by David Archer
“You had somebody over here,” Cassie asked, “who could help you change your name? How did you know about that?”
Sabrina gave her a wry grin. “I had a cousin who was into all the conspiracy theory stuff,” she said. “He introduced me to a friend of his, and it turned out to be a guy who knew how to do that kind of stuff. I dated him for a little while, but he was just a bit too weird for my taste. When I got over here and asked him to help me, though, he was willing. He got me a new name set up and helped me find a job, even let me stay with him for a while till I was able to get a place of my own.”
Cassie smiled at her. “I work with battered women,” she said. “We’ve been known to use somebody like that at times, when one of our clients needs to really disappear. Sometimes friends like that can come in handy.”
TWENTY-EIGHT
They had left Oklahoma City at just a little before six, and it took about an hour and a half to make it back to Tulsa. Just before they got into town, Cassie called Dex.
“Hey,” she said, “it’s Cassie. You eat yet?”
“No,” he said suspiciously. “Why?”
“You know where Ollie’s Station is?”
“Yeah, that little restaurant with all the train stuff. Want me to meet you there?”
“Yes. I’ll be there in about fifteen minutes.”
“Okay,” Dex said. “Grab a table, cause it’ll take me a little longer than that. Did you find anything?”
“We’ll talk when I see you,” Cassie said, and then she cut off the call.
“He’s probably mad at me,” Sabrina said. “You probably should have warned him.”
“Nah. If I know Dex, he figured out already that you’re with me. I don’t think he’s mad at you, I think he was just worried. Remember, everybody thinks you’re dead. He was so relieved when I told him that you were still alive that I thought he was going to cry.”
They got to the little restaurant a short time later and went inside to find a booth. They had just ordered drinks when Dex appeared, and he spotted Cassie, still in her red pants and vest, and came over to slide in beside her.
He looked at Sabrina and gave her a smile. “Hey, stranger,” he said. “Been a while.”
Sabrina gave him a sheepish grin and shrugged. “Had my reasons,” she said. “Sorry about the way things happened.”
“It’s all okay,” he said. “When I look back on things, I think we were getting a little too close anyway. I was letting myself get all excited about you, but I was forgetting the fact that I don’t do very well in long-term relationships.” He leaned forward and winked at her. “I cared a lot about you,” he said, “but after you broke it off with me, I came to realize that it probably wouldn’t have worked out all that well. I’m a little too independent to be much good as a husband or boyfriend, and I think you needed to figure out what you wanted. Me, I’m actually pretty content with the way my life is going.” He turned and looked at Cassie with that last statement, and she felt the right side of her face trying to turn red.
“Well, as you can see,” Cassie said, “she’s definitely alive and well. I’m going to take her home with me for tonight, and then I’m going to take her to the detective who works with the Outreach in the morning. I’d imagine she’s going to be pretty busy for a couple of days, and they’re probably going to keep her in jail for a while.”
“I’m okay with that,” Sabrina said. “I just want to get this over with.”
Cassie looked at Dex. “I kinda told her I thought you might help her with a lawyer,” she said. “Will you?”
“Yep,” he said. “I even know a good one who owes me a couple of favors, so I can get him on the case pretty quick. In fact,” he said as he dug out his phone, “let me see if I can get hold of him.” He got up and walked outside, but came back only a few minutes later. “Okay, that’s all set. His name is John Drew, and he’s one of the best criminal lawyers around here. He owes me because he claims I’m the only mechanic around who can understand his car. Jerk drives an antique Jaguar, and he’s always tearing it up. When he does, he has it towed to my house. I’ll give you his number, because he wants to go with you when you meet the detective.”
They ordered dinner and stuck to small talk while they ate. When they were finished, Dex followed them out to Cassie’s car and even gave Sabrina a hug. “You listen to John, he’s a good lawyer,” he said. He looked over at Cassie. “And I’ll see you tomorrow, right?”
Cassie’s one eye opened wide. “Tomorrow? Why am I gonna see you tomorrow?”
“Because I owe you,” he said. “You won’t let me pay you, but I can at least take you out to dinner, maybe a couple of drinks and some dancing. You okay with that?”
Cassie felt the blush trying to come up again and forced it down. “Yeah, whatever,” she said. “Call and let me know when and where.”
Dex made a gun of his hand and pointed it at her, dropping his thumb. “You got it,” he said. He got into his Mustang and drove away as the two girls got back into the Kia.
“I thought you two were just friends,” Sabrina said.
“We are,” Cassie replied. “Don’t let his sense of humor fool you. Besides, take a good look at me. The guys don’t boast about a girl who’s been toast.”
“Oh, that was terrible. I can’t believe you said that.”
“Hey, girlfriend, I’m fully aware that I look like a hot dog that spent too much time on the barbecue grill. Won’t do any good to try to deny it, right?”
“Still, that was disgusting.”
Cassie chuckled as she drove back to her place, and Critter told her loudly how angry she was about not seeing her owner for far too long. She mellowed a bit when Sabrina knelt down to pet her, but finally meowed her forgiveness when the can opener began singing its song.
