willing to do whatever it takes to have our niece and nephew with us.”

  Chapter 29

  The Fowler Case

  When Sabre walked into the room where the meet and confer was being held, all of the interested parties were already there. On one side of the conference table was Deputy County Counsel Linda Farris sitting next to the social worker. On the other side were Seth Fowler with Bob, and Mrs. Fowler with Irene. In most mediations and as minor’s counsel, Sabre would have preferred to take an end seat so as not to show partiality to either side, but she chose to sit with County Counsel. She had taken a stand on this issue and had no question in her mind that this case needed to be heard in front of a judge.

  A demurrer to a case basically doesn’t argue with the facts, but says the facts, even if found to be true, do not state a legal cause of action. The Fowlers were arguing that the minor was married and therefore no molest existed. Sabre’s position, as well as that of DSS, was that the marriage wasn’t valid, so a molest had taken place by an adult on a child under the age of fourteen.

  Deputy County Counsel Linda Farris said, “Bob, you filed this demurrer. Would you like to begin?”

  “Sure,” Bob said. “As you know, our position is that the marriage between Lester Gibbs and Mary Margaret is a valid one based on the First Amendment and therefore there is no basis here for a petition. Mary Margaret is a married woman and therefore not under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court.”

  “But there was not a valid marriage,” Linda Farris said. “There was no marriage license and no court order allowing an underage child to marry.”

  “It is our position that we do not need the marriage to be sanctioned by the state. The church sanctioned it, as it has many other marriages in this parish. It is a basic tenet of the Square With God Church.”

  “We disagree,” Sabre said.

  “Do you agree that if there was a valid marriage, this case should be dismissed?” Bob asked.

  “I agree that if there was a valid marriage prior to any physical contact by Mr. Gibbs with Mary Margaret, then no molest occurred.”

  “Do you have evidence that a molest occurred prior to the wedding?”

  “Not at this time.”

  “So, the issue is still whether or not there was a valid marriage?” Bob asked.

  “That is correct, and I contend there was not,” Sabre said.

  “Same here,” Linda added.

  “Then I guess we’re done here. The law requires that we meet and confer, but we are too far apart to come to any agreement, right?”

  “Agreed.”

  “I’ll state that in my pleadings to the court.” Bob stood up and walked out. The others followed.

  Chapter 30

  JP sat at his computer trying to get to know Harley Lindgren and Vanna Norstrom. He hated to take the time right now, but he knew this was as important to Sabre as her cases. If her mother was at risk, he needed to do something to stop it.

  He took another look at Harley’s family. He wanted to know as much as he could about him. JP always worked under the assumption that the more you know about a person, the easier it is to make the tough calls. It was often the smallest thing that led him to evidence or answers he needed. He had found a lot of information on the two older children, but not much on the youngest daughter. He made a timeline. Harley’s youngest daughter was only four years old when her mother passed away. She had a stepmother from the age of eleven through fourteen, and then her stepmother was killed. She was a few months shy of eighteen when Harley married Vanna. DMV records showed her address on her license was the same as her father’s at that time, but it appeared that she had graduated from high school and could have possibly been in college.

  JP was deep into Lindgren history when his phone rang. It was an area code he didn’t recognize. He figured it was probably a sales pitch, but he answered it in case it wasn’t.

  “JP Torn.”

  “Are you the private investigator?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “I’d like to hire you.”

  “To do what?”

  “Surveillance, for starters. My name is Jim Knight and I’m on the Board of Supervisors for Blacksburg University in Anchorage, Alaska. We have reason to believe that someone is stealing from the university.”

  “Are the police involved?”

  “Not yet. We have some suspects, but we want to be sure before we go to the authorities.”

  “Why me?”

  “Because you came highly recommended from a friend in San Diego. We’re looking for someone who wouldn’t know anyone here and has your skill set. Besides, we believe you would fit in well.”

  “Who is the friend?”

  “I’d rather not say, but he has close ties to the San Diego Sheriff’s Department.”

  “I’m not sure my investigator’s license would be good in Alaska.”

  “I’ve already checked on that. Alaska does not require a state license, and we can take care of the local concerns.”

  Shocked by the call, JP didn’t say anything for a few seconds.

  “We can pay $200 per hour, plus all expenses including room and board. What do you say?”

  “I need to think about it.”

  “We need someone right away. We can get you on a flight tomorrow.”

  “I’m pretty busy right now.”

