by Paul Bishop
“You automatically eliminated Cordell as a suspect in the firebombing,” Hatch said.
“Yes,” Fey agreed. “I spent the rest of the night thinking about methods and motives. I considered Janice Ryder, but her position was secure. She may have set Cordell up to take out Miranda Goodwinter, to get revenge for the death of her father. She maybe even believed Cordell had murdered the woman, but she already had a constitutional argument with her double jeopardy defense. Vanderwald was also in her corner. He dropped the charges against Cordell for political reasons, so her conscience was clear.”
Fey continued, “She may have set Cordell up, but she also was close to getting him off clean. The only fly in her ointment was Cordell wasn't going along with the game plan. She didn't know about Cordell’s anger or his brain cancer. She simply thought he'd gone against his best interests by escaping from custody. She still felt if she could bring him into line again, they'd be home free.” Fey stopped and took a sip from her drink.
“Those moves are going to cost her,” Jake said.
“Disbarment?” Fey asked.
“If we push it. I think we can show conspiracy to commit murder on her part,” Jake said. “It wouldn’t hold up in criminal court, but it will be enough to shaft her in a state bar court.”
“Hang on,” Monk Lawson said. “Let's get back to how you came up with Colby and his father as suspects. I know I'm low man on the totem when it comes to murder squad experience, but I still don't get it.”
Fey smiled at him. “What is it Sherlock Holmes used to say? Something about when you have eliminated the possible, whatever remains, no matter how impossible, has to be the answer? Once I'd eliminated Cordell and Ryder, Colby was the only other person floating around who could have been responsible for the sequence of events. It was easy for me to accept Colby was behind the photos and the other information given to Janice Ryder. Cordell didn't have access to the information, and Ryder didn't generate it herself. Only an insider would know about my relationship with Jake. When I remembered where I'd seen the picture of myself that appeared next to Miranda Goodwinter, Colby was the most likely suspect.”
“Didn't you think he did it to get back at you for Two-Step's?” Monk asked.
Fey laughed at the memory. “At first, but setting up the photo would have taken longer than the time frame between the incident at Two-Step's and the information coming to light. He was pushing too hard to get me off the investigation.” Fey paused as a waitress brought another round of drinks. “I couldn't imagine what type of relationship Colby could have with Miranda Goodwinter. But a relationship must have existed for him to have a photo of her. There weren't any photos at the crime scene, so he must have found one elsewhere.”
“How did his father become a suspect?” This from Cahill.
Fey shrugged. “He was the right age. From Colby's lifestyle, I made the same mistake Miranda Goodwinter did. I assumed there was family money. Annie Thaw told me about the fingerprint found in the blood at the crime scene. Colby must have wiped most of the surfaces his father could have touched, but he missed one print. Thinking about Colby's father, I remembered two things. First, Annie Thaw told me the fingerprint in the blood showed signs of scarring.”
“And the second thing?” Monk asked.
“I remembered shaking hands with Colby's dad when I went to talk to Colby. His hand was rough. The fingertips were in bad shape from all the woodwork. The woodworking led me back to Harry Carter's theory the murder weapon wasn't a screwdriver. In my mind, I could see the rows of wood chisels on the tables and walls of Colby's father's workshop, and the pieces began fitting together.”
“Such as Colby discovering the murder weapon in Cordell's pad,” Vance Hatcher said. He was hooked into Fey's wavelength.
“Along with the missing bearer bonds. Cordell and Ryder didn't have them. Then my trip to Colby's residence spelled out financial troubles. You guys did great with the search, finding everything we needed.”
“Colby didn’t think things out,” Monk said. “He was winging it—scrambling to stay ahead of the investigation. He didn't have time to dispose of the evidence or cash the bonds.”
Monk agreed. “The tower he was building would have crashed down sooner or later. His father was the weak link. The minute we turned up on the doorstep, he started to spill the story. He may have murdered in a fit of passion, but he's not a criminal. His conscience was eating him up. He'd never have survived a tough interrogation.”
“We had the goods anyway,” Fey said. “Annie Thaw ran the print from the bloodstain against Colby, Cordell, and Ryder to be sure, but I knew she'd get a match from Colby's father's service records. However, when you guys came up with the murder weapon, the original nightclub photo—Colby's father with his arm around Miranda Goodwinter—the bonds, and a confession, it sealed it. I'm grateful and proud.”
“I never imagined this outcome when I investigated this case ten years ago,” Card MacGregor said. “I'm thankful to be in for the kill.”
“It ties up a lot of my loose ends,” Kyle Craven said. “I would have hated for this one to get away.”
“Face it, Craven,” Fey said. “You hate for any of them to get away. Do me a favor and stay out of my tax returns.”
“You should be able to write off your equestrian expenses this year,” Craven said. “I witnessed you use your horse to catch a felon.”
Fey laughed. “I'll get you to fill out my ten-forty.”
Hatch had been toying with his glass. “We got the case clearance,” he said. “But the price was high.”
Fey gave him a penetrating glance. “If you mean because we had to take down one of our own—you're wrong,” she said. “Colby was not one of us. By trying to murder me, he crossed to the other side. How high would the price be if we hadn't caught him. We do our job because we believe in being good cops. If you stop believing, the depths become murky and deep.”
“Hear, hear,” said Mike Cahill. He raised his glass in a toast.
Everyone followed in kind.
There was a beeping noise, and Mike Cahill reached for the pager on his belt. Before he could turn it off, the pager in Fey's purse sounded. They both checked the readouts.
Cahill looked at Fey.
“It's another cold one,” she said without hesitation.
“I've learned not to argue with your intuition,” Cahill said.
Monk and Hatch stood up. “Here we go again,” they said in sync.
“No rest for the wicked,” Fey said, finishing her drink in a gulp. “Only for the dead.”
A Look at Croaker: Grave Sins
Her personal life is in shambles, but no cop does it better than Fey Croaker – as she fights for respect in the L.A.P.D. . . . and for justice in a city on the edge.
All of Los Angeles is thrust into chaos when a popular NBA athlete is charged with a series of gruesome murders. The evidence against the defendant appears overwhelming, but old evils die hard. For L.A.P.D. homicide detective Fey Croaker and her appealing crew, the race for the truth will tax each of them to the limit.
Under the scorching light of media attention, Fey’s own demons are brought into sharp focus with the life of her wayward brother literally hanging in the balance. It’s a race to get to the truths hidden beneath layers of lies, secrets, and deadly perversions – and Fey must win while there is still an L.A. left to protect and serve.
AVAILABLE NOW FOR PRE-ORDER
Books By Paul Bishop
Hot Pursuit
Deep Water
A Bucketful of Bullets
Lie Catchers
Nothing But The Truth (Almost)
Fightcard: Felony Fists
Fightcard: Swamp Walloper
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Paul Bishop
About the Author
Paul Bishop is the author of fifteen novels and has written numerous scripts for episodic television and feature films. A novelist, screenwriter, and television personality, Paul is a nationally recognized behaviorist and deception detection expert.
A 35 year veteran of the LAPD, his high profile Special Assault Units produced the top crime clearance rates in the city. Twice honored as LAPD’s Detective of the Year, he currently conducts law enforcement training seminars across the country, is an adjunct professor at the University of California Channel Islands, while also focusing on numerous writing projects.
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www.paulbishopbooks.com
