by BJ Bourg
A gasp resounded throughout the room, and David knew he had them.
“You wanted physical evidence,” he said, staring directly at Isabel Compton, “well, there it is.”
She pursed her lips, but refused to acknowledge the slam dunk. David had been warned that Compton enjoyed a close working relationship with Clint Wolf. He had been told that although Hedd was no fan of Wolf’s and he might be inclined to indict Clint, he could be swayed by Compton.
“I’ve seen those wristbands on lots of people—law enforcement officers and otherwise.” She gave a shrug. “It’s hardly a nail in his coffin.”
One of the investigators in the room raised his right arm, exposing his right wrist beneath the sleeve of his coat. “I’ve got one. It came in the mail when I made a donation to the Officer Down Memorial Page.”
David fought back a smile as he turned back to his computer and accessed another video file.
“As you can see,” he said, “this is a dash cam video from one of my Troopers who was tasked with preserving the crime scene. At almost ten o’clock last night, Clint Wolf shows up with another detective—we think her name was Amy—and demands access to the house. He says he’s working a murder case and needs to speak with Kim Plant.”
“He is working a murder case, so that computes.” Compton pointed toward the video. “Where’s the audio?”
“The Trooper’s mic wasn’t on.”
“I see.” A frown crept across her mouth. “Look, I’m not calling your Trooper a liar, but based on Clint’s body language, he doesn’t look demanding at all.”
David sighed heavily, having had about enough of her interruptions and questions. It was time to drop the bomb. He had imagined there might be some reluctance on the DA’s part to go after a local law enforcement hero like Clint, but he had been prepared. He had carefully and slowly presented his case, allowing them to grow accustomed to the idea that Clint had committed this crime. He had wanted some of them to push back some as he presented the facts a little at a time, because it would give him an opportunity to show off his abilities to shut down the opposition, which they would recognize as an asset during a trial.
David had planned for his evidence to grow stronger and more convincing as the presentation progressed, and he had finally reached the climax. He was about to reveal his ace in the hole. It was the one piece of physical evidence that would seal the deal with these prosecutors—and, along with it, Clint’s fate.
CHAPTER 26
“Well, how about this,” David said dramatically and then paused, allowing the anticipation to build in the room. “When Clint approaches the unit, my Trooper sees he’s wearing the same wristband as the suspect from the surveillance video who covered the camera.” David took a breath. “Not only that, but my Trooper sees scratches on Clint’s wrist, right around his wristband. This corroborates my victim’s statement that she clawed at her attacker’s wrist during the attack and felt the wristband. She said she even pulled on it to try and break it free, but she couldn’t. This is how she knew for certain that Clint Wolf was her attacker—because she had seen and felt that same wristband on Clint earlier when he was interviewing her.”
Isabel Compton’s eyes widened ever so slightly in shock, and David fought the urge to smile in her face. No need to piss off the woman who would be the next district attorney. He would have to work with her again, and he knew he would need her on his side if he ever brought an iffy case before her.
“I don’t believe it,” she said. “Clint would never do that to a woman. He’s as much a gentleman as any man I’ve ever known.”
“Well, ma’am,” David said slowly, “with all due respect, I’ve done some research into Clint Wolf and, I’m afraid to say, he took the life of a child once. No respecting man would do something like that.”
“It was no child,” said Hedd, interrupting the exchange between David and Isabel. “She was a cold-hearted teenager who had shot him in the stomach, had threatened to shoot him in the head, and then tried to shoot his dog when it intervened to save his life. Isabel’s right about Clint, and I won’t let you needlessly disparage the man.”
David gulped inwardly at the mention of the dog, but quickly recovered. The room grew quiet and he could feel everyone’s eyes on him. He shifted his feet. He wanted to say more, to try and tip the scale in his direction, but he dared not. He knew Bill Hedd was considering everything he’d just heard, and he knew the man would make the right decision—he would give David the green light to arrest Clint.
Compton apparently realized what was about to happen, because she stood abruptly and asked Hedd to step out into the hallway. The two exited, a heated discussion could be overheard through the door, and then Hedd reentered the room alone.
After he settled his large frame into the chair, Hedd indicated the image projected on the screen. “Was that the end of your presentation?”
“I have one more slide.” David pressed the clicker and a driver’s license photo of a young woman appeared on the screen. “This woman lives down the road from the Plant residence. She was jogging northbound on the shoulder of the highway and she saw Clint Wolf’s black Tahoe parked alongside the road in front of Kim Plant’s driveway.”
“What time was this?” Hedd asked.
“It was around four o’clock—she wasn’t sure of the exact minute—and it’s consistent with the time of the attack.”
“Can the jogger identify Clint?”
“She couldn’t see inside the vehicle, because she said the windows are completely blacked out.” David glanced around the room. “I don’t know if all of you know this or not, but Clint drives a black Tahoe with dark-tinted windows. My guess is that Clint was not in his vehicle at that time, but was actually inside Kim Plant’s residence attacking her.”
“And you say he attacked her because he wanted her iPad?” Hedd asked, his face twisted in confusion.
