by Denise Irwin
Sam asked, “If Ellie testifies, will that constitute as motive?”
“Refresh my memory.”
“I interviewed her and she said it was her fault that Ian was dead. Thompson stalked her.”
“That’s right, I remember it now and that just might give us the motive. Do you think that she’ll testify?”
“I honestly don’t know. She was shaking when I spoke with her. I’ll give her a call tomorrow and see if she’ll meet with me.”
“Good, call me after you talk with her.”
“I will.”
“Thanks. Now that this meeting is completed, why don’t we move on to lighter topics? While I’m up can I get anyone beverage refills?”
Everyone nodded yes, Leona said, “Let me get out some snacks to munch on while we talk.”
“Leona, is there anything we need to bring on Saturday?”
“I don’t think so. The trainer will use her dogs just like she did with Molly and Jack.”
“Phil and I are really looking forward to it. Can we also go on Sunday to watch Molly and Jack’s second lesson?”
“Of course you can and they’ll love it. They are really looking forward to watching the adults receive the training.”
“I’ll bet they are. Don’t we have eight adults in our class?”
“We sure do, but Shannon said that it wouldn’t be a problem.”
Amanda said, “Stef and I heard through the grapevine that Phil might be looking for a dog.”
Phil said, “Yes I’m thinking about it. Walking a dog is a great exercise and they’re good companions.”
“Phil, you don’t have to justify anything with me, because I think it’s a great idea.”
Since it was a school night, everyone decided to wrap it up at 10:00. Leona and Sam walked everyone out to their cars. Gregory thanked them and then told Sam, “I’ll talk with you tomorrow night.”
“Yes sir.”
When they returned to the kitchen, Sam said, “I’ll help you clean up and then I’m going to bed.”
“There’s not much to clean up, so I’ll get it in the morning.”
<>
Thompson lay awake all night on his bunk, thinking of ways to kill the other inmate and that woman who says that she’s his attorney.
<>
After the kids left for school, Sam called Ellie. “Ellie, this is Sam Marksman, can we meet today over a coffee?”
“Sam, can we meet at the Peace and Cup of Joe around 4:00?”
“I can do that so, I’ll see you at 4:00 at the coffee shop.”
<>
Delven placed a call to Gregory, “Brian, can we get together to go over the list of evidence and witnesses.”
“Sure, do you want to meet today?”
“If you have time, I’d like to meet today, what time?”
“I’m available now, so come on over.”
“I’m on my way.”
It was a short walk that only took her five minutes to get to his office. She knocked on his door and he came to open it for her, “Becca come on in and have a seat. Can I get you a cup of coffee?”
“That would be nice.”
He returned to his office with two cups of coffee and as he handed her a cup he said, “I thought that I remembered that you drank it black, but if I’m wrong I’ll take it back to the kitchen.”
“No, this is fine, so let’s get started be because the suspense is killing me. Show me what you have.”
“I’ll do that, but I really need to ask you, has he threatened you again?”
“Mr. Gregory that is none of your business.”
He translated that statement to mean that he had. “Phil will testify as to cause of death. I don’t think that he can even guess on the time because the body was decaying when it was found. Amanda will present our evidence from the stand. We have DNA from the victim’s body that matched your client’s. We have dirt samples from the Roland Park driveway that match the dirt recovered from your client’s tire tread. We have the invoice for the tires and they match the photos taken at the scene.”
“While that sounds nice, I didn’t hear anything about motive.”
“Sam plans to meet with Elizabeth Williams and ask if she’ll testify. If she says yes, we have a motive.”
“And if she says no, what will you do?”
“I’ll call your client to testify as a hostile witness.”
Delven let out a low sigh, “You might not need to do that, because Thompson wants to testify.”
“Is he insane?”
“That’s exactly what he wants the jury to believe and I can’t stop him from doing it.”
That statement confirmed for him that she had been threatened, but if she didn’t tell him, there wasn’t much, he could do about, so he said, “Becca, you know that I’m gonna chew him up and spit him out if he says too much when you question him.”
She chuckled, “Brian, I don’t think that he wants me to question him.
<>
Leona and Sam had lunch together and Leona asked, “What time is your meeting?”
“It’s at 4:00 this afternoon, which means that I’m gonna miss both after school snacks and dinner.”
“Yes it will, but if she agrees to testify, that would worth missing dinner.”
Sam drove to the Peace and a Cup of Joe. He parked the car and saw that Ellie already had a table for them. He walked over to the table and asked, “Ellie have you gotten your coffee yet?”
“Yes and I have a cup for you.”
He let out a small laugh and then said, “How stupid of me since I didn’t see them.”
“Don’t worry about it since I’m sure that your mind is concentrating on Ian’s murderer.”
“Yes it is and that why I asked if we could get together. We have good evidence; however, we’re struggling with motive.”
“Sam, are you planning to ask me to testify to provide the motive you need?”
“Yes, that’s the plan.”
“You know that I don’t want to see that bastard again, but I can’t just walk away saying that I’m afraid. Can Bob come with me?”
