Sentinel - Progression Series 12 'Til Death Do Us Part

by Beth Manz

  "While it's true Detective Ellison and his partner may have taken extreme measures to prove what this woman truly is, they did not frame her in order to do so. This is simply a case of a desperate situation requiring a desperate set of measures."

  She turned and looked at Hannah. "Ms. Merrick wanted to possess Jim Ellison, to own him because she was obsessed with him. And her plan for obtaining her possession was simple...." Returning her attention to the jury, she spread her arms wide. "Cry rape. She knew there was no proof to back up her allegations toward him, but it didn't matter. She's a petite woman. He's a big, bad man. Who wouldn't believe her over him?" She paced before the jury, her gaze sweeping over them as she lowered her voice. "That's what she thought, that's what she counted on.

  "What she didn't count on was the tenacity of Dr. Sandburg." She glanced at Blair. "A man who could not just stand by and watch his friend go to jail for a crime he didn't commit." She turned to the jury again. "So, in that desperate time, he took a desperate measure. He broke into Hannah Merrick's home in hopes of finding evidence to clear his partner's name. Was it right? No. Was it the only thing he could do at the time? Yes. And, ladies and gentlemen, what he found in that home is damning--a box of evidence stolen from the police station, his own partner's sweater missing from their home and this...." She indicated the easel still displaying the garish photo array of Jim.

  "Mr. Reynolds wants you to believe that Dr. Sandburg planted this evidence." Angela's brow creased in confusion, she shook her head. "When, ladies and gentlemen? When did Dr. Sandburg have time to gather these things, to make this montage? His partner was in jail in Berne. He drove from Berne straight to Ms. Merrick's home in Cascade with no stops along the way. When did he gather this evidence, evidence that had Hannah Merrick's fingerprints on it and no one else's?"

  She stared at the photos, then turned back to the jury. "Obsession, ladies and gentlemen--that's what this case is about. This montage of photos demonstrates Hannah Merrick's ongoing obsession with Jim Ellison. This collage tells the whole story, tells the truth. If you believe nothing else about his case, you have to believe this one vital piece of evidence, which demonstrates the defendant's state of mind over the past several months." She pointed at Hannah. "She wanted to possess Jim Ellison. She set out to do that through an intricately planned series of murder and lies. She fooled a lot of people along the way. Don't let her fool you."

  Angela let her gaze linger on the jury another moment before turning and moving back to the prosecutor's table. She was satisfied with her closing. She'd managed to get her point across and had even noticed a few of the jurors nodding as she spoke, as if they agreed with her assessment of the case.

  But as Reed Reynolds stood and walked toward the jury, buttoning his expensive jacket closed, Angela's mouth went dry. He gets the final word. Just what will that be?

  "I agree with the prosecutor," Reynolds began confidently, his words surprising everyone, including Angela. "These were desperate times and they did require desperate measures," he continued. "But not to prove Detective Ellison's innocence--rather, to cover up his guilt." He crossed to the easel that held the photo montage. "This is disturbing, isn't it? That's why it was found in Ms. Merrick's closet. To disturb you. To make you believe that she was disturbed. Make no mistake, ladies and gentlemen, Hannah Merrick was framed."

  Angela chewed on her lower lip as Reynolds paced before the jury box a moment, allowing his words, his theory to settle into their minds. The man was good, knew how to play the game, how to win.

  Reynolds approached the jury again, his gaze intense. "Conspiracy," he whispered fiercely. "That's what the men in Major Crimes committed when they plotted against Hannah Merrick to try and clear Detective Ellison of charges filed against him.

  "I think it started the first time Captain Banks and Dr. Sandburg visited Detective Ellison in that jail in Berne. I think the first thing they discussed was how to get Ellison out of this situation. And I think it was Dr. Sandburg who came up with a plan." He turned and pinned Blair with a hard look. "Dr. Sandburg has a minor in psychology. He would have the knowledge and the tools necessary to pull off this charade."

