The Advocate's Justice

by Teresa Burrell

  “Was it wiped clean?”

  “No, they found Bullet’s and one other set, but they don’t know whose they are.”

  “But not Conner’s?”

  “No, thank God.”

  “We need to have another talk with Muriel,” JP said. “I’m going there now.”

  “Where is she?”

  “She had her appointment with Villareal this morning, then she went back home. I just talked to Ron. He’s been watching her since about midnight when he relieved Derek. Then Ron followed her to the appointment this morning and back. But he needs to go home and get some sleep, so I’ll relieve him.”

  “I’ll meet you there,” Sabre said.

  ~~~

  “Muriel, what’s going on?” Sabre asked. They all sat at the kitchen table, with JP on the end so he could watch both women.

  “I don’t know what you mean.” Muriel twisted a button on her shirt.

  “I know you want to help Conner, but you’re making things worse when you don’t tell us the truth.” Sabre locked eyes with Muriel. “Your fingerprints were not on the phone.”

  Muriel was silent, so Sabre explained that the technicians found Bullet’s prints and another set that wasn’t hers.

  Muriel’s pitch rose as she asked, “Whose were they?”

  “They don’t know.”

  “So, they weren’t Conner’s. Doesn’t that help him?”

  “Not really. If they had been his, the evidence would’ve been very damaging, but they think he had an accomplice.”

  Muriel looked pensive for a moment. “Someone must have found the phone after I threw it, and they touched it.” Her voice quivered. “I was there when Bullet was killed. It was me.”

  “That’s the other thing,” JP said. “You didn’t throw that phone from the speed-limit sign. You had to have tossed it from much closer to the crime scene. Why did you lie about that?”

  “I guess I forgot. Everything was so crazy. Or maybe it got moved. That would explain the other fingerprints.”

  “But not why yours weren’t on it,” JP said, watching her face. “Were you helping Conner?”

  “No!” Muriel was adamant, “I’m the one who killed Bullet. Conner was not there. They have to believe me.” She stared at Sabre. “You need to make them believe me.”

  JP found her last statement curious. When they left her house, Sabre turned to him “Why do you think Muriel is suddenly trying so hard to take the blame? She let Conner sit in the Hall all this time. And supposedly, she intended to let him stay in custody for seven more years. Does it seem odd to you?”

  “It sure does. I have to wonder how much her confession is influenced by Gene, via Derek.”

  “Do you think they threatened her?”

  “I don’t know what to think any more.” JP headed for the sidewalk. “But I know Gene was determined to get Conner out. Look what he has done so far. He violated his parole to help find the killer. He had Conner beat up in the Hall to get him tried as a minor. He had Derek find Muriel. I don’t put anything past him.”

  “I don’t think much of his tactics, but he sure seems to be protective of his son.”

  “I guess you gotta give him that.”

  “What now?” Sabre asked, as they climbed into his truck.

  “There’s nothing else I can do right now. So unless you think of something, I’ll keep an eye on Muriel. If you come up with an idea, I’ll call Ron or Derek to take over.”

  “That’s good, because no matter what, we’ll need Muriel to testify at Conner’s trial.”

  Chapter 68

  Sabre and JP spent most of Saturday reading through Conner’s file and JP’s reports. They took breaks only to eat and spend time with Morgan. The trial was getting close, and Sabre was concerned that she might not be able to win this one. By the afternoon, she felt trapped and frustrated. She went for a long run and tried not to think about the case, but that only worked for a few minutes. Then her mind would find its way back to Conner.

  Ron and Derek had been taking turns watching Muriel, but she had stayed put. Something was keeping her from running away again. Maybe it was the fear of Derek’s persuasion. Maybe it was Muriel’s concern for her grandson. Whatever it was, Sabre was glad, because Conner didn’t stand a chance without her testimony.

  When Sabre returned from her run, she cleaned up while JP and Morgan cooked dinner on the grill. Sabre stood near the sliding glass door and watched the two together, impressed with how JP had adapted to his new role. He would make a great father, she thought. A feeling of sadness passed through her. She didn’t know if she’d ever be able to give him that.