Cassie showed Sabrina to the spare bedroom and then the two of them went to the living room to watch some TV. Television was something that was not available at the shelters, so the two of them caught up on a couple of movies before they finally decided it was time to get some sleep.
When Cassie woke the following morning, she bolted out of bed, panic rising in her chest and making her gasp for breath. There was something in the air, and at first she thought the place was on fire, but then she realized that what she was smelling was coffee. She made her way to the kitchen and found Sabrina standing at the stove, frying eggs while the coffee maker gave out its final gurgles.
She looked around at Cassie. “Hey, I hope you don’t mind,” she said. “I just felt like making breakfast.”
“Mind? If you want to make breakfast every morning, we can just ask them to put you on house arrest here. Did you find the bacon?”
“Yeah, it’s in the oven. Back at the shelter, we always cook it in the oven because it gives it more flavor.”
A few minutes later, the two of them sat down at Cassie’s little table. Cassie had gotten herself a cup of coffee and was holding it under her nose, savoring the delicious aroma. “You do realize that coffee is one of the most essential nutrients, right?” she asked.
Sabrina giggled. “Why do you think I wanted to enjoy it today? By the end of today, I’m probably going to be in a jail cell. Somehow I don’t think they’re going to let me have Starbucks in there.”
“I don’t know, I’ve never been in jail.”
“Neither have I, but I’ve known enough people who have. From what I understand, the best you can hope for is some cheap generic instant coffee that tastes like battery acid.”
Cassie giggled, then looked at the girl across the table. “I hope they don’t go too hard on you,” he said. “I get the feeling you and I could’ve been friends.”
Sabrina looked up at her and smiled. “I’m still hoping we can,” she said. “Especially if you and Dex are, um, such good friends, you know?”
They finished their breakfast and got dressed, each of them taking time for a shower. It was almost 8:30 by the time they were both ready to go, and Cassie took
out her phone. She called Alicia and waited for the detective to answer.
“Detective Perkins,” she said.
“It’s Cassie. Remember that lady I went looking for yesterday?”
“Yes,” Alicia said. “Any luck?”
“Actually, yes. I found her, and she’s alive and well. Unfortunately, the man that I suspected of killing her is not.” She gave Alicia a brief synopsis of the story, and then asked if she could bring Sabrina directly to her.
“Well, yeah,” Alicia said, “but I’m not actually the one who will be handling the case. That would be Tom Carson, in homicide. I’ll have to bring him into the room.”
“Okay, that’s no problem. We’re going to call her lawyer now, and we’ll be there as soon as he’s available.”
“Okay, I guess,” came the response. “Just tell me one thing. Are you going to keep solving cases like this?”
“Are you kidding? I can’t wait to get back to my office at the Outreach.”
She disconnected and handed the phone to Sabrina, the lawyer’s number already beginning to ring. When it was answered, Sabrina gave her name and was transferred immediately to Mr. Drew. Between the three of them, they decided to meet at Alicia’s office at nine thirty that morning, which gave everyone plenty of time to get there. Cassie called Alicia back to let her know when they would arrive, and they spent a few extra minutes playing with Critter before it was time to go.
“I’m scared,” Sabrina said as they drove downtown. “Will you stay with me as long as you can?”
“Don’t worry, I will. I wouldn’t want to go through this alone, either.”
They arrived exactly on time, and were a little surprised to find the attorney already waiting. Alicia got them all into her office, and then called Detective Carson. His office was a few minutes away, but he agreed to come right over.
The attorney took advantage of the time to get a short version of the story, so that he was ready by the time the homicide detective arrived, and then Sabrina told the story one more time. Carson’s eyes grew wide as she spoke, and he actually shook his head a couple of times.
“I’m going to have to go and talk to the DA,” he said, “but if your story checks out, I think the worst you might be looking at is a manslaughter charge. That doesn’t do anything about concealing a homicide, but under these circumstances—again, assuming your story is true—I seriously doubt you’re going to do any actual time. Of course, since you have absolutely confessed to concealing a homicide, I have to place you under arrest. You understand that, right?”
“She does,” the lawyer answered for her. “Of course, I intend to ask for bail immediately.”
“And I’m sure we’re not going to object, considering that she’s come in voluntarily and we didn’t even know there was a crime to be looking for her over.” He looked over at Alicia. “Can I leave her here for a little bit, while I go see the DA?”
“Sure, I can babysit. If I have to go anywhere, I’ll put somebody else on her and let you know.”
Carson chuckled as he got up and left the room.
An hour later, he called and asked Alicia to bring Sabrina down to the courthouse. The four of them, including Alicia and the attorney, rode down together in Cassie’s car and were immediately taken into Judge Whitaker’s chambers.
Carson and the DA were there waiting for them, and Carson smiled. “We worked out a deal I think your client is going to like,” the DA, a man named Paulson, said to the lawyer. “The State is willing to forego murder charges, contingent on our being able to confirm that Mr. Francis presented as a danger to Ms. Moss, but Detective Carson has made a couple of preliminary calls and I don’t think that’s going to be a problem. That only leaves us with concealing a homicide, and once we get everything put together she’ll be able to plead to that in return for two years of probation. No charges against the woman who helped her, since it was clearly done under duress. Would that suit you?”
