“The case went cold for five years, because we could find no fingerprint matches in AFIS or on the state’s files until recently. A bomb went off in Wyoming that was identified as the same type of bomb that went off here. They had a suspect in custody, so we sent a fingerprint over to see if it matched, and it did. We then sought a warrant to extradite the perpetrator back here for trial.”
“Who is this suspect?” Dani asked.
“Thomas Wilkes, the defendant,” Makeeta stated.
“What else did you do to confirm Mr. Wilkes was involved in the bombing?”
“When we found out that the fingerprints matched, I obtained a search warrant for the defendant’s residence to see if we could find any collaborating evidence. The residence also happened to be Mrs. Gloria Wilkes’s residence. I took the forensic team with me when we served the warrant.”
“Did you find anything at the residence?”
“Yes, we did.”
“Explain to the court what you found,” Dani requested.
“In the garage, we found all the ingredients to make a pipe bomb. We found the steel pipe, the brass caps, wires, explosives, nails, broken glass, screws, pellets, buckshots, and metal objects that was twisted into small sizes. The forensic team bagged these items and took them back to the lab for analysis. It was later confirmed by the forensic technician, Robert Duncan, that these items matched to the crime scene.”
“Did you find any useful fingerprints on the items collected?”
“No, we did not.”
“Was there anything else?” Dani asked.
“Yes, there was a receipt from Milne Hardware store dated two weeks before the bombing. I went to the store see if the person that was working that day remembered who made the purchase, but the employee was no longer working at the store. We searched for the individual, and we found that he had died.”
“Thank you, Sheriff.”
* * * *
Mr. Yates, the defense attorney, stood up and walked over to Makeeta. “So, you found debris that had Sami Parker’s prints on it, it made you suspicious, and you took her down to the station, but then let her go…why?” he asked incredulously.
“Because we didn’t have enough evidence to hold her and her explanation seemed plausible,” Makeeta explained.
“But you had her fingerprints on some of the debris, you stated that, and that’s pretty much enough evidence, don’t you think?” Mr. Yates continued as if he found the situation incredible.
“The prints that we found on the debris, according to Sami, were the results of her crawling, trying to find her way out prior to the beam falling on her hip,” Makeeta said in deep, even tones.
“You stated that you broke up with Sami a few months prior and that you thought the breakup provided a motive,” Mr. Yates continued.
“Yes, I initially thought that she may have played a role in the bombing due to our breakup,” Makeeta admitted.
“What changed your mind about that?” Mr. Yates asked.
“The evidence changed my mind.”
“Are you saying that you let her go because of the evidence? Or was it really because you still have feelings for her and didn’t want to bring her up on murder charges?” Mr. Yates questioned.
“As I said earlier, we lacked evidence and her explanation seemed plausible,” Makeeta repeated.
“But you were having a hot little affair with Ms. Parker earlier that summer, didn’t you wish to continue the affair?” Mr. Yates asked as he walked to the jury and looked at each of them.
“No.”
“It seems to me that you have a penchant for having a lot of relationships,” Mr. Yates stated.
“Objection.” Dani Spencer stood up.
“Withdrawn,” Mr. Yates stated as he walked to the defense table. “Since the person who printed out the receipt at Milne Hardware wasn’t available for questioning, can you in any way place my client at that store at the time and date on the receipt?”
“No, no one was able to place your client there directly.”
“No further questions.”
Chapter 12
After Makeeta’s testimony, the judge ordered a lunch break. For the afternoon session, Dani called several other deputies to the witness stand to testify to what they’d found. The defendant’s attorney cross-examined them, and then the court adjourned for the day at five and was scheduled to resume Thursday at nine. On Wednesday the court always closed for the day.
As people were leaving the courtroom Sami made her way up to Dani and told her, “I need to talk to you in private.”
“Okay. Are you nervous about your testimony?” Dani asked.
“Yes, but I have something to tell you that may be pivotal to this case.”
