"Why wasn't the matter of Harold Bullock's glasses pursued by Pyle's attorney? It seems obvious Harold couldn't see clearly enough to identify anyone."
"The boy insisted he recognized Buddy Lee. Like I said, that was good enough for the jury. Buddy Lee refused to allow the defense to dig into it any further. Personally, I believe that after the woman wouldn't stick up for him, Buddy Lee gave up."
I thanked the judge for his time, and we stood to leave.
Judge String'em Up raised a hand, motioning us to wait. "Young ladies, you're pokin' into somethin' here that doesn't need pokin'."
"Why?" Suzanne asked, speaking for the first time.
"If Buddy Lee Pyle is innocent, and I believe he is, then one of the murderers of Seth Bullock is still free and unpunished. I know Elaine Stone met with an untimely end this past week, and I know Ray Stone was a suspect before proving his alibi. Parkview's finest is lookin' for Buddy Lee Pyle, but I don't think Pyle murdered Mrs. Stone. Why now?"
I shrugged my shoulders. "What do you think?"
"I think you ladies need to go back to doin' whatever it is you do when you're not playin' detectives and let the professionals do the investigatin'. We've had enough killin' of innocents in these parts."
38
When we arrived at the Stones' residence, I avoided the topic of where I'd been, muttering something about enjoying a ride in the sunshine on one of the curvy roads south of town. Ray raised an eyebrow, signaling his doubt, but I held firm. Then I escaped to the kitchen to help Martha with supper. Suzanne and I had struck a vow of silence until I decided what to do with the information.
Back at the hotel, the topic of my ride didn't come up. Ray was innocent of murder, but what I didn't know was if he was party to the charade of jailing an innocent man. It didn't jibe that he knowingly jailed Pyle, then went to the trouble to release him.
The only other explanation was that once Elaine confessed to her sister, Ray might have been concerned she'd fess up to other people—namely Chief Jake Ervin. From what I read in the transcript, Elaine perjured herself to the court, but the prosecutor chose not to charge her with perjury. Ray, as one of the arresting officers, testified to facts of the investigation, but neither the defense nor the prosecutor asked him if Buddy Lee Pyle was with Elaine the night of the murder.
I had to talk to Ervin in the morning. That meant ditching Ray.
Ray didn't mention Elaine's murder or her funeral. He kept touching any part of me that strayed into his territory. I was full of doubts about his integrity and not in the mood for his advances, but on the other hand, I had no doubts about loving him. I understood he needed closeness. I tried to relax and act as if making love was a fine idea. As it happened, it was a fine idea—very fine, indeed.
When morning came, I was surprised to see it was a few minutes after eight. Usually the longer we made love, the earlier Ray awakened and the longer I slept. Based on our history, he should have been out of bed at four in the morning, and I should have slept until mid-afternoon. I slipped out of bed and into a pair of jeans and a loose sleeveless pullover.
In Florida, there is no such thing as cold tap water or a cold shower. I turned on the cold spigot as usual and splashed my face, catching my breath and a scream of surprise when icy water pumped from the depth of the mountain hit my barely awake skin.
Luckily, Ray was still asleep. I scribbled a note about running to Walmart for something I'd forgotten to pack, took the car keys out of his pants pocket, and crept out of the room. I hadn't lied. My first stop was Walmart where I purchased a small tape recorder, batteries, and tapes. It was most likely illegal to clandestinely record conversations in Virginia, but I wanted proof of anything useful.
At the police station, I was pleased to see Chief Ervin's car in its assigned spot. There was one other car in the lot. I interpreted that to mean Ervin was there with one other person at least. I wanted to conduct my conversation with the chief in private, reasoning he'd be more likely to answer my questions if no one was around. He could deny whatever he said later.
I switched on the tape recorder and dropped it into the side pocket of my bag before climbing out of the car. Since I was in front of the police station, I didn't bother to lock the car or raise the roof.
The front door to the station was unlocked, and the door to the squad room stood open. I saw the chief behind his desk. He stood as the door clicked closed behind me. I didn't see anyone else.
