by Jim Riley
"They already know who did it. That Bailey guy. He was the one who killed my little girl."
"I don't think we should discuss this on your front porch. Maybe we should go inside where we can find a little more privacy."
"If you didn't pay his bond, he wouldn't be out on the streets killing little girls. Are you proud that because of you LaDonne is dead?"
Niki had not even considered that line of thought. She believed in Billy Bailey's innocence and did not imagine the consequences of her actions if that assumption proved to be untrue.
"Mr. Elgin, we have proof that LaDonne's allegations against Coach Bailey are false. He had no reason to cause any harm to your daughter."
"He killed her. I know it. You know it. Now I guess you want to smear LaDonne's name. Drag her through the mud. I won’t allow it."
"I'm not trying to hurt LaDonne's reputation, but I know that she wasn't telling the truth about Coach Bailey. I'm trying to find out why."
Adam Elgin's countenance turned from dark to pure evil. "If you don't leave my property in the next five seconds, I will kill you."
The somber father pulled out a Glock from his back pocket. He raised the pistol and pointed it straight at Niki’s head.
"Five, four—" He counted.
Niki turned and walked back to her SUV. She was surprised by Adam Elgin's reaction, only because she had not considered Billy Bailey's guilt. Now, she must include a completely different point of view before attempting to interview other friends and family of LaDonne Elgin and Flavia Foster.
41
Central High School
"I'm sorry, Flavia. I can't do what you're asking me to do." Jimbo Wax told the teenager, "I don't believe in taking a child's life no matter how it is conceived. Believe me, I wish I could help you. If you don't want the baby, my wife and I will be happy to I adopt it."
"You won't sign the papers at the clinic?" Flavia could not believe her ears.
"No. I can't. I couldn't live with myself if I participated in killing your baby."
"But it's not my baby yet. If I don't do something soon, it will be."
Jimbo nodded. "That's the exact reason I can't help you. I'm sorry."
When Flavia said nothing, Jimbo pulled a few sheets of paper from his desk.
“My brother wrote this. It reflects how I feel.”
MOMMY, MOMMY
From that moment I was first conceived
My world was only you
Only you and I could have believed
The secret we both knew
A little life grew inside of you
Those little eyes so blue
Oh, What joy I had planned for you
My world was only you
What lay ahead I could not wait to know
When I would smile at you
And touch your face
Hug you tight
And call out your name
Mommy
Mommy
If you could only hear my first cry
And nurse me into life
Before you must decide
And If you chose a name to call me by
My growth you would not hide
But the cost of bearing me was high
you did not count the joy
All that time I never made a cry
Did you know I was a boy
A little life grew inside of you
And I reached out for you
If I could only touch your face
And smile at you
Oh, what joy I had planned for you
My world was only you
One day I would smile at you
Touch your face
And hug you tight
And Call out your name
Mommy
Mommy
I know you struggled with just what to do
I know you loved me too
My love for you just grew and grew
My only world was you
But you decided not to know
The joy I had planned for you
You would never see my smile
Or Touch my face
Or Hug me tight
And Never call my name
But all I wanted was
to reach out to you
And touch your face
And smile at you
Bring joy to you
And Hug you tight
And Call out your name
Before He formed me in your womb
He knew my name
Had plans for me
Gave me a future and much hope
That tragic day marked the end you thought
But God would change my fate
The life in me is what he sought
He met me at the Gate
He saw my smile
He touched my face
He hugged me tight
and called out my name
He Saved me by his Grace
Mommy, I see you now
I love you now
And I wait for you here
Every day I walk these streets of gold
And worship at the throne
My love for you I've so often told
All tears and pain are gone
The saints up here all love you too
Ma and pa are still the same
Aunt Gene is the same as we all knew
The Angels all know your name
I see you now
I love you now
I wait for you here
One day soon I will touch your face
And I will smile at you
I’ll Bring joy to you
Hug you tight
And call out your name
Mommy, I Love you
Mommy, I can see you now
I love you now
I wait for you here
One day soon I will touch your face
And I will smile at you
Bring joy to you
And Hug you tight
And call out your name
Mommy
Mommy
I Love You
Jeremiah 1:4-5
Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you;
Before you were born I sanctified you;
I ordained you a prophet to the nations
When she finished reading, the teen wadded up the paper and threw it towards the trash can. It fell two feet short.
Flavia snarled. "I thought you were my friend. I looked up to you. Now you want me to have that bastard's child. You aren't any better than he is."
"I'm sorry you feel that way, but I have to live with myself. Killing your baby isn't going to solve any problem. It will create a lot more." A deep furrow crossed Jimbo's brow. His hands found no easy place to rest.
