“He was advised of his rights, Counselor. Whatever he may have said was disclosed with full knowledge that he had the right to remain silent.”
“You haven’t answered my question, Detective, so I’ll repeat it. Have you questioned my client without the benefit of counsel?” What Levy lacked in appearance, he made up for with zeal and intellect.
Stone paused and considered Levy with her eyes. “We spoke, Counselor.”
“About what?”
“Perhaps you can ask him, Mr. Levy. I’ll take you in to see him and leave you two alone to talk.”
“Very well, and I expect that you will give us complete privacy. I do not wish to meet with him in the interrogation room where you can watch and listen. Please set us up in an area where I can be assured of privacy.”
“You’re a suspicious young man, aren’t you?”
“I have reason to be, Detective, so if you don’t mind . . .”
“Okay, give me a minute.” Stone said, as she exited the viewing room.
* * *
They move me into some office and cuff my ankles again. I’m sitting there waiting in the room when in walks this skinny dude wearing a ratty blue suit that hasn’t been pressed in I don’t know how long.
“Good morning, Mr. Sullivan. My name is Harold Levy, and I have been appointed your attorney by the good people of the City of Port Jervis. Anything you say to me is privileged, and I am here to help you.”
“Excuse me, but are you a real lawyer? I mean, you look like a kid fresh outta college.”
“I assure you, sir,” the dude says to me, “I am eminently qualified to handle your defense. Please don’t let my appearance mislead you.”
Eminently? Did he really say that? What the hell does that mean? “I don’t know, man. You don’t have that lawyer look. How do I know you aren’t just some young punk they gave me to help them send me to jail for the rest of my life?”
“Well, sir, that would be a violation of your Constitutional rights. All I can do is ask you to trust me. I have a very successful track record as a public defender, and if you are willing to put your trust in me, I will do everything in my power to see that you are afforded the best defense possible.”
“How can I be sure of that?”
“One can never be certain of anything, sir, but perhaps if you allow me to talk with you for a time, I can make you feel more comfortable and secure about my abilities.”
He keeps using all these fancy words, and even though he doesn’t look like a big-time lawyer, he sure does sound smart, so I guess I should give him a chance. After all, I’m not paying for this anyway, so what do I have to lose?” I eyeball him for a bit, and he just sits there with his hands folded in front of him. “All right, what the hell. Maybe you’re just the one I need to get me out of this mess. Where do we start?”
“Okay, Mr. Sullivan . . .”
“Call me Tommy.”
“Very well, Tommy, let’s start at the beginning. I’ve read the reports, and it seems you are being investigated for the disappearance of a bartender in Manhattan, murdering a motel clerk in New Jersey, and kidnapping a motel clerk up here in Port Jervis. Not to mention they are putting together a case against you for the bodies they’ve found at Gilgo Beach.”
“Yeah, well, it’s all lies. I told them that Troyer did all that and he’s trying to frame me.”
“I understand, so let’s start with the first accusation. Tell me what happened at Club Radical.”
So I tell this lawyer everything that happened from the time I walked into the bar in the Village all the way to when the cops nabbed me in the woods at Seneca. But when I tell him the story, I don’t tell him that I was the one who dumped the bartender at Gilgo that night. The dude just sits there looking at me. “Aren’t you going to take notes or something?”
“Well, Tommy, to be honest with you, I have a near-perfect memory, and anything I hear or read is immediately committed to my mind and can be reiterated word for word.”
“Really? You’re not shittin’ me about that?”
“I assure you, Tommy, I am not.”
“That’s pretty cool, man. I’ve never met anyone like that.”
“It has its advantages.”
“So what do you think?”
“I’m not finished yet. I’d like to talk to you about everything that happened after you were arrested. This is just as important as the events leading up to your capture, if not more so.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, for instance, did the police read you your rights? And if so, when? Did they pressure you to talk after reading you your rights? Did they withhold food or water? Did they promise you leniency if you talked? Did they hurt you? Did they do anything that made you uncomfortable?”
“That’s a lot of shit to think about. I mean, yeah, they did do some of that. They kind of read me my rights. I mean, Parker said I had the right to remain silent and all that other stuff they say on TV, but he didn’t actually say to me that he was reading me my rights. Anyway, I clammed up at first, but I was hungry, and they had me handcuffed to a chair with my arms pulled behind my back. My hands got numb, and my wrists hurt like hell. I had this massive headache, and they wouldn’t give me my migraine pills unless I talked first. Oh, and they also told me that they talked to my doctor.”
“Okay, Tommy, slow down. Let’s focus on the pills. Tell me about them.”
“Oh, it’s no big deal. You see, I signed up for this headache study a few months back . . . to earn some extra dough and maybe get cured of these nasty migraines I get. The doc there put me on this experimental medicine to help cure my headaches. All I had to do was take the pills, answer the doctor’s questions, and fill out some forms. Then they’d pay me a grand a month just to be a part of the study. It’s been great; I get the dough, and my headaches have gone away. Honestly, though, I have to take more pills than the doctor prescribes, but you know what? They work like a charm.”
“Did they give you the pills?”