"Chief Ervin," I said. "I wondered if you might have a few minutes."
Recognition flashed in his eyes. "You're Stone's woman, aren't you?" He walked around his desk and across the squad room until he stood in the doorway of the reception area. "Stone always had a taste for nice looking women." He looked me up and down, leering.
I decided to take the high road. "Can we talk?"
He pointed to one of the chairs in the reception area. After I sat, he settled into the adjacent chair.
I positioned my pocketbook casually on my lap, took a breath to steady myself, and began. "Ray and I plan to be married."
"Sounds like a personal problem to me."
"There are a couple things I have concerns about, and I wanted to get some answers while I'm here. You know, some information."
He smiled without parting his lips. Though the room was cool, beads of perspiration moistened his forehead.
"Why were you convinced Ray hurt Elaine?"
"He's been back and forth chasing after her for years. Between you and me, I think Stone regretted the divorce, but Elaine wouldn't take him back." Ervin snickered. "Now, it's true he didn't kill her himself, but I think he paid someone to do his dirty deed. He's always been sneaky like that."
I shuddered, but I didn't believe a word of it. What I didn't understand was why he was lying when he knew I'd confront Ray with the accusations. "Didn't you have a relationship with Elaine for a while yourself?"
"Sure did." The chief ran his tongue over his lips and smiled.
I clutched my bag to my chest, remembered the recorder, and forced myself to relax. "Why did the Judge say you weren't anxious to help Buddy Lee Pyle get out of jail?"
"He said that? Did he now?"
I forged ahead. "It would seem to me as an officer of the law you would want to correct the wrong that was committed."
"I figured if Pyle got out of the can, he'd want to take up with Elaine. Just protecting my turf."
I was astonished to hear the comment. He'd be equally surprised I recorded it. "You were willing to leave an innocent man in jail to protect your love life?" I stared wide-eyed at him.
"Pyle may have been innocent of killing Bullock, but he still belonged behind bars. Pyle is trash. He's stupid. Useless. Look what he did to his wife and family down there in Florida. That's Stone's fault, too—for getting the worthless piece of shit out of jail." Ervin stood.
I thought he was going to show me to the door, but instead Chief Ervin stood about three feet in front of me, blocking my exit. "How about you give me a little of what Stone's getting?" He edged in a bit closer.
I was beginning to understand his openness. He acted with a sense of entitlement, enabling him to take what he wanted. He obviously hadn't kept up with the trends in sexism suits.
I stood and sidestepped him, increasing the distance between us. "No thank you, Chief. I think I'll be going. Thanks for the information." I took a step toward the door.
The chief closed the distance between us, moving quickly for a big man and coming much too close. His body odor assailed me, and I cringed. "Back off, Chief," I said firmly, planting my hands on his brawny chest and pushing with all my might.
"You're just as hot as Stone's other women. Don't you want to share, too?" He forced himself closer to me, causing my arms to bend slightly at the elbows. He pinned me against the chair.
Remembering a move from karate class, I bent my elbows completely, placing my hands behind his head, feigning cooperation. I jerked his head toward my chest at the same time I s
lammed a knee into his groin. My blow was on target. He dropped to the floor, grabbing his crotch and muttering profanities.
"I'll arrest you," he snarled, his blood red face contorting.
"For defending myself?" I stormed past him to the exit. "I don't think you want to do that." Before the chief recovered, I ran into the parking lot, jumped into the Honda, and sped away, staying in first gear until I red-lined the engine. About halfway back to the motel, I switched off the tape-recorder.
39
Ray stood in front of the room waiting for me. "What did you do, buy out the store?"
"No," I said, popping the lock on the passenger side and motioning him in. "We need to talk, but not here."
As Ray climbed in, I regretted my melodrama. But, on the other hand, if I drove while he listened to the tape, I would be in control until he understood the mess I'd created.
"Okay, Sophia, what's going on?" Ray said as I pulled onto the nearly deserted street.