Mr. Drew smiled back, and the crags on his face made it seem like something he rarely did. “Assuming that’s how it gets written up, I would advise my client to accept,” he said. “What about the matter of bail?”
“That’s why we’re here, now,” Paulson said. “We asked the judge for an emergency bail hearing on that charge, and he agreed.”
“And are we ready to proceed?” the judge asked. “I do have other cases I’m supposed to be dealing with right now, you know.”
Paulson turned to him. “We’re ready, Your Honor,” he said.
“Mr. Drew?”
“My client is ready, as well, Judge.”
“Very well, then. Court is convened on the charge of concealing a homicide which has been levied against Sabrina Marie Moss. This informal hearing is only for the purpose of setting bail for the defendant. Is there a recommendation from the State as to bail?”
“Your Honor,” Paulson said, “considering that the defendant has come in voluntarily and is unlikely to face an substantial penalty in this case, the State moves to allow bail in the amount of ten thousand dollars, to be secured by her signature alone.”
“Pretty generous,” the judge said. “Mr. Drew, any objection to that recommendation?”
Drew smiled. “None at all, Your Honor,” he said.
The judge looked at both lawyers and then at Sabrina. “Ms. Moss, what this means is that you are going to sign a note for ten thousand dollars, which will be held until this case is complete and then voided. In the event you fail to appear in court when you’re supposed to, that debt will become due and payable, and any assets you have may be seized against it. Do you understand this?”
Sabrina swallowed. “Yes, Your Honor,” she said, her eyes wide.
“So ordered,” the judge said. “Mr. Drew, please have your client sign, and then all of you can get the hell out of my courtroom.”
TWENTY-NINE
“I can’t believe this,” Sabrina said as they left the courthouse. “I’m actually free?”
“Well, mostly,” Cassie said. “You have to show up for court when they tell you to, but other than that you can come and go as you please. Any idea where you’re going to stay for the moment?”
Sabrina bit her lip. “Would it be too much to ask for you to drive me out to see my mother?” she asked.
Cassie smiled. “No problem at all,” she said, “and I think you should go and see Carolyn, too. She’s probably going to want to give you a big hug, since they’re not charging her.”
She drove Sabrina to Carolyn’s place, first, and the woman was so happy to see her that she cried for the entire hour they were there. Cassie had to help explain that Carolyn was not being charged over helping to hide Ray’s body, and that got her hugged until she began to worry about her ribs.
And then Sabrina went to see her mother, insisting that Cassie come in with her. She walked up to the front door of her mother’s home and rang the doorbell, and Cassie actually cried a few tears of her own when the joyful reunion spilled out the door and onto the lawn.
“Oh my God,” cried Mrs. Moss over and over, as she held tight to her daughter’s neck and led them inside. It took a few minutes for her to become coherent, and then she managed to listen as Sabrina told her story once again.
When it was all over, she turned to Cassie, and it was at that moment that she finally noticed Cassie’s scars. “Oh, dear heavens, child,” she said, “what on earth happened to you?”
Cassie told her own story, then, and ended with both of the Moss ladies in tears. Mrs. Moss thanked her repeatedly for finding Sabrina and convincing her to come home, and then she did some talking of her own.
“I’ve got all your things,” she said to her daughter. “When I couldn’t get hold of you, I called the police and they said it looked like you just ran off, but then your landlord called and said I needed to get all your things out of your apartment. I got some help and we packed it all up and I put it in storage. It’s all safe, and I’ve kept it for you because I always believed you’d c
ome home, one day.”
Cassie stayed with them for most of the day, joining them for lunch when Mrs. Moss insisted. She made a big pot of spaghetti, and it was delicious. Afterward, she got to listen to many stories of Sabrina as she was growing up, and then Sabrina told her mother about her work with the homeless shelters, and how she wanted to go back.
Finally, Cassie’s phone rang and Dex told her to meet him at a new restaurant at six. She hugged Sabrina and her mother one more time, and then got into her car and went home to change clothes.
Critter was delighted to see her, of course, especially since she hadn’t been gone all the night before. She stropped Cassie’s legs a few times until Cassie made it to the kitchen to open another of the tiny cans of cat food, and then permitted her owner the freedom to go and take another shower.
Cassie felt like she needed one. As well as the day had gone, she had been very stressed. Not knowing exactly what would happen at each juncture had only added to that stress, so Cassie had been sweating profusely on those parts of her body that were capable of it. She showered quickly and then decided to surprise Dex by wearing a dress to dinner.
The one she chose was relatively modest and not what someone would normally think of as evening wear. In fact, Cassie thought, it looked a bit like a slightly more modern version of something that the average sixties housewife might’ve worn, but she liked it. It went down to the middle of her calves, so her scarred leg wasn’t too prominently displayed.
