“The barn out back that we only just found is full of gardening equipment. Dad came around earlier and said that he might be wanting to use the tractor. I told him anytime. Then I had a visit from the queen. She told me about some of the things that she’d found out about working with the police. Nothing to do with the trial, but she was able to solve two cases for them of missing stuff.” Allie asked him what had been missing. “A bike for one. It’s been missing for about ten years, I guess, and the man who is looking for it comes into the station about once a month asking about it. Like it would be worth all that much now. Anyway, apparently it had been absorbed by a tree, and that was where he’d left it all those years ago. He’d forgotten about being out to the cemetery and had walked home thinking of his mother. Who I guess had only just passed away.”
“I’m assuming this is a bike unlike mine.” He said that it was just a plain bike. “Well, that’s good. A motorcycle would have been in worse shape than a plain bike. I was spit on today.”
“Mom told me. I think what you did to the kid was perfect. I might have done worse, so I guess it was good that I wasn’t with you.” She laughed with him. “I know the Frazer boys. I’ll go and have a talk with their momma tomorrow. She is one of the leap members, but her kids aren’t tigers. She’ll have a fit when she finds out. Mom already let Bryant know about it. Also, you’ll be happy to know that the trees that I planted are doing well now. Also, we have a grape arbor. I had them planted when I was told that Shin loved grapes. I tried to think of him eating one of them. They’d be about as big as his head, I think. But I’ll have to wait and see how that turns out, I guess.”
“The day after tomorrow, this will end, I’m hoping. Able said that it should only last about a day or two, then it’ll go to the jury. I’m not holding out much hope for it to end that fast. Nothing ever does when you just want it over with.” Sampson said that was the way he’d seen it too. “We’re holding onto a lot of hope for my testimony. And the things that I have from Howie. I hope that others see it like I did. That a sick little fuck has murdered and robbed people for a good deal longer than anyone could have imagined. Do you suppose he’ll get life without parole?”
“It wouldn’t surprise me if he got the death penalty. I know that it might be years before he ever faces it, but it’ll be wonderful to know that he’s being watched over well so that he has no chance for getting out.” Allie said that she agreed. “What is it you want for him, Allie? I’m not asking you if you want him dead. I mean, what would you give him if anything could come from it?”
“You mean if I could change him into a better person?” Sampson said that was it. “I’d offer it, but I don’t think it would matter to him at all. He’s like he is because that’s what he wants to be. I think, after having a couple of hours to think, that Howie has been the way he is since birth. He only led all of us on when it suited him. I also believe that he’s responsible for the murdered and missing cats and dogs around the neighborhood when he was growing up. I have no way of proving that, but I really think he’s the one that did it.”
“Not the other two?” Allie said that they were only into robbing and killing for the sake of having no witnesses. Howie enjoyed murdering for no reason. “I agree with you. Also, I think that eventually, he would have killed the other two at some point. When he got bored with just killing to steal. That’s more than likely the reason that he wishes you dead. You’re someone that sort of got away.”
“I think you’re right on that too. It’s like he’s some alien that was dropped off at our home that really isn’t related to us at all. In that, I’m including Serenity and Heath. They might have been bad, but they were nothing like Howie turned out to be.” She looked at him. “They found the money. There was just over sixteen million dollars stored in the basement of our old home. Why did they continue to steal if they had all of that?”
“For the pleasure in it? Because they could?” He shook his head. “Why do people do most of the things that they do? Just because someone told them that they couldn’t. It’s a sad place that we live in nowadays. Don’t you think?”
“I didn’t use to. But here of late, yes, I think it is a sad place.” She didn’t say anything more, and it took Sampson a few minutes to realize that she’d fallen asleep. He didn’t move, not wanting to wake her when she seemed to be sleeping so well.
Tomorrow he would talk to her about the rest of his day—not that it was all that exciting, but he wanted her to be aware of the changes to the things in the house. Including the magic that wouldn’t allow anyone in that came with meanness in their heart or mind. He wondered if it could include his dad, the way he got frustrated at times. It made Sampson laugh to think of his dad being barred entrance to their home because he was having a shitty day.
Chapter 9
The trial was starting in ten minutes. All of them were there to support Allie and Sampson, and Marcus had been asked to take pictures for the newspaper. He told them that he’d gladly do it so long as he could do with them what he wanted. While he didn’t have a clue what else he might do with them, he didn’t want anyone to keep him from doing it when he figured it out.
The judge came into the room right on the dot. After everyone was seated again, Marcus made his way to the front to take a picture of Howie. He’d been given permission to do things like that, as long as he didn’t get in the way of the things going on. Nor did he get close to Howie. Not that he wanted within ten feet of the fucking little shit.
After Sampson was called to testify, Marcus took a seat on the floor in front of the dais. Judge Winze winked at him once and watched Sampson. Who would have thought that by saving a bank full of people, his brother would meet his mate? Strange things were afoot, Marcus thought.
“I was in line to make several deposits in the family accounts. We’d sold off some of the bales we had, as well as a piece or two of equipment. Just a few thousand dollars, but it had to be done, and I was the person who did it that day.” Sampson looked at Winze. “I think that any of us that had been in the bank at that time would have done the same thing.”