"I've been . . . ah . . ." I slipped my hand into the side pocket of my purse—it was riding on the armrest dividing the two front seats—and handed him the recorder. "Why don't you listen to this? Then I'm sure you'll have questions."
He took the recorder out of my hand, and I glanced in the rearview mirror. A Parkview blue-and-white followed us at a discreet distance. I accelerated, holding the speed shy of the legal limit. Chief Ervin.
As I drove along, I alternated between checking behind me, glancing at the speed, and watching Ray's face grow tenser.
Ray said, "Pull over. I want an explanation."
"I thought you might. But I don't think it's a good time. Chief Ervin has been following us since we left the motel." I kept my eyes on the road. We left the city limits and approached the big hill east of town. We'd soon be out of the county. I hoped Ervin wouldn't follow us there.
"Keep driving, but tell me what the hell you think you were doing visiting the Judge, then going to Ervin." I glanced in his direction. Ray's glare seemed to penetrate my thoughts as I sensed the full measure of his anger.
I paused a minute, collecting my thoughts. "You've been evasive about what happened during that part of your life, what happened at the trial, everything. I love you, but how can I trust you when I wonder about your ethics, about what manner of man you are? I needed to know if you deliberately put an innocent man in jail."
"Well, did I put an innocent man in jail?" Ray's voice was hard. I knew without looking that his goatee was twitching at the edges, telegraphing his contained rage. The thought occurred to me for the first time that I'd get my answer, but it wouldn't matter. I was in the process of satisfying my need to know while losing the man I loved.
"I don't know." I said over the roar of the engine. "Only you know if Elaine told you the truth before the trial."
"The truth is I had no idea she lied until her sister told me years later. I contacted the Judge, and he called Ervin. I went to a lot of trouble to get Pyle out of jail, only to have him kill my kids' mother and his own family." He stopped talking, but I knew he wasn't done. "You're worried about my ethics. You've known me for more than ten years. You shouldn't question my ethics."
"Why didn't you tell me the truth?"
"Because, Sophia, I didn't want you involved. It's not your business."
"That tape clears your name and puts Chief Ervin in a bad light. The tape can help you."
"True. But it doesn't change the fact you interfered, and you caused more trouble."
I glanced in my rearview mirror. The patrol car reappeared from behind the crest of the last big hill. We'd left the county, and I was surprised Ervin hadn't turned back. "Ray, he's still back there." My voice shook.
"He'll stay there until we stop. Unlike me, Ervin has no ethics." Ray pointed to a section line. "Turn there."
"Do you think Ervin tried to keep Pyle in jail because he was having a fling with Elaine?"
"Yes, but there was more to it. Ervin and I were the arresting officers. When Elaine's behavior came into question, Chief Stanley removed me from the case, but I still testified to what I learned during the early part of the investigation. Ervin—he was an officer then—went overboard with the case, working with the prosecutor, pushing for a conviction. It was never clear why Ervin was so keen on convicting Pyle. I thought he was trying to make a name for himself."
Ray's voice had softened some, but when I glanced his way, he looked no less angry. I turned the corner and slowed to the forty-five mile-per-hour posted limit.
Again Ray pointed, this time to a deserted looking farmstead. "Turn in there and pull over behind the barn."
The unpainted barn didn't look like it blocked the wind, and it didn't keep out the rain because of a big gaping hole in the roof that was visible from a quarter mile away. I pulled in and parked on the far side of the barn.
Ray had chosen a secluded spot. Hilly terrain hid it from the main road, and it backed up to a woods. I sensed he had been to the place before. For a second, I feared he was going to put me out of my misery, but then I heard the patrol car's engine and knew Ervin had followed us into Ray's lair.
"Ray, what are you going to do?" Unlike the first time I met Chief Ervin, when he and Ray seemed to be on friendly terms, I now knew the depth of their mutual hatred.
"I'm going to defend your honor. Then, I'm going to put you on an airplane to Florida." Ray got out of the car. "Stay put."
Ervin stopped his vehicle fifty feet or so behind the Honda. Both men stalked to a point about halfway between the two vehicles and stared at each other. Ray's hands were at his sides. He had the tape recorder palmed and hidden from Ervin.