Flavia's eyes became daggers through the small confines of the coach's office.
"I hope you rot in hell with your friend." She slammed the door on her way out.
Jimbo was left in his office alone wishing he had better answers than he had given the cheerleader, but he could think of none.
42
Greenwell Springs Road
Niki decided to try to get with Steve King's father at his place of business. She didn't know exactly what he did for a living, but he made a lot of money. The address she had gotten from Donna's research showed an office on Greenwell Springs Road, between the Magnolia bridge over the Amite River and Joor Road.
She found it without a lot of trouble. The name on the sign out front simply said King. She parked in the sparse lot along with only two other cars.
She walked inside the brick office building to find an ornate reception area. Pictures of exotic wildlife, similar to those he found in Carl King's home, lined the white pine walls.
A middle-aged lady appeared from the hallway leading to the back of the office. She was neither attractive nor ugly, neither tall nor short, neither obese nor lean. If there was ever a case for an average
-looking woman, Niki was looking at her.
"May I help you?" The woman asked, though not eagerly.
"I'd like to speak to Mr. King. Is he in?"
"What is the nature of your call?"
Obviously this lady was a buffer between King in any salesman attempting to make a cold call.
"I'd like to speak to him about Steve," Niki said, seeing no reason to go into detail when brevity might serve her purpose.
"Your name?"
"Niki Dupre."
"I'll see if he has time to fit you into his schedule." Her tone was much like her, neither enthusiastic nor defensive.
Niki took a few minutes to glance at the photographs on the walls. Every one depicted wildlife in one form or another. Two cat squirrels chasing each other in the top of a massive live oak. An alligator sunning on an embankment in the marsh. A close-up shot of a crawfish, its claws extended. A water moccasin coiled in a strike position.
"How do you like them?" A strong masculine voice asked.
Niki had not heard the man enter the room. She turned to find an almost exact replica of Steve King, only twenty-five years older. He has a pleasant smile, though a bit reserved.
"They are beautiful," she replied. "Did you take all of them yourself?"
"You're a detective, aren't you? Can't wait until we officially meet each other until you start asking questions."
Niki blushed. "I'm sorry. I'm Niki Dupre. I'm working—"
"I know who you are, Niki. I'm Carl, but you already know that or you wouldn't be here. Come on back to my office and we can talk. I like to be more comfortable when I'm getting grilled by a pretty lady."
The detective followed Carl King down the short hallway to a small office. The hallway in the office was lined with more wildlife photographs. A bald eagle. A brown pelican. A bullfrog. A school of speckled trout.
The chairs were not very ornate, but comfortable. The desk ordinary. Everything in the office except for the photographs was designed not to draw attention. All could be overlooked by the casual observer.
"What can I do for you, Miss Dupre?" Carl asked.
"Tell me about your relationship with Coach Bailey. How would you describe it?"
"Nonexistent," King answered in one word.
"You have had discussions with him?"
King nodded. "Of course. I support the Central Wildcats Athletic Association. I believe that is a worthy organization."
"Can you describe the nature of those discussions?"
"They were not productive."
"Did they center on the status of your son on the football team?" Niki asked.
"Some did. Most involved the future development of the facilities."
Niki paused, wanting to phrase the next question properly. "Are the two subjects connected?"
"That's not for me to say."
"Did you threaten to withhold funds from the football team if Steve was not the starting quarterback?"
"I'm not in a position to make a threat of that nature. You have some bad information."
Niki looked at her notes from the interview with Jimbo Wax. "Is it not true that you are the major contributor to the Association and also hold a leadership position with it?"
"That is true," Carl acknowledged.
"Doesn't that put you in a good position to determine how the Association spends its money?"
Carl shook his head. "We have a truly democratic group of leaders. One person–one vote. You can't get any more democratic than that."
"Who puts together the list of prospective projects that require funding?"
"I do," he answered.
"It is my understanding that the projects for the football team fell off the list after one of your discussions with Coach Bailey."
He nodded. "According to our records, the football program had received a disproportionate share of the funding in the past. We simply needed to balance the expenditures."
"I want to make sure I understand. Not funding the biggest revenue generator for the high school is the best way to balance the expenditures? Is that really what you’re saying?"
King smiled. "We believe every athlete at Central High is equally deserving of appropriate facilities, whether it is the boys' basketball team or girls' softball. All of them need upgrades in the facilities and equipment."
Niki realized Carl King was well prepared for this line of questioning, although she did not believe a single word. She knew that at almost all high schools in South Louisiana, the football team received the lion's share of the donations from the respective athletic associations.
