by Laura Snider
Josh nodded. “And make sure you still have a job?” His tone was soft, sympathetic.
Katie winced. An automatic, involuntary reaction. She didn’t want his pity. There was no need for it. She’d poured everything into her job for the past six years. It wasn’t just a job to her. It was her identity. Who was she without a Brine police badge? She didn’t want to find out.
“Let me know if you want me to put in a good word for you here,” Josh said, motioning toward the massive Waukee police station.
“Thanks,” Katie said. She stepped into her car and closed the door before she could also add, “But no thanks.”
The more time she spent around such a large police department, the more she knew she didn’t belong there. But she also wasn’t in a position to burn any bridges. A few weeks from now, she could be begging Josh to help her get an interview. She hoped not, but it was a real possibility thanks to Forest Parker.
Katie waved to Josh as she backed out of her parking spot. Josh blew her a kiss. It was playful, not serious, but it was something that would have to stop if Katie was forced to work in Waukee. She groaned. She didn’t want to start all over somewhere else. Police departments were a hierarchy. The new guy—or in her case, gal—was at the bottom of the totem pole. Pulling shit duty until proving themselves.
Focus on now, Katie told herself. There were still loose ends to tie up with Rachel Smithson’s investigation, including reviewing the remaining calls to service at the Smithson home. She also had a new crime to solve: Ashley’s attempted murder.
That reminded her. Before turning onto the highway, Katie picked up her phone and called the public defender’s office. The phone rang once before a cheery voice answered.
“Public defender’s office, this is Elena. How may I help you?”
“Hi, Elena. It’s Katie.”
Katie and Elena were friendly. Katie had spent a lot of her free time hanging around that office when no big cases were pending.
“Oh, hi, Katie.” Elena suddenly sounded very tired. Her job load had quadrupled with Ashley’s hospitalization. Hearings needed moving and clients placated until Ashley could return to work. “Have you seen Ashley?”
“Yes. She’s fine. She’ll be back out causing trouble in a couple of days.”
“Thank God,” Elena said with a heavy sigh. “I’ve only had a few texts from her. I was so worried.”
“I don’t think the hospital is letting her do much. She needs to rest.”
There was a short pause, then Elena said, “Is there something I can do for you?”
“Yes, sorry. I know you are busy. This may seem like a strange question, but do you know if anyone sent any gifts to Ashley? Especially edible ones.”
“We get gifts from a small list of Ashley’s stalkers rather regularly. Usually it’s love notes or a box of chocolates.”
“What kind of chocolates?”
“The Russell Stover mixed chocolates. Ashley splits them with me.”
“Have you ever gotten sick after eating them?”
“Umm, no. I don’t know how I would get sick from chocolates.” There was a long pause, then a quick intake of breath. “Is that why Ashley was hospitalized? The chocolates?”
“Probably not those chocolates if you both ate them and you are fine. Has she received gifts from anyone else?”
“Yes. About a week ago, Tom sent her a package of homemade chocolates.”
“Did you eat any of those?”
“No. Ashley offered some to me, but I didn’t want to accept something that her boyfriend made for her. It seemed wrong.”
Elena’s statement effectively ruled out any possibility that Ashley was using the poisoned chocolates to get back at Tom. If she had done something like that—and Katie seriously doubted that she would—she wouldn’t have offered any to Elena. Not if she knew they were poisoned. But that meant Tom was starting to look more guilty.
Katie’s heart began beating wildly. “Are you sure that Tom sent the chocolates?”
“The handwriting on the note looked like his. Ashley seemed to think he’d sent them.”
Another note in Tom’s hand, Katie thought. It was more damning. Framing someone once was one thing, but twice? It wasn’t impossible, but it was improbable.
“Do you happen to have any of those chocolates at the office?”
“I don’t know. I’ll check.” Katie heard the click as Elena set the phone on the counter. Silence followed until she returned a few minutes later. “Yeah. Ashley threw them away, but she hasn’t taken out her trash yet.”
“Good. Don’t touch any of it. I’ll be there in twenty minutes to pick it up.”
Katie went straight there. Elena let her in, a deep worry line etched into her forehead. Katie headed straight toward Ashley’s office, Elena hot on her heels.
“Is Ashley allergic to something in the candy?”
Katie didn’t answer. Not because she didn’t want to, but because it was an open investigation and Elena was not a police officer. Katie had brought some evidence bags inside with her, expecting to leave with at least one item fit for testing. She found a smashed box three-quarters full of chocolates and a note written in Tom’s hand. She snapped on a pair of gloves and had everything bagged and tagged in a matter of minutes.
She said goodbye to Elena before heading back to her office.
George found Katie as she was locking the newly discovered evidence in the evidence locker. The officer assigned as evidence custodian would transport it to the Ankeny lab in a few days. It would delay the results, but one trip a week was all the small police department could handle.
“What do you need, George?” She could hear his shuffling footsteps behind her even before she swung around to see him.
“Chief Carmichael wants to talk to you.” George wouldn’t meet her eye.
“About what?” The question was automatic, but she didn’t need an answer. She already knew.
George looked down at his shoes. “He’s waiting for you in his office.”
