The Advocate's Justice

by Teresa Burrell

  “I have no idea. He didn’t leave a forwarding address.”

  “Did he say anything before he left?”

  “He just said he had to go, because if his jackass brother could find him, so could the cops.”

  Chapter 22

  Sabre and Morgan were home, cooking dinner when JP arrived. He gently flicked Morgan on the head. “Hi, Munchkin.”

  “Hi, Uncle Johnny.”

  JP liked what he saw in front of him. It felt like they were a family. He put his arms around Sabre and whispered, “You don’t have to cook for us, you know. I can always barbeque in a pinch.”

  “I know,” Sabre said aloud. “I only know how to cook a couple of things, so when I reach my limit, you can take over. Besides, this is Morgan’s meal. She wanted to make it for you. I’m just the helper.”

  JP turned to Morgan. “Whatcha cookin’?”

  “I’m making chili, Texas style. It doesn’t have any beans in it.”

  “Perfect. I don’t like beans in my chili.”

  “Just like my dad,” Morgan said, stirring the pot.

  JP’s jaw clenched at the comparison to his brother. Sabre noticed and smiled at him, and he felt himself relax.

  “Do you want a taste?” Morgan asked. “You can tell me if it’s ready.”

  “I’d love to be your taster.”

  Morgan took a tablespoon out of a drawer, scooped up some chili, and handed it to JP. “Be careful, it’s hot.”

  JP sniffed at the chili as though it were a fine glass of wine, waved the spoon back and forth, then slowly and deliberately put it into his mouth. He smacked his lips, but didn’t say anything.

  “Well? Is it okay?”

  “That tastes so good it’ll make your tapeworm stand up and bark.”

  “You say a lot of funny stuff, Uncle Johnny.” Morgan tipped her head to one side. “Did that mean you liked it?”

  “It’s perfect, Munchkin. Just like my mama used to make.”

  “That’s because my dad taught me how to make it.”

  JP gulped a little, and Sabre glared at him. Morgan didn’t seem to notice. “Sabre made cornbread, but it’s not from scratch. It came in a Jiffy box.”

  “Hey, don’t be a squealer.” Sabre made a funny face at Morgan.

  “Don’t worry, darlin’,” JP said with a grin. “I’m not with you for your culinary skills.”

