‘OK,’ Jake said, ‘Just so you know what you’re up against here. Listen, I’m at a standstill in the search for Mack Rogers. So, while you’re out at the prison stirring up trouble, is there anything I can do help you out with Charley’s case?’
‘How good are you at digging up dirt on middle school girls?’
Jake laughed. ‘Can’t say I’ve ever tried that, but I’m willing to give it a shot.’
‘Great,’ Lucinda said and rattled off the names of the girls involved in the vandalism. ‘The principal’s name is Camilla Stovall. Charley’s a good student, so I’m sure she’ll want to do anything she can to help – particularly if you ply her with a bit of your natural and irresistible charm.’
‘You find me irresistible, Lucy?’
‘You know I do, Jake – even against my better judgment.’
‘Are you ever going to learn I’m not a threat to you – I’m not your ex-husband? I know I’m an FBI agent just like he was. I know I am now working in the same office he was when you were married. But, really, we are very different people – ask anybody here.’
‘You’ve been talking about me and my ex with your staff?’ Lucinda said, feeling the bright flare of anger spark in her chest.
‘Not in that context. I never mentioned that you were married to him.’
‘And you think they’re not bright enough to make the connection?’
‘No, Lucinda. But, really, c’mon, quit changing the subject. Back to my original questions: will you ever—’
Lucinda sighed. Why couldn’t he be satisfied with the way things were? Why did he have to keep pushing? ‘Jake, not now . . .’
‘OK, babe. I’ll wait for your call after your visit to Fluvanna. Just don’t forget I love you, Lucy,’ he said and hung up immediately, before Lucinda could utter the protest that formed automatically on her lips.
TWENTY
As Martha Sherman entered the interview room and waited for her handcuffs to be unfastened from behind her back, and instead have one wrist connected to the U-bolt on the table, Lucinda thought back to the Martha Sherman she’d met during the investigation into Emily’s death all those years ago. She recalled a soft face, easy smile and tender eyes of a woman who appeared to be filled with kindness, compassion and understanding. At the time, Lucinda had great difficulty reconciling that exterior image to the act of murder that everyone seemed to believe she’d committed. Lucinda had accepted that reality, albeit with reluctance, because she believed everything Boz told her.
Now, only the shadow of that woman remained. Martha sat across from her with wary, hard eyes, deep furrows in her brow and around her mouth and a sneer where there once was a sweet smile. Lucinda wondered if any little bit of the old Martha would ever resurface once she had been freed.
‘You got rid of your patch,’ Martha said. ‘That’s a prosthetic eye, right?’
‘Yes, it is, but—’
‘Your face looks a lot better, too. As I recall your lips were pretty messed up and now they look almost normal and your skin’s a bit smoother.’
Lucinda nodded. ‘Yes, I’ve had some surgery.’
‘I liked you better the way you were. It was more honest. Your scars revealed the ugliness of your character. The patch hiding the mutilation of your eye seemed to symbolize your unethical willingness to participate in covering up evidence. It was more you, really it was,’ Martha said, curling her lips into an expression of disgust.
Lucinda knew she deserved some measure of abuse for the role she’d played in the injustice perpetrated on this woman. She felt she had no reason to defend herself or anything she had done.
‘So, you here to gloat because I’m still locked up?’ Martha asked.
‘No, not at all, Ms Sherman,’ Lucinda said with a shake of her head. ‘I want to help you get out of here as quickly as possible.’
‘Oh yeah, right. What’s the catch? What are you after?’
‘Justice, Ms Sherman. You didn’t get it. Emily didn’t get it. I want to do what I can to set things right but, first of all, I want to apologize—’
‘Oh, please, shut the hell up. Who cares how sorry you are? You’re only sorry that you were proved wrong. You were nothing but the lap dog of that damned detective. He spoke, you sat up and begged. He called all the shots. Why the hell isn’t he in here apologizing?’
Was the ordeal so traumatic that she’d forgotten the most dramatic moment of the trial, Lucinda wondered. ‘Surely you remember that he died during your trial.’
