“Ms. Bellinger, I’m waiting to hear your rebuttal.”
“Yes, your Honor. I believe every crime scene has unauthorized intrusions and these intrusions don’t represent a substantial enough possibility of evidence tampering to warrant the exclusion of the evidence collected later.”
“I completely disagree,” Ms Hunter interjected. “This Mr. Harcorte, whoever he is, could be the actual killer of Danny Conners. After all, who was the man seen leaving Danny Conners’ car at the train station? If it was Mr. Harcorte, then it has everything to do with preserving the honor and integrity of the court and ensuring justice is done.
“My client was a victim of the attacker who may have killed her sister and may have also killed Danny Conners. Mr. Harcorte had plenty of time to stage the apartments and plant evidence framing my client.
“The police manual clearly states searches are to be conducted within twenty four hours of naming a suspect. If possible, upon discovery of a crime scene, it is to be guarded by the police, with said guards recording the names and addresses of all persons coming or going from the site, and any items they may bring in or out of the crime scene are to be searched,” Ms. Hunter concluded.
“Your Honor, this is absolutely preposterous. The evidence clearly points directly to Miss Jennings. And besides, this mysterious Mr. Harcorte simply stated the crime scene looked staged, not that he staged them. Once we are able to find him, I feel with certainty that will be his testimony,” Ms. Bellinger retorted.
“Your Honor, I…” the judge raised his hand cutting off Ms. Hunter before she could say anything more.
“Counselors, I get the picture and having done so, I am ruling all the evidence collected at the apartments inadmissible until such time as the People can provide adequate proof that this mystery man, Mr. Harcorte, was not involved in the commission of the crime and can attest to his actual identity in court, thus removing the reasonable doubt as to Mr. Harcorte’s involvement. Now, unless you have any other evidence?” the judge asked the ADA who shook her head. “No, then the case is dismissed and Miss Jennings is free to go. Bailiff, let’s get on with the next case.”
Beals and Williams thought they’d managed to sneak away from the court house but their boss, Captain Clancy, had reached out to them via their cell phones and directed them to report immediately to the ADA’s office. Begrudgingly, they went, otherwise they would have faced possible suspension and they could have possibly been fired.
They arrived ready to do verbal battle with the ADA. They had pointed out to her there were problems with the case and they weren’t ready to charge anyone; but she had insisted they had enough to charge Miss Jennings and she pushed it forward.
“What the hell were you two thinking?” Ms. Bellinger blasted them the moment they stepped into her office. The fact her boss, District Attorney, Darrell Thompson, was sitting in the corner reviewing her case notes, didn’t bode well for their situation. Williams responded to her accusation before Beals could react.
“What the hell were we thinking? Lady, we told you, there were lots of loose ends and yet, you insisted we make the arrest. You knew about this Harcorte clown and what he said to Jennings before charging her. You could have stopped the arraignment and held her for another forty-eight hours, giving us a chance to chase down this Harcorte guy but no, you insisted we focus on making the evidence we had point to Jennings.”
“Gentlemen, there will be time to assess blame later,” DA Thompson interjected before the argument could go any further. “All I want to know is how we’re going to fix this,” he stated as he looked back and forth between the detectives and his assistant.
“They need to find Harcorte and figure out what his involvement is here,” Ms. Bellinger spouted.
“Good choice, pick the obvious solution,” DA Thompson stated sarcastically.
“Well, sir, we believe Harcorte is a private investigator but that isn’t his real name—just an alias he uses to cover his tracks. We also believe we know who hired him,” Beals took over the conversation keeping Williams and his temper out of it.
“So, who hired him?” DA Thompson asked.
“We’re confident it was Anthony Conners, Danny Connors father and owner of Conquest Trucking,” Beals informed the DA. The senior Conners was a longtime adversary of the DA’s who he’d tried and failed to convict three times of various crimes.
“Well, that certainly does make this a little more interesting. I want to know right away if that son of a bitch is the one who hired this Harcorte character. I’ll slap that asshole with obstruction of justice so fast his attorney’s head will spin up his ass. I don’t care what else you think you have to work on, I want this to be your top priority with daily reports. You got that?” DA Thompson was clearly fired up about the case now.
Beals and Williams stood there for a moment before the DA spoke up again, “What are you waiting for? You two can leave now.”
On the car ride over to Conquest Trucking, they said little other than to complain about the DA’s arrogant attitude and his comment about assessing blame later. Williams called it right when he said that meant the DA would blame them later, when he could use it to deflect criticism at the press conference after losing the case. He had done it before and they knew he would do it again.
When they arrived at Conquest Trucking, their reception was even colder than the last time they were here. They were informed that Mr. Conners was too busy to speak to them and handed his attorney’s business card. So, since they knew where Anthony Conners office was, they barged right in.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Conners, they just shoved me aside,” Betty, Conner’s secretary said apologetically after Beals and Williams had walked in.
“That’s okay, Betty. Call Jackson Bender and patch it right through,” Anthony Conners stated. Betty closed the door without saying a word as Anthony Conners sat staring at Beals and Williams. Finally he spoke. “I do hope you’re here to inform me of my son’s whereabouts.”
