No One Is Innocent

by Gayle Tiller

  "He's probably dead or something like that. I think it's highly unlikely that Chuck Roberts' father has anything to do with the case. It must be some other Bill Roberts."

  "I was thinking the same thing also. Bill Roberts is such a common name. I don't know how I am going to find the right one. Unless … "

  James interrupted and said, "Unless the note somehow was really referring to someone related to Bill Roberts. Maybe someone who was a member of the San Jose Fire Department."

  I wanted to say I was about to say the same thing. I then looked down at his ring finger and noticed that there was no ring on it. But hell, a lot of married men didn't wear rings. So that didn't mean anything.

  Wait a second, why am I checking this man out? Kristal had hired me to find the murderer of her husband, not to get involved with her lawyer. This was strictly business.

  I smiled and said, "James, that could be the key. I'll check out Chuck Roberts' records to see if I can find any connection."

  James looked me directly in the eyes and said, "Even if you don't find anything, I know we'll find something to clear Kristal. I just know it."

  God knows that I should be thinking about the case and Kristal, but all that I could think about was his lips. What would it be like to be kissed by him? The truth was I was even thinking about a lot more than kissing 73

  him. I wanted to make love to him. Which was totally insane, because I had known this man for exactly six hours.

  I swallowed hard and said, "Anyway, I should get going."

  James extended his hand and shook my hand and said, "I'll be expecting to see you again after you look into the Chuck Roberts angle."

  When he shook my hand, I felt a surge of electricity. What was wrong with me? This man hadn't come on to me. Why was I feeling this way about him? Was it because Keith had just pissed me off? Maybe it was because it had been so long since I had been with a man. Was I hitting my sexual peak? They say a woman hits her sexual peak when she is thirty-five. Well, I guess I am two years late. But I have always been late when it comes to those kinds of things. I didn't get my period until I was fourteen years old. It was kind of embarrassing; because during my freshman year in high school, I was the only one who didn't need to take time off from swimming.

  But hell, even if I was at my sexual peak, I needed to stop thinking about James. If we got involved, it was not going to help Kristal. Yeah, I am just going to have to control my thoughts and my body.

  I was going home to take a cold shower. If that shit works for men, it has to work for us.

  I then left James' office and drove home so that I could relieve myself.

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  11

  Chapter

  New Chapter

  I had been waiting in the lobby of the main office of the Fire Department for over an hour. I had tried getting Chuck Roberts' records from Human Resources and I was told that under California law, personnel records were confidential. Unless Chuck consented to their disclosure, I could not have a copy of his records.

  Chuck had been due back fifteen minutes ago. I was beginning to wonder if coming here had been a waste of my time. I stared at my watch. Ten more minutes then I was leaving.

  Another fifteen minutes passed. I was about to leave, when I saw Chuck Roberts come in.

  He said, "You're back. I already gave you the information about my father."

  "I have something else I want to talk you about."

  "What?"

  "Look, I really don't want to talk about it here. Why don't we go into your office?"

  "Okay, I got a few minutes."

  When we walked into his office, I shut the door behind us.

  I cleared my throat and said, "I am trying to get a hold of your personnel records."

  "My personnel records. What for? They're confidential."

  "I know that. But I need them for my case for Kristal Woods."

  "Are you saying I am a suspect? I didn't kill anyone."

  "No one said that you did. But there is something very strange about Kristal's husband giving a note to their minister to contact Bill Roberts the day before his death. It's my hunch that Ralph had used the name Bill Roberts as a code for someone related to him."

  Chuck's face turned red. He said, "I don't know what Ralph's problem was. But I will tell you again; I did not kill him or anyone else. I suggest you look elsewhere."

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  "Chuck, where were you on the night of Ralph's death?"

  "Shit, I can't believe you're asking me that."

  "Look, you either answer my question or I will go to the media and say that we found a new possible suspect in Kristal's husband's death."

  "You wouldn't dare."

  "Don't push me, because I am not into playing games."

  "That night I was on vacation camping in Yosemite Park."

  "Do you have any witnesses?"

  "Yeah, my two camping buddies-Kerry Nelson and Frank Drew."

  "And where were you when the Chief died?"

  "I was still on vacation. I didn't hear about any of this until I got back from vacation. It was a total shock to me."

  "And what about Dan Fulton?"

  "I was in San Francisco at an all day conference."

  "Alright."

  "I did not kill anyone. You're just wasting your time with me."

  "All I am trying to do is to find the real killer. Kristal is sitting up in jail for crimes that she did not commit."

  Chuck looked down at his desk and mumbled, "I feel sorry for Kristal.

  It's too bad what happened."

  There was something peculiar about Chuck not looking at me. I said,

  "Kristal is having a really hard time being in jail. Yesterday she threw up in court."

  Chuck refused to look at me. He again looked down at his desk. He said, "I heard about that. It must have been awful."

  "Being in jail and pregnant is a living hell for Kristal."

