“Because I’m not sure if he actually did commit those crimes.”
Her features took on a look of understanding. “Oh, you mean this is like one of those cold case things? I like those shows. Not that I get a chance to watch much TV anymore.”
“Right, exactly. A cold case.” Decker heard a rush of footsteps coming their way. “I think the cavalry’s returning. So if you could let me see it?”
“Sure, come on back.”
She led him to the bedroom. “Excuse the mess. I barely have time to brush my teeth with three rug rats.”
“I’m sure.”
A crash came from somewhere within the house, and then the sounds of Peaches barking and someone crying.
“Um,” said the woman, looking nervous.
“Go check it out. I won’t be long.”
“Thanks.” She shot out of the room, yelling, “Good grief, what now!”
Decker pushed some hanging clothes out of the way and shone his Maglite over the back wall of the closet. Then he looked to the left, where the panel in question was situated. He rapped against it with his fist. It rang hollow. He rapped against the other two walls and got the same sound. It was just drywall over studs after all.
It had been repaired and painted over and there was nothing really for Decker to see. He thought back to the first time he’d seen this space. The panel had been taken off—it had been cut out and then wedged back into place. Not so very seamlessly, it appeared, which was one reason why it had been discovered so readily.
He remembered that behind the cutout was an open space in between the studs. The gun inside a box had been found there. There had been no prints found on either item. He looked down at the floor. The closet was carpeted, and it looked to be the same carpet as during the Hawkinses’ time here. He got down on his knees and hit it with his light.
What are you doing, Decker? After all this time did you think you were going to find a smoking gun in the frigging carpet?
He straightened and finally admitted to himself that he was grasping at straws. He had not a sliver of a lead on this investigation. Either with the murders all those years ago, or with Meryl Hawkins’s more recent one.
He rose and left the bedroom.
And that’s where Decker ran right into a wall of police with a grinning Blake Natty bringing up the rear.
Chapter 24
IT WAS THE SAME CELL where Decker—pretending to be a lawyer—had scammed his way in to meet with a prisoner who had confessed to murdering Decker’s family.
He didn’t know if this cell selection had been made intentionally, but he doubted it was a coincidence. Someone was definitely trying to send a message.
The police waiting for him in Hawkinses’ old house had been the first sign. His being read his Miranda rights for interfering with a police investigation had been his second, and more visceral, sign.
But Decker was nothing if not a patient man. He leaned back against the cinderblock wall and waited. They knew where he was. At some point they would have to come to him, because he could not come to them.
An hour later a surprising figure appeared in front of the steel bars.
To her credit, Sally Brimmer didn’t look pleased to see him in a jail cell.
He glanced up at her.
“Ms. Brimmer. Having a nice day?”
“Apparently better than the one you’re having.”
“I wouldn’t argue with that.”
She drew closer to the bars and spoke in a low voice. “Why did you push it? You know Blake hates you.”
“I don’t care whether he hates me or not. I have a job to do and I’m going to do it.”
“But you’re not part of the police force anymore. This isn’t your problem.”
“It is my problem if I helped send an innocent man to prison.”
“Do you really believe he was innocent?”
“Let’s just put it this way: I have a lot more doubts about his guilt than I used to.”
“Okay, but does it really matter? The guy’s dead.”
“It matters to me. It matters to his memory. He has a daughter who thinks her father killed four people.”
Brimmer’s cheeks reddened. “I really hated you for conning me that time.”
“I took full responsibility for it. I didn’t want you to suffer because of what I did.”
“I know that man helped murder your family. I…I guess I was surprised you didn’t kill him in the cell.”
“I wasn’t sure he’d done it. In fact, I had doubts.” He paused. “I have to be sure, Ms. Brimmer. It’s the way I’m wired.”
“I guess I can see that. And I brought that up only because…” Her voice trailed off and she looked around nervously. “Because I would have done the same thing if it were me.”
He rose and went over to the bars separating them. “Can you do something for me?”
She took a step back looking wary. “What?”
“I need to look at the files from the Richardses’ and Katz’s murders.”
“But I thought you had. I saw the guy taking the boxes to the conference room that day.”
“I got involved in running down potential witnesses and didn’t get to the files before, well, before I ended up in here.”
“But surely you read them all from when it happened.” She glanced upward at his forehead. “And I heard you can’t forget anything.”
Now Decker took a step back and wouldn’t meet her eye. “I didn’t read them all back then. In particular the pathology report.”
“Why not?”
“I didn’t have to testify to that. The ME did.”
She didn’t look convinced.
He finally looked at her and said, “I screwed up, Ms. Brimmer. It was my first case as a homicide detective. I thought Hawkins was good for it pretty much right from the start. So I didn’t dot all the i’s or cross all the t’s.”
Surprisingly, she smiled at this.
“What?” he said in reaction to her look.
“That’s actually comforting.”
“How so?”
“I thought you were infallible, like a machine. Now I know you actually are human.”
“Depends on who you ask, actually. Can you get me the files?”
“I guess I can make copies. But I can’t bring them to you here.”
“I won’t be here much longer.”
Her brow wrinkled. “How do you know that?”
“There is something known as a bail hearing. It’s sort of required.”
“Do you have a lawyer?”
“No, but I’m good on that.”
“Are you sure?”
“Pretty sure.”
“Blake is not going to make it easy.”
“I never thought he would.”
“I guess you’re wondering why I’m…I mean, he and I…”
“It’s none of my business. And I’m not judging anybody. I don’t have the right.”
“I appreciate that.”
“But I will give you a piece of advice. I had a daughter once.”
“I know,” she said, looking pained.