“Yes he can, but if you say yes to the testimony, you can’t talk about the case with him until after the jury gives its verdict.”
“I know that, but just having him there will comfort me. Are you testifying?”
“No, so my wife and I will be in the courtroom.”
She sounded surprised when she asked, “Your wife will be in the courtroom?”
“She’s my partner, we had to change the signage on the business cards to read the Marksman Investigative Services.”
“That means that I’ll have a hell of a lot of support there, so plan on me to testify.”
“Do you want Leona and me to pick you up?”
“Thanks, but Bob will bring me.”
“Ellie, I don’t know how to thank you.”
“Yes you do. Just make sure that he gets convicted. I gotta run now and study for a test. If you need me for anything else, please call me.”
He watched her walk out the door.
He then drove home. His wife was in the kitchen and before she asked how his day went, she asked, “Have you eaten anything since lunch time?”
“No.”
“Then let me feed you now and we’ll talk after the kids have gone to bed.”
Molly heard her father’s voice, so she ran into the kitchen, “Dad, you just missed dinner.”
“I know that I did, but your Mom’s heating my dinner for me. Do you want to sit with me while I eat so that you can tell me how your day was?”
“Yeah. Let me go get Jack and ask if he wants to join us.”
She and her brother came into the kitchen and sat. “Now that we’re all here, tell me about your day.”
Jack went first, “It was okay. How was your day?”
“It was okay, but I was not happy that I didn’t get home in time for dinner.”
Molly said, “Mom saved your dinner. She said that you wer
e working.”
“Where were you working?”
“I drove downtown to meet with a young college student.”
“Who did you meet with and why?”
Leona came to his rescue, “Your father is working on a case and sometimes he can’t talk about it. Jack, didn’t Dad tell your class that when he was a parent guest speaker?”
“Yes that’s what he said. Molly, we just need to know that he was working and not ask questions about it.”
“I’m sorry Dad, I was just interested that’s all.”
“It’s okay.”
After Molly and Jack went to bed, Sam said, “I need to call Gregory about my conversation with Ellie. I’ll put the call on speaker phone.”
He answered on the first ring, “Sam, how did you make out?”
“She’s gonna testify. She’s really nervous about it, but knowing that Leona, Bob and I will be there helped.”
“I’ll try not to upset her. Delven and I met today to go over the evidence and testimony. She told me that Thompson wants to testify on his behalf. She also said that he didn’t want her to ask him any questions.”
Leona asked, “Brian, that’s unbelievable. Is he planning to just give us a sermon from the pulpit?”
He laughed, “Great analogy, but that’s exactly what I’m thinking. Phil and I will see you on Saturday.”
Leona said, “We’ll be there.”
<>
Thompson was back in solitary after another altercation with the same inmate. He figured that at the very least, he didn’t have to see that asshole during meals.
Chapter Eleven
Thompson was still in solitary confinement on Saturday morning eating the mush that the jail called food. He wondered if the other inmate was also in solitary.
<>
During breakfast, Jack said, “Watching the adult class is going to be so much fun.”
While munching on her scrambled egg, Molly started to ask something, when her mother said, “Molly, do not talk with your mouth full. Wait until you eaten what’s in your mouth and then you can speak.”
“Mom, I swallowed my egg, so can I now ask my question?”
Leona knew that her daughter had swallowed what was in her mouth without chewing it up, but she said, “Yes you may.”
“Thank you Mom. When Jack and I went last week, there were three courses. Today there will be eight people that we know coming for the training. Do you know how that’s gonna work?”
“No I don’t, but Miss Shannon said that we’ll be fine.”
“Maybe in the adult class, you take turns.”
“Maybe that’s how it will work, so I guess we see when we get there.”
“Or Miss Shannon could create eight rounds.”
Sam stepped in, “Molly your mother said that we’ll have to wait and see, so there’s no more discussion on the matter.”
Molly looked down at the table as she said, “Yes sir.”
“Mom, I’m sorry. May I be excused from the table?”
“Molly, I accept your apology and yes, you may be excused.”
Jack remained seated at the table, “Mom, Molly went on and on because she’s excited.”
“I know that Jack, but she has to learn to listen to what is said.”
“I’ll go up and talk to her.”
Jack left the kitchen and Sam said, “Now, I feel like a big jerk. My son has to console his sister because of what I said.”
“Sam, I didn’t hear you say anything wrong. Molly doesn’t listen. She gets focused on what she wants to hear and I for one think that it’s annoying. If Jack feels the need to console her that’s okay because it’ll strengthen their relationship.”
“How do you do that?”
“How do I do what?”
“Make lemonade out of lemons. You always find good in something bad.”
“You know that’s not always true.”
Leona gathered up the dirty clothes and put them into the washer. She managed to get three loads done by lunch time.
When her children entered the kitchen, Molly said, “I’m sorry Mom. Jack explained why you got so annoyed with me and he’s going to help me with it.”
She looked at her son who was nodding his head.
