The Witness

by Nora Roberts

  overflowing soap dishes filled with butts and a scattering of porn DVDs.

  The blue-and-gold silk of the sofa fabric bore cigarette burns like ugly eyes.

  “And you should see the bedroom,” Russ commented around a split and puffy lip. “Motherfuckers.”

  “I’m sorry about this, Russ.”

  “The master bath’s jet tub’s stained with this wine, with piss. One of them broke the faucet clean off. Don’t ask about the toilet.”

  “We’re going to need pictures, before and after. Can you ballpark the monetary damage, just to give me a picture?”

  “More than seventy-five thousand, probably closer to a hundred. Jesus, I don’t know, Brooks. Could be more once we get under what we can see. And smell.”

  “How many were in here?”

  “Three. Girls in and out, too. They booked it under Justin’s father’s name, used his card at check-in. Justin and a girl. That was last evening. Sometime last night—we’ll check the lobby security tapes—the other two boys—that’s his usual crew, Chad Cartwright, Doyle Parsins—and two more girls came in. Justin told the desk to let them up. No law against having guests in your room. They stayed the night. The desk and security fielded a few complaints about noise from the other guests. Best I can tell the girls left this afternoon, and the other three spent the day smoking weed, ordering room service, watching porn. About six we started getting complaints again—yelling, crashing, wild laughter, banging. They had the damn door barricaded, wouldn’t open it for the floor manager. I came up. Jesus, you could smell the weed in the damn hall.”

  Brooks just nodded, let Russ spill it out. His friend’s hands still shook some from what Brooks understood was rage and a kind of grief.

  “I told that little fuckhead if he didn’t unblock the doors I’d be calling the police and his father. Nothing against the fear and awe you generate, Brooks, but I think it was the threat to call his old man—and the rest of their parents—that got me in. Then that cocksucker sneered at me. Sneered, and told me to fuck off. The room was paid for. I could see what they’d done here, or some of it. See the other two sprawled out on the floor. I was too mad to let loose, you know what I mean.”

  “I do.”

  “I told the floor manager who was with me to get security. That’s when that piece of shit sucker punched me.” Gingerly, he rubbed a fingertip over his abused lip. “Carolee—you know Carolee.”

  “I do.”

  “She grabbed her walkie, called for Ben, told him to bring a couple of the bigger bellhops. She thinks on her feet. I’ve got the fuckwit up against the door now, and the other two are so wasted they’re pissing themselves laughing. And he humps at the door, gives Carolee this shit-eating grin and tells her she oughta come on in, how he’ll fuck some life into her.”

  “Jesus Christ.”

  Struggling to calm, Russ pressed his fingers to his eyes. “He just wouldn’t quit, Brooks. Ben and the others came on the run, and that’s when he starts kicking, trying to punch, starts screaming. Carolee called the station, and Boyd came right quick. He sent for Ash for backup, and we all figured they should let you know.”

  “Figured right. He likely stole the credit card from his father, but the parents, they’ll back him up, say they let him use it. Can’t prove otherwise, but the damage here, the assaults …”

  Brooks realized he needed to calm a bit himself. “I’m going to have Boyd come in with Alma; she takes good pictures. She’ll document all of this, and Boyd’s going to do an official search, in her presence and yours or Carolee’s, for illegal substances. Even if they smoked and snorted everything they had, there’ll be trace. And God damn, I can see the joints mixed in with cigarettes in those soap dishes. His daddy won’t buy that vicious moron out of this one. Not if you press charges.”

  “You can bet your ass on that.”

  “Good. I’m going to call them in now. If you put Carolee on this, you can ride in with me. You can make an official statement, press charges. You get your insurance people on this, get me a good, solid inventory and assessment of damages.”

  Russ nodded. The high color in his face began to fade to a sickly white that wasn’t much better. “I already called them.”

  “All right, then. You need some time first?”

  “No.” Russ covered his face with his hands, scrubbed hard. “God, I feel sick. I’ve got to tell my parents. It makes me sick what they did here, but I don’t need time.”

  “Then let’s get started.”

  Brooks thought he could have written it himself in three acts. Justin Blake goes on one of his personal rampages, the authorities are called and take the arrogant shithead into custody. Before you could say you have the right to remain silent, Lincoln Blake strides in, lawyer in tow.

  In the time Brooks drove to the hotel, surveyed the worst of the damage, spoke with Russ, then drove to the station, Lincoln Blake had already arrived with his lawyer.

  Blake pushed to his feet.

  He cut an imposing figure with his broad chest in a well-cut suit, his bull neck caged in a striped tie. Cool blue eyes peered out above a sharp nose.

  He wore his slate-gray hair cut military short, though rumor was Blake had successfully dodged the draft, when there’d been a draft to dodge.

  “Russell, I understand my son and his friends may be responsible for a little breakage at your hotel. I want to assure that if this proves to be the case, we’ll take care of it. Don’t you worry, now.”

