An Equal Justice

by Chad Zunker

  “You want me to stay?”

  “You’re either staying or taking me with you.”

  A small smile crossed his lips. “Okay, I’ll stay.”

  He glanced over toward a door that looked like the only bedroom.

  Jen read his mind, rolled her eyes. “You can sleep on the sofa, Romeo.”

  TWENTY-EIGHT

  David avoided the office the entire morning. He couldn’t stomach the thought of sitting at his desk and billing one mind-numbing hour of work after his friend had been killed in a dirty alley. At noon, he picked up Benny’s personal items from the medical examiner’s office—a clear Ziploc bag filled with basically the same gear that Benny had with him the first night they’d met: a Bible, a bottle of water, cigarettes, a lighter, loose change, eight dollars in cash, a package of peanut butter crackers, and a worn Louis L’Amour paperback. There was no sign of the marked envelope with the $100 bills. If Larue had been correct, and Benny’s killer had not stolen anything from him, David wondered what his friend had done with the money.

  After making official arrangements to have Benny’s body transferred to a funeral home, David and Jen worked with the director to schedule a burial service for the following morning. Jen suggested the sooner the better—word was already out on the streets, and everyone was in deep mourning. All were eager to pay their fondest respects to a man who had meant so much. David had asked Doc if he knew anything about possibly finding Benny’s estranged daughter, but Doc didn’t have a clue. He said Benny never talked about her.

  At two, David visited Larue again in the county jail. Thankfully, the kid had received some pain medication. Larue said his knee was more tolerable but still hurt like hell. His eyes were even more red and puffy than the previous night. He again pleaded with David to help him get out of this desperate mess. David explained to Larue that they would stand before a judge in two days and find out what charges were being brought against him, as well as try to get him released on bail. Although David knew bail was a long shot if murder charges were indeed brought against Larue, he tried to reassure the kid that everything was going to be okay. Inside, David wasn’t so sure—could he really somehow defend Larue against a murder charge if this went all the way to trial? Would the firm even allow him the chance?

  David’s cell phone began buzzing incessantly by midafternoon—mostly calls from Marty Lyons, who clearly wasn’t happy that his protégé was not only not at the office but not dialing the partner immediately back with a worthy excuse. David clicked “Ignore” to each call. He knew he couldn’t talk to Lyons today. He’d probably say something he’d really regret. Who’s the white-haired guy, boss? A killer? Are you somehow the reason Nick Carlson is dead? What the hell is going on? Questions like that would open Pandora’s box. David wasn’t quite ready to do that yet. Not until he could get his mind around all this. And he couldn’t stand the thought of Lyons berating him right now.

  David felt numb most of the day. It was still so hard to believe that Benny was actually gone. So he was grateful when Doc called him, said the boys at the Camp had decided to throw a grand party in Benny’s honor that night, and he invited David and Jen to come. While sad at the reason behind the invite, Jen was also excited to finally see the sacred place for herself. After picking up Jen, David stopped by Whole Foods, where he filled up an entire small cooler with stacks of fresh steaks, and then they drove over to East Austin. They parked along the same curb that David had on his first visit to the woods with Benny. This time, Curly was standing there at the edge, waiting for them. David had told Doc there was no way he’d remember how to navigate his way back to the Camp.

  After exchanging warm greetings with Curly, David grabbed the cooler, and they followed the man and his flashlight into the woods, up and down several small hills, and over the creek with the makeshift bridge. Curly mentioned to Jen that everyone was especially excited to have her visit them. The boys had spent hours cleaning up the place and making sure it was all perfect for her. David and Jen shared a small smile.

  As they entered the clearing for the Camp, David could see and hear the energy up ahead. The party had already started. The boys were jamming around the campfire to upbeat music. They’d also plugged strands of bright white Christmas lights into a generator and had hung them throughout all the trees. The Christmas lights really brought the Camp to life. He watched Jen’s face closely as she took it all in for the first time. He’d never seen her smile so big, the white lights sparkling in her big green eyes.