“Yes, sir, that’s what I’ve learned so far. I don’t know exactly why he was interested in the iPad, but I know he was trying to get a search warrant to retrieve the device.” David took a breath and then continued. “I believe the tipping point was when the judge denied the search warrant. I think that’s when he lost it and went rogue.”
“You believe he took the device for the purpose of solving Ralph Plant’s murder, or do you think he was trying to cover up his own crime?”
David hesitated. He didn’t want to suggest something that might later be proven false, because it could damage his reputation with the prosecutors. The truth was, he believed Clint killed Ralph and then attacked the wife to cover up his crime, but he had no evidence to substantiate his claims, so he shook his head.
“I’m not sure at this point, but I’m working on it.”
“Do you have any other evidence pending?”
“Well, my crime scene people recovered scrapings from the victim’s fingernails which should contain Clint’s DNA,” David explained. “The samples are already at our lab. I just need a search warrant to recover Clint’s DNA for comparison purposes. If you give the go ahead to apply for an arrest warrant, then I’ll apply for the search warrant at the same time.”
Hedd glanced around the room at the team he had assembled. David followed his gaze and registered mixed reactions from the prosecutors and investigators. Finally, Hedd cleared his throat.
“Detective Monier, I’ve made it my practice to leave police work up to the police,” Hedd said slowly. “I appreciate that you came to us for guidance, but I’m afraid this decision will have to rest solely with you and your superiors. All I’m willing to say at this point is that your case has merit, and if you do indeed obtain a warrant for Detective Clint Wolf, my office will convene a grand jury and present the evidence that has been submitted. If the grand jury were to return an indictment, we would prosecute the case as vigorously as we would any other case where a victim has been brutally beaten inside her home.”
David could hardly contain his excitement. “Thank you, si
r,” he said, trying not to break out in cheers. “I’ll get on it right away.”
“Oh, and detective,” Hedd said as he stood. “I would proceed with caution—just in case there are holes in your case that aren’t readily apparent. After all, we haven’t heard Detective Wolf’s side of the story yet.”
David wanted to sarcastically ask Bill Hedd if he thought Clint might produce some type of evidence that justified his attack on Kim Plant, but he only nodded his head and began gathering up his gear. He already had the affidavits for the arrest and search warrants typed up. All he had to do was find a printer, print out the documents, sign them, and present them to the judge.
“Clint will be in jail before the sun goes down this evening,” he mumbled to himself. “And I’ll be the one getting the last laugh.”
CHAPTER 27
Mechant Loup Police Department
After spending most of the morning interviewing the manager at the tire shop where Orrin Cheramie worked and viewing the surveillance footage from the night of Ralph’s murder, Amy and I were able to prove that Orrin had been wrapped in the arms of an older married woman during the time that Ralph had been killed.
We had met Susan for lunch at Bad Loup Burgers, and then we’d begun canvassing the neighborhood behind the law office of Ralph Plant. There was a tall line of shrubberies separating the law office from the neighborhood, and we had no luck in locating any witnesses or developing any new leads. Other than Kim Plant, we couldn’t identify any other specific person who might want Ralph dead, but Kim was out of reach—possibly because she was dead.
We had just returned to the police department and, while Amy stood outside to make a phone call, I proceeded to my office. Susan heard me enter the building and joined me. We immediately began pondering our next move. We talked as much about the case as we did about my impending legal troubles, only we didn’t know much about what was coming down the canal.
“Any word from Mallory?” Susan asked.
I shook my head. “Not a peep.”
“I thought about calling her from a payphone,” Susan said, “but I don’t want to put her in a tight spot.”
“Yeah, I agree.” I nodded. “If this is a criminal investigation—and by all accounts it has to be—then the state police will subpoena my cell phone records. They’ll see I contacted Mallory last night to send her to Kim’s house, and that might prompt them to subpoena her phone records as well. If they see the payphone number, they’ll pull tape from the establishment and catch you talking to her.”
“Yeah, maybe—if they’re that thorough.” Susan smirked. “If they’re coming after you, then they’re not thorough at all, because you didn’t do anything wrong.”
“How do you know?” I cocked my head to the side, studying her carefully. “You haven’t asked once if I did something wrong.”
“Because I know you didn’t.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Clint Wolf, are you being serious right now?”
“Yeah,” I said. “How can you be so sure?”
“You know all those times you tried to surprise me?” When I only offered a blank stare, she continued. “Like, for birthdays, anniversaries, proposals—those kinds of things?”
I nodded slowly.
“Not one of them was a surprise.”
“Nice try,” I said with a laugh, “but that’s bullshit. I’m slick like a wolf in the wild. When I want to surprise you, it’s epic.”
“Epic fail.” Susan grinned slyly. “You’re a good detective, but you’re a horrible criminal. You leave evidence strewn about like a drunken bear in a grocery store.”
I was not one who was easily offended, but I felt myself moving in that direction. “I’m really good at surprises,” I countered. “I’ve got proof. Every time I’ve given you a gift I could see the surprise on your face.”
“Honey, it wasn’t a surprised look, it was a look of deep appreciation.” She frowned and reached over to touch my face. “You know the surprise trip you’re planning to Disney World?”