“Not right away. Detective Stone said she would if I answered some questions. And my head was pounding so hard I really had no choice. I mean, I felt like I was gonna die.”
“Go on.”
“I told her if she gave me the pills, I’d talk. So she did.”
“What did you tell her?”
“Everything I just told you.”
Levy looked angry. “What happened after that?”
“This morning, she returned and said she spoke to my doctor, who recommended that I take four pills every four hours as preventative medicine, so I did. That was two hours ago.”
“And how are you feeling now?”
“Actually, I haven’t felt better.”
“That’s great, Tommy. I think I have enough information for the time being. Let me process this and talk to the detectives, and I’ll get back to you shortly.”
“You sure? I mean, whatever you wanna know, I’ll spill it.”
“I’m sure.”
“Before you go, can you do me one favor?”
“If I can help, I will.”
“I want to talk to Aurora. She must be flipping out by now.”
“I’ll see what I can do, but that may be difficult.”
“Why?”
“She’s a witness, and the prosecutor’s office will be concerned about alteration of testimony if you two talk.”
“Hey, that’s not right.”
“As I said, I’ll see what I can do, but don’t keep your hopes up.”
“Well, can you talk to her and give her a message for me?”
“Certainly,” he says as he gets up to leave. “What do you want me to tell her?”
“Tell her I’m innocent and that when all this is straightened out, I’ll make it up to her.”
The lawyer nods at me as he walks out the door.
CHAPTER 68
Levy stormed out of the room in search of Detective Stone. He interrupted her huddled in an office talking with Watts.
; “Well, Detectives, in a half-hour interview I believe I’ve uncovered enough irregularities in the treatment of my client to secure his immediate release.” Levy’s tone was obnoxiously arrogant.
Stone laughed. “Yeah, right, Counselor. How about looking at the evidence? Are you forgetting that we have blood and DNA that places him at the scene of two murders? Not to mention, we also have the knife and computer evidence that ties your client to Gilgo Beach.”
“If you say so, ma’am, but first I’d like to interview Chrissy Carbone. I suspect her testimony, or lack thereof, will be sufficient to exculpate my client from any liability for the local kidnapping.”
“Actually, Counselor, you’ll be doing us a favor. If he’s released up here, he’ll be arrested and extradited to New York City to face charges there. So if you want, you can follow us back to New York City and pick up his defense in our jurisdiction.”
“That’s fine with me, Detective. One step at a time. First, I’ll get him out of this mess; then, I’ll clear him of your allegations in New York City. I’ve heard his story, and it is very convincing. A jury will eat this up. He’s quite the sympathetic character, you know. And by the way, I’m curious, what have you uncovered about this Troyer Savage? You have an obligation to do all you can to locate him and determine his culpability. If you don’t do a detailed investigation, I intend to bring that up at trial. It seems to me that he is the culprit here, not Mr. Sullivan, so you best start doing your homework.”
“Don’t tell me my job, you pompous little man. I’ve been here before. Just do your job. I’ll see you in court.”
“You most assuredly will. In the meantime, my client is off-limits. You are not to have any further communication with him. Do you understand?”
Stone walked out of the room without responding.
* * *
Levy drove out to the Jervis Lodge to interview Chrissy Carbone. It took him only ten minutes before he was convinced that there was no possible way she could identify Thomas Sullivan as her abductor. Armed with that information, he placed a call to the Port Jervis County attorney’s office and spoke with his “frenemy” county prosecutor Alexander Codster.
“So when do you intend to arraign Thomas Sullivan?” Levy asked. “Your twenty-four hours are ticking away.”
“I’m aware of that, Harold. We’ve decided to turn him over to the New York City Police rather than pursing our case here for the time being.”
“That’s fine with me, I guess you found out I’ve just finished interviewing Chrissy Carbone, and she cannot identify my client.”
“Look, Harold, I’ve already spoken with Parker and the New York detectives. Just because Carbone can’t identify him now doesn’t mean we won’t be able to build a case with other evidence. In the meantime, Sullivan won’t be going free. The New York City cops have more than enough to hold him on the other charges.”
“I understand, and I’ll deal with them next.”
Codster was surprised. “You’re actually going to keep the case and follow this guy to Manhattan?”
“It’s who I am, Alex, and right now my caseload is very thin. This case is just what I need. In fact, there’s quite a bit here that is piquing my interest.”
Codster laughed. “The more power to you, Harold. Good luck in the Big Apple.”
CHAPTER 69
After a two-hour drive back to New York City, Sullivan was escorted into a holding cell while arrangements were made for an arraignment on the charges in connection with Jamie Houston’s disappearance.
Levy followed close behind and found his way to the Third Precinct to talk with Detective Stone once again.
“The arraignment is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon, Mr. Levy. Perhaps we can come to some terms before then.”
“Oh, so now you want to be friends? I recall a different tone only a few hours ago.”
“Look, perhaps we got off on the wrong foot. My ultimate goal here is to locate Jamie Houston. We have evidence that suggests she may still be alive, and if your client has information that can help us to locate her, we may consider reducing the charges.”