‘Yeah, yeah, right. Sorry, can’t say I care. From where I was sitting, he deserved it and, besides, I’ve been a bit too preoccupied with my own situation. It’s not exactly a picnic having your freedom stolen from you, your character maligned and your life destroyed for a crime you didn’t commit. I’m surprised you bastards didn’t cover up the identity of the body when you found Emily in that basement.’
‘No matter what you think of me, Ms Sherman, I take absolutely no pleasure in seeing you still in prison. I am appalled by what happened to you and my role in it.’
Leaning forward to put her face as close to Lucinda’s as she could, Martha said, ‘So it’s all about you, then?’ She glared at the detective for a moment, then she leaned back in her chair.
‘I won’t lie to you, Ms Sherman. I admit that I am feeling a bit sorry for myself and ashamed that I was not more discerning and didn’t ask more questions. Sure, I wish I hadn’t been involved in this travesty of justice. But I am not here because I am feeling sorry for myself.’
‘You know, I thought I cared why you were here. That’s why I agreed to talk to you – curiosity about the reason for your visit. But you know what? I just realized I don’t give a flip what’s on your mind. You are letting me sit in here and rot when you know damned well I’m innocent. So why should I give a damn about you at all?’
Lucinda realized this sparring was going nowhere. It was time to cut to the purpose of the visit and jettison everything else. ‘Do you remember Lisa Pedigo?’
‘Are you not listening? I am not here to answer your damned questions. I came out of curiosity and now that’s all shriveled up – gone! Poof! Into thin air. I’m ready to go back to my cell.’
‘No, please. Please. Help me, help you.’
‘Why? So you can sleep better at night?’
‘No. So that you can get the hell out of here,’ Lucinda said through clenched teeth.
‘As if you care.’
‘I know you can’t trust me. I know you have no faith in the system. And I don’t expect you to suddenly embrace us all. I’m just asking you to give me a chance to help you. What do you have to lose?’
She sat silent for a moment, studying Lucinda’s face. ‘OK. I’ll buy that. I don’t have a thing to lose other than these luxurious surroundings,’ she said, her free arm waving around the room at the cold, gray walls that enclosed them. ‘Lisa Pedigo. Yeah. I remember the name. Lived in my neighborhood. Didn’t know her much better than to say hello when I saw her on the street. What about her?’
‘Did you know she gave a statement to the police?’
‘No, but what does it matter?’
‘If you didn’t know and your attorney didn’t know, that means the prosecutor withheld that information from you.’ For the first time, Lucinda saw a spark of life in Martha’s eyes.
‘Exculpatory information?’
‘Yes, Ms Sherman. She corroborated your story that Emily stole your car that morning. She witnessed Emily’s treatment of you. And she knew of Andrew Sherman’s affair.’
Martha absorbed that information, looking as if she didn’t understand its significance. Then her whole face brightened. ‘So Andrew, the righteous, was having an affair?’
‘Yes, he was.’
‘With that vapid secretary of his?’
‘I don’t know if he had an affair with her or not,’ Lucinda said. ‘I have been told, though, that he had one with Dora Canterbury.’
‘The new Mrs Sherma
n? Son of a bitch. I didn’t know he’d met her before my arrest. Hard to believe that Miss Hoity Toity Money Bags had an extramarital affair with that weasel. But then again, he took me in, too. But she acts like she’s everyone’s superior, as if she is not subject to the foibles of human nature like us lowly creatures, as if she never has the need to perform normal bodily functions like the rest of us. Does my lawyer know about all of this?’
‘I doubt it. I think he would have told you if he had.’
‘Are you going to tell him?’
‘I was hoping you would,’ Lucinda admitted.
‘But, I have no proof. What good would that do?’
‘Tell him to come to my office. Tell him to confront me in the reception area. It would be best if he approached me when there were witnesses to that encounter.’
Martha narrowed her eyes. ‘I can’t help but think this is a trick, detective. But at this moment, I am inclined to believe you are going out on a limb for me. It sounds as if no one wanted you to give me this information.’