I slipped out of the car, leaving the door open.
Without warning, Ervin grabbed for Ray's collar, but Ray blocked his arm. Ervin grunted and backed off a step. "Stone," he said, "I'm going to arrest that pretty little filly of yours for assaulting a police officer."
"Is that so?" Ray's drawl was in full force.
He clicked on the recorder, and Ervin's voice and mine filled the space between them. Ervin's beady-eyed, threatening glare changed to wide-eyed fear. It appeared the thought hadn't occurred to him that I had recorded our encounter.
"I can explain," Ervin said. "I was checking to see what she was made of."
"Right." Ray stepped in closer to Ervin and grabbed the chief of police by his collar. "Ervin, if you ever lay a hand on anyone even remotely connected with me, I promise I'll kill you."
I saw the glint of steel in Ervin's left hand.
"Knife," I screamed. "Knife."
Ervin slashed a wide arc in Ray's direction. Ray jumped back. The knife grazed the side of Ray's right arm.
"You always did like a blade." Ray blocked Ervin's second swipe by smashing his bloody forearm on Ervin's wrist. The knife flew out of Ervin's hand and stuck in the ground five feet away from the men. I dashed forward, intent on getting the knife out of the reach of both angry men. After a split second of indecision, I tossed the four-inch switchblade as far away from the warriors as possible.
Ervin backed off a couple of feet but fixed his stare on the recorder. Then he landed a fist to Ray's midsection with a thud. Ray's counterpunch to the jaw sent Ervin crashing to the ground.
Ervin sprang to his feet and charged Ray, like a wounded bull intent on the matador's cape. Ray glanced in my direction and tossed me the tape recorder. Hand-eye coordination isn't my forte, and I missed the catch by several inches. The device landed next to the car on a thick clump of grass. I grabbed the recorder, switched it off, and shoved it into the pocket of my jeans.
Meanwhile the men were in a deadly serious, bare-fisted boxing match.
"Stop," I yelled, but they paid me no heed.
The things I shouldn't have done flashed through my guilt-ridden brain. I searched for something to grab, for a way to help. I spotted a three-foot piece of two-by-four lumber and ran to pick it up.
Ray had the advantage of reach, height, and endurance. Ervin had the advantage of sheer m
alice. Ray's fist connected three times in rapid succession with Ervin's jaw. Ervin staggered, leaning like a hurricane-blown palm tree. He stumbled and fell to his knees.
With a show of might, Ray hauled Ervin to his feet with one hand, dragged him over to the side of the barn, and slammed him against the barn wall. The wood splintered, and both men fell through. By the time I ran to the barn door, Ray had hoisted Ervin to his feet and pinned him to a post.
Blood oozed out of the side of Ervin's mouth and dripped over the nasty looking red mark on his left jaw. A smear of blood congealed on Ray's arm, but otherwise he looked no worse for the fight. I was thankful for that, knowing I would never forgive myself if Ray were hurt.
I inched to within five feet of them. "Ray, please don't hurt him. He's not worth it."
"Stay away." He glared at me. He turned his stare back at Ervin. "Now tell me, you rotten lying son of a bitch, why you've been trying to frame me for Elaine's murder?" Ray lifted Ervin off his feet and threw him onto the floor.
Sensing something significant was about to happen, I pulled out the tape recorder from my pocket, fast-forwarded the tape, and switched it on before shoving it back into my jeans.
"Because I believe you killed her." Ervin's voice was shaky.
Ray pulled Ervin to his feet and rammed his forearm into Ervin's chest. A bloody spray exploded from Ervin's mouth.
I rushed forward and put a hand on Ray's arm. "Ray, please stop."
Ervin made a grab for my throat but connected with my collarbone instead. I swung at him with the piece of board, but dropped it when a sharp pain shot down my right arm. I crumbled to the ground. Ervin lunged for the piece of wood, and Ray responded by clobbering him with a closed fist. The battle was over. Ervin had no more fight in him.
Imperfect Daddy Page 15