“That’s mighty generous of you, Detective, but before I even go back to my client with this, I’d like to know what evidence you have regarding her status.”
“Well, Mr. Levy, if you give me some assurances, I may be able to disclose some of what I know.”
“I’m sorry, Detective, but please understand you aren’t dealing with a novice, here. You have to disclose all your evidence on my demand, anyway, so don’t play games with me. Either tell me what you’ve got or don’t waste my time.”
“Counselor, there may be a life at stake here, and it’s my job to try to save it.”
“I understand, but I have ethical responsibilities that I take very seriously, too. So work with me, and I will do what I can to try and help.”
“All right, Counselor. I want you to understand the urgency of this matter and hope that you will consider what we’re dealing with.”
“I’m all ears, Detective. Enlighten me.”
“Okay, it’s like this: When we first investigated the disappearance of Jamie Houston, we believed she was dead. We now have evidence to the contrary; and if this is the case, we need to locate her before it’s too late.”
“Go on,” Levy said.
“As you know, her throat was cut when she was abducted. Your client has already told us he witnessed the attack. You also know that we found evidence in Sullivan’s computer that ties him to Club Radical on the night in question, and that his browser history is filled with searches about the Gilgo Beach murder mystery. Based upon that we initiated a full scale search of the area. That search led us to a house nearby. What you don’t know is that we found blood spatter inside the house, and the DNA matches Jamie Houston. The spatter pattern suggests that the blood came from a live person. If Sullivan has any information about this and can help us find Jamie Houston, that will go a long way toward making a deal, especially if she’s found alive.”
“I understand, Detective. Give me some time with my client and I will see what I can do.”
Stone led Levy to a holding cell where Sullivan was being kept. When they arrived, they found Sullivan on the floor, unconscious, and foaming at the mouth.
CHAPTER 70
I wake up handcuffed to a bed with a thing in my arm and a tube up my nose. My lawyer and that detective are standing off in the distance staring at me.
Levy comes over and sits down next to me.
“Where am I? What’s going on?”
“Take it easy, Tommy. You’re in the prison infirmary. We found you unconscious on the floor of your cell.”
“That’s messed up. After the cops took me from Port Jervis, the last thing I remember is being led to a jail cell and sitting down on the bed. Then a massive headache hit me like a sledgehammer.”
“Really. So how are you feeling now?”
“Okay, I guess, except for not knowing what just happened.”
“Has this occurred before?”
I think for a second before I decide to tell him the real truth. “Honestly, it’s been going on for a while.”
“What do you mean by ‘a while’?”
“Geez, I dunno—a couple of months.”
“Did you tell your doctor about this?”
“You mean Diamond? No way. If I did he probably would have thrown me out of the study. And those pills are the only things that help me with my headaches. Not to mention I’d lose the dough.”
Levy lightened his tone. “Tommy, has it ever crossed your mind that perhaps the pills could be responsible for your blackouts?”
“Please. They’re just headache pills. And they’ve always made me feel better.”
“How long have you been a part of this study?”
“Three months maybe.”
“I don’t know, Tommy. It seems pretty clear to me that the pills are the cause of your blackouts . . . and who knows what else. I’m going to need to talk
to your doctor. But before I do, I need to ask you a few questions about the night the bartender disappeared.”
“Hey, look: I already told you what I know.”
“Yes, but is there anything you haven’t told me? Detective Stone thinks the girl may still be alive. Her blood was found in a house near Gilgo Beach. Do you know anything about that?”
I start thinking about that night again and how I heard that girl’s voice calling out Troyer’s name from the trunk. I thought I was just hearing things, but maybe I wasn’t. Maybe she was alive. I mean, that’s what Troyer said too. “Okay, I guess I better tell you this. After Troyer slit her throat, he convinced me to get my car so we could take her out of the alley. I know it was stupid, but I got my car, and when I returned, Troyer was gone. I panicked, put her in the trunk, and took her to Gilgo Beach. While I was driving there, I thought I might have heard her calling out for Troyer, but when I pulled her out of the trunk, she looked totally dead. I dragged her into the weed grass and took off.”
“What made you take her to Gilgo Beach?”
“I dunno. I guess I figured that since the cops had already searched there after that girl disappeared last year, it would be the last place anyone would look. I know all about that story. You see, I’ve been following it ever since it first came out in the news. To me it was like real life CSI but as close to home as it could ever get. I mean, holy shit, right here on Long Island!”
“And you know nothing about a beach house nearby, or any of the other bodies that have been found?”
“Nothing at all. I swear.”
“Very well, then, just one more thing. Your file says that the police questioned your father and served him with a warrant, which is how they obtained your computer. I would really like to speak with him as well.”
“Be my guest. He’s probably at the house drunk though, so I don’t know how much help he’ll be.”
CHAPTER 71
Levy exited the infirmary and approached Stone.
“Sorry, Detective. It’s not that he is refusing to cooperate; he simply doesn’t know anything.”
“That is most unfortunate, Mr. Levy, because without more, we have no choice but to charge him with murder.”
Everywhere That Tommy Goes Page 19