  “Mr. Blake, I’ll apologize for being rude, though it doesn’t feel sincere at this moment, but I don’t want to talk to you. Brooks, I’m going to go sit in your office, if that’s all right.”

  “Go ahead.”

  “Now, Russell,” Blake began, but Russ kept walking. Blake’s face set hard. “A hotelier should understand that a certain percentage of overhead has to be earmarked for breakage and overuse.”

  “Mr. Blake, I don’t much want to talk to you now, either.”

  As Brooks topped him in height, Blake couldn’t look down his nose, but the sentiment was clear.

  “You’re a paid employee of this town, and you won’t last a year in this position with that attitude.”

  “I’ll take my chances. I assume you’re going to tell me Justin had permission to use your credit card for the suite at the hotel, for all the room service and miscellaneous charges.”

  “Of course.”

  “Then that’s your business. The rest is mine.”

  “I want my son released immediately. We’ll pay for any damages incurred, naturally.”

  “Then you ought to know those damages are going to approach, if not exceed, six figures. Yeah.” Brooks nodded when Blake’s eyes rounded, as his face reddened. “They did a number on those rooms.”

  “If Russell Conroy or his father, whom I have always respected, think for one short minute they can inflate this business to exploit—”

  “Two of my officers are at the hotel right now, documenting the damages. The insurance agent is also on his way to do the same. I’ve just come from there and seen it for myself. My officers will also be doing a search for illegal substances, as the place reeked of marijuana. I don’t know where your son or his friends got the red wine or the brandy, the beer and the other assorted alcohol, the containers of which were all over the damn place, but they are all under the legal drinking age. Added to it, your son assaulted Russ—don’t you bluster at me this time,” Brooks snapped. “He assaulted Russ, in front of witnesses. He also assaulted the security guard, in front of witnesses.”

  “I want to speak to my son. Now.”

  “No. I will speak with him, and his lawyer can be present and speak with him. But while he’s under the legal drinking age, he is also legally an adult. It may not make much sense, but that’s the law. You’ll speak to him when I’m done with him. And, Mr. Blake, you can’t buy the Conroys off like you have the others. They won’t be bought. This time, Justin’s going to pay for what’s he’s done.”
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  “Push too hard, Gleason, you push on this and you’ll lose your job.”

  “Like I said, I’ll take my chances. Now, I assume Justin asked for a lawyer, but I’m going to check. Until I know he’s engaged that right, nobody talks to him.”

  Brooks walked over to Jeff Noelle, one of his part-time deputies, who was doing his best to look invisible. “Did he ask for a lawyer, Jeff? Do you know?”

  “Yessir. He was bitching about a lawyer when Ash and Boyd brought them all in, and yelling at the other two prisoners to keep their mouths shut.”

  “All right, then.” Brooks walked back. “You’ve got a client, Harry.”

  “I’d like to speak with my client privately at this time.”

  “Sure. Jeff, you take Mr. Darnell to his client.”

  “Yessir, Chief.”

  Ignoring Blake, Brooks walked to his office, shut the door. “Justin lawyered up, as expected. They’ll have their confab, then I’ll talk to him. Want some coffee?”

  “No. I got some water. I don’t think I can stomach anything else.”

  “I’m going to take your official statement. We’re going to do this by all the steps, Russ. I’m going to warn you Blake’s going to try to pressure you and your family to take a payoff, let the kid slide.”

  Color, nearly as red as his hair, rode up on Russ’s cheeks. “There isn’t enough money in the world. My mama bought that chandelier in Waterford, Ireland, had it shipped all the way back here just for that parlor. It was her pride and joy. For that alone, Brooks.”

  “I know it. I’m going to record this.”

  “Okay.” Russ closed his eyes a moment, nodded. “Okay.”

  When they’d finished, Brooks took a long study of his friend’s face. That angry color had faded so the freckles stood out like mottling on the sick pallor of his face. “I’d like to have Jeff drive you home, but you’re going to want to go back to the hotel.”

  “I have to.”

  “I know it. He’ll take you. I’m going to be a while here. I’ll come over to your place when I’m done, if you want.”

  “I’d appreciate it, Brooks. If you could call anyway, let me know how you think things stand.”

  “I will, and I’ll come to where you are after I do. I don’t want anybody cleaning up that mess yet, all right?”

  “How long do you think—never mind.” Russ held up a hand. “All right.”

  “I told Boyd to put police tape on the door. I know it’s not what you’d like, but the tougher we make this, the better chance we have of getting it all the way through if the Blakes decide to go to court.”

  “You do what you have to do.”

  “There’s one last thing.” Brooks opened a drawer and took out a digital camera. “Say shit.”

  Russ let out a little laugh, sighed. Then scowled at the camera. “Shit.”

  When Brooks left his office, he noted Blake was no longer in the outer area. Probably gone off to hound the mayor, or burn up the cell towers with calls to the state rep, the freaking governor.