  “I don’t mean to put pressure on you, but time is of the essence for us. I can give you twenty-four hours and then I’ll have to move on to the next one on the list. I just want you to know you are our top choice.”

  JP wondered if this guy was for real. He hoped so. He had always wanted to go to Alaska.

  JP spent the next hour researching Blacksburg University and Jim Knight. The school appeared to be a legitimate private university, and Jim was a member of the board. He felt himself wanting to discuss it with Sabre, but for now he decided to put it out of his mind and get back to the task at hand.

  Lots of questions filled JP’s mind about Harley Lindgren and his family. He didn’t rule out the possibility that the daughter wanted to get rid of her new stepmother. Upon further inve
stigation of the daughter, he found a misdemeanor drug charge shortly after her eighteenth birthday. It appeared she was now living in Fresno, California and working at Walmart. None of which really made her a killer. He picked up his cell and called DuBois.

  “What do you know, McCloud?”

  “You said there weren’t any other suspects in the Vanna Norstrom disappearance, right?”

  “Right. We considered a few, but nothing seriously.”

  “What about the youngest daughter? What do you remember about her?’

  “She was a typical teenager, kind of mad at the world, but she had more reason to be than some. She had suffered so much loss already in her life, but she had a father who seemed to be there for her, and her siblings were supportive.”

  “Was she ever a suspect?”

  “No. We checked her alibi for the time when Vanna left the house. She was babysitting for her older sister at the time. She stayed there for several days. I don’t think it could’ve been her.”

  “Thanks. I couldn’t find the trail.”

  “Have you discovered anything else?”

  “Not really. I met Helga Norstrom. She didn’t really want to talk about her sister’s disappearance. I guess that’s normal after all this time, but I’m going to follow up to make sure she isn’t hiding something. I’d like this to be anyone except Harley. He has a date this Friday with Sabre’s mother. I can’t watch them except from afar because she knows me.”

  “Where are they going?”

  “Out to dinner, I think, but I don’t know where.”

  “Find out and I’ll take my wife out for the evening—on you.”

  “It’s a deal.”

  “I know Vanna had some mental health issues. How bad was she?”

  “She spent some time in Camarillo State Hospital when she was a teenager. She was self-mutilating and kept hurting herself. She couldn’t have anything sharp in her room, no scissors, pencils, pens, even paper clips, or she would hurt herself. She jumped from the balcony twice and broke her arm the first time, her leg the second time.”

  “How does a patient jump twice? Didn’t the staff figure it out the first time?”

  “Exactly. That’s when her parents took her out of there. There were a lot of problems at the hospital at that time. I don’t know if they were directly related to funding cutbacks, or if it was just poor management, but the hospital closed a few years later.”

  “Did she have any other hospital stints, public or private?”

  “I don’t think so, but according to her sister, she was on medication.”

  “And Harley didn’t know that?”

  “He says he didn’t, not until empty pill bottles were found in the house.”

  “Do you think maybe she killed herself?” JP asked.

  “We certainly considered that, but we’ve never found a body either. You’d think we would have by now.”

  “Unless she kept going on that train. Her body could be a long way away.”

  “That’s true. There are body parts found all the time out in the desert, many of which are never identified.”

  “I saw that Vanna’s deceased parents were in show biz in Sweden and apparently quite famous. And Helga lives in a very expensive home in Orange County. Did Vanna have money of her own?”

  “Not that we could tell. The parents’ money was left in a trust. Helga is the trustee and also the conservator for Vanna.”

  “So Vanna didn’t have control of any real money?”

  “McCloud, I know where you’re trying to go with this, but we investigated the money angle from all sides. When we discovered Lindgren had two dead wives before the third one disappeared, the alarms started ringing. When he married the first time, his bride had nothing, and he had very little. They were young and hadn’t really established themselves yet. Everything his second wife had went to her son. Vanna was more of a risk to Lindgren than he was to her. He foolishly didn’t do a prenuptial agreement and he had a lot to lose.”

  “Did he have a prenup with the others?”

  “No, but he had accumulated a lot more wealth by the third wife.”

  “So there’s no pattern of ‘marrying for money’ with him?”

  “No, and there’s no money motive for Helga to kill her sister either. Upon Vanna’s death, anything due her was not going to Helga, but to some charity in Sweden.”

  “Thanks, DuBois. I’ll keep digging.”

  “Let me know the time and place for Friday night and I’ll be there watching Sabre’s mother. Although I can’t imagine anything will be out of order. Even if this guy has been killing his wives, you have a long way to go before we get to that stage.”