  He turned back to the jury, spreading his arms wide, giving them his most innocent look. "Think about that conversation for a moment," he said dramatically. "Ellison confesses to his partner and his captain that things got out of hand at the cabin. That he might go to jail. What would be Sandburg's first reaction?" He looked at Blair again and this time, the jury joined him, all of them turning to scrutinize the anthropologist. "Let's make Hannah look unstable," Reynolds offered, recreating the conversation at the jail as he saw it. "It'll be easy. A few key items found in her house, perhaps some old photos and a few post-it notes Jim wrote from his jail cell but worded so they appeared to be old notes that Hannah had kept in her possession. A slight twist on their story, and Jim Ellison goes free and Hannah Merrick ends up being the one locked up.

  "All they had to do was make it happen. And that...well, that would be simple. They just had to make a few phone calls." He pointed at Simon. "Captain Banks calls one of his men in Major Crimes and tells him that one of their own is in trouble. Can you help?" Reynolds shrugged one shoulder. "We established in this trial that the police watch out for their own. So this officer, possibly Detective Taggert--the detective who arrived so quickly at Ms. Merrick's after she discovered Dr. Sandburg in her home--goes to Hannah's and plants the evidence regarding Kaage. He's quick--drops it in her closet and leaves.

  "Shortly after that, Dr. Sandburg arrives at Ms. Merrick's home. Now, his evidence takes a bit longer to assemble. He has to go to his home first, collect one of his partner's sweaters and the handful of old photos before he can go to Hannah's. But he wasn't really worried about the time. After all, Hannah Merrick was in Berne. As far as he knew, she would stay there until Detective Ellison's arraignment the following Monday. But Hannah Merrick didn't stay in Berne, ladies and gentlemen. She headed back home...too soon for their plan to work."

  He glanced at Jim. "That's when Detective Ellison arrives on the scene. He wants you to believe that he broke out of jail and rushed back to Cascade because he was worried about his partner. That he thought Dr. Sandburg's life might be in jeopardy. But I believe he was worried about his own neck. He knew Hannah had left Berne and he knew his partner was in her home planting the evidence that would get him off the hook. He hoped he could make it back to Cascade before her, get to his partner before she found him, get that evidence into place without anyone ever finding out how it had gotten into her home.

  "It didn't work. Hannah Merrick caught Dr. Sandburg red-handed. But even that didn't discourage Cascade's best team. They simply changed their story to fit their actions and hoped that no one would look too closely." Reynolds stared at the jury, his gaze moving over each person. "I'm asking you to look closely, ladies and gentlemen. I'm asking you to see through these men. Because Hannah Merrick is a victim." He pointed to Jim and Blair. "Their victim. Don't make her your victim, too. Don't let them get away with this. Thank you."

  Angela kept her gaze forward as Reynolds made his way back to the defendant's table, purposely avoiding eye contact with the smug attorney. He'd delivered a good closing and he knew it. But more than that, she was sure the jury knew it as well.

  I blew this case, she thought again as she listened to the judge issue her final orders to the jury. In just a few moments the panel would be escorted out to begin deliberations. What will the verdict be?

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  Jim sat in the courtroom gallery, Simon on his left near the aisle and Blair on his right. Elevating his hearing a notch or two, he could detect the twelve men and women assembling in the hallway outside the door that led into the jury box. He didn't attempt to listen to anything the jurors might be saying to one another. He knew that anything he would overhear would have nothing to do with the case or the verdict--the jurors weren't allowed to discuss such matters outside
the jury room. But even if they had been able to discuss the verdict, Jim knew he wouldn't have cared to listen in....

  Afraid of what you might hear? And immediately the answer to his own question resounded in his mind: Yes. Ever since the jurors had been dismissed following the closing arguments, a knot of apprehension had taken up residence in his stomach--a feeling that hadn't been helped by the announcement that the jurors had decided upon their verdict. Two hours. That's all they'd taken to deliberate and come to a final decision.

  Two hours in which to determine a woman's guilt or innocence...

  Jim had testified in enough trials to know a quick decision meant that either the prosecution or the defense had done an outstanding job at presenting its side of the case. The shorter time the jury was impaneled, the more black and white the case was in the jurors' minds, which meant that either Angela Mason or Reed Reynolds had done a stellar job in convincing them of Hannah's guilt...or innocence.