“No, I’m afraid not,” Detective Beals stated.
“Then why are you here?”
“To talk about obstruction of justice?” Detective Williams snarled.
“Excuse me?”
“We know it was you who hired the investigator who muddied the waters at the crime scenes. We need his real name and how to contact him. We were hoping you’d cooperate and avoid any possible misunderstanding involving the disappearance of your son and his lover.”
“I see. You think I hired someone to investigate my son’s disappearance and if I did, I should give you his name and number, so you can interrogate him and then use what you learn to hang an obstruction rap on me. Is that what you’re telling me, Detective?”
“We have questions we need answered by him,” Beals replied.
Just then, the phone on Conners’ desk buzzed and he picked it up. “Jackson?” he inquired, then stated, “Yeah, okay, I’m putting you on speaker so the detectives can hear you.” Conners punched two buttons and then asked, “Jackson, are you there?”
“Yes, Mr. Conners, I’m here. Now what can I help you with today?” the attorney replied.
“First off, why not tell these gentlemen, two city detectives, who you are and what our relationship is,” Conners directed.
“This is bullshit,” Williams blurted out and Beals grabbed his arm. Immediately Williams twisted away from Beals’ grip, his frustration getting the better of him. Conners sat grinning at the sight of the two detectives having a spat, as his attorney continued.
“My name is Jackson Bender. I am Mr. Conners’ attorney.”
“Now, tell them I don’t have to talk with them without my attorney present, and if they don’t want trespassing and harassment charges filed against them, they should leave my office and my company’s property immediately without delay,” Anthony Conners barked at the phone but it was more for show than anything else.
“Gentlemen, I believe my client is saying…” Beals cut off the attorney before he co
uld say anything more.
“We get the picture, Counselor.”
“Good. Mr. Conners will provide you with one of my business cards, in case you would like to make an appointment to ask your questions.”
“I’m not sure that will be necessary, Counselor. Your client has made his position clear.” Both Beals and Williams stood glaring at Conners.
“Then I suspect you’ll be leaving now.” A moment passed but neither, Beals nor Williams moved an inch. “Mr. Conners, have they left?” the attorney asked.
“We were just leaving,” Beals stated as he and Williams started towards the door. But Beals stopped just before he reached the door and was about to say something when, as if on cue, Attorney Bender stated over the phone, “Good day, gentlemen.”
Beals ignored him and asked Conners, “Why would you want to obstruct the investigation of your own son’s disappearance?”
“I didn’t hire anyone,” Conners stated.
“That’s enough, Anthony,” Bender interjected over the phone. “Good day, gentlemen,” Bender repeated.
“Let me put you on hold a moment,” Anthony Conners told his attorney as he punched the button placing him on hold, then looked up at Detective Beals who was still standing in his doorway. “You want to talk, you call my attorney.”
“Yes, we will. We’re going to find this mystery investigator and then we’ll talk.” Beals and Williams then walked away.
When Conners was sure that Beals and Williams had left the building, he picked up the phone again and gave Jackson Bender his new orders.
“Jackson, they’re gone. How in the hell do they know about your investigator?” Conners barked.
“I don’t know, but I’ll get to the bottom of it.”
“And what does my hiring an investigator have to do with their case?”
“The judge threw out all the evidence collected by the police from the two apartments because he accepted the defense’s assertions that the reason the apartments looked staged was because a person known as ‘Harcorte’ did the staging.”
“And that would be the investigator you hired?” Conners asked pointedly.
“It does appear so. I don’t know for sure. Like I said, I’ll get to the bottom of it and get back to you.”
“No, don’t waste your time. Here’s what you’re going to do,” Conners started to say but Bender cut him off.
“Anthony, the man hasn’t filed a complete report yet. But his daily updates suggest he’s making real progress.”
“Bullshit, Jackson! The man has the police snooping around me, threatening me with obstruction and he doesn’t even know you hired him for me.” Then Conners inquired, “He doesn’t, right?”
“In all honesty, Anthony, the police are hanging around because your son is involved. Not because our investigator screwed up. Is there anything you need to tell me about your son?” Bender asked, knowing Anthony may have been involved with his disappearance.
“Jackson, I’ll ask you one more time, does he know about me?” Conners snarled.
“I didn’t tell him anything other than to look into Danny’s disappearance. He’s a smart guy though and it isn’t that hard to figure out. It makes perfect sense you’d be interested, but I’m his client of record.”
“Jackson, you’re going to do exactly what I’m telling you or I’ll have you fitted for cement shoes and taken for a walk in the river, understand me?” Conners growled.
“You don’t have to threaten me. I’m on your side.”
“Yes, I do. People do their best work under pressure and if this investigator problem comes back on me, I will be doing a hell of a lot more than threatening your ass. Now, are you ready to listen? I’ll make this real clear for you.”
“Yes, sir, I’m ready.”
