Orchid Beach

CHAPTER

12

Holly was finishing a sandwich at her desk the following noon when the county attorney arrived, accompanied by a tall, slender, dark-haired man in a rumpled suit who needed a haircut. Jane made the introductions.

“Chief, this is Marty Skene, the county attorney, and the tall one is Jackson Oxenhandler, a public defender.”

“Did they ask for a lawyer?” Holly asked, shaking hands with both men.

“No,” Skene said, “but it seemed like a good time to do it. I want everything on the up-and-up.”

“Sure,” Holly said. “Mr. Oxhander…”

“It’s Oxenhandler,” the tall man said. “There was apparently some livestock in the family history.”

“Oxenhandler, sorry. Have you met your clients?”

“Not yet.”

“They’re with Bob Hurst, right now, being questioned on another matter.”

“Another matter?” Oxenhandler asked, furrowing his brow.

“The murder of Hank Doherty.”

“You didn’t tell me this was a double shooting,” the lawyer said to the prosecutor.

“I didn’t know myself until this minute.”

“I want questioning ended now,” the lawyer said, “until I’ve had a chance to consult with my clients.”

Holly motioned toward the interrogation room. “Jane, ask Bob to come out here right now.”

“What’s the evidence against my clients?” Oxenhandler asked.

“Their tire tracks at the scene of the crime, possession of the victim’s weapon and a positive ballistics match between the bullet taken from the chief’s head and a thirty-two Smith and Wesson revolver found in the glove compartment of the accused’s van.”

“You go talk to your clients,” Skene said, “and then maybe you’ll want to discuss a plea. I’d like to wrap this up as soon as possible.”

Jackson Oxenhandler nodded and walked toward the interrogation room, passing Bob Hurst along the way. He stopped at the door of the adjoining room, looked in, then went on to the door of the interrogation room. He turned back and called out, “I’d like that room kept empty while we talk.” He disappeared into the interrogation room.

Holly turned to Hurst. “How’d you do with the Doherty murder?”

“They denied everything,” Hurst said.

“Come into my office for a minute,” Holly said, ushering him in and closing the door behind him.

Hurst took a seat. “What’s up?”

“I didn’t want to bring this up until now, but I’m extremely annoyed with you.”

Hurst look surprised. “Why? We just broke our biggest case in years.”

“When I left you, I told you to call me if there were any developments in the case. Would you call an arrest a development?”

Hurst shrugged. “Well, I was anxious to get on it when they were brought in.”

“I don’t give a damn how anxious you were,” she said. “I come from the army, and when I give an order I expect it to be obeyed.”

Hurst’s ears were turning red, but he said nothing.

“I am the responsible officer on this case,” Holly said, “not you, and if this thing should somehow blow up in our faces, I’m the one who’ll have to answer for it. I’m new around here, and until I have a complete grasp of every facet of this department, I will make every important decision that’s made in every case. When I’ve had time to learn who’s an excellent officer and who’s not, then maybe I’ll delegate some authority, but not until then. Do you read me?”

Hurst looked down at her desktop; he was very red in the face now. “Yeah.”

“What?”

“Yes, Chief,” he said reluctantly.

“You bypass me again, and you’ll be doing bicycle patrol up and down the beach. You read me loud and clear?”

“Yes, Chief.”

“Good. Now get out of here.” She watched his back as he left. She hadn’t intended to get as angry as she had done, but his attitude had infuriated her. She went out into the hall, saw Hurd Wallace passing and called him in.

“Why didn’t you call me when these arrests were made?” Holly asked.

“I did call you. I didn’t learn about the arrests myself until I arrived here, half an hour before you did. I called you then, but I guess you had already left for work.”

“Okay. Who did the search of the suspects’ van?”

“I did.”

“Did you get a warrant?”

“No, Bob got the suspects’ written permission for the search.”

“Thank God for that,” Holly said. “I’d hate to have that weapon thrown out because of a bad search.”

“So would I, but it won’t happen. It was a good search, believe me.”

“I believe you. Was the thirty-two dusted for prints?”

“Yes. There were none.”

That brought Holly up short. “This guy shoots the chief, then wipes the gun clean and puts it back into his glove compartment for us to find?”

“I expect he planned to ditch the weapon,” Hurd said.

“Then why didn’t he? He had a good twenty-four hours to do it. Why would he leave incriminating evidence in the van for us to find?”

“Because he was stupid. Remember, we found the cocaine and the chief’s gun, too. He didn’t even bother to ditch that.”

“That was certainly stupid,” Holly admitted. “Okay, that’s all. You did your job, Hurd. It’s not your fault Hurst didn’t call me when the arrest was made.”

“Chief, I can’t vouch for the arrest or anything that went on in that interrogation room that I didn’t see, but I promise you, it was a good search. You don’t need to worry about that.”

“Thanks, Hurd.” She walked out of her office with him to find the prosecutor still waiting in the hall. “Is Oxenhandler still with them?”

“Yes. I’m hoping we can close the books on this one immediately. I want the community to know that we’re on it.”

“Me, too.” She saw Oxenhandler leave the interrogation room and come toward them.

“All right, Jackson,” Skene said. “Let’s make this short and sweet: they plead to assault with intent to kill and take twenty-five to life. If Chief Marley dies before the judge approves the plea bargain, and I hear he might, it’ll be murder, and I’ll go for the death penalty. I may yet charge them in the matter of the Doherty murder.”

“Sam Sweeney says his thirty-two revolver is a Colt. The gun found in his van was a Smith and Wesson.”

“Well, he would say that, wouldn’t he?” Skene said.

“I’ll talk to them,” Oxenhandler said. He walked back down the hallway and into the interrogation room.

“You think they’ll plead?” Holly asked Skene.

“If they’re smart. We’ve got them cold, and I’d like to save the county the cost of a trial.”

“That would be good,” Holly said. She’d be happy to see the two in jail forever.

A few minutes later Oxenhandler came out of the interrogation room. “No deal, Marty. They maintain their innocence.”

“You’re a fool, Jackson.”

“It’s not the first time I’ve been told that.”

“I’ll ask for a preliminary hearing tomorrow morning,” Skene said.

“I’d like another day, Marty.”

“What for?”

“Don’t you think it’s important for the county to show at least the appearance of fairness in a case this important?”

Skene looked like exploding but held himself in check. “All right, the day after tomorrow at ten A.M. I’ll call you if that’s not all right with the judge.”

“Thanks, Marty,” Oxenhandler said.

Skene shook Holly’s hand, then Oxenhandler’s, and walked out.

“He’s in a big hurry, isn’t he?” Oxenhandler said.

“Can you blame him?”

“Yes, but it wouldn’t do any good. When did you start work here?”

“Couple of days ago. Chief Marley hired me from the military last month.”

“You done a lot of criminal investigation?” the lawyer asked.

“Yes.” She didn’t feel like trotting out her credentials.

“You think you could put an officer on checking out the origins of the gun you found and the gun Sweeney claims to own?”

“No,” she said. “We’re not going to do your job for you.”

Oxenhandler nodded as if he had expected that answer. “Well, good to meet you, Chief. I expect I’ll see you around.” He managed a small smile, shook her hand and left.

Holly watched him go. He shambled rather than walked, and he had the stoop that seemed to belong to most very tall people. He reminded her of somebody, but who? Abraham Lincoln, maybe, but he was better looking than that.