A Following Sea

by Michael Lindley

  "Good, thank you," Alex said. "You got my note the sheriff has a diver going down today around the LuLu Belle?"

  "Let's hope they don't find your old man's knife down there," Phillip said.

  "When I get up to Dugganville this afternoon," Alex said, "first thing on my list is a thorough search of our boat and house to see if I can find the damn thing."

  Hanna said, "Phillip has a forensic expert lined up to examine the knife wound evidence from the body. We'll need to know the exact size and manufacturer of the knife."

  Alex thought for a moment. "It was a fishing knife he always carried on the boat. He'd use it to fillet fish that came up in the nets. Don't recall who makes it, but the blade was probably six to eight inches."

  Holloway continued, "Sure as hell the DA will have their own witness on this, so we need to get out ahead of it. If the knife shows up, we'll have different issues to deal with." He started toward the courtroom door. "There's a conference room. Should have your dad up by now.

  Hanna and Alex followed Holloway into the small conference room off to the side of the courtroom. Skipper Frank was already seated at the table there. A uniformed deputy stood against the wall and then excused himself when they were all seated.

  Alex said, "Morning, Pop."

  His father stared back through tired eyes and a face that looked like it hadn't seen sleep in days. He was slumped over the table, his hands flat on the old wood table. He was dressed in a jail jumpsuit and didn't respond.

  "Pop," Alex said, "this is Phillip Holloway. He's the attorney who will be working with Hanna on your case."

  Skipper watched as Phillip sat across from him. Hanna and Alex took seats on each side of Holloway.

  Phillip reached his hand across the table to shake, "Good morning, sir."

  The old man returned the hand shake and nodded.

  Hanna said, "Good morning, Mr. Frank. We don't have much time, so let's get started.

  "Name's Skipper, ma'am."

  Phillip pulled a file from his bag and opened it on the table between them. "Here's what's coming down this morning in this hearing. The District Attorney will read the charges they're filing against you. The judge will ask how you plead."

  The old man interrupted. "How I plead? I don't know what the hell happened. How do I plead to that?"

  Alex started, "Dad..." then Phillip interrupted.

  "Sir, you will plead not guilty this morning," Holloway said. "I don't want you saying another word. Do you hear me?"

  Skipper Frank grunted and said, "Seems they got a damned open and shut case here, counselor. Why not just get this whole thing the hell over?"

  Alex jumped in, "Pop, this investigation is just beginning. The evidence against you is tough, but there are also a lot of loose ends we need to tie up."

  "Your son is right," Phillip said. "There is a lot of damning evidence, some of it circumstantial, but so far, nobody saw you kill this man."

  "Don't tell me they don't have enough to convict my ass."

  Hanna said, "If we do our jobs, that won't happen."

  Skipper Frank stared at Hanna and considered her words.

  Phillip said, "The DA is a man named Jewel Clarke. He's a tough customer. I don't want to distress you any more than necessary, but Clarke is damn good and rarely loses a case. You need to do exactly as we tell you today and throughout the trial. Don't give him anything else he can use against you."

  The old man nodded, rubbing his hands together nervously.

  Phillip continued. "I don't want you talking to anybody but us. Not the jailer, not other inmates. Do you understand?"

  "Yessir."

  "Good. Now, we're going to ask for bail, but I seriously doubt the judge will even consider it. You need to be prepared to stay behind bars throughout the trial. I'm sorry, but in a capital murder case, there is very little hope to get you out of here until we prove your innocence at trial. Do you understand?"

  "Yessir."

  Phillip looked at his watch. "We need to get into the courtroom. They'll bring you in shortly. I want you to sit up straight, pay attention and do exactly what I tell you to do."

  Skipper nodded.

  Alex walked around the table. His father stood and faced him. Alex couldn't remember the last time they had hugged each other, but he reached out and held him close. "We're gonna take care of this, Pop." He felt his father tighten his arms around him.

  Skipper Frank whispered in his son's ear, "I can't tell you I didn't do this."

  Chapter Twenty

  "All rise."

  Hanna looked up as the bailiff announced the entrance of Judge Susan Wilcox. The woman looked to be in her 60’S, gray having taken over most of her shortly cropped hair. She was a small and squat woman, her face round and fleshy with cheeks flushed red and an expression that looked like she was already angry about something. She took her seat behind the bench and signaled for everyone to sit.

  Hanna was sitting at the defense table with Skipper Frank between her and Phillip Holloway.