“Good, I want you to call in a couple of guys from Detroit. White guys, so they’ll blend in better, aren’t many blacks in this town. Make sure they understand time is of the essence and after they complete their job, they’re to get the hell out of town, ASAP. I want the bitch the cops are trying to prosecute, eliminated. I want the husband of the Stone woman to join her. And last but not least I want the investigator eliminated, as well. I don’t want any more loose ends, understand me?”
“Loud and clear, sir. Loud and clear,” Bender replied.
Anthony Conners slammed down the phone and fumed. It would only take one mistake and everything he had worked the last thirty-five years for would come crumbling down. Just one mistake.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
“So, now what?” Detective Williams asked as soon as he and Detective Beals had gotten in their car.
“I don’t think talking to his attorney will yield anymore insight than talking to Conners has,” Beals replied.
“We’re just going to let this lie then?”
“No, I didn’t say that, but we’re gonna need some help. I’ll call the DA and ask for him to press the captain for some surveillance help.”
“Who we gonna surveil? Conners? his attorney? Who?”
“I was thinking Conners’ attorney, as well as Mr. Stone and Miss Jennings. If this Harcorte guy is really investigating for Conners, then he’ll be stopping by one of those three people’s homes or work or maybe all three of them. I think that will be the most likely way we’ll find this guy,” Beals explained.
“Okay, I’ll go along with that, but what will we be doing while the stakeouts are going on?”
“We’ll be re-interviewing the major players in the case.”
“There’s only two, Stone and Jennings,” Williams smirked as he pointed out the obvious to his partner.
“Yeah, I know, but what if they were in on it together?”
“I don’t know about that. I was thinking after watching Conners today that maybe he had his own son wacked. He hasn’t demonstrated an ounce of concern. What if the kid was stealing from the company or something else, like maybe he was stealing from one of his side businesses?”
“We’d need to have a search warrant to go through his books and we’ll have to include his houses here in town and his weekend retreats, as well.”
“Plus his mistress’ place, too. Let’s hope the DA has a better relationship with Judge Stevens than we do. Otherwise, it’ll be a cold day in hell before we’ll get more than the bum’s rush out of him.”
“Well, maybe the fifth or sixth time is the charm for the guy.”
“Let’s just get the surveillance up and running, and keep our theories to ourselves,” Williams stated.
John Carpelli was sitting on a tree stump a quarter mile away from Tyler Stone’s house watching through binoculars while Tyler cleaned his garage, when his cell phone rang.
“Yeah,” Carpelli answered in his usual manner.
“Jackson, here. I wanted to give you a heads up.”
“About what?”
“Our client didn’t take the news of the court throwing out the case against April Jennings well. He believes you fouled up the crime scene evidence and that brought the police to see him.”
“What? No fucking way. I didn’t do anything but walk around and look at things. I didn’t touch a thing, other than the door knob and I wore latex gloves, besides.”
“I tried to explain it to him but he wouldn’t hear it.”
“So, what? I’m out of work again?”
“Ah… I said he didn’t take it well. He wants you dead. He considers you a loose end. He’s afraid the police will keep coming back to him until you, the woman, and the girlfriend’s husband are gone.”
“How am I a loose end? I’m a legal business. What possible trouble could he get into by hiring me?”
“It’s being construed by the DA that you were hired to purposely squirrel the crime scenes. Your job was to make it appear as though April Jennings killed Danny when someone else actually did it, probably our client or his henchmen.”
“Jesus, the knife shows she did it. I didn’t have anything to do with it.”
“I kno
w. That’s why I called you. I have two million dollars I can give you and you can get out of the country for a while. Take a long vacation.”
“Two million dollars? That’s quite a bonus.”
“I think you’ve earned it. Besides, it’s Conners’ money, his emergency slush fund. With Danny most likely dead, I’ll just blame its disappearance on him.”
“So, how long do you think I should be on ‘vacation’?”
“Oh, I’d suggest a few years.”
“A few years?”
“Like five years. I know it sucks but there isn’t anything else you can do. If you stay here, he’ll keep sending hitters until one of them succeeds. If he finds out I gave you a heads up, he’ll kill me, too.”
Carpelli was quiet for a moment while he thought through his options. After a couple of moments he answered.
“Okay, I see your point, but I’d like to have another choice here.”
“John, I don’t see one. I’ve already called Detroit for the hitters. They’ll be here the day after tomorrow.”
“Aren’t you the model of efficiency. You couldn’t give me more time?”
“Time for what? Haven’t you been listening John? Conners wants you dead along with Stone and Jennings. You have to run. If you stay, you die.”
“They have to find me first. But you know, with a little help from you, I think we could set Conners up. We just need a day or two to get things organized.”
“John, it will take only one mistake setting up Conners and we’re both dead.”
“I suspect Conners will need to tie up your loose end shortly after he ties up mine.”
“I have attorney/client privilege to help shield me.”
“I haven’t heard of a single case where attorney/client privilege stopped a bullet,” Carpelli stated. Bender was quiet for several seconds thinking things over before he replied.
Cliff Roberts Thriller Box Set Page 30