  The boys erupted in loud cheers upon seeing David and Jen. They dropped whatever they were doing and rushed over, embracing both of them with the same warmth he’d felt from them from the beginning. David gave the cooler loaded with steaks to Elvis, who hauled it off to the kitchen canopy. Shifty immediately tucked Jen’s arm around his and began the grand tour. Red started up a new jam session with his guitar—“When We All Get to Heaven”—and the boys began dancing around and clapping again.

  David just stood there, soaking it all up. Benny would have loved this party. He clearly loved these men. He couldn’t help but think about the last time he was alone with Benny, inside his office just a few nights ago, when the old man had shared his plans for purchasing twenty acres of land and turning them into something special for these guys. Benny had been so excited about it. And now the old man was gone. David’s eyes grew moist. Looking around at this ragtag group who had become his new friends—maybe his only friends—David felt like he’d give just about anything to see Benny’s dream somehow become reality.

  Doc came over to David. “How’s the kid?”

  David sighed. “Hanging in there, I guess. We’ll know a lot more in two days.”

  “Larue’s tough. He’ll be all right.”

  “Were you able to start getting word out about the service tomorrow?”

  “You bet. Word travels faster than email out on the streets. I expect a good turnout. Benny was loved and respected.” He shook his head, exhaled deeply. “Still so hard to believe. But the boys seem energized by the idea of throwing a party tonight rather than sitting around here and staring sadly at each other.”

  “Thanks for inviting us.”

  Doc patted him on the back. “You’re one of us now, Shep. You belong here.”

  David said thanks, and he really meant it. They watched the singing and dancing for a bit. Red moved on to a raucous version of “Oh Happy Day!” David could smell the steaks being cooked over the campfire grill. The boys were excited to bite into them.

  David leaned over to Doc. “You do anything with Benny’s things yet?”

  “Nah, haven’t touched them. None of us wants to go anywhere near his tent right now—that might make this all too real. I’m not ready for that. Might not be ready for a while, to tell you the truth. Benny was my best friend.”

  “You mind if I do?” David asked Doc. “I’d like to see if there is anything to help me somehow find his daughter.”

  “Not at all. Come on.”

  David followed Doc around the campfire and down the lantern-lit trail. Across the way, he noticed Shifty and Jen standing near the wooden benches by the outdoor chapel. Shifty was putting on some kind of show, his hands waving all around in the air, and Jen just kept laughing at him. She looked over toward David. Their eyes connected, and they shared another smile. He was falling fast for her. Jen was unlike anyone he’d ever known—although she didn’t exactly fit into his shiny new world at the law firm. He wasn’t sure what to do about that just yet.

  Hell, he wasn’t sure about a lot of things right now.

  Doc stepped up into the small circle of tents that Shifty had mentioned, on his last visit, belonged to the elders. Doc pulled down a lantern from a hook on the tree, turned on the light, gave it to David. “This is Benny’s,” he said, nodding toward a green two-man tent. “Or was Benny’s, I guess. I’ll be over by the campfire if you need me.”

  “Thanks, Doc.”

  As Doc walked away, David kn
elt, put his hand on the tent zipper. It felt weird to be the first one to enter Benny’s tent after his death. He tugged on the zipper, created a crawl space, and then slipped inside the tent with the lantern. It smelled a bit like Benny—a mix of body odor, cigarettes, and blueberry cobbler. He found a rolled-up black sleeping bag and a small pillow in the middle of the tent. It was hard to believe the old man had spent nearly every night of the past six years sleeping on the hard ground while inside a camping tent. No wonder Benny had snoozed so hard that first night on top of David’s comfortable bed.

  There were two small gray duffel bags in one corner of the tent; in the opposite corner was the black duffel bag Benny had carried with him the night he’d visited David at the office. Everything was nice and tidy. Benny didn’t have a lot of loose items. It looked like he was always packed and ready to go at a moment’s notice. Perhaps that’s how you had to live while on the streets—always ready to bolt.