  But which will it be? Jim didn't want to try and predict because deep down, in a place he didn't want to go, he thought he already knew who had won today.

  He allowed his gaze to shift to Hannah again. She sat turned slightly in her seat, her father reaching over the low wall between them, his hands grasping hers. He was the picture of support, the devoted father caring for the falsely accused daughter.

  They both know how to put on a show.

  Since returning to the courtroom to await the jury's decision, the detective had tried to keep his attention purposely diverted away from Hannah, but time after time he'd found himself staring at the woman, wondering.... Repeatedly, he tried to bring the woman he was viewing now and the woman he had encountered in Berne to some sort of rational convergence in his mind. It seemed almost impossible that they could be the same person. Demure innocence and calculating evil co-existing... Jim shook his head. It was something he'd never be able to understand.

  His partner's nervous fidgeting drew Jim's attention away from Hannah. He looked over to find Blair watching him, a worried frown lending an aged quality to his normally boyish appearance. Jim raised his eyebrows in a silent question and Blair responded by leaning over to him. "Do you hear anything?" Sandburg asked. "You know, from the jury?"

  Jim shook his head. For his partner's sake he attempted a smile, but failed miserably. The feeling of apprehension settled over him again, preventing him from giving Blair much more than a worried look--a look he was sure matched that of his partner. "All I can tell is that they've assembled in the hallway," he whispered. "It should only be a few more--"

  "Ladies and gentlemen, please rise." The bailiff's order yanked Jim and Blair's attention to the front of the courtroom. As they stood, Judge Harris entered from her chambers to the left of the room and the door the jury entered from the corridor to the right opened.

  Once the jury had filed in and Judge Harris had taken her seat at the elevated bench, the bailiff instructed them to be seated.

  "Madam Forewoman, has the jury reached a verdict?" Judge Harris asked.

  A middle-aged woman stood and nodded. "We have."

  The bailiff made his way to the woman and took a sheet of paper from her hands. He delivered the verdict to the judge, who read it silently then returned it to the bailiff. As the bailiff made his way back to the jury box, Judge Harris looked at Hannah and Reynolds. "Will the defendant please rise," she requested in an even tone that gave no hint at the decision of which she had just been made aware.

  Jim watched as Reed Reynolds rose and extended his hand to help Hannah from her seat. He didn't know if anyone was fooled by the gentlemanly act, but he quickly realized that it no longer mattered. All of Reynolds' courtroom posturing and Hannah's display of naiveté were moot. The decision had been made. A decision that would impact Hannah, Jim and Blair in a very substantial manner.

  "Madam Forewoman, would you please read the verdict," Judge Harris instructed.

  The woman cleared her throat and held the paper before her with trembling hands. "In the matter of the state of Washington versus Hannah Merrick, case number WACS085274, we the jury of the above entitled case find the defendant not guilty on all charges."

  Jim squeezed his eyes closed, and in the split second before the room exploded in noise he heard Blair's sharp intake of air, Simon's guttural moan of incredulity. Then bedlam broke out as everyone began speaking at once. Some reporters clamored to get close to a quietly weeping Hannah; others moved in on Jim and his partner.

  Jim stood abruptly, pulling his partner up with him. "Let's get out of here, Chief."

  Following Simon's lead, the two men stepped out into the already crowded aisle. But before he turned toward the back of the courtroom, Jim looked once again at the young woman who stood beside the gloating Reed Reynolds. She was radiant, smiling through relieved tears, her father's arm holding her close at his side. Shyly, offering her sweetest smile, she promised statements to the throng of reporters who were pressed in around her.

  And as he watched, Hannah looked up and locked eyes with him for the briefest of moments. But in that fleeting second of time, Jim knew.... This would not be the last time he would see Hannah Merrick.

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  Blair paced the length of Simon's office, gesturing wildly. "This is unbelievable," he spat out. "She's free and we can't do anything about it." He stopped short in front of the captain's desk and looked down at Simon. "Jim's going to need protection."

  "Sandburg, how can you be so sure she'll even go after Jim again?"