  “Culinary,” Morgan repeated. “That’s a cool word. Maybe that’ll be my next word of the day.” She nodded. “Culinary, good word.”

  ~~~

  Once Morgan was in bed, JP and Sabre went into his office to discuss Conner’s case.

  “I’m sorry your brother is in the wind,” Sabre said.

  “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. I haven’t been able to count on him since he was ten.” JP paced back and forth in front of the whiteboard. “I was hoping he’d come through for his kids, but hell, he’s probably the one who killed Bullet.”

  “Do you really think that, or are you venting?”

  JP stopped pacing. “I don’t know. Gene can be such a jerk. If he had to save his own ass, I believe he would let Conner take the fall.”

  “Here’s the problem I have with that,” Sabre said. “If Gene killed him, why would he put the gun in Conner’s closet? That makes no sense. You can tell he loves his son, and maybe that’s not enough to keep him from shifting the blame if he had to. But why would he deliberately frame Conner?”

  “Because he’s a self-centered jackass.”

  “I think you’re letting old emotions cloud your judgment. Do you really believe Gene would set up Conner for the fall when there was no reason to? He didn’t have to bring the gun back into the house. He could’ve gotten rid of it elsewhere.”

  “He’s pretty attached to that gun. He’s kept it for over forty years.”

  “Do you really think it’s worth more to him than his own son?”

  “You’re probably right.” JP sighed. “He had lots of alternatives. It seems the least likely one would be to set up Conner. But that’s not enough for me to take my brother off the suspect list.”

  “I’m sure that’s wise,” Sabre said. “Where do we go from here?”

  JP stood for a long time with his arms crossed and legs spread apart, staring at the whiteboard.

  “It has to be someone with access to the house. The first thing I need to do is make sure my suspect list is complete.”

  “How will you accomplish that?”

  “I’ve been talking to everyone at that house. I saw Muriel again today, and she mentioned that Conner’s girlfriend, Emily, had been there a few times. The only other person she mentioned was a friend of Bullet’s named Steve, but he didn’t come into the house.”

  “Conner said Emily heard him threaten to kill Bullet,” Sabre noted. “I think we’d better see what all she knows.”

  “Do you want me to interview her?”

  “I’ll do this one. You can take care of the thugs.”

  JP returned to the whiteboard and added Emily and Steve and their relationships to others.

  “You don’t think Emily could have killed him?” Sabre asked. She stared at JP who didn’t answer right away. “Do you?”

  “I don’t know, but she’s on the list. Maybe she’s a woman scorned. We don’t know anything about this girl.”

  “You’re right. If someone set up Conner, they either had to be very angry at him, or not care about him at all.”

  “That would include Bullet’s friends and maybe Emily.”

  “Or Ben,” Sabre said.

  “Who’s Ben?”

  “Ben is a kid who overheard Conner talking to Emily when he threatened to kill Bullet. I’ll see if I can get more information about him from Emily.”

  “On the other hand,” JP mused. “If it wasn’t a setup for Conner, then the gun was put there just for convenience, and that could be anyone who has been in that house.”

  “And the most likely?”

  “Gene or Conner.” JP ran his hand through his hair as he stared at the whiteboard.

  “What’s on your mind?” Sabre asked.

  “Can you stay tonight?”

  “Sure. I’d like to take Morgan to school tomorrow anyway, if that’s okay.”

  “She’d like that.” He paused. “Muriel mentioned some of the places Bullet hangs out. I’d like to see what I can find out about him and those buddies of his. Would you mind if I went out for a bit?”

  “Go ahead. I’m going to crash. Just be careful.”

  Chapter 23

  JP walked into The Conversation bar, a name he thought was a real misnomer. The patrons were not the greatest conversationalists. He took a seat at the bar and ordered a beer. The bartender was in his mid-fifties, short, and slightly overweight. When he delivered the brew, JP said, “I’m looking for a guy named Bullet. Do you know him?”

  “Bullet’s dead, man. Some kid shot him, did the world a favor. You a friend of his?”

  “I wouldn’t exactly call him a friend.”

  “Good. I was pretty sure he didn’t have any of those.”

  “I take it you didn’t like him much. Why’s that?”

  “Because the man had no redeeming qualities of any kind. He treated everyone like crap. He was a rude, angry man, always looking for a fight.”

  “Did he come in here often?”

  “At least two or three times a week, and he was thrown out on more than one occasion. Always came back though, like a bad penny. They practically destroyed the place one night, had a complete brawl going on. The owner finally told Bullet and his buddies they weren’t welcome anymore.”