  David pulled the two gray duffel bags over in front of him. Unzipping the first one, he found a stack of clothes that were all folded neatly. A pair of blue jeans and khaki work pants. Two white T-shirts. Three pairs of underwear. A green military-style jacket. A pair of worn-out old tennis shoes. Two rolls of socks, both of which had serious holes in the toes. David shook his head. Knowing Benny, he’d probably given the new socks David had left for him that first night to another street friend. David also found a small toiletry bag filled with everyday items: toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, comb, bar of soap, and a small first-aid kit.

  David unzipped the second gray duffel bag. Inside, he discovered two long-sleeve, button-down flannel shirts. A set of playing cards. A collection of paperback novels. Tom Clancy. John Grisham. Louis L’Amour. Two flashlights with extra batteries. A set of thick work gloves. Two black knit caps. A brown scarf. A heavy-duty silver thermos. Several sets of plastic cutlery all rolled up tightly with a rubber band. And a big leather Bible, the pages all thoroughly marked up with a pen. In the back, David discovered a small photograph of a young woman holding a baby girl. He turned the photograph over and found a name and date scribbled on the back: Cassie Ray, 8-13-08. He stared at the face of the woman. Could the photo be of Benny’s daughter and perhaps a granddaughter? He didn’t necessarily see Benny in her features. The date on the back of the photo meant the baby girl would now be around eleven years old. It was definitely something worth looking into further.

  Reaching into the other corner of the tent, he grabbed the black duffel bag that Benny had with him at his office the other night. He unzipped it, took a peek inside. His eyes narrowed. The first thing he noticed was a black Nikon camera with a long lens attached. He lifted it out and examined it. The camera looked brand-new and expensive. What was Benny doing with a really nice camera with a high-powered lens? Setting it aside, he searched the bag further. He pulled out a black metal kit about the size of a shoebox. He flipped two latches on the end and opened it. Inside, he found what looked like a black electronic dashboard of some sort, with a small TV screen. The topside of the kit had thick gray foam with cutouts that held three identical small black boxes. One black box was missing. He pulled out one small box and studied it. The device looked like a tiny camera of sorts. What the hell was all this? He’d never seen anything like it.

  Setting the black kit to the side, David dug around in the bottom of the bag and pulled out a thick brown accordion file wrapped up tightly with several rubber bands. He pulled off the rubber bands, opened the file, and searched through the contents. He grabbed a clear Ziploc bag that held a stack of receipts clipped together. One receipt listed the purchase of the Nikon camera about six weeks ago at Austin Camera & Imaging. The price was a whopping $700. Another receipt listed a purchase for nearly $1,200 worth of equipment at a place called Austin Spy Shop. David looked over at the black metal kit. Spy gear? What the hell was Benny doing? He found more miscellaneous receipts, including two from a taxi service for around the same time frame, with each listing a fee of about $250. They were from the same day. One in the morning, one in the evening. Where had Benny gone that had cost him $500?

  In another section of the accordion file, David noticed an old photograph that showed seven young men standing on a dock somewhere, all wearing navy uniforms. David immediately recognized the eyes of the first guy on the left. They were Benny’s eyes, only from probably fortysomething years ago. The old man had once mentioned serving in the navy—the school of hard knocks, he’d said. David turned over the photograph, hoping to find more information on the back. There were seven first names scribbled: Benny, Charlie, Sammy, Marvin, Cliff, Jerry, and Ned. Beneath the names were the words Atsugi, Japan. 1977.

  Continuing to search through the accordion file, David pulled out another manila folder. Inside was a printout of a recent magazine article from Texas Lawyer, dated March of the current year. The article listed the names of three newly hired litigation associates at Hunter & Kellerman and showed law school photographs. David stared at three different photos: William Tidmore’s, Claire Monroe’s, and his. For some reason, Benny had circled David’s photo with a red marker. Behind the Texas Lawyer article, David found even more printed-out news articles from other publications. He shook his head. They were all articles about him. What the hell?