  "Because this isn't some schoolgirl crush, Simon! She's obsessed with him. And she won't stop until he's either dead or she 'possesses' him." Blair looked back at his partner, who was slouched down in one of the chairs fronting Simon's desk. "Those are the only two options she's going to give us," the anthropologist finished softly.

  "And I don't personally care for either one," Jim commented dryly.

  "Well, right now, that isn't our only problem." Banks' gaze shifted from Jim to Blair and back again. "It's a real possibility that we're going to hear from IA regarding this whole mess. And there's also a good chance that Hannah's lawyer is going to suggest a civil suit against us and the department."

  "Do we have anything going in our favor?" Blair asked sarcastically, earning himself an annoyed glance from the captain.

  Simon opened his mouth to reply, but any response he had planned to make was interrupted by the ringing of the intercom line on his telephone. "Yes, Rhonda," he spoke into the receiver. He shook his head and reached up to rub wearily at his eyes as he listened to what his assistant was saying, then turned to Jim and Blair, his expression surprised. "Thank you. Give me a minute to let Ellison and Sandburg know what's going on, then send him in." He hung up the phone and stood. "Sheriff Dryer is here to see us."

  "You're kidding," Blair replied, clearly stunned at the news.

  "What does he want?" Jim echoed his partner's sentiment. "Wait, let me guess. Hannah's been vindicated so now he probably feels he's duty-bound as an officer of the law to reconsider his statement on the stand and reinstate charges against me after all." There was no missing the acerbity that underscored Jim's words.

  "We don't know that, Jim," Simon responded evenly. "Let's just hear him out...."

  A brief knock at the captain's door dispelled any chance of further conversation between the three men. "Come!" Simon called out.

  The door opened and Sheriff Gil Dryer walked in, his Stetson-style sheriff's hat held in his hands. He pushed Simon's door closed softly behind him, then nodded briefly at the three men in way of greeting. It was obvious that the sheriff was uncomfortable, even nervous.

  "Sheriff Dryer," Simon began, gesturing toward the conference table. "Why don't we all have a seat," he suggested.

  "Thank you," Dryer murmured softly as he moved toward the table.

  As soon as everyone was seated, Dryer leaned forward and clasped his hands together on the table. He glanced at each man, then focused hi
s gaze on Ellison. "First of all, I'd like you all to know that I'm here to apologize."

  When only blank stares greeted him, the sheriff continued. "I didn't believe you--any of you--when you came to Berne. But I realize now that I was wrong. I've come to offer my apologies to all of you." He stared across the table at Jim. "But especially to you, Detective Ellison."

  Jim raised his eyebrows in surprise, then inclined his head in silent acknowledgment of the apology. "Do you mind my asking what brought about this change of mind?"

  "No, of course not. In fact, I was hoping I'd have an opportunity to explain." The sheriff leaned back in his chair, clearly a bit more comfortable with the three men now that his apology had been offered and accepted. "As you all know, Hannah Merrick was born and raised in Berne. Ours is a small town, so everyone basically knows everyone else. But we're also very protective of one another. When things happen--things of an unpleasant nature--and those events are later resolved, well...we tend to put them behind us and move on."

  "I'm don't mean to appear rude," Jim interrupted, "but this must be going somewhere?"

  "Yes, of course," Dryer conceded. "Let me get straight to the reason I'm here." He took a deep breath and again leaned forward in his chair. "Several years ago, when Hannah was a teenager, she was involved in the death of a local boy, Mark O'Keefe. The boy's death was ruled suicide at the time, but now...after everything that's happened over the past few months.... Well, I've started to have my doubts about the boy's death being self-inflicted." Dryer looked around at the three men, then continued, "I believe Hannah may have been responsible for the boy's death all those years ago."

  The three men stared at the sheriff in stunned silence, then Simon spoke up. "You're telling us that Hannah Merrick was somehow involved in a boy's death, yet you never thought to give us this information until now?"

  "It wasn't a deliberate oversight," the sheriff defended himself. "The incident happened when I was just a deputy, almost twenty years ago actually. The major parts of the investigation were handled by Berne's former sheriff. I hadn't had a lot of experience and never thought to question some of the things that came up during the investigation."