  Sabre shook it off and went outside. “What can I do to help?”

  “Don’t worry, Aunt Sabre, we got this,” Morgan said.

  Sabre smiled. Aunt. She liked the way it sounded.

  The three ate on the patio, then had a nice quiet evening as a family. After Morgan went to bed, Sabre and JP entered his office and took another look at the whiteboard. Most of the suspects had been crossed off. “Maybe we need to have another look at the original list,” JP said. “We must’ve missed something or someone.”

  “Maybe.” Sabre had a new worry. “What if calling Muriel to testify hurts us more than it helps? She’s obviously lying about part of her story.”

  “Why would she lie?” JP asked.

  Sabre knew he was playing devil’s advocate. They had solved more than one case with that approach. “To get the suspicion off Conner.”

  “So, she thinks Conner killed Bullet, feels guilty for bringing Bullet into his life, and now wants to take the blame?”

  Sabre nodded. “Maybe. I don’t know. She either lied before or is lying now.”

  “What other reason would she have to lie?” JP prompted.

  “She could be protecting someone else.”

  “Like Soper, you mean?” JP shook his head. “We’ve already danced that dance. He had an alibi, and I don’t think she’d protect him over her grandson. She’s not that into him.”

  “You’re right. Unless he had something on her, she wouldn’t choose him over Conner.”

  “That might be it. Maybe Gene has dirt on her, and he’s making her take the blame.”

  Sabre was skeptical. “What could he possibly have on Muriel that would make her take the blame for murder? What could be worse than that?”

  “You have a point. I get so irritated with my brother for putting those kids in this situation in the first place. I’d like to believe Gene. I’d like to trust him. I’d like him to be the brother I had before that whole mess with Dad when we were kids.”

  Sabre could see the pain in JP’s face. “Who is it you’re really mad at? Gene, or your father?”

  JP closed his eyes and shook his head. “Both, I guess.” He took a deep breath. “Enough of that. We need to figure this out.”

  They spent the next few hours perusing the files again. They had a new forensics report to go over. “Look at this,” JP said. “There’s no way Muriel killed Bullet. The person at the crime scene had a size-ten shoe and estimated weight of around a hundred forty pounds. Muriel’s shoes that we used for the K-9 were more like a size six.”

  “And she can’t weigh more than a hundred pounds at most.”

  “I hate to say it, Sabre, but that’s more like Conner’s size.” JP gave her a sympathetic look. “Do you think Muriel knows Conner did it and is just trying to save him?”

  Sabre shook her head. “Conner seemed genuinely surprised, and rather disappointed, when he found out his grandmother confessed. It was as if he’d lost her in that moment, like he discovered she was not the woman he knew her to be. Which makes me again think he didn’t do it. But if Conner did kill Bullet, I don’t think he confided in Muriel. She must be basing her concern for Conner on something else.”

  “Everything we discover leads back to Conner, Sabre. Maybe we’re too close to see it.”

  Sabre grimaced. “Maybe it’s just that I don’t want to think
Conner did it, because he’s such a great kid.” She paused, took a deep breath and said, “I’m still not convinced it was him. The only way he could have killed anyone was by accident. That kid just doesn’t have it in him. And I’ve given him every opportunity to tell me that it was an accident.” She sighed. “But he sticks to the same story.”

  JP sat silently.

  “You don’t agree?”

  “It’s not that. I know Conner is a great kid. But in the same situation, Gene never would have changed his story either. His father may have taught his son more than we realize.”

  “He’s not Gene.” Sabre closed the file she was reading. “I’m beat. Let’s call it a night.”

  Sabre peeked in on Morgan, then joined JP in his bedroom. He was already asleep by the time she got into bed. She lay there, mulling over what she had read, when suddenly it hit her. She sat upright. “That’s it,” she said aloud. She shook JP’s shoulder. “I know what happened.”