She leaned back, her eyes looking as if her thoughts were far, far away. She sat upright and said, ‘Unless my lawyer tells me otherwise, I will do what I can to protect your confidence. If you are taking a professional risk for me, I really do appreciate it. But, honestly, if my lawyer tells me you’re full of shit, I will trust him more than I could ever trust you.’
‘I’d feel the same way, Ms Sherman, if I were in your position. Do whatever you need to do. You owe me nothing.’
‘Maybe not yet,’ Martha said.
TWENTY-ONE
The moment Jake opened the door to the crowded hallways of Jefferson Middle School, he regretted his offer to help Lucinda. Half the milling kids were trying to look like tough characters and the other half looked frightened of their shadows. A swirl of unpleasant experiences during his middle school years ricocheted through his thoughts, filling him with a desire to cut and run. But he’d volunteered. He couldn’t back out now.
He went straight to the school office, flashed his badge and asked for Camilla Stovall. The receptionist’s eyes grew big at the sight of his shield and she scurried down the hall behind the counter.
A middle-aged woman, with no-nonsense, short red hair and blunt green eyes, wearing sensible black pumps and a gray suit with a huge ring of keys jingling at the waist, bustled out to greet him. Stretching out her hand, she said, ‘Camilla Stovall. What can I do for you, sir?’
He took her hand and held it as he looked around at staff members behind the counter and students in front of it. ‘Well,’ he said, with a shrug.
‘Oh, of course. Come on back to my office.’
Sitting in front of her desk, Jake said, ‘I want to talk to you about Charley Spencer and the charges of vandalism that have been filed against her.’
‘The FBI is involved in that?’
‘No. Not at all. I am simply assisting a colleague at the police department who has a bit too much to handle right now.’
‘From watching television, I didn’t think you federal guys and the local cops ever cooperated with each other.’
‘Some TV dramas exaggerate the conflict a bit. There are problems, but we can all rise above our jurisdictional squabbles more often than not in my experience,’ Jake said, while hearing Lucinda’s voice in his head contradicting him and saying he wouldn’t know because somehow he’d missed the indoctrination course on how to be an obstinate, glory-seeking ass like most Feebs. ‘So, tell me, what are your thoughts about Charley?’
‘It’s ridiculous. I cannot believe Charley Spencer would do anything like that. To be honest, if it had happened right after her mother died, I wouldn’t have been surprised. Kids act out like crazy in the face of a sudden, horrific loss like that. Even good kids like Charley. But now? I thought she was doing very well. I’m baffled, Agent Lovett.’
‘What do you know about Madison Sinclair, Ashley Dodson and Jessica Pruitt?’
‘Troublemakers. Pure and simple. Well, at least Madison and Ashley are. Jessica is more of a follower and she is so easily led. Sometimes I think the other two spend half their class time in the office making my life and the life of their counselors miserable. Heaven knows what havoc they cause at home.’
‘Would it surprise you to know that they have been accused of being responsible for the act of vandalism that Charley was accused of?’
‘Not at all. To be honest, I will be amazed if all three manage to graduate from high school without at least one of them being busted for one crime or another. But I can’t imagine Charley getting mixed up with those girls. For that matter, I can’t imagine them having a thing to do with her. They have nothing but disdain for well-behaved, high-achieving students like Charley.’
‘I agree, Ms Stovall. I don’t believe Charley was involved with the vandalism at the apartment complex. I think Madison and Ashley were, with the help of some high school boys. I think they’re pinning the blame on Charley and, right now, the investigators seem to have fallen for their scam.’
‘Oh, dear, what can I do to help?’
‘I’d like to speak with one of the girls – the one that you think would be most likely to succumb to the pressure to talk.’
‘Oh my, I couldn’t allow you to do that without a parent’s permission. It most definitely would be Jessica; as I said, she is easily manipulated. But I just can’t.’
‘How about if you talked to her? If I just sat in the corner and kept my mouth shut?’