  “Anyone call the cops?”

  “The owner doesn’t bring in cops unless he has to. He’s a big guy, so he and a couple of his friends took care of the thugs. They never came back, so it was effective.”

  “Are you talking about Andy and Judd?” JP asked, taking a sip of beer.

  “Yeah, that’s them. Andy was nearly as bad as Bul
let, always in a fight.”

  “How long ago was that?”

  The bartender lowered his head and studied JP. “Are you a cop?”

  “No, I’m the private investigator for the kid who is charged with Bullet’s murder. I’d appreciate any help you can give me.”

  “I’m glad to help. Like I said, the kid did the world a favor by getting rid of that scum. Hate to see him in trouble for it though.”

  “I’m not convinced he did it.”

  “Everyone who knew Bullet hated him, so if you’re looking for someone else who might have done it, you’re going to catch a lot of fish in that net.”

  “How well did he get along with Judd and Andy?”

  “Andy seemed to do whatever Bullet told him. He was the meaner of the two, but he never crossed Bullet. Judd was more quiet, but I’m not sure he even liked the guy.”

  “What makes you say that?”

  “Just the way he looked at Bullet with an intense, fevered stare when Bullet wasn’t watching, especially when the asshole was rude to women.”

  After further discussion, the bartender disclosed the name of the bar he’d heard Andy and Judd were now frequenting. JP left his nearly full bottle on the bar and drove to the other dive. As soon as he walked in, he spotted a tall man with a brown ponytail and a tattoo-covered left arm. The guy stood near the bar. JP thought it was Andy Rankin, and when he got a little closer, he was certain.

  JP looked around for Judd Soper since the two were never far apart, but he didn’t spot him right away. JP continued toward Rankin, not sure what he would do next. On the way over, he saw Soper sitting on a barstool behind his friend. JP took one more step toward them, when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

  JP looked up into shark-like eyes in a pocked face. “Hello, Derek.”

  “I’d stay away from them if I were you,” Derek said.

  “Why’s that?”

  “Because they’re both trouble.”

  “I just want to ask them some questions about Bullet.”

  “They ain’t gonna tell you the truth, and if they find out you’re Gene’s brother, Rankin will kick your ass.”

  “Why?”

  “Because he ain’t capable of kickin’ Gene’s, and you’re the next best thing.”

  “Maybe I’ll just ask around and see what else I can find out about Bullet.”

  “You can’t do that either.”

  “Why’s that?”

  “Even though everyone who knows Bullet hates him, someone will tell Rankin that you’re asking, probably a lowlife who wants to get in his good graces.”

  “I need to investigate—unless you know who killed Bullet and can fill me in.”

  “It ain’t gonna do you any good to find out if you’re dead and can’t prove it.”

  “Is that a threat?”

  “I ain’t gonna hurt you.” Derek paused and stared. “Unless you cross Gene. I’m just trying to keep your ass out of the sling.”

  “Why?”

  “Because Gene needs you to help his kids.”

  “Where is he?”

  “He’ll get ahold of you when he can.”

  Chapter 24

  Sabre dropped Morgan at school, completed her morning court calendar by eleven-thirty, had lunch with Bob, then drove back to her office. She read through her files that were on calendar for the next day and prepared for those cases. She had many unanswered emails that needed responses and a 288 motion to draft. By two-thirty she couldn’t sit at her desk any longer. She got in her car and drove to see Conner’s girlfriend, Emily, who lived about a mile from his family’s home. Sabre knocked on the front door, expecting to have to deal with a parent, but found Emily home alone. She was a short, blonde girl with braces who was dressed conservatively in stark contrast to the streak of pink hair on the right side of her head.

  “I’m Sabre Brown, Conner’s attorney. Can I talk to you for a few minutes?”

  “Come in.” The petite girl stepped back, brushing long hair off her shoulder.

  Sabre entered the living room and glanced around. The furniture was old, but the house was clean. She walked to the sofa and sat down. Emily did the same. “How is Conner?”

  “It’s rough, but he’s handling it.”

  “It must be just awful for him. I’ve asked to see Conner, but my parents won’t allow it.”

  “Do they think he’s guilty?”

  “They don’t know, but they’re trying to keep an open mind. My dad is better than my mom. He says they have to prove it, and they could be wrong.”

  “What do you think?”

  “I don’t think Conner could kill anyone, no matter how mad he was. He’s so kind. Once we found a little bird that had been wounded, and he wanted to take it to a vet and get help. But we didn’t have to because he held it for a little while, and then it flew away.”