Dani looked at Sami with a frown, her brows knitted together. “Be at my office in fifteen minutes.” Dani snapped her briefcase shut and walked over to the family of Carol Shields to talk to them.
Makeeta came up to Sami and asked, “Everything okay?”
“Um, yeah, I just wanted to talk to the district attorney briefly. I shouldn’t be too long, is that okay with you?” Sami asked.
“That’s fine. I’m going to go over to the office to sign off on payroll and do a few other things. I’ll meet you back at the cruiser about six o’clock.”
Fifteen minutes later Sami walked into the district attorney’s office.
“What seems to be the problem, Sami?” Dani asked.
“Um, you remember you asked me if I have anything that the defense attorney can try to bring up about me that could have an effect on this case? I didn’t want to say anything in front of Makeeta that day, and I don’t know how important this is but I felt I better tell you since I don’t know if the defense has investigated my injuries.”
“What is it?” Dani asked, her eyebrows raised in an arch.
“Um, while I was in the hospital recovering from the injuries of the bomb, I lost my baby. I was about two months pregnant.”
“I see. Who was the father?” Dani asked.
“Makeeta.”
“Was this planned or unexpected?”
“It was unexpected. I was told by my doctor that due to cysts in my ovaries, I would most likely not be able to conceive a child, so I wasn’t careful about using protection. When I found out I was pregnant, we had already ended our relationship and Makeeta was engaged to Carol. I’d just signed a book contract and had an apartment ready for me to move into in California. I intended to just go away and not tell anyone.”
Dani thought for a few minutes. “Well, we will have to mention it. If we don’t and the defense brings it up, it could ruin your testimony and your integrity on the stand. Does Makeeta know?”
“No.”
“You best tell him before you get on the stand. He deserves to know this information before it comes out in court.”
After her brief meeting with the district attorney, Sami walked out of the office with a heavy heart. She didn’t know how or where she would find the courage to tell Makeeta the one thing that she had swore she would never tell anyone. She always felt it was her secret and no one else’s business, but now it was about to be exposed to the whole world.
She met up with Makeeta at the police cruiser, and they got in and headed toward her cabin.
“Sami, it’s dinner time, and I’m starving. I’m sure you are too,” Makeeta said. “That Chinese restaurant you used to love is just down the road. Want to stop and have dinner with me?”
Sami thought for a few minutes, she’d love to have dinner with him and the very idea excited her. “Sure. It’s been years since I’ve been there, do they still have great food?”
“Oh yeah, they still have great food.” He smiled as he maneuvered around the mounds of snow and slippery roads.
They finally pulled into the parking lot at the China King restaurant. Makeeta gently held on to her elbow as they walked inside and waited to be seated. They sat down and ordered their drinks.
After plac
ing their order, Sami asked, “What do you think of Wilkes’s defense attorney?”
“He doesn’t know what he’s doing. I’ve sat in court enough times and testified enough times that I know a defense attorney would ask a lot of questions. He hardly asks anything, or if he does, he tries to add innuendos, which from what I’ve seen of the jury, doesn’t hold water.”
“Who do you think they’re going to bring in to testify for Wilkes?” Sami asked.
“I don’t know, probably a lot of character witnesses, or maybe they’ll try to bring someone in to contradict the testimony we’ve heard so far.”
“With Cathy’s testimony, and the way she glared at me, I thought she would blow up and start ranting and raving about how guilty I am. I was surprised she didn’t.”
“Dani knows her temperament, and warned her already, so did her parents. They were also concerned that she would mess up the testimony, and at first, they weren’t going to use her, but since the defense brought out that Carol could have changed her mind about the abortion, Dani decided she needed to have Cathy’s testimony entered on record to counteract it.”
“I wish this thing was over with,” Sami whispered.
“I do too. It wasn’t pleasant getting up on the stand and telling everyone what I did and why I did it,” Makeeta replied as a muscle clenched along his jaw.