Question after question was asked by the attorney Able. Sampson answered them with as few words as possible. When the other attorney stood up to ask questions, Marcus could see a visible difference in his brother. He had tensed up just enough to hold onto his cat, Marcus would bet.
“Mr. Prince, the witnesses that were in the bank when you were said that you looked as if you had a chip on your shoulder.” Marcus almost laughed out loud when Sampson said nothing. “Sir, I asked you a question. Did you?”
“Did I what? All you said was that people in the bank thought that I had a chip on my shoulder. At no time did that seem like a question to me.” Sampson looked at the judge. “Did it to you, Your Honor?”
“No, it did not. Get on with it, Benson, and don’t assume that you’re playing with someone that doesn’t have a clue how you work. I don’t think you’re going to have any luck playing games with Mr. Prince here. He’ll have you confused long before you’re able to do the same to him. Get to your questions now.” Benson said that he was sorry, and he must have forgotten to ask. “If that’s the story you want to go with, see that you don’t forget it again. I’m not kidding you, sir. Pay attention, or we’ll have words, you and I.”
“Mr. Prince, did you go into the bank looking for a fight?” Sampson said no. That was all, just no. “Were you upset about something that made you look angry?”
“I didn’t go there looking for a fight, so that would mean that I wasn’t angry.” Benson looked about as frustrated as Sampson looked happy. “Is that all you have?”
“No. It’s not. When did you kill Ms. Sheppard? I mean, as far as I know, there was no reason for you to have murdered a woman standing in line with you. Why did you kill either of them, for that matter?” Sampson asked which question he wanted him to answer first. Benson actually looked as if he
was going over his words to figure out if he’d asked more than one question. “In order, I guess.”
“I killed Ms. Sheppard when she fired a shot into the ceiling of the bank. Just before she said that she was Lisa Dawn. The reason I murdered her was because she came into a bank with a loaded shotgun and fired it over the head of innocent people. Mr. Sheppard, Heath, he was killed when he tried to kill me after his sister was killed. They were planning to kill everyone in the bank.”
“You know this for sure, do you?” Sampson told the attorney that she’d said she was going to. And that was her MO for robbing banks. “How did you know who she was?”
“As I said before, she told me who she was. Are you paying attention to your own questions, Mr. Benson?” That got a laugh from the courtroom in general, and Marcus snapped a few pictures of the jury laughing. “In the event that your next question is about Howard Sheppard, I didn’t kill him. He’s sitting right there.”
Again laughter, but Marcus didn’t take any more pictures. Sampson was asked several questions over and over, just worded differently, until the judge told Benson to move on. It was a tense few seconds while Benson decided that he was finished with Sampson for now.
When Allie was called to the stand, Marcus was thrilled to see that she’d dressed in fire engine red, and looked ready to take on the world. When she was sworn in, he took several pictures of her that he knew would show her to be just what she was—a woman who’d had enough of the shit going on concerning her family.
Allie was asked several questions about her relationship with Howie and the other two. She, like Sampson, only answered yes to the question, “Was she related to them,” and no, when asked if she’d had any contact with any of them in the last year. Marcus could see that Benson was beyond pissed about the answers. He wanted to get her on some minor thing or another by objecting so he could ask his question. They were not cooperating with him.
“Did you know that your brother was robbing banks?” Allie told Able that she had. “What did you do about it, if anything?”
“I went to the police to show them the messages that I’d received from my sister Serenity. She would brag on what they’d done, and then tell me to keep a running total of how many deaths she’d caused. The police said that it was out of their hands as they didn’t have anything to do with robberies outside of their jurisdiction.” She was asked if she’d heard from the police at all concerning them. “Not even when my parents were killed, and Howie told me he’d done it.”
“Objection. Hearsay.” Allie said that she’d kept the recording of her brother admitting to killing their parents, and she had it on her. “He told you that he killed them on a voice mail?”
“No, he sent me a video of him killing them.” The room was silent then, and Marcus took several pictures of Howie. It looked like the kid had not expected her to have that. “When I didn’t hear from my parents for several days, I went to the house to check on them. When I got there, I found my mom had been mutilated, as well as her head removed. My father had been tortured and killed before his head had been removed, as well. It wasn’t until I heard from Howie that I knew that he’d done this monstrous thing.”
“And you have proof of this?” Able was near giddy when he asked to be able to view it. Then he turned to the jury. “I’m sorry for this, ladies and gentlemen, but this is going to be very gory and messy.”
The recording had been put to a disc and was verified by a notary that it had been taken directly from Allie’s phone and put to the disc. As soon as it started to play, there was no doubt at all that it was Howie. And five minutes into the recording, he had killed his mother. Then he worked on his father.
On the video, Howie asked Allie several times if she was enjoying the show. He would put the camera on the body he was standing over so that you could just make out that it was Mr. Sheppard, the elder. After about ten more minutes of the recording, it was paused. Right where Howie was asking Allie again if she was ill yet, or should he go on.