I felt my face flush. I was speechless. How on earth could she have known?
“When you print Disney brochures, you should burn them instead of throwing them in the trash,” she explained. “When you buy me nice jewelry, you shouldn’t leave the Tiffany receipt in the pocket of the jeans you sneak into my pile of clothes to be washed. If you’re looking at cabins to rent, make sure to minimize the screen on your laptop before taking a bathroom break. Need I go on?”
I grinned sheepishly and shook my head.
“My point is, you’re not good at hiding things from me,” she explained. “Had you done something wrong, I would already know about it. You’re innocent and, if it comes to that, I’m going to fight to the death to help prove it.”
Before I could say anything, the door to my office burst open and Amy rushed in.
“First, I called Dr. Wong to pretend to ask a follow up question about Ralph’s autopsy,” she said. “While talking to her, I asked if she had any autopsies scheduled for this week. She said no, so Kim’s not dead.”
I glanced at Susan, who sighed in relief.
“Don’t get excited yet,” she said. “I just got a call from one of my friends who used to work the jail but who’s now a bailiff for Judge Zachariah Lamb. She said that some state police detective named David Monier came in an hour ago to see the judge about getting a warrant signed. The detective talked with the judge for a while and then the judge asked her to make copies for him.”
Amy paused to take a much needed breath. Her face was flushed and she was breathing hard. I hadn’t seen her talk this rapidly in a long time.
“Anyway,” she continued, “while waiting for the legal-sized pages to print, she looked down at the warrant and”—Amy pointed at me—“she saw your name. She said the warrant was for aggravated burglary, armed robbery, and attempted first degree murder.”
I laughed. At least Kim was still alive.
Susan shot me a look that said there was nothing funny about what Amy had just learned, so I clamped my mouth shut.
“I’m sorry, but robbery?” I stifled a chuckle and shook my head. “Who in the hell did I supposedly rob?”
“She was gonna try and read the affidavit, but the detective suddenly appeared in the doorway and began watching her.” Amy began clinching her fists. “In Louisiana, it’s legal to resist an unlawful arrest. By God, I’ll fight them to the death if they try to arrest you on these trumped up charges. I mean, they didn’t even attempt to get your side of the story. What kind of idiot detective does that?”
While I was deeply moved by the sentiment, I was not about to let Amy—or anyone else—get caught up in my legal woes. “There’ll be no need for trouble,” I said calmly. “The fact that the judge signed the warrant makes it a lawful warrant, so I’ll have to comply if they show up to arrest me. But, I’m sure they’re just getting the warrant in case I refuse to go with them. They’ll probably request an interview and then spring the warrant on me later when I don’t confess to anything.”
“Those state police detectives didn’t ask me for an interview.” Susan’s face was troubled as she stared down at her phone. “They just showed up at my house and arrested me.”
I remembered that horrible day all too well. It had all been due to a hateful vendetta by District Attorney Bill Hedd over things that had happened years earlier.
“This has got to be Bill Hedd’s doing,” I suddenly said. “This is his parting shot. Since he’s resigning, he doesn’t have to worry about the strength of the case. He can sign off on the file, go to the press and trash law enforcement, and then leave Isabel to clean up the mess.”
“But isn’t this being investigated by the state police?” Amy asked. “If so, how is Bill Hedd involved?”
“I’ve never known a state police detective to get a warrant without talking to the district attorney first,” I said. “They like to make sure the DA will go forward if they make an arrest.
On its face, it’s a good policy, but it can blur that line between the two agencies. Law enforcement officers don’t answer to the district attorney, and prosecutors don’t answer to the sheriff. They’re two separate entities—and for good reason.”
I stood and began mulling over the charges out loud. “Since a state police detective was applying for the warrant and we know that the state police were out at Kim Plant’s home, then we know this warrant involves Kim being attacked and robbed. I know I didn’t do it, so who was it? Who would want to rob Kim, and what would they want to take?”
“The iPad!” Amy blurted before I could answer my own question.
I nodded. “Someone else knew about the iPad and they went after Kim for it.”
“But who else could’ve known about it?” Amy asked. “It seems as though Ralph didn’t even tell his wife about it.”
“Gina Burke knew about it,” I said.
“And she’s one of the few people who could’ve gotten close enough to put a pistol to Ralph’s temple,” Susan said, looking up from where she’d been texting on her cell phone. “Y’all know what we’ve got to do, right?”
I glanced at my wife. “What’s that?”
“We have to find Gina and interrogate her again,” she said. “Whoever killed Ralph is also the person who attacked Kim, and if anyone would know who that could be, it would be Gina.”
“Good idea,” Amy said. “And the sooner we solve this case, the sooner we can prove the state police detective is wrong.”
They were right. We talked things over for another ten or fifteen minutes and decided I didn’t have a duty to wait here for the state police to show up and arrest me for something I didn’t do. After all, I wasn’t even supposed to know about the warrant, so how could I be obligated to turn myself in? I figured I’d just go on about my day as normal and I’d deal with them when our paths crossed.