Sami decided to change the subject and talk about something more pleasant. As she thought about what to say, she looked at Makeeta. “Do you remember that afternoon we went to the Lazur Gardens to look at the flowers along the creek?” she asked.
“Oh yeah, and you fell into the creek.” He burst out laughing.
Sami’s face heated until she was sure it was bright red, but she laughed along with him. She’d tried to scoot down the embankment to see if the water was cold and lost her footing and went in head first. “You were laughing so hard that you couldn’t hardly hold my hand and pull me up the embankment. Then when you did get me to the embankment, you let go and I slipped and got covered with wood chips.” Sami smiled at the memory.
“Yes, you were funny. Have you gone to any creeks since then?” Makeeta asked, still smiling.
“No, and you are still not the least bit sympathetic to my plight.”
Makeeta chuckled again. “I was relieved though that you didn’t seriously hurt yourself.”
“Yeah, I bet you were,” Sami replied, then she burst out laughing again.
After dinner they spent several hours talking about amusing things of the past before they finally left the restaurant and drove to Sami’s cabin. When they arrived at the road leading to the cabin, she noticed that her car had been pulled out and was parked along the side of the embankment, and the road had been plowed.
“Do you want to drive the car up to your driveway?” Makeeta asked.
“Yes, please.”
Sami got out of Makeeta’s vehicle and got into her car and drove it up to her driveway. Makeeta followed her home.
After she parked the car, she walked up to Makeeta’s vehicle and asked, “Would you like to come in for some hot tea or something?”
“Sure.” Makeeta turned off the police cruiser and stepped out of it.
They went inside and took off their coats and gloves, and Sami took off her boots. She headed to the kitchen to put some water in the kettle to make tea, but Makeeta grabbed her arm and pulled her into his arms. He brought his head down and kissed her. He crushed her to him, and as his tongue traced her lips, she responded earnestly to his kiss. She was shocked that she responded so readily to him and she gave herself freely to the passion of his kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck. His hands drew her in tightly against him as he gently rubbed up and down her back.
Sami pulled away from him. “Please, stop.”
“What’s wrong?” Makeeta asked softly.
“We shouldn’t do this. I mean...I...um, I’ve got some pretty ugly scars on my back and my legs.”
“So?” Makeeta whispered. Sami held her head down, and Makeeta placed a finger under her chin and lifted her face up until their eyes met. “Scars don’t bother me, Sami, you should know that by now.”
He gently pulled her back into his embrace, and after a few minutes, he started kissing her again. His lips trailed her jawline, and he planted a tantalizing kiss in the hollow of her neck. He released her hair from its clip, and it cascaded down her back. His hands found the bottom of her sweater, and he slipped them under it, touching her skin. The touch was so sensual it set off a barrage of fireworks inside her. His hands were at her waist, and slowly, gently, he caressed her back. He stopped kissing her and looked deeply into her eyes.
He splayed his hands and lifted the sweater up and over her head and tossed it on a chair. His hands went to her back, slightly caressing her scarred skin, setting her on fire. He unhooked her bra and swiftly tossed it aside. His hands then explored her breasts. The touch on her nipples sent off more sparks of pleasure. Bending his head, he started kissing each breast. Her nipples hardened under his ministrations, and it sent new spirals of ecstasy through her. He came back up to kiss her on her mouth again, and she started fumbling with the buttons on his shirt When she got his shirt unbuttoned and slid it off his shoulders, she marveled at his beautiful chest, muscular and masculine.
Sami looked at him admirably. “You are like a bronze sculpture. So beautiful.”
“Mmm, I’m thinking you’re quite beautiful yourself.”