  “I know, but I still feel better knowing someone is watching,” JP said. “Do you think he might recognize you?”

  “I doubt it. It’s been a long time since I saw him, and even if he did, I don’t imagine he would think anything of it. I’m just a man out to dinner with his lovely wife. And if he did recognize me, his date still won’t know who I am. It might be a good thing anyway if he did.”

  “How’s that?”

  “If he’s up to something, he might back off if he thinks we’re onto him. That’s what you want, right?”

  “Right—unless he’s one of the good guys.”

  “In that case, he won’t be concerned.”

  JP continued to research Harley Lindgren. He discovered an attempt by Lindgren to get an annulment from Vanna about five years after she disappeared, but it was denied. A month ago, he filed for divorce.

  Chapter 31

  The Lynch Case

  Sabre was alone in her office working at her desk. Normally, Elaine, the receptionist, worked until five, but she had an appointment and had to leave early. The other two attorneys who had offices in the old Victorian home were not there either. Hugh was gone a lot because of a big civil trial he was involved in, and David spent most of his time working his ice cream business. Sabre wondered why he even kept his office there because it wasn’t unusual for him to only appear once a month.

  Sabre seldom stayed late at her office because of a stalker who had once frightened her, but it had been years and she had learned to not dwell on it as much as she used to. That, coupled with the rape that took place one night, two buildings over from hers, made JP and Bob continue to voice concern. Sabre had come to terms with it. She had decided she couldn’t live in fear, and sometimes she had work that needed to be done at the office.

  Tonight, she was waiting for JP and Ron to meet with her. She decided she’d better go check the front door before JP arrived. He would be upset if she was alone with it unlocked. She stood up and stepped out of her office. She was almost to the front door when it flew open and Todd Lynch barged in.

  “What the hell is the matter with you?” he shouted as he came toward Sabre.

  Her first instinct was to run, but she had nowhere to go. He stood between her and the door, and she knew she couldn’t make it to the back door. Even if she did, he would catch her in the parking lot. She stood her ground and said, “Calm down.”

  “Don’t tell me to calm down, you stupid bitch.”

  Sabre tried to step to the side and move toward the door, but he moved in closer and blocked her way. He was getting so close, she took a step back, but it put her against the wall.

  “What is it you want?” She tried to sound calm, but she could feel her voice shake, which only seemed to encourage him, so she tried harder to relax.

  “I want my kids, and I want them now.”

  “That’s up to the court.” This time she didn’t hear the shake in her voice, but she still felt it in her body.

  Todd leaned in closer to her. She could feel his breath on her face. “Step back,” she said, managing a little more resolve.

  He didn’t move. “Why are you trying to ruin my kids’ lives? I haven’t done anything wrong. They should’ve been living with me in the first place. That stupid mother of theirs is nothing but a druggie. You’
d rather they were with a washed-up whore than with me.”

  “What are you talking about? I never recommended the children go home with their mother.” Sabre shifted to the right again, trying to work her way toward the door, but Todd slammed his left hand against the wall, preventing her from moving. He seemed to be careful not to touch her. After a few seconds, he pulled his hand from the wall and suddenly clasped his hands together tightly in front of him, still only inches from her face. His face reddened with anger. His fingers began to turn white from the pressure.

  Trying to sound in control, Sabre said, “Let’s sit down and talk about this rationally.”

  Todd glared at her, but started to relax his hands. The color began to return to his fingers as he unclasped them. He took a short step backwards, but was still about eighteen inches from Sabre.

  “And what’s wrong with putting the boys with their grandmother?” he said in a tone not quite as loud as before.

  “You tell me,” Sabre said.

  Just then JP burst through the open door. He took one step toward Todd and reached out to grab him when Sabre yelled, “No, JP. Stop.”

  Todd swung around and raised his hands, palms outward, blocking his face. “I was just leaving,” he said.

  JP let him pass as Todd dashed out the door, bumping into Ron on his way out.

  “Are you okay?” JP asked.

  “I’m fine.”

  “Do you want me to go after him?”

  “No, I’m good. He didn’t touch me, just yelled a lot.”

  JP wrapped his arms around her. “You’re shaking. Are you sure you’re alright?”

  “I’m okay. I’m just a little frightened and a lot ticked off. Let’s go sit down.”

  Ron closed the front door and turned the deadbolt. They all walked back to Sabre’s office.