  JP mumbled.

  Sabre stretched out next to him, put her arm lightly on his shoulder, then scratched JP’s back.

  “That’s nice.” He rolled over and kissed her.

  “You awake?”

  “I am now.”

  “Good.” She sat up again. “I know who killed Bullet.”

  “You do?”

  “Roxy.”

  “What? How did you arrive at that?”

  “She’s a big woman, with large feet. The weight and the shoe print would be about right.”

  “Okay.” This time JP sat up. “What else do you have?”

  “Roxy and her mother are very close. She’s quite protective of her, and Roxy had access to the gun. In fact, she’s the only one who really knew where Gene hid it originally.”

  “But how did Roxy get the gun into Conner’s closet? And why would she put it there?”

  “I think Muriel was telling the truth about that.” Sabre worked through the scenario as she talked. “Roxy told her mother she’d killed Bullet. Then Muriel took the gun, wiped it clean, and put it into the kids’ room when she tucked Morgan in that night. She probably intended to remove it, but never got the chance.”

  “I don’t know. Morgan said her mother never left the house that day.”

  “That was the clencher that got me thinking. Morgan saw her mother come into the living room that afternoon.”

  “Which was usually when she got up.”

  “But she was already dressed. Have you ever seen Roxy dressed before evening?” Sabre didn’t let JP answer. “She goes right from her bedroom to the kitchen in her night clothes and gets a cup of coffee. She didn’t do that. She talked to Morgan for a few minutes, then went to her room. She probably waited until Muriel got home and then confided in her.”

  “We’ll need evidence to get the DA’s office to move on this,” JP said.

  “I know. That’s a problem.”

  JP kissed her lightly on the forehead. “I have an idea.”

  “Of course you do.” Sabre smiled.

  “Good work, baby. I’ll get you the evidence first thing in the morning. Actually, since we’re working with Roxy, it may take until the afternoon.” He pulled her toward him. “Now, let’s finish what you started.”

  “You mean scratching your back?”

  “Not what I had in mind, but you can start there.”

  Chapter 69

  The next morning, Sabre took Morgan to visit Conner. JP waited until a little after noon before he drove to Roxy’s. Ron was sitting out front.

  “Anything going on?” JP asked.

  “Not much. I’ve only been here an hour. Derek spent most of the night. He doesn’t seem to mind putting in the hours.”

  “He has a close friendship with Gene.” JP felt a tinge of envy as he remembered how close he and his brother were as kids.

  “He must,” Ron said. “It got pretty loud last night. I was here until midnight. Earlier, three guys and a woman showed up. I could hear them in the backyard getting rowdy.”

  “Did you look to see what they were doing back there?”

  “Just once. It wasn’t pretty.” Ron shook his head. “What are you doing here this morning?”

  “I need to see Roxy. Sabre has a new theory. I’ll check in with you on my way out.”

  Muriel answered the door and invited JP in. He wasn’t exactly sure how he would pull this off, but he had to get something with Roxy’s fingerprints—without her or Muriel knowing. He was afraid he had arrived too early, but he’d wanted to get there before Roxy got up. If he timed it right, she would go straight to the kitchen and get coffee. He’d brought his own coffee thermos, intending to get her to touch it somehow. He gripped the container at the bottom, hoping he didn’t look too conspicuous.

  “What brings you here today?” Muriel asked.

  “I have a few more questions for you and Roxy…er…Roxanne. Is she up?”

  “No, but she doesn’t know much about what happened.”

  “She might know this.”

  Muriel ignored his comment and asked, “What else do you need from me?”

  “We’re trying to nail down the timeline for the events of the morning Bullet was killed,” JP said. “Do you mind if we sit in the kitchen? I might have some questions about what happened in there.”

  “Okay.” Muriel walked into the kitchen, JP followed, and they sat down at the small table.

  “This is where Bullet beat you up for the last time?” JP asked, glancing around the room. He didn’t wait for an answer. “Tell me exactly what happened after he left on his bike that morning. What did you do?”