He guided her into the bedroom. He laid her back on the bed gently, kissing each breast as he did so. His lips touched her nipple with tantalizing possessiveness. His hands rested on her waist for a moment, and then he slid his hands inside the waistband of her pants and slowly pulled them down. His warm kisses moved down her midsection to her belly. She knew exactly where he was headed and what he would do to her, and she waited in anticipation of the pleasure she knew she would find. He gently moved her leg so he could kiss the inside of her lower calf. His lips slowly started to move up her inner leg to her thigh. He hesitated for a moment at the scar tissue, then kissed it tenderly.
She stroked his hair as he moved closer and closer to his intended target. Waves of ecstasy pulsated through her as his lips found that wonderful spot between her legs. He licked her and opened her folds, totally exposing her for his touch and his eyes only. His lips played around in that area, and she squirmed as she was drawn to a height of passion that she had never known before.
Finally he found the spot at the very core of her and slipped his tongue inside her. She rode out the excitement while he toyed with her.
“Oh, Makeeta, I’m going to explode,” she exclaimed.
He chuckled softly. “Do you want more, or do you want me to take you to the brink of ecstasy?”
“I think I’m ready to go to that ecstasy.” She moaned quietly.
“Okay, love.”
Makeeta undid his pants and slid his pants and underwear off. She saw his maleness, and reached out to gently stroke the hard shaft that she knew would scatter her into a million glowing stars. She bent over and placed her lips on the tip of his shaft and started to lick the head. A moan escaped him, and he moved back into position to enter her. She felt his maleness on her belly as he came down for a second before entering her. He continued kissing her, his hands caressing her body until she was hot and ready with desire. He entered her, then paused for a few seconds before he began the ascension. His hardness electrified her, and she moaned out loud with pleasure.
“Are you ready, love?” Makeeta asked.
“Yes, yes, yes,” she exclaimed as he went in deeper and deeper with each thrust. Their bodies were in exquisite harmony with one another, and she gasped in sweet agony.
“Hmm, babe, you enjoyed that ride, didn’t you?” he asked as he looked deeply in her eyes.
“Yes,” she replied lovingly. He held her still while he stayed inside her, and he started mounting again, in and out. She met each of his thrusts. He thundered into her one last time
with an explosive release. Makeeta collapsed on the bed next to Sami, their bodies naked and moist from their lovemaking.
They laid together under the covers in the afterglow of their lovemaking. He put his left arm up and behind his head and his right arm around her waist. Sami laid with her head on his chest, listening to his heart beat, and wrapped her arms around him. As their hearts quieted down from their encounter, she laid her hand on his chest and looked up at him. She felt such deep love for him, and she wanted to tell him, but she thought it too soon to say anything. They had just started to reconnect, so she restrained herself, deciding it would have to wait.
“Everything felt right and like it is meant to be, don’t you think, Sami?” Makeeta asked, his voice low and smooth.
“Yes, it did,” she replied dreamily.
Sami ran her fingers seductively across his chest, touching every area as if it was the first time she’d ever seen it. Her hand traveled lightly down to his belly. His manhood began to get hard as her fingers went lower to the hairline. Her fingers circled around his shaft possessively, and she watched in amazement as it became engorged. She bent down and licked the area where the shaft and the abdomen met, then worked her way out to the tip, slowly, tantalizing him as he laid there thrust forward, enjoying her touching and tasting him. She massaged his shaft gently until he started to come undone.
“Oh God, Sami, I think I’m going to explode.” His voice was coarse. “Sami, I’m going to come,” he said between gasping for air.
Sami put her mouth over the tip of his shaft to receive his release.
As they laid in the bed Makeeta wrapped his arm around Sami and whispered “Ne mohotatse” in her ear as he nodded off to sleep. She knew she couldn’t be any happier than what she was right now, in his arms.
Later that night they were awakened by a shrill noise.
Sami heard Makeeta say, “H’llo?” He paused, then sat up in the bed. “Where is this fire at? Okay, I’ll be there as soon as I can get there, I’m about forty-five minutes out.” He hung up the flip phone and started to get dress.
Delayed Justice Page 9