‘That still makes me a bit uncomfortable . . .’
‘Listen. Just ask her about Charley’s arrest. Ask her about Charley only. She may say something that I can use or that would confirm Charley’s story. Could you do that?’
Camilla Stovall’s brow furrowed. She folded her hands on the desk in front of her and sat quietly for a moment. ‘You don’t think that Jessica was involved in the vandalism.’
‘No. I don’t think she even knew about it until after the fact.’
The principal exhaled. ‘OK. But because you are not accusing Jessica of anything. And because I do not want to see Charley with a record she doesn’t deserve, based on those girls’ lies. I can’t believe she was involved, but if I was wrong . . .’
‘This is not official, Ms Stovall. I will make that clear every step of the way and I will do everything I can to back you up.’
‘OK. I’ll send someone down to get Jessica from class.’
While Jake waited, he slipped over to the chair in a corner next to an end table. He turned off the lamp there, hoping to be as inconspicuous as possible. The principal returned and sat behind her desk. ‘She should be here any moment,’ she said.
Jessica slouched into the room with a defiant look in her eye. She glanced at the man in the corner but then dismissed him, to Jake’s great relief. ‘What now, Missus Stovall? I didn’t do nothing. I swear.’
‘Have a seat, Jessica.’
The girl slumped in the chair, bent her head, sending her long, blonde hair cascading around her face. She stared at the floor.
‘Thank you, Jessica, for coming so promptly. I didn’t ask you to visit with me because I think you did something wrong. I asked you into my office to get your opinion on something that’s bothering me.’
Jessica raised her head and cocked it with a quizzical expression on her face. ‘Yeah? Really?’
‘Really. Do you know Charley Spencer?’
‘I don’t hang out with sixth graders.’
‘But you do know her, don’t you?’
‘I know who she is.’
‘Did you hear about her arrest?’
‘Yeah. Everybody has. Nobody can believe that little nerd actually did something wrong.’
‘Why do you think she would do that?’
Jessica shrugged. ‘For kicks, I don’t know. Who knows what those geeky little twerps think?’
‘You weren’t there with her?’
Jessica exploded from the chair. ‘Who told you that? That is a lie. I wasn’t ther
e when they did that.’
‘Please be seated, Jessica,’ the principal said, folding her hands on her desk and waiting for the girl to comply.
Jessica sank back down, shaking her head. ‘This isn’t right, Missus Stovall. I wasn’t there. I swear.’
‘Who was, Jessica?’
‘Well, I guess it was Charley. The police arrested her, right? They caught her in the act.’
‘Jessica, a moment ago, you said “when they did that”. Who was there besides Charley?’
‘I did? Well, I didn’t mean it. Not they – Charley Spencer.’
‘Jessica, if you are not telling me the truth, this is not a little white lie. You could be arrested.’
Jessica spun around and stared straight at Jake. ‘Is he a cop? Is he here to arrest me?’
‘Jessica! Turn back to me,’ Stovall ordered. ‘Ignore him. He is not the investigator in the vandalism case.’
Slowly, Jessica turned back to face the principal. ‘Honest?’
‘Yes, Jessica. But that does not change the fact that if you lie about what happened, you can be charged with obstruction of justice. That is very serious.’
‘But I wasn’t there. I didn’t see anything,’ Jessica protested.
‘But you know something, don’t you, Jessica?’
Jessica dropped her head and shook it back and forth.
‘Look at me, Jessica. Tell me to my face that you know nothing.’
Jessica raised her head. Her lips trembled. ‘I can’t tell, Ms Stovall. If I do I’ll have to drop out of school. You don’t want me to do that, do you?’
‘No, Jessica. Just answer one question.’
‘Oh, please, Missus Stovall, I can’t be a rat.’
‘I’m not asking you to do that. I am not asking you to turn on anyone. I just want to know one thing. Do you know whether or not Charley Spencer was involved?’
Jessica squirmed in her chair, looking at the floor, the wall, out the window – anywhere but at the principal’s face.
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