  “I got dressed and left.”

  “Did you shower or clean up beforehand?”

  “I washed my face and changed my clothes, because they were bloody.”

  “When did you get the gun?”

  “After I got dressed, I went to Roxanne’s room. She was asleep, so I quietly went to her closet and took the gun out of the box.”

  “Did you leave the box behind?”

  “Yes, but what difference does that make?”

  “I’m just trying to get the full picture,” JP said. He was mostly stalling and waiting for Roxy. “What did you do with the gun?”

  “I took it with me.”

  “I mean, did you put it in your pocket or your purse? How were you carrying it?”

  “In my purse.”

  “Did you check to see if the gun was loaded?”

  “No. I just wanted to scare him. I didn’t plan to kill him.”

  “You told me earlier that Gene wasn’t here that morning, but I know he was. Gene said he came into the kitchen while Bullet was pounding on you and threw him against the counter. Is that what happened?”

  Muriel looked like she didn’t want to answer, but after a moment, she nodded.

  “Did Gene leave before you did that morning?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “What about Conner? Was he still here when you left?”

  “I don’t know when either of them left. All I know for sure is that Morgan was here and Roxanne was asleep.”

  “But Roxanne could’ve left right after you did?”

  Muriel gave an uncomfortable laugh. “Roxanne doesn’t get up that early. Even after she’s up, it takes her an hour to get rolling. She has to have coffee before she can even function.” She wrinkled her brow. “What are you implying?”

  “I’m not implying anything. I’m just trying to figure out who all was where.”

  Muriel seemed to relax a little. JP kept asking questions, stalling as long as he could. It took another fifteen minutes before Roxy strolled into the kitchen in a skimpy t-shirt that barely covered her bottom. JP said hello, and Roxy mumbled something incoherent.

  “She’ll be better after her coffee,” Muriel said.

  JP continued to ask questions while he watched to see if Roxy touched anything that he could confiscate. She walked directly to the cupboard and removed a mug, then picked up the coffee pot and poured
. She grabbed three packets of sugar, tore them open, and dumped the sweetener into her cup. She laid the empty wrappers back on the counter. Then she picked up a spoon next to the pot and stirred her coffee. JP wanted to get his hands on both the spoon and the used sugar packets. But he wasn’t confident he could pull it off.

  “When did Soper and Rankin leave?” JP asked Muriel.

  “They were already gone before Bullet hit me.”

  JP decided it was time for the backup plan. He stood and walked toward Roxy, extending the thermos. “Do you mind giving me a little coffee?” She took the thermos and held it as she poured coffee into it. “Thanks, that’s plenty,” he said after a few seconds. “Just set it down, and I’ll add some sugar if you don’t mind.”

  “No problem.” Roxy walked to the table and took a seat, sipping on her hot drink.

  JP thanked Muriel, hoping she would leave, but she remained in the room. He turned to Roxy. “I’m trying to figure out what time Gene and Conner left the house the day Bullet was shot. Do you know?”

  “No idea. I was asleep.”

  “I was afraid of that, but I appreciate your help.”

  JP walked over to the counter to retrieve his mug. He had his back to both women. He acted like he was putting sugar in his coffee and purposely spilled a little on the counter. He pulled a paper towel from the spool and scooped up the spoon and packets Roxy had touched. He held the thermos by the bottom again, careful not to touch where Roxy’s fingers had been.

  “I think I’m done here. We’re trying to help Conner, but it’s not looking good.” The women exchanged glances. “Thanks. I’ll see myself out.” JP left the room.

  ~~~

  JP set the bagged thermos, the spoon, and the empty sugar packets on the investigator’s desk and explained what he wanted.

  “I can’t do that for you on a hunch,” Villareal said.

  “It’s more than a hunch. The shoe size and the weight are right. They match the evidence at the crime scene. Roxy had access to the gun. And motive. She also can’t account for her whereabouts. It’s all there.”