  There was a story from the Odessa American about his high school football team’s playoff run his senior year. The article mentioned David overcoming tragedy earlier that year when his mother had suddenly passed away. There was a story from the Abilene Reporter-News that mentioned David’s knee injury during spring practice his freshman year at ACU. There were two different articles from Stanford Lawyer Magazine that highlighted David’s mock-trial victories at different competitions. Why did Benny have all these different articles about him?

  Then David found something truly stunning.

  In the very back of the accordion file, David discovered a copy of a news article about a litigation matter involving a company called the Upella Group, which David recognized as one of Lyons’s clients. The Upella Group was a global business consulting company. An accounting firm out of Florida called Zeitler was suing the Upella Group for mismanaged consulting that they claimed led to a loss of millions of dollars. The article directly mentioned Marty Lyons and Nick Carlson as the attorneys representing Upella in the matter. Both names had been highlighted in yellow. Behind the news article, David found a manila folder that held about a dozen eight-by-ten-inch photographs. They looked like surveillance photos of two men standing together by a car in a parking lot somewhere. One of them was Marty Lyons. The other man wore a black leather jacket and had short white hair.

  TWENTY-NINE

  David and Jen were back inside her duplex. It was nearing midnight. It had taken everything within David to not say goodbye to the boys at the Camp immediately and rush out of there upon his discoveries inside Benny’s tent. All his findings from Benny’s black duffel bag were now spread out on Jen’s dining table: the surveillance photos, the news articles, the navy photo, the stack of receipts, the Nikon camera, and the black spy kit. David had spilled everything to Jen on the drive over. All his suspicions about Nick’s death, the white-haired man, and his boss’s potential involvement. It shocked him even more to say it all out loud.

  Jen examined the surveillance photos showing Marty Lyons meeting with the white-haired man. “You really think this could be the guy who killed Benny?”

  “Larue said black leather jacket, short white hair, like an army dude.”

  “You’re right, it has to be him,” Jen agreed. “Which means Benny somehow knew about the guy who killed him. But how is your boss involved?”

  “I don’t know yet. I’m familiar with the Upella Group, although I haven’t personally worked on any of their case matters. I did some investigating when I was looking into Nick’s caseload but didn’t see anything unusual with their litigation. I’m going to have to look even deeper—there must be something I missed.”

  “But you suspect that
your friend Nick might have been killed because of his involvement in this situation somehow?”

  “I only know that Lyons wanted him to keep his mouth shut. But now I suspect the white-haired guy might have shown up at Nick’s house that night to make sure of it.”

  “This is scary, David.”

  “I know.”

  David fiddled with the black kit and tried to figure out how to power up the electronic dashboard with the small TV screen. He pressed a black button in the bottom right of the dashboard, and the lights flashed. A moment later, the small TV screen came to life. It flickered momentarily and then suddenly showed an office space with a massive desk in the middle, as if the video were taken from a hidden camera. The massive desk with the expansive windows behind it was familiar, which made David curse out loud.

  “What?” Jen asked.

  He turned the kit so that she could see the small TV screen.

  “This is inside Marty Lyons’s office,” David exclaimed.

  She squinted at the screen. “Is that a video feed?”

  “Yeah, I think so. There’s a rolling date and time stamp at the top.”

  Jen’s brow bunched. “How’s this even possible?”

  “When Benny came to my office a few nights ago, he brought this black duffel bag with him. I left him alone for a few minutes to get him some food. When I got back, Benny was standing inside Lyons’s office. He must’ve planted the hidden camera.”

  “Why would Benny do that? None of this makes any sense. Why would he do any of this?” she asked, waving her hand at all the items on the table. “We’re talking about Benny here—just some homeless street preacher. Not a spy. I’ve known him for years. He’s just an old man who was living in a tent in the woods with some other guys.”

  “I think there’s much more to Benny than we know.”