  “I don’t think he’s guilty either,” Sabre said, “but I need to prove it. That’s why I’m here. I need to ask some questions. Maybe you saw or heard something that might help us find the real killer.”

  “I don’t know much.”

  “Did you ever meet Bullet?”

  “I saw him at Conner’s, but I never talked to him. I didn’t like the way he looked at me.”

  “Did he ever say anything to you?”

  “He just stared at my boobs,” Emily said. “He was creepy.”

  “Did you ever say anything to Conner about it?”

  “Yeah.”

  “How did he react?”

  “He just said to stay away from Bullet and his friends. And Conner always made sure I wasn’t alone with them. He would usually take me right to his room, and we’d stay in there until I left.”

  “Did someone from the prosecutor’s office come to see you?”

  “An investigator.”

  “Did you tell them that Conner threatened to kill Bullet?”

  Emily’s shoulders drooped. “They told me I had to tell the truth.”

  “And you should,” Sabre said. “But I need to know exactly what you told them.”

  “I said we were at school and I could tell Conner was really upset. We went behind the science building to have a little privacy, and Conner started ranting about Bullet. He said he was a scumbag and that he was going to kill him.”

  “Did you believe him when he said that?”

  “No, I just thought he was mad. I’ve never seen him like that before, but when Bullet was killed I started to wonder.”

  “How did you know Bullet was killed?”

  “Conner told me.”

  “Did you ask him if he did it?”

  “Not exactly. I didn’t want him to think I didn’t trust him, but then he told me he didn’t do it. I wouldn’t have said anything if it wasn’t for Ben. I don’t think the investigator would have even questioned me.”

  “You mean Ben Thompson?”

  “Yes.” Emily seemed surprised that Sabre might know about him.

  “What did Ben do?”

  “He told the cops Conner said he wanted to kill Bullet and that he believed him. Ben made it sound way worse than it was.”

  “Why would he do that?”

  Emily’s face reddened with embarrassment. “Ben has wanted to be my boyfriend for a long time. Before Conner and I hooked up, Ben had almost worn me down. I wasn’t with anyone, and I had one date with him. It wasn’t even a real date, and I didn’t really like him. After that one time, he thought he owned me. He started following me around all the time. He was spying on us when he heard what Conner said.”

  “Did you ever see a gun in Conner’s room?”

  Emily’s mouth fell open, and she quickly closed it. “No, I never saw a gun in his room. I…I…I’m pretty sure he wasn’t into guns. He didn’t like the idea of hunting or anything. He liked animals too much.” She crossed and uncrossed her legs.

  “Emily, I need the truth. When did you see the gun?”

  She took a deep breath. “It was the last time I was there, jus
t before Conner was arrested.”

  “Were you there when the cops came?”

  “No, it was earlier…that afternoon.”

  “What exactly did you see?” Sabre asked.

  “Conner had told me to pick out a video game. He said they were in the closet on the left side. There was a box on the floor with the videos, and when I picked it up, I pulled a shirt or something up with it. A shoebox fell over, and I heard a slight clunk. That’s when I saw the gun.”

  “Did you ask Conner about it?”

  “No. I just threw the clothing on it and set the box back down.”

  “Did you tell anyone else you saw the gun?”

  “No.”

  “Not even the detective who questioned you?”

  “He never asked about it.”

  Chapter 25

  The next morning, Sabre drove to her office. It was the first day she hadn’t had court in weeks, so it was a chance to catch up on some paperwork she had to do. She sat down at her computer and responded to emails, then she drafted a change-of-venue motion for dependency court, plus a motion to recuse a judge on a delinquency case.

  After several hours of sitting and typing, she stood and stretched, then walked to the copy room and grabbed a bottle of water. When she sat back down, she opened the online dating site where she had posted her profile.

  Her receptionist walked in, carrying the mail. “Here you go. It’s all opened and ready for you.” Elaine saw the dating site open on the monitor and gave her a suspicious look.

  “It’s not what you think.”

  “What I was thinking is that if you’re done with Cowboy, I’ll take him.”

  Sabre laughed. “No, I think he’s a keeper.” She explained to Elaine what she was doing and asked her to sit for a bit. “You can help me sort through this stuff. I’ve been so busy, I haven’t even looked at it since I signed up.” Sabre signed in, and the site opened to her page.

  “Wow!” Elaine said. “You have ninety-four winks, thirty-nine messages in your inbox, and who knows how many matches.”

  “Is that a lot?”

  “You started this less than forty-eight hours ago. Yeah, that’s a lot. Where do you want to start?”