  Chuck became irate and said, "A living hell for Kristal? What about for the father of her child?"

  "The father of her child? What are you talking about? Kristal was married to Ralph. Unless you're saying there was someone else."

  Chuck's face turned a deep red and he said, "Yeah, there was someone else."

  "Who?"

  "Me."

  Kristal had been screwing around on her husband. She hadn't bothered telling me. Goddamn, I needed a drink. This shit is going to make me fall off the wagon. I just can't deal with the bullshit anymore.

  No, screw that weak mentality. I can handle it. Yes, I can handle a bunch of messed up people. I don't need a drink to help me cope with the bullshit.

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  I took a deep breath and said "You're the father of Kristal's child?"

  "I might be. I mean I don't know."

  "Did she tell Ralph that he might not be the father?"

  "Hell no. He didn't know about us. And there was no way that she would ever tell him."

  "What about after the baby was born?"

  "She made it clear from the beginning, there was no way that she would ever tell Ralph that I might be the father of her child."

  "What if the baby came out looking like you, then what?"

  "She still wasn't going to say anything."

  "Surely, Ralph would find out if you petitioned for visitation rights."

  "California law sucks for men. I have already spoken to several father's rights lawyers and they told me I have no rights. If a child is born to a married woman while she is living with her husband, it is presumed that the father of her child is her husband. He has the right to file a petition challenging paternity within two years of the child's birth. And the woman has the right to file a petition stating that her husband might not be the father. But as for the guy, who might really be the father, he has no rights."

  "Okay, what you're saying is that you have no legal rights. But still, you could have confronted Ralph about the child."

  "No, that's my style. I love Kristal
and I would never do anything that would hurt her."

  "Isn't it true that if Ralph died before the baby was born, you could file a lawsuit for paternity?"

  "I don't know. I am not a lawyer."

  "Chuck don't bullshit with me. You know the answer and that is why you killed Ralph."

  "I didn't kill him or anyone else. You really think that I would kill Kristal's husband so that I could have visitation rights to the baby. That's utter bullshit. For your information, when I found out that Kristal was pregnant, I told her that she might want to get an abortion so there wouldn't be any problems later on. But Kristal wanted the baby. So I was stuck with her decision. It's not like I had a choice or anything."

  "If you didn't want the baby, why did you even go to see a lawyer?"

  "Kristal decided to keep the baby so I wanted to know my rights as a father or as a potential father. That's all. Now I know them."

  "How long have you been seeing Kristal?"

  "On and off for three years."

  "You have been seeing Kristal throughout her marriage to Ralph?"

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  "Yes."

  "Did you ever ask Kristal to leave Ralph?"

  "In the beginning I did. But after a while, it was pointless."

  "Why wouldn't she leave Ralph?"

  "Kristal is really into public image. She felt because she was a leader in the African-American community, it would be a slap in the community's face if she married a white man."

  "You stayed with her knowing that?"

  "I don't know if you have been ever been in love, but I am totally in love with Kristal. And it wasn't like I needed to get married or anything.

  I have already failed at marriage twice. If Kristal didn't want to leave Ralph and be with me, I could handle that."

  "But what about the child? Your child?"

  "I was hoping at some point, Kristal would change her mind."

  God, this man sounded like a wimp. But maybe that was what love did to men.

  "Do you think Kristal killed Ralph?"

  "No. Kristal is not a murderer. She is a lot of things. But a murderer, she is not."

  * * *

  Kristal's eyes were bloodshot from crying. She gave me a weak smile. "Jasmine, did you find out anything new?"

  "Yeah, I did. Do you know Chuck Roberts?"

  "Chuck Roberts?"

  "You know the guy that you're sleeping with."

  "Who told you that?"

  "He did."

  "God, I can't believe he betrayed me."

  "Is it true that he might be the father of your child?"

  Kristal stared at the ground and said nothing.

  "Kristal, is he the father of your child?"

  Kristal stared her belly and said, "He might be."

  "Why the hell didn't you tell me that from the beginning?"

  "If I had told you that I had a lover and that he might be the father of my baby, would have you taken my case?"

  "Hell, I've heard a lot worse things."

  "Did Ralph know about him?"

  "Absolutely not."

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  "Now, did you hire me, because you suspected that Chuck had killed Ralph out of jealously."

  "Yes."

  "You know Kristal, you wasted a lot of my time. Is there any other shit that I should know about?"

  "No."

  "Because if I find something that you should have told me, I am the off the case. Understand."

  "Yeah."

  "How come you never went to the cops about suspecting Chuck?"

  "You know that I did go to them. But I couldn't tell them everything.

  What was I going to say- I am seeing a man who might have knocked me up and he might have killed my husband out of jealously. For God's sake, I am a community leader. What would people think if they knew I was cheating on my husband and not just with anyone but with a white man? Anyway, I was hoping that the police would somehow discover that Chuck had killed Ralph."

  "And how the hell were they suppose to do that? With voodoo magic?