She pursued a different subject.
"Do you know John David Slocum?"
Carl's jaws tensed, and he squirmed uneasily in his chair. His once steady gaze flickered. All the symptoms told Niki the man had not prepared to answer this question and also revealed the answer before he spoke.
"Yes. He and I are acquaintances."
"How do you know him?"
"He sometimes does some investigative work for me. He is very good. A little more low-key than your firm, but just as effective."
Carl coughed in his hand, knowing he had said more than he should.
"What kind of investigations?" Niki asked.
"I'm sorry. I can't reveal the nature of those assignments. I can't break the confidentiality." More squirming and more flitting of the eyelids.
"Is that because of the confidentiality or is it because of the questionable legality?"
Niki was not surprised when Carl's mouth involuntarily opened, and his eyes widened. Again, the question was answered without King saying a word, but she was not surprised by his verbal denial.
"My business is on the up and up. I do not get involved in illegal activities."
Niki placed her fingers of her left hand on her temple. "What exactly is your business, Carl? How do you make money here?"
He coughed again in his hand. "I don't believe my business model is pertinent to this discussion. However, I am extremely busy, so if you don't mind, I need to get back to it."
"One more question before I go."
"Make it quick." He rose from his chair.
"Is Slocum currently working on any investigations on your behalf?"
He held his hand toward the door. "That is none of your business. Thank you for dropping by."
Niki walked by herself back to the reception area. The ordinary lady was seated behind the desk.
"Mr. King forgot to give me a business card. Can I get one from you?" Niki asked.
"He doesn't have any," the lady replied.
43
State Courthouse
"Your Honor, the defendant willingly disobeyed your specific order, and contacted a victim in this case. Something went wrong, and he killed her. We do not believe the defendant should be on the streets. He is a menace and danger to society. We recommend his bail be revoked and he remain in custody until trial." The prosecutor laid out her best scenario against Billy Bailey.
The judge turned to Durwin Kemp.
"Does the defense have any comments?"
Kemp rose slowly. "Your Honor, my client acknowledges his mistakes in meeting with Miss Elgin. But we're confident that when the facts are revealed, they will prove his innocence against all the allegations against him."
A shout rose from the benches behind the side of the prosecution.
"You killed my daughter. You deserve to die."
The judge nodded at the East Baton Rouge Parish trooper stationed by the door. The officer immediately strode forward, grabbed Adam Elgin by the arm and escorted him out of the room.
The judge turned his attention back to the prosecutor. "This is not the trial. Can you give me a feel for the conclusiveness of the evidence against the defendant?"
Kemp leapt to his feet. "Your Honor. You are asking for only one side of the case, and we have not yet had time to prepare to address the integrity of the evidence."
The judge turned to Kemp. "You will have your opportunity at the a
ppropriate time, Counselor. It is my duty to ascertain if the defendant poses a threat to our community. Objection overruled."
"But, Your Honor. I—"
"Sit down before I hold you in contempt of court." The man in the black robe did more than glance at Kemp.
The prosecutor could barely contain her smile. This hearing could not be going any better for her side.
"Your Honor, the defendant was discovered around midnight on the high school football field holding the murder weapon over the victim. When he made a call from the police station, he admitted he killed Miss Elgin. We have recordings of that conversation."
Kemp jumped to his feet again. "Your Honor, that is preposterous. This is the first the defense has heard about an alleged phone call."
"According to the discovery rules, we are not yet required to turn evidence we have gathered until we have finished," the prosecutor injected.
"Both of you will address the court and not each other. This is a court of law and not a tennis match." The judge rapped his gavel to reinforce his words.
"Your Honor, may I have one minute to confer with my client?" Kemp asked.
"One minute. No more."
Kemp turned and Niki handed him a note she had quickly scribbled. Kemp read it and showed it to Bailey, who nodded.
"Thank you, Your Honor." Kemp turned back to the judge. "As the prosecution is aware, these words were stated by my client."
The prosecutor emitted a huge smile.
“But,” Kemp continued. "The prosecution is also aware that these words are being taken out of context in an attempt to prejudice this hearing. These words are part of a denial of the allegations against my client, and are in no way an admission of guilt."
The smile from the other side faded.
The judge addressed the District Attorney. "Madam Prosecutor, I hope this is not true. Is it?"
"—Your Honor, I have only had time to review snippets of the conversation. I do not know the entire context." Sweat dripped from her forehead.
"Madam Prosecutor, please provide the entire recording to the court and to the defense by the end of the business day. For your sake, I truly hope this is not an attempt to unfairly bias this hearing."