  As the judge went through opening remarks summarizing the purpose of today's arraignment proceedings, Hanna looked over at the District Attorney, Jewel Clarke. He was flanked by two younger attorneys, one man and one woman, both immaculately dressed in dark suits. Hanna had met Clarke before but had never tried a case against him. He was an imposing figure, standing well over six feet with a large frame that filled a crisply pressed gray and chalk-stripe suit with a bright red paisley tie that seemed the only color in the courtroom other than the American flag behind the judge. His twenty years serving in the District Attorney's office had allowed him to build a reputation of a pit-bull prosecutor of the law who had a nearly perfect record of convictions. Of course, most lawyers secretly believed he only personally took on the cases he knew he could win. The tougher cases got handed down to Assistant DA's. Hanna thought, it's not a good sign when Clarke shows up to personally try a case. He must have sensed she was watching him, and he looked back at her, expressionless and seemingly bored with the whole process. Hanna didn't respond and looked to her left at Skipper Frank. He was following Phillip's directions explicitly, sitting straight and attentive to the judge's comments.

  When Judge Wilcox concluded her opening remarks and instructions, she opened a file in front of her on the bench. She looked up and said, "Will the defendant please rise."

  Phillip turned to his client and nodded for him to comply. Frank rose slowly, pushing his chair back away from the table.

  The judge said, "Jordan Charles Frank, you are here today charged with murder in the first degree of Horton Bayes by the County of Charleston District Attorney's office. I see you have legal representation with you."

  Skipper Frank said, "Yes, ma'am. I mean, yes, Your Honor."

  "And are you satisfied with your legal representation?" the judge asked.

  Hanna watched as Skipper looked down at Phillip Holloway and then over to her. He turned back to the judge. "Yes, Your Honor."

  Judge Wilcox made a note in her file, then said, "Mr. Frank, how do you plead to the charges of murder in the first degree."

  Hanna breathed a sigh of relief when she heard Alex's father quickly and confidently say, "I plead not guilty, Your Honor."

  Phillip's request for bail was quickly objected to by District Attorney, Jewel Clarke, and declined by the judge. Jordan Frank was remanded to custody in the Charleston County Jail. A trial date was set for six weeks out.

  As Skipper Frank was being escorted from the courtroom by the bailiff, Hanna looked over at Alex who was sitting in the first row along the rail behind the defense table. Only three other people were in the public seating area. One appeared to be a reporter taking notes as the proceedings wrapped up. She could see the sadness in Alex's eyes as he watched his father led away by two Sheriff's deputies. She made eye contact with Alex and forced a thin smile of encouragement. Her effort seemed little consolation to the man.

  Alex
was waiting for her and Phillip when they came through the courtroom doors into the hallway. Phillip said, "Alex, let me know what you hear on the diver's search this afternoon. Give me a day or so to sort through all this." He motioned to the leather bag hanging from a strap over his soldier."

  Alex said, "Yes, thank you."

  Phillip turned to Hanna. "I'll call you later this afternoon to discuss next steps."

  "I'll be driving to Atlanta to see my father, so call my cell," she said.

  Phillip nodded and said, "I need to get back. We'll talk soon." He patted Alex on his upper arm as he passed and walked away down the hall to the elevators.

  Hanna said, "Well, your father held up pretty well in there."

  "He's a tough old bird, but you can tell this has got him real scared."

  "Who wouldn't be?"

  Hanna noticed that Alex seemed uncomfortable, distressed about something which she assumed was the charge of murder just brought down against his father.

  Alex said, "Hanna, I need to talk to you about something."

  "Okay."

  "Not here. Can we take a walk?"

  Hanna was alarmed. "What is it?"

  "Please, let's go outside."

  They left the courthouse and turned down the sidewalk. The heat was building on another sweltering summer day in the city. Hanna noticed dark gray and threatening clouds had blown in since they had arrived earlier in the morning. They walked for a block without talking, the sounds of traffic and car horns, a distant siren breaking their silence. There was a bench at a bus stop coming up and Alex motioned for them to sit.

  "What's going on, Alex?"

  He sat beside her and looked away for a moment, seeming to gather his thoughts.

  Finally, he said, "I need to talk to you about Adrienne."

  Hanna's senses immediately went on full alert. She didn't respond.

  Alex hesitated, clearly not sure how to proceed.

  "What about Adrienne?"

  He reached for the leather bag he held in his lap and opened the flap. He pulled out a photograph and held it so Hanna couldn't see the picture. "You know that Adrienne wanted to talk to me about something."

  "So, you saw her?"

  "Yes."

  "And what did she want?" Hanna asked, her sense of dread rising.

  "Adrienne left South Carolina shortly after I found out about her last affair. She's been gone over ten years," Alex said. "We've had no contact. I filed for divorce about a year after she left. Occasionally, I'll get some update from my father or someone I run into from Dugganville."

  Hanna looked down at the photo he was holding but still couldn't see what it was.

  "I knew she had a child after she left," Alex said, swallowing hard, speaking very softly. He took a deep breath. "I agreed to meet her for a cup of coffee. She wanted to tell me about her marriage and her son. Her husband has left her. She doesn't even know where he's gone."

  Hanna had to interrupt. "That's her problem now, Alex. I don't mean to sound cruel, but..."

  He handed her the photo and Hanna looked down at the picture of a young boy. She listened as Alex continued. "His name is Scotty Crandall. Adrienne married this Crandall guy who's now left her."

