Murdered at the Courthouse

by Dianne Harman

  Kim processed the information Kat had just given her for a few moments, then she said, “I don’t know how I can help, but sure, if you have some questions for me I’ll try to answer them.”

  Good, Kat thought, the book ploy is working its magic.

  “The papers indicated your husband was convicted of assault and battery on a man that you had been seeing. From what the papers said, your husband’s sentence was quite light due to the defense attorney’s closing argument about it being a crime of passion. Is that about right?”

  Kim stared at the silent television screen where a man was shaking a woman by the shoulders, and the woman was crying. She turned to Kat with a sad smile. “Yes, I would say so. Jules and I hadn’t been getting along very well, and I started seeing another man. It’s public knowledge since it was brought up in his trial. I can’t say I’m real proud about it. Jules found a text from the man on my iPhone and demanded to know who the man was. Quite frankly, I was a little afraid of Jules’ temper, so I told him.” Kim’s perfectly manicured hand lifted the wine glass to her lips for another glug. I never dreamed he’d find out where the man lived and go after him. The first I knew about it was when he called me from jail after he’d been arrested and needed me to bail him out.”

  “When he got out of prison, were you frightened?” Kat asked.

  “No, not really.” Kim’s eyes glazed over. “Jules felt very badly about what had happened and promised me nothing like that would ever happen again. He did tell me that he expected me to be here when he came home in the evening, and I was to never go out at night without him. I’m always here when he comes home, and I never go out at night without him, so I’ve kept my end of the bargain.”

  So you have, but what about when Jules is at work and your trysts with the judge? Kat thought.

  “Kim, I’m not real sure where I’m going to take my character in my book, but let me ask you another question. If Jules found out you were seeing another man, do you think he’d be capable of murdering the man?”

  “He’d never find out, because I’m real careful,” Kim blurted out, before she realized the inadvertent disclosure she’d just made. She continued, “What I meant to say was, that if I ever did something like that, I’d be real careful, but I learned my lesson, and I would never see another man. I got scared after that last incident, because I think Jules is capable of murder, and I could possibly be his next victim if he ever caught me. But like I said, I’d never do anything like that again.”

  I don’t think I’d take a bet on that.

  “I can certainly understand why you’d feel that way,” Kat said. One last question, and then I’ll leave.”

  “Yes, I have to pick up Jules. When he got out of prison he was still feeling a little jealous and thought it would be a good idea if I didn’t have a car. Once in a while I do need one, like today when I had to get groceries, but the rest of the time he has the car during the day.”

  Interesting, Kat thought, filing that statement away so she could think about it later.

  “As part of his release from prison, I assume he has a parole officer he reports to. My question is this. Was he required to attend some anger management classes, or anything like that in connection with his release?”

  “Yes. He has a parole officer he reports to once a week. Jules is supposed to attend anger management classes on a monthly basis. It’s actually a 12-step program called Rageaholics Anonymous. He had a meeting last night, as a matter of fact.”

  “Do you go with him to those, Kim?”

  Kim frowned. “No. I went to the first one, but it’s just a bunch of nasty men talking about their anger and a shrink telling them how to control it. Pretty boring stuff, if you ask me. I’m sorry, but I really do need to leave, Ms. Denham. I don’t want to do anything to make Jules angry,” she said as she hurried into the kitchen and turned on the hot water. She rinsed her wine glass, dried it, and put it back in the cupboard.

  Hmmm, Kat thought. Be willing to bet Kim keeps the amount of wine she drinks from him, like a lot of other things. Most people would just put it in the dish rack in the sink to dry, particularly when they’re afraid of being late somewhere. And then there’s the fact that he was gone last night. I wonder if he went to his meeting. And I also wonder if that’s something Dave could find out.

  “Yes, I need to leave, too, Kim. Thank you so much for your time. I’m sure I’ll be able to use some of the information you gave me, although I don’t know exactly where at this point.”

  “I do have one request, Ms. Denham. If you use anything I’ve said, I’d appreciate it you wouldn’t use my name, or even my circumstances.”