  Come on. You didn't name anybody, so they dismissed it."

  "I didn't want people to know about me being with a white man."

  "This is the 21st century Kristal. No one gives a shit about the color of the person you are with. What you should have been more concerned about is that you thought your lover killed your husband."

  "I hear what you're saying. But still."

  "Still my ass. Preserving your reputation was stupid."

  "You know I am not paying you to judge me."

  "Kristal, I'm going to be real honest with you. If you had told the police about Chuck from the beginning, they probably would have credited you for coming forward. But now if this shit comes out, you are through.

  The motive is there."

  "Chuck would never tell anyone."

  "Kristal, it's no secret that I went to see him twice. Who knows what people think? And he went to several attorneys about advice on how he could have visitation rights."

  "So what? Chuck has no rights under California law. And besides because of attorney-client privilege, those attorneys can't say anything."

  "There is an attorney-client privilege, but sometimes lawyers forget those rules and tip the press or the police anonymously."

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  "At this point, I don't care if the truth comes out. I'm being charged with three murders that I didn't commit and I am facing the death penalty."

  "I will tell you again. Your relationship with Chuck is going to hurt the case."

  "Let people think what they want to think. I did not kill anyone."

  "And what about Chuck?"

  "I thought he might have killed Ralph. But now with the others gone, I don't think so. There was no reason to kill them. So, my answer is no."

  "By the way just for your own information, Chuck has an alibi. He was on vacation when Ralph and the Chief were killed and he was at an all day conference when Dan Fulton was killed."

  "Yeah, Chuck did mention that he was going on a camping trip. But to me that didn't mean anything. I mean he could have left and killed Ralph and come back."

  "Did Chuck know Ralph was allergic to penicillin?"

  "Yeah, everyone knew, because Ralph always wore his bracelet."

  "Back to Ralph, you're saying that he didn't know about you and Chuck. How come he gave your minister a note saying to contact Bill Roberts and told him to keep it in a safe place?"

  "Bill Roberts?"

  "Bill Roberts is Chuck's father."

  "Oh him. He disappeared a long time ago. It's not like I tried to remember his name or anything. That's why I blanked out on you earlier.

  Anyway, it's impossible that Chuck's father has anything to do with the case."

  "Could it be that Bill Roberts was a code for Chuck?"

  "I doubt it. I told you that Ralph did not know about us."

  "And how do you know that?"

  "Because Chuck and I were totally discreet about our relationship.

  Nobody knew."

  "Did you go to his place?"

  "No, we didn't go to his place in Morgan Hill, because I was really paranoid about being seen and we didn't go to hotels or anything like that."

  "Then where?"

  "Chuck had an apartment in Half Moon Bay and there's no way Ralph could have known about it, because it was rented under someone else's name."

  "Whose name?"

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  "A name that we had made up-Sally Thompson."

  "What's the address of this apartment and his place."

  Kristal quickly recited the addresses.

  "Kristal, I think I have just about hit the wall with this case. If Chuck didn't kill Ralph, the Chief, and Dan, the only other suspect is you. I have no one else."

  "Yes, you do. You have Bill Roberts as a suspect."

  "Yeah, I don't know who the right one is. By the time, I find him … " I didn't finish my sentence, because I was going to say that she would be conv
icted.

  "Jasmine, keep trying."

  "I will. I'll see what turns up."

  * * *

  My cell phone rang. It was Patrice. She said, "I need to see you."

  "Why?"

  "Because I just do."

  I wanted to tell Patrice to go to hell, but instead I said, "Where do you want to meet?"

  "In Berkeley at Toni's Cafe. Be there at ten tonight."

  When I arrived at Toni's Café, the audience was mostly women. There were drinks on everyone's table. From the corner of my eye, I saw a bottle of whiskey. Damn, why was it teasing me? Goddamn it, I need to leave. But I couldn't, because I was here to meet Patrice. I'll just ignore the whiskey and pretend it doesn't exist.

  I turned and saw Patrice who was on the stage. She was dressed in a short mini dress with her braids piled high on her head.

  Patrice cleared her throat and smiled. "I want to thank you all for coming out. I want to end with one of my favorites. It's called Brothers in their Forties."

  The audience applauded. In a throaty voice, she said,

  "Brothers in their forties.

  Pot bellied, flat behinds,

  And receding hairlines.

  Rarely, do you see one who is extremely fine.

  Some of them married and

  Some of them divorced.

  Some of them have had serious monogamous relationships.

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  And others have had serious polygamous relationships where They cannot commit to one sister but they have to have Two or three sisters and

  Sometimes one of the women is not

  One of us.

  Brothers in their forties.

  Some of them are daddies.

  And others are granddaddies.

  Some of them live with their children, and

  Others have abandoned their children.

  Brothers in their forties.

  Some living their lives like they are whores

  Where they will sleep with anything, and

  Others using aids like Viagra, because

  Nature has abandoned them.

  Brothers in their forties.

  When you have to wonder where

  The thunder has gone;