Jack then asked, “Can Molly and me play board games in the dining room until it’s time to leave?”
“Yes, I’ll call you when it’s time to go.”
Her husband said nothing.
Leona went into the dining room to say, “It’s time for us to go.”
Molly and Jack put the game pieces into the box, and went to meet their parents at the front door. Molly said nothing to no one during the drive to the school because Jack told her that she asked too many questions. She was excited when her father parked the car, but didn’t say that she was.
When they entered the gymnasium, everyone was there. She nudged her brother, “Jack, there are four courses.”
“I see them.”
Dad came over and said, “Will the two of you be okay sitting here in the bleachers?”
Jack said, “Dad, we’ll be just fine.”
Shannon told them, “We set up four courses, each course will have a trainer. When I call your name, please walk to your course. Sam and Leona are on course one. Bill and Nancy are on the second course. Phil and Brian are on the third course. Stefan and Amanda are on the fourth course. You will run the course with the trainer, one at a time. I’m going to give you a minute to decide who goes first.”
Leona and Sam walked to course one, and Sam said, “I’ll go first.”
Bill and Nancy walked to course two, and Bill said, “I’ll go first.”
Brian and Phil walked to course three, and Phil said, “I’ll go first.”
Amanda and Stefan walked to course four, and Stefan said, “I’ll go first.”
Each course had a trainer. The trainer demonstrated the first item and then had the student do it.
“Jack, that’s just like we did.”
“It is and that’s really cool.”
It took four hours to get everyone through their course. They’d finished their class, so Shannon said, “You all did great, next week, and you’ll run the course alone with one of our dogs.”
Jack and Molly climbed down from the bleachers, Jack then said, “All of you did great, didn’t they Molly?”
“Yes and we were rooting for you all.”
Amanda said, “Dinner is on us tonight in a restaurant, and we’ll do the pizza joint tomorrow night after Molly and Jack’s class.”
Leona suggested, “The Bowman on Harford Road is close and it has easy access to the beltway.”
Even though it was Saturday night, the staff were able to move some tables around to seat ten. A waitress came by to take drink orders, Jack said “My sister and I would like Shirley Temples.”
Amanda and Sam chose some appetizers. Molly said, “Will everyone come see our class tomorrow?”
Gregory said, “Yes, because we have to.” When he saw a confused look on her faced, he rephrased his statement, “We did well today because we watched your last class.”
“I get it now. Thank you Mr. Brian.”
After dinner, everyone said, “See you tomorrow,” before they drove home.
Molly and Jack fell asleep in the back seat during the drive home. Gone were the days that Sam could carry his children to bed. Leona woke them up and Sam took Jack’s hand while Leona took Molly’s and walked them to their bedrooms. Once they were tucked into bed Leona and Sam went down to the kitchen. Sam poured his wife a drink and as he handed to her, he said, “I couldn’t believe how much fun today was.”
“I knew that we would enjoy it, but I never thought of it as fun.”
“I’m anxious to see how the kids do tomorrow.”
“Sam, you took the words right out of my mouth. They have to work pretty much solo tomorrow.”
“We’ll have to work solo in our next class.”
“That’s right, so ke
ep your eyes glued to what Molly and Jack do.”
<>
Sam came into the kitchen after walking the dog. He can’t say that he wasn’t shocked to find Molly and Jack sitting at the table. He asked, “Aren’t the two of you up a bit early?”
Jack said, “We are dad, but we couldn’t sleep because of today’s class. Right Molly.”
“That’s right Jack.”
Sam asked, “Are you excited or are you nervous?”
Jack said, “I’m excited.”
Molly looked down at the table to say, “I’m nervous.”
Leona asked, “Molly why are you nervous?”
“What if I don’t do well?”
“It’s not a competition, it’s a training class and it’s supposed to be fun.”
“Ma, are you sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure. You watched the adult class yesterday. We watched your class the week before and we did okay because we learned from you and Jack. You saw us laughing and having fun, didn’t you?”
The Marksman family was pumped up when it was time to leave for the school. Sam parked the car on the school lot and they walked into the gymnasium for the class. Their team was sitting in the bleachers. Leona walked her children to the trainer’s table and checked them in.
She then returned to the bleacher and sat next to her husband. There were three courses set up. Shannon spoke to her two students and then told them if they were ready they could go out on the course. Jack looked up at the bleacher and gave a thumbs up just before he went out to the course with a dog.
From the bleachers it looked as though, he was trying to remember the course lay-out. When Miss Shannon told him to go, he had the dog sit on the top of the stand and then jump over the hurdle and run to the over and under. Next was the tire hoop and from there to the cat walk and then around the marker to the bush jump. Next was the starting table where the dog had to sit for six seconds. They ran through the weaving flags and onto the see-saw. From there the dog jumped through the window pain and then ran through the canvas tunnel to sit at the starting point.
Next was Molly, who looked nervous, but when Miss Shannon told her to go, Molly and the dog did the course without issue.
Shannon had them run the course three times and without telling them, that she timed the last run.