  “That I can definitely promise you,” Kat said as she walked out the door. When she got in her car she checked her phone to see if Blaine had emailed, called, or texted her. There were no messages, so she called him and his phone went directly to voicemail.

  “Hi, sweetheart,” she said. “Was wondering how the case is shaping up. I know you’re busy, but would you let me know what your plans are for dinner? See you later.”

  CHAPTER 18

  When Kat got home she checked the refrigerator and the freezer to see what she had on hand if Blaine decided to eat dinner at home. She knew he was very careful to make sure he had plenty of sleep before he started a new trial, and given the weird circumstances of this one, she had a feeling he’d want to come home and relax. It had to have been a long day for him.

  Perfect. What man doesn’t like steak, a big salad, and a baked potato with all the trimmings? Plus, if he feels like he needs a little comfort food, I’ve got some vanilla ice cream in the freezer and lots of hot fudge sauce. Even if he doesn’t come home for dinner, think I’ll make it for me. It sounds delicious.

  She went upstairs to her office, sat down at her desk, and called Dave. “Hi, this is Kat. I have a few things I want to run by you. I’d like to know if you can find out if someone attended a 12-step meeting?”

  She told him about her conversation with Kim Rosen and how she’d mentioned that her husband, Jules, had been to a 12-step meeting the previous night, the night Judge Dickerson was murdered. She also asked him if he could get Nancy Malone and her daughter’s contact information.

  “I’m pretty sure I can, Kat, but it will have to be tomorrow morning or later tonight. I’m just leaving the office to attend my daughter’s ballet recital. Believe me,” he said laughing, “being late or not attending it is not an option, either in my wife’s eyes or my daughter’s. Very few things are written in stone, and that’s one. If you don’t hear from me tonight, I’ll call you first thing in the morning.”

  Kat remembered the days of attending Lacie’s various events when her daughter was younger. Whether she was an angel in the nativity play or had a lead part, for Lacie every show had the importance of an opening night on Broadway. “Thanks, Dave. Enjoy the recital.”

  Kat was sitting in front of her computer checking her email when her phone rang with the special ring Blaine had installed so she’d know it was him on the phone. “How’s my favorite district attorney?” she asked, eagerly answering it. “Feeling better about tomorrow?”

  “Believe me, he’s feeling much better about this whole thing than he did yesterday at this time. At least I think I have a plan now. I’ll tell you about my day when I get home. Ryan and I are going to wrap it up here in about an hour or so. I haven’t eaten dinner, and now that I think about it, I never got around to having lunch, so you’ll have a very hungry man to feed when I get home. Need to get back with Ryan. See you later.”

  If Blaine didn’t bother to eat lunch, that’s a real indication of the stress he’s under. That man never misses a meal. I need to feed the dogs and then get started on dinner.

  She pushed her chair back from her computer and said, “Calling all Evans Dogs. Definitely time for dinner.” She’d seen a lot of different data about the number of words the average dog understands, but the one thing she knew for certain was that “dinner” was at
the top of the list or very near it. Once they were fed and fully satisfied, Jazz and Rudy got in their dog beds and fell asleep. Meanwhile Kat fixed dinner, set the table with candles, and did everything she could to at least have one thing go well in Blaine’s day during this critical time.

  Kat met Blaine at the door when he walked into the house. “Welcome to the Evans Sanctuary,” she said as she handed him a glass of wine. “I figured you could use this, but I’ll cut you off after that. Hand me your coat and just sit down in front of the television and watch the news. I’ll give you some space to decompress while I finish fixing dinner. I do have one request, though.”

  “What’s that?”

  “I’ll turn on the BBQ, but you’re much better than I am at grilling steaks, so I’d appreciate it if you’d take care of that.”

  “Consider it done. That’s kind of a mindless chore anyway, so I’m happy to do it.”

  When they were seated at the table and Blaine had finished half his dinner, he sat back and said, “Sorry to be so into myself tonight, but I’m afraid this Lawrence case is taking center stage in my life right now. Tell me about your day.”