She tried to catch his gaze, to force him to look at her, to meet her accusation, but his eyes bounced around the room like pinballs.
Katie sighed and marched past him, bumping his shoulder with hers as she did. She found Chief Carmichael at his desk, studying a document. Katie knocked lightly. When he looked up, his eyes were puffy and red-rimmed. A mixture of sleep deprivation and old age, Katie guessed.
“Come on in, Katie,” he said. His voice held a false lightness. A forced cheeriness meant to soften the delivery of bad news. Chief Carmichael stood and gestured to the seat across from him. This, she knew, was a bad sign. He had bad knees and never got up for anyone, at least not unless he had to. “Please sit.”
When she sat down, he did as well. He wasn’t a coward, he did meet her gaze, but it didn’t make Katie feel much better. Contained in those eyes was a heavy sense of sadness that could only accompany a goodbye. This man had been like a father to her. Which was saying a lot considering that her own father was no longer in the picture. She felt like she was losing her family all over again.
“This is extremely difficult for me,” Chief Carmichael said, pressing a handmade handkerchief against his forehead. It had belonged to his late wife. He always kept it with him, but he never used it. The fact that he was now meant he was more distraught than she’d thought. “But I don’t have a choice.”
Katie didn’t respond. There was always a choice.
“The budget cuts, well, I can’t keep you. I have to let you go. I have the funds to pay you for another couple of weeks. Give you time to find a new job. But that’s all we can afford.”
The way he uttered the word we in “all we can afford” said it all. It no longer included her. She was already an outcast. Katie didn’t want to find a new job. She’d worked her way up the ladder. Six years of dedication, and for what? To make it to third from the top before they cut her loose.
“You see, the others, the new hires, they all have far lo
wer salaries than yours.”
What about George, Katie thought, but she didn’t say it. Because he made more than she did. Not by a lot, but still.
“I had to choose between all three of them or you.” He lifted his hands in a what could I do? gesture. “Sometimes we just need bodies. Numbers to keep order. Even though you are an excellent officer, I couldn’t justify choosing one over three.”
“Quantity over quality, then. Is that it?”
“Something like that.”
Everything about Chief Carmichael’s tone and posture radiated apology, but Katie hated him in that moment. He chose George over her. Reading between the lines, that’s what he was saying. Just like her father and her mother, choosing money over her. It was the story of her life.
“Is that all?” Katie set her jaw.
“Umm, yes.” Chief Carmichael seemed perplexed. “Do you need anything from me? I will be happy to give you an excellent reference. I’m sure you can find a place anywhere you want to go. I really do mean that. You are an excellent officer. One of the best.”
It was ironic that he was telling her she could find a job anywhere she wanted. She had the job that she wanted, and now it was gone. The rug literally ripped out from under her. Again.
“No.” Her tone was cold. She was not going to make this easy for him. Yes, he seemed remorseful, but he’d still chosen George over her. “Can I go now?”
“Katie…”
She shot to her feet, her chair legs screeching across the floor like nails down a chalkboard.
“Don’t do that.”
“Don’t do what?” Katie stared at her soon-to-be former boss, her head held high. “If I have to go in two weeks, I’ve got a lot of work to do. I can’t trust George to do it.”
Chief Carmichael nodded. A gesture of resignation. Of knowing that she was going to leave his office and never look at him the same way again.
Katie spun on her heel and marched out of the chief’s office. It was bullshit, all of it. She was worth five extra officers. He knew it, she knew it, everyone knew it. As she made her way to her cubicle, she passed George’s office. His genuine brick-and-mortar four-walled office. Chief Carmichael had always favored him. Always. But why? The chief was emotionally closer to Katie, often treating her more like a daughter than an employee. It made no sense. Unless George…
Katie halted, turned, and marched into George’s office.
“Umm, knock much?” George said with his usual smugness.
“Why?” Katie pressed her hands against her hips to keep them from shaking with rage.
George took off his reading glasses, placing them on his desk before looking up at her. “Why what?”
“Why me instead of you?”
“You’ll have to ask the chief.”
“You used my dad against me, didn’t you?”
An expression of wide-eyed shock passed through George’s features. It was only there for a split second, but Katie recognized it for what it was. He wasn’t surprised by the accusation, just shocked that she’d figured it out.
“You did, didn’t you.” It was a statement, not a question. “You told the chief that you’d tell everyone that my father is in prison if he let you go instead of me. It would be another reason for the public to hate us even more. Especially if you made some insinuations that I excused my father’s behavior.”
He didn’t deny her allegation. It was as good as an admission.
“You’re a fucking coward,” Katie said.
George clenched his jaw. “I did what I had to do. You don’t understand.”
“Oh, I understand. You took advantage of something you learned in confidence. Used it against me to save your own ass. But mark my words, Chief Carmichael is going to be sorry. You’ve lost your touch. Your mind isn’t in your work anymore. You screwed up with Rachel’s interview and that’s probably not the only time.”
George opened his mouth to respond, but Katie cut him off.
“Don’t bother with excuses. I don’t give a damn what’s going on with you. All I care about is that your work has been slipping and your arrogance is through the roof. You’ve become self-centered and a completely shitty friend. I’m done with you.”
