Long Shadows

Chapter 12

I had a zoom conference with a client in Hong Kong from two a.m. to around three. Before that I was speaking with another client in Beijing from midnight to one. I prepped for the Beijing meeting from around eleven fifteen on, and for the Hong Kong meeting after the Beijing call. They’re both twelve hours ahead of us. Then I grabbed a shower, had a scotch, and went to bed.”

Barry Davidson had showered and changed his clothes. After a couple cups of coffee and two bottles of water, he seemed more composed and focused. They were back in his office. Tyler had left to get some air.

“We’ll need to check any video recordings you made and talk with those folks,” said Andrews.

“Do you really consider me a suspect in Julia’s murder?” snapped Davidson.

Decker said, “Spouses and ex-spouses are always suspects until their alibis are established.”

“I never went near Julia’s place last night.”

White glanced at Decker. “Okay, let’s move on from there, Mr. Davidson. In speaking with your wife, did she voice any concerns, was she having problems with someone? Maybe a case she was overseeing?”

“Julia and I don’t... didn’t really talk much about her work. I’m not a lawyer, and that world is pretty foreign to me. And she never really got what I did for a living, though it provided very well for us.”

“I understand your ex-wife also came from money, and lawyers and federal judges make good income,” said White.

“I’m not saying I was the major breadwinner or anything, although I made far more than her salary. As a judge, she was dramatically underpaid, in my opinion.”

“Have to take that up with Congress,” noted Decker. “When was the last time you saw or talked to her?”

“A few days ago. She wanted to remind me about Tyler taking his allergy meds. He needs to get on it early with spring starting. I’m on Zyrtec year-round myself.”

“And you saw her last when? You mentioned you were at her house a couple weeks ago to pick up Tyler.”

“Julia wasn’t at the house then. Let me think a minute. Yeah, it was at school. About a week ago. There was an awards program at school. Tyler was getting the student-athlete of the year.”

“Nice,” said White. “I’m sure you were both proud.”

“He works hard and deserves it. I was never much of an athlete in high school, and I didn’t do any sports in college. He gets some of his size from me, but Julia was a great swimmer and tennis player. His athleticism definitely came from her.” He looked up at them, his face a tapestry of misery. “How... how did she die? No one told me.”

White exchanged a glance with Decker, who said, “She was stabbed, Mr. Davidson.”

“Oh my God.” He put his head in his hands.

Andrews pulled out his phone. “Something was left beside her body.”

Davidson looked up. “What?”

Andrews held up his phone. “This note.”

Davidson looked at them. “‘Res ipsa loquitor’? Sounds like Latin. What’s it mean?”

“We hoped you could provide some information about it, and also about any enemies she might have had.”

“I don’t know Latin. And she had no enemies that I knew of.”

Andrews said, “I did a preliminary check of her past trials. She’s overseen a number of drug cases, syndicates, gangs. Some pretty dangerous characters.”

“I... I guess. I just never focused on that,” said Davidson.

“And she had a personal bodyguard. Any idea why?” asked Decker.

“Tyler mentioned something about that after he had lunch with her, so I texted Julia to see what was up. She never got back to me.”

Decker nodded, looking thoughtful. “Do you have any enemies?”

Davidson looked up in surprise. “She had the bodyguard, not me.”

“Maybe she was more cautious. So, any enemies?”

Davidson looked away. “N-no. No enemies. Look, I... I need to end this interview. I’m going... to be sick.” He rushed from the room.

They walked outside and stood around Andrews’s car.

“Anything from your talk with Tyler?” asked White.

“Confirmed his father’s alibi in all respects, so unless the kid is lying to cover for his old man, which I don’t think he is, Barry might be off the suspect list if the TOD holds. Tyler said he never saw any security guard around his mother’s place while he was there. But he did say his mother told him about it, and that it was about some stupid stuff having to do with her job. That’s probably Tyler’s word choice, not the judge’s.”

“How would he not see a guard there?”

“Well, if the guard was outside the whole time, and he arrived and then left while Tyler was sleeping, it could be the case. We need to get that info from the company.”

“So the ex may be free and clear?” said White.

Decker said, “Not necessarily. We could be looking at a murder for hire. Then his alibi is meaningless.”

When Decker got into the car and closed the door his phone buzzed. He recognized the number.

It was Earl Lancaster.