  As Hanna listened to him speak, she looked more closely at the boy in the photo. She felt a chill all over.

  "Does he look familiar?" she heard Alex ask.

  "You're not saying?"

  Hanna looked back to Alex as he said, "Adrienne had the baby" almost nine months after she left for Florida. We had still been living together when I found her in bed with another man, but..."

  "So, you're telling me this is your son?"

  Alex breathed deeply. "Look at his face, Hanna."

  Hanna handed the photo back, not wanting to look at it any longer. "What about this other guy she was sleeping with here in South Carolina?" she asked, a tinge of hope in her voice.

  Alex hesitated, then said, "He was black, Hanna. It wasn't him. She insists there was no one else, even after she got down to Florida. Not until after she knew she was already pregnant. She was pregnant when she met this Crandall guy."

  Hanna's surprise was replaced with a slow building anger. Her face flushed red. "Why didn't you tell me about this earlier?"

  "Obviously, I've been trying to sort this all out for myself."

  Hanna looked away, trying to calm her emotions but having little success. She felt Alex's hand on top of hers and she pulled away. "So, what does Adrienne want?" She looked back at Alex.

  "She wanted me to meet my son."

  "So, you've met him?"

  He nodded. "I went by her mother's house yesterday."

  Hanna was shaking her head. "And he knows you're his father?"

  "No. Adrienne hasn't told him. He thinks I'm a friend of his mother."

  Hanna rubbed her mouth, trying to think through what to say. "He certainly looks like you, Alex. No one could doubt that. But, can you really trust this woman? Don't you want to get a DNA test or something?"

  "I'm thinking about it."

  "What do you mean, you're thinking about it?"

  "Hanna, please."

  "I can't believe you were afraid to tell me about this."

  "I wasn't afraid. I was concerned for how you'd react."

  "How did you expect me to react!" Hanna stood and walked a couple of steps away before she turned back to him. "First, I meet your ex-wife who is back in town to track you down. She looks like a stripper and starts coming on to you right in front of me. Then, you tell me you had a child together you never knew about. My God, Alex!"

  "Hanna, please sit down."

  "And what does she want?" Hanna said, the defiance in her tone crystal clear.

  Alex looked back at her, almost helplessly.

  "She wants you back," Hanna said. "She wants you to take care of your son. She wants you to be a family."

  Alex started to answer, but Hanna went on, "And what did you tell her?"

  "I haven't told her anything, yet," he said, standing and coming over beside her.

  "But you haven't told her no?"

  Alex didn't answer at first.

  "What are you telling me, Alex?"

  He reached for her arms and she didn't pull away this time. "I needed to let you know what was happening. I'm sorry I didn't tell you last night. I just couldn't find the right way."

  Hanna felt an incredible sadness deep inside. Just hours ago, she and Alex had been together in the most loving way. She had sensed something was obviously bothering him but assumed it was his father's murder charges. Not really wanting to hear the answer, she asked, "And what does Adrienne expect now?"

  "I haven't told her anything except I need time to think this all through."

  "She knows you and I are together?"

  "Yes, she knows. Of course, she knows."

  "And obviously doesn't care," Hanna said, now pulling away from him. "So how much time do you need, Alex?"

  He shook his head and looked back, almost desperately. "Please, Hanna. Please understand this is going to take a little time to process."

  Hanna couldn't control her anger any longer. "You'll have all the time you need! I have to get to Atlanta this afternoon." She was determined not to let him see her cry, though she could feel the tears building in her eyes. "I have to go." She turned quickly and started walking away to her car. She heard him yell after her.

  "Hanna, please!" then a brief pause before, "I'll call you tonight."

  Chapter Twenty-one

  On the drive up Highway 17 to Dugganville, Alex continued to think about his discussion with Hanna in front of the courthouse. He knew she would be upset about his indecision and uncertainty regarding Adrienne and Scotty. She had every right to be confused and angry. He had hoped she would be a little sympathetic to the situation he now found himself in, but when he put himself in Hanna's place, he knew he would probably react the same way.

 
; He still couldn't sort through all the implications of the crumpled photograph that lay on the seat beside him. Certainly, he would take financial responsibility for the boy, but how would he insert himself into his son's life and what about Adrienne? Right now, Scotty Crandall thought he was just a friend of his mother. When would they talk to him about who Alex really was? What should his relationship with Adrienne be? He had to put his son as the first priority in wherever this was headed.

  His cell phone was sitting on the dash and it started to buzz. He looked at the screen and saw a local area code, but he didn't recognize the number.

  "Hello, this is Frank." There was no response at first and then he heard a woman's voice.

  "Alex?"

  "Yes, this is Alex Frank."

  "Alex, it's Ella Moore.”

  He cringed and looked out across a vast pattern of marsh grasses and backwater channels. He could picture Adrienne's mother sitting on the stool in their kitchen with the wall