“How did you not know that your brother had killed your parents if you had this, Mrs. Prince?” She told her attorney. “So he must have waited to see something about it on the news before letting you know that he’d been the one who had brutally murdered his own mom and dad?”
“Yes. He got into the habit of sending me things like this as he killed and robbed people. I have the video of him robbing a house in Maryland, where he murdered their children first, then the parents. Serenity and Heath were in this one with him.” Able asked Allie if she knew whether or not Howie had killed his parents on his own. “I have no way of knowing for sure. But the night of the recording as it was stamped on it, Serenity and Heath were in Texas, killing a house full of people having a birthday party. This, too, can be verified by calling the police in Texas for the information.”
When Able was finished asking Allie questions, it was Benson’s turn. The man looked green and asked for the video to be taken off the screen then put away. The judge said that he wanted it there as a reminder of what sort of person they were all dealing with. Howie simply sat in his seat and smiled the entire time, like he had not one care in the world for what was going on around him.
Benson didn’t seem to know where to start in asking Allie questions. For a long time after he stood up to do something, he only stood there, staring at Howie like he had no idea who he was. Which was pretty much what the jury looked like they were thinking as well. No one had expected to see a kid Howie’s age do something like he’d done to his mom and dad.
When it appeared that Benson had about given up on making this work for his client, he asked for a few minutes to talk to Howie. But Howie wasn’t having it, like he knew that Benson was going to tell him to take a deal, to plead guilty of what his crimes were. Then Howie stood up as best he could and looked at Allie.
“Serenity and Heath made me do it so that I could hang around with them. They were the ones that influenced me to kill and rob banks with them. I’m just a kid, Allie. Don’t let them take me away because I made a mistake in thinking that I’d be all right with them.”
Instead of saying a word to Howie, Allie picked up the remote that had been used. As she fast-forwarded through the recording, Marcus could see the blood, the body parts as they were being worked on. When she paused it at some place in the thing, she turned and looked at Howie.
“You’re so full of shit, Howie.” She didn’t take her eyes off her brother as she must have hit play in the remote. The words were loud and clear as Howie spoke.
“You might think that I’m being led around by my nose with the other two, but Allie honey, they have no idea what I’m capable of. Neither do you. I had to kill them. Well, I didn’t have to, but I needed to. They shouldn’t have dragged me back to this hell hole. Neither should you have. I’m going to kill you, Allie. As soon as I can, I’m going to hunt you down and kill you just like I did Mom and Dad. See if I don’t.” Howie’s laughter on the recording sounded evil like he was possessed or something. “Until I find you to kill you, sister dear, you’re going to be looking over your shoulder all the time. Because I am coming for you. Even if Serenity and Heath try and talk me out of it.”
There was not a sound as the recording was paused again. Allie went back to her seat and never took her eyes off someone in the back of the room. Marcus would bet all his money that it was Sampson that she was looking to. Not just for love, but for strength as well. Marcus thought that he’d fallen in love with her just a little more when she sat there without shedding a single tear for what was going on.
“We’ll have an hour recess.”
The judge banged his gavel on the desk and left the room, not even waiting for anyone to dismiss them. As soon as he was gone, Howie was taken away, and the room emptied. Marcus wondered what people would have to say to Allie when word of what was shown today got out.
~~~
“How did she use that
in there?” Benson didn’t even bother answering Howie again. He’d been asking him the same question for the last ten minutes. “Why did she even keep that shit? I mean, it was against me. I’m her baby brother. Why would she want me to be in trouble? Damn it, I’m going to have to rethink a lot of things now. Especially how I’m going to get her when I get out of here.”
“You’ll be able to leave this courtroom, but you’ll never be able to be free again. Why didn’t you mention this when I asked you if there was anything out there that tied you to any of the murders?” Howie told him that he’d never thought that Allie would keep such damning information about him. “Well, she did, and now we have to figure out a way to keep you from being put on death row. I don’t even know at this point if it can be done.”
“I’m not going to be on death row. You have to get me out of this place. I have plans.” Fred asked him if he was going to kill his sister. “Of course, I am. Didn’t you hear me say that I was? Damn it, man, aren’t you paying attention to me?”
“I am now. Christ, you really think that the jury, after seeing that shit up there on that screen, is going to say, ‘go ahead and leave, it’s all right that you murdered your parents’? That isn’t going to happen. Not in any lifetime. You will be lucky, as I said, if you don’t go to death row. Do you have any idea what is going to happen to you there? You won’t see the sun for but an hour a day, if you’re lucky. There won’t be any other prisoners around for you to speak to either. You’re so fucked right now that I wish you had fired me.” Howie said that he still could. “If you do, then you will be killed when they pull out the lethal meds and shoot you up with them. I’m betting that you sent her pictures or recordings of all the deaths, didn’t you? You should ask for something. Give them the names of the people that you killed.”
“It’s not going to matter, I tell you. People are going to see me as the normal little boy that I am.” Fred had doubts that this kid had ever been a normal anything. “When it’s your turn to ask her questions, ask her what she’s done to help me when I sent her those recordings.”
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