  Kat told him about her conversations with Nick and Dave, as well as her meetings with Hannah, Mrs. Dickerson, Professor White, and Kim Rosen.

  “Kat, I can’t thank you enough for doing this. I’m sorry to be the reason you haven’t been able to write today, but I want you to know how much I appreciate it. Did you come to any conclusions?”

  “No, and that’s what’s frustrating me.” Kat swirled the wine around in her glass. “I suppose on the face of it, the number one suspect would be Jules Rosen, but if he attended his 12-step meeting last night, that may be an irrefutable alibi and pretty much leaves me with just a bunch of names. I guess what’s really bothering me is that it looks like Judge Dickerson had an addiction to pornography. Hannah said he was always looking at his computer and that porn sites were often on it. That’s pretty much backed up by his being a patient of Professor White’s. He must have thought he had an addiction, or he never would have gone to her.”

  Blaine rubbed his chin. “Could be he was worried that this Nancy Malone, the head of Mothers Against Pornography Addiction, would blow the whistle on him. Voters don’t look kindly on that type of behavior in a judge. Maybe he was worried about the election next year, since he would have been up for re-election.”

  “Even so,” Kat said, “I don’t see where an addiction to pornography has anything to do with his murder. It’s kind of like A plus B does not equal C, at least in my mind. And then there’s his wife. I’ve never seen anything like that castle. And she’s still building on to it, but again, what does that have to do with murder?”

  They both heard Kat’s cell phone ring. “Excuse me, given everything that’s happened, I better get it.”

  She walked into the great room where she’d left her phone, looked at the monitor, and didn’t recognize the number. “This is Kat Denham.”

  “Mrs. Denham, this is Marie Nicholson. I met you this morning at the Dickerson’s castle. I’m Mrs. Dickerson’s maid.”

  “Why yes, Marie. How can I help you?”

  Marie was silent for a few moments and then said, “I know I’m not being loyal to my employer, but given how much Joshua liked your husband, I thought I should call you.”

  “Fine, but I’m a bit confused. Care to tell me a little more?”

  “Yes. I couldn’t help but overhear what Mrs. Dickerson told you today. Mrs. Denham, Judge Dickerson and she did not have a good marriage. In fact, I would have to say it was one of the worst I’ve ever seen. They barely ever spoke to each other. She told you he idolized her and was proud of her and the castle. That’s not true. When he did speak to her, which wasn’t very often, he’d say things like ‘When is this stupid castle going to be finished?’ Or ‘Why don’t you use some of your money and get some decent clothes and do something with your hair?’ Or ‘When are you going to get rid of that dog and get a real dog?’ And that’s not the half of it.”

  “What’s the other half of it?” Kat asked.

  Marie took a long breath and said, “Mrs. Dickerson knew the judge had affairs and that he was constantly watching pornography on his computer. She rarely raised her voice, but I overheard her tell him one time that if he didn’t do something about his bimbos, both the ones he met with in motels and the ones he watched on his computer, she would not only never give him another penny, she’d take steps to make sure he never did anything like that again.”

  “Wow! I’ve only met her once and that was this morning, but I never would have guessed she’d be that assertive. How long ago was that? Do you remember?”

  “Yes. I remember it exactly. It was three weeks ago. Yesterday morning I heard her talking to herself as she was walking out of his office. She didn’t know I was around. She was saying something that sounded like, ‘I told you not to watch that smut anymore, but you wouldn’t listen. Now you’re going to pay for it.’ She said that several times. I was in the hall behind her, and I ducked into a nearby bedroom. I didn’t think she’d want me to know that I’d heard her.”

  “Marie, I really appreciate you calling me. I don’t know how any of this fits into the judge being murdered, but I’m trying to find out as much as I can about it. You see, my husband is Blaine Evans, the district attorney, and a newswoman hinted last night that he should be considered as a suspect in the murder of Judge Dickerson, because the two of them had a heated argument in the judge’s chambers the afternoon before the judge was killed. I’m trying to identify the killer and clear my husband’s name. Again, thank you for calling, and obviously I will make sure Mrs. Dickerson never finds out about our conversation.”