Then she stormed out of George’s office and down the hallway, heading to the front doors. She needed some fresh air. Chief Carmichael would find out that he had made a huge mistake when the new hires were busy violating constitutional rights and losing evidence in suppression hearings. It was up to George to train them. Judging by his recent behavior, it was a recipe for disaster.
Ashley was going to destroy them in court. Brine could say goodbye to justice, at least for victims. Defendants were going to get away with murder. Literally.
26
Ashley
55 days before trial
After seven days in the hospital, Doctor Malloy finally discharged Ashley. Katie was there, her old Impala idling at the curb, when Angelica wheeled Ashley down the hall and out the front doors. Ashley was perfectly fine to walk, but Angelica claimed wheelchairs were standard protocol. Something liability-related, no doubt. Despite the foolishness, Ashley didn’t protest. She was too busy basking in the glow of sweet, sweet freedom.
“How are you?” Katie asked as she opened the passenger door.
“I feel fine.”
Ashley ignored the proffered hands and climbed into Katie’s car. She waved to Angelica as Katie started the engine and took off. Sometime during Ashley’s stay, Angelica had grown from caregiver to friend.
“So, what’s been going on?” Ashley felt like she’d been in the hospital for an eternity. At a standstill. Stuck in place while the rest of the world kept moving.
Katie sighed heavily. Ashley turned to look at her friend. It was the first time she’d truly looked at her. The police officer had visibly lost weight and her red hair hung limply. Dull and disheveled.
“All right. Spill,” Ashley said, turning from the window and focusing on Katie. “What’s going on?”
“You know that Forest Parker won his bid to slash the police department’s budget, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, Chief Carmichael called me into his office last Monday. They have to let someone go. Apparently, I’m that someone.”
Ashley’s breath caught. It was terrible news for Katie. She loved that job. But not so horrible for Ashley or her clients. Katie had screwed up a few search warrants early in her career, but she was an excellent officer now. The type that didn’t make mistakes. Officers like her were not good for the defense bar.
“I’m sorry.”
“Are you, though?” Katie shot back.
Ashley shrugged. “I’m sorry that you are upset. But sometimes these things can be for the best. That job at the Brine PD was a dead-end job for you. You’ve learned what you need to know. It’s probably time for you to move on to bigger and better things.”
“Like what?”
Ashley had a few ideas, one that included Forest Parker, the other that depended on whether that reporter, Carley, had been able to raise the promised funds for the public defender’s office.
“Give me a few days. But, honestly, it’s going to be okay. It doesn’t seem like it now, but it will.”
“Thanks,” Katie said, but she didn’t sound optimistic.
A short pause, then Ashley asked, “When is your last day?”
“Friday.”
“This Friday?”
Katie nodded.
“Wow. That’s quick.”
“Yeah.”
“Why you? I mean, not to be critical, but George Thomanson is a fucking moron. He used to be fine, but he makes stupid mistakes that are going to cost the State some critical evidence.”
Katie shrugged. “It’s a good ol’ boys club. You know that as well as I do.”
“Touché.”
It was one of the hard lessons that Ashley had learned through years of working in the criminal justice system. The men had each other’s backs
. She wished she could say the same for women, but that wasn’t true. The former county attorney, Elizabeth Clement, had been a classic example. She could have helped Katie when she was a new officer, but she instead chose to sabotage her and tear her down.
“Were you referring to Rachel Smithson?”
“Hmm?” Ashley asked.
“When you said that George would ‘cost the State evidence.’ Were you referring to the motion to suppress you filed in Rachel Smithson’s case?”
The hearing was scheduled the following Wednesday, two days away, at 10:00 a.m. Ashley would argue that George violated Rachel’s constitutional rights and the entire videotaped confession should be suppressed. Meaning the State could not use it as evidence.
That left them with the medical examiner’s report to prove cause of death. A document that Ashley had only just received a few days ago. It had been emailed to her directly from the medical examiner. Charles Hanson hadn’t turned it over, so Ashley went directly to the source. She was happy that she had. The report was a goldmine.
“Yeah. I depose George this afternoon, by the way.”
Ashley had lost too many days in the hospital. Both Doctor Malloy and Elena had urged her to take it easy for a couple days, but Ashley couldn’t waste the time. She wanted to depose George before he testified at the motion to suppress hearing, and that left only Monday and Tuesday.
Katie pulled up beside Ashley’s vehicle, parking at the Waukee police station. Katie handed Ashley her keys. She’d had them ever since searching Ashley’s car for Tom’s letter and the box with the poisoned chocolates. Ashley had tried not to think of Tom throughout her hospitalization. It hurt too much. She hadn’t originally believed he would intentionally hurt her, but a nagging part deep inside of her was starting to doubt that conviction.
Because hadn’t he betrayed her with his lies about Lydia? He had been living with her for months and hadn’t said a single word to Ashley about it. Then there was his choice to ignore her phone calls, all while she was being poisoned. Was it coincidence? Possibly. But she’d be a fool to brush it off without giving it proper consideration.