  “It’s a sorry shame,” Alma said, and handed Brooks an envelope. “I took a boatload of pictures, like you said. About broke my heart, too.”

  “This won’t.” Boyd held up a trio of evidence bags. “We got your marijuana, your cocaine and some Oxy to round it off.”

  “That’ll work. Did you log it in?”

  “All nice and official. We got the video camera like you said we should, and Ash ran it while I did the search. Can’t document much clearer.”

  “Good work, all of you. Is Harry still back there?”

  “He hasn’t come out.”

  “I’m going back, starting with the ringleader. Boyd, why don’t you take Chad Cartwright, and Ash, you talk to Doyle Parsins. You remind them of their rights again, you hear? And you get everything on record. If either of them says ‘lawyer,’ you stop.”

  “They didn’t ask for one yet, or for a call, either,” Ash told him. “Last I checked, both of them were passed out back there.”

  “Give them a wake-up call.”

  Brooks went back to the tiny conference room. He banged on the door, shoved it open. “It’s time you and I had a talk, Justin.”

  Justin continued to sprawl in the chair, one arm thrown carelessly over its back. He only curled his lip.

  “Chief, if I could have a word with you.” Harry got up, murmured something to Justin that had the boy jerk a shrug.

  Harry came out, closed the door. He was a head shorter than Brooks and about fifteen years his senior. Back in the day, Harry had coached Brooks’s Little League team to a championship.

  “Brooks, I realize that between the three of these young men there was some damage done to the hotel suite, and I understand there was some underage drinking. The fact is, they’ll make good on the damages, if indeed there are any, and my client is permitted an independent assessor in that matter. And we both know the drinking’s not going to go anywhere. Slap on the wrist, some counseling maybe. As for the claim of assault, Justin tells me Russ was understandably upset, and there was some mutual pushy-shovy. Now—”

  Brooks pulled the digital print of Russ’s split and swollen lip out of his file. “Does that look like pushy-shovy to you?”

  Harry stared down at the photo, then just sighed, raked his hands through his short thatch of brown hair.

  “Don’t you ever get tired of doing this dance?”

  Harry waved a hand, shook his head. “I’ve got to do my job, Brooks.”

  “You know there are days I think my job sucks. Yours sucks more.” Brooks opened the door. He took out a tape recorder, put it on the table.

  He noted the night had taken some of the shine off Justin’s gold and bronzed prince-of-the-city looks. Good, Brooks thought, looking into the cocky, bloodshot eyes.

  “Were you read your rights, Justin?”

  “Yeah. I’ve got the right to say fuck you.”

  “Justin,” Harry warned.

  “Freedom of speech.”

  “I’ll exercise that same right. You want to look at these, counselor.” Brooks poured the photos on the table as he sat.

  As Harry studied them, Brooks studied the boy.

  Justin Blake, the only child of Lincoln and Genny Blake, had been born into money, prestige and good looks. Chiseled features, sulky mouth, sizzling blue eyes and thick sun-kissed hair likely ensured he’d had his pick of girls through his high school years.

  He might have made something of himself, Brooks considered—maybe he still would—but up to this point the money, prestige and good looks had translated into arrogance, a mean temperament and a vicious disrespect for any kind of authority.

  “Justin Blake, you’re charged with destruction of property, vandalism, underage drinking and three counts of assault.”

  “Big fucking deal.”

  “Oh, it will be. As will the possession charges. We have the weed, the coke and the Oxy you and your fellow morons had in the suite.”

  Justin only smirked. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “We’ve got your prints on file already. I’ll just bet we’re going to find them on that bag of weed, the bag of blow, maybe even on the pills. You’re on probation, and one of the terms of that probation is no drugs, no drinking, no trouble. You did the hat trick.”

  “My father’ll have me out of here in an hour. If Harry wants to earn his big, fat fee, he’ll have the rest fixed before morning.”

  “No, and no. Not this time. Russell Conroy has just officially pressed charges. My deputies have interviewed witnesses. We have, as you can see, photo documentation of the havoc you wreaked. We have the drugs, the alcohol and shortly we’ll be picking up the girls you entertained last night. I just think it would be icing on the cake if any one of them happens to be under the age of eighteen, ’cause then I get to add statutory rape and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. But even without the icing, you’re not getting probation, counseling and community service this
time. You’ll do some time.”

  Justin lifted his middle finger. “An hour.”

  “In violation of your probation, and look at the time! It’s after eight o’clock. Too late for a bail hearing tonight. You’ll be a guest of our fine facilities until ten tomorrow morning, at which time we’ll go before the judge and lay it all out.”

  “Bullshit.”

  “Chief Gleason,” Harry began, “my client’s parents are respected members of the community. I believe we can safely release Justin into their supervision for one night.”

  Brooks leveled one look, hard as granite. “That’s not going to