  Kat walked back into the dining room and sat down across from Blaine, who was finishing up the last of the meal Kat had prepared for him. “Who was that?” he asked.

  Kat told him how she had met Marie Nicholson earlier in the day and about the telephone conversation.

  “How did she get your cell phone number?” Blaine asked.

  “I gave Mrs. Dickerson one of my business cards. I imagine Marie got my number from the card. She seems like a very nice woman, and calling me had to be a difficult decision for her.”

  “I agree. I suppose the judge’s wife could be considered a suspect, but as mousy as you said she is, that seems like a huge leap. However, I certainly have seen people who I never thought should be considered as a suspect, wind up to be the person who committed the most heinous crime imaginable. Maybe she was the one who killed him. I wonder if the reason he sought counseling with Professor White was his fear she’d make good on her threat not to give him any more money. Judges like Judge Dickerson are well paid, but he drove a $70,000 Mercedes C300 coupe, and that’s pretty much out of his salary range, particularly for a judge in a small rural county in Kansas.”

  “I think she just moved up a couple of notches on the suspect list,” Kat said, “although right now I have no idea what to do with any of the information I have. I’ll be talking to Dave in the morning. Maybe he can tell me something that will help.” She cleared away the empty dinner dishes from the table. “I know I’m changing the subject here, but can I tempt you with a bowl of vanilla ice cream with some hot fudge sauce?”

  “That you can.” Blaine grinned at her. “And as much as I’d like to stick around and be in your charming company for the rest of the evening, I’m going to head for bed immediately afterward. I really do need to get a good night’s sleep, so I can pretend like I know what I’m doing tomorrow.”

  CHAPTER 19

  “Good luck. I’ll be sending you positive thoughts all day,” Kat said the following morning as Blaine opened the door to the garage. “I know the new judge will think you’re probably the most awesome attorney he’s ever had in a courtroom.”

  “I appreciate your vote of confidence. I just hope I live up to it. I suppose the good news is that I’ve had twenty-four more hours to get ready for this, but then ag
ain, some might consider that a motive for murder.”

  “No one in this house thinks that,” Kat reassured him. “Don’t worry. I’m finding out a lot of things and hopefully, your name will be completely cleared within a few days. I love you,” she said as she lightly kissed him on the cheek and waved him out the door.

  She was on her way upstairs to try and write the first chapter or so of her new book when her phone rang. She reached in her pocket and saw that it was Bev, her editor. She answered it as she walked into her office and sat down.

  “Good morning, Bev. What’s the occasion for the early call?”

  “Just checking on my favorite author. I wanted to make sure you were taking the article in the paper with a grain of salt and not letting it get to you.”

  “Bev, I have no idea what you’re talking about. I haven’t had a chance to read the paper this morning. I’ve been busy getting Blaine off to his trial. I imagine you heard that the judge who was murdered had taken Blaine’s deputy district attorney’s name off the case and made Blaine the attorney of record.”

  “Yes, Kat. That was part of what was in the paper. Unfortunately, the article in the paper also contained comments insinuating that forcing an attorney to try a case he wasn’t prepared for might just provide a motive for murder.”

  “What? You’ve got to be kidding.” Kat jumped up, practically screaming.

  “I wish I was. Go get the paper, read the article, and give me a call. Sorry to be the one to ruin your morning,” Bev said as she ended the call.

  Kat hurried downstairs to where she’d put the local paper, The Lindsay Daily News, on the kitchen counter to be read later. She tore the rubber band off of it and gasped when she saw the headline at the top of the front page which read, “Trouble in the District Attorney’s Office.” Her heart was racing as she quickly scanned the article. It said that District Attorney Evans and his Deputy District Attorney, Ryan Walsh, were considered to be the top suspects in the murder of Judge Leo Dickerson, who was known to be a pornography addict. It went on to discuss the loud voices of the judge, Ryan, and Blaine that had been heard earlier in the afternoon on the day he was murdered, as well as referencing the judge’s decision regarding the attorney of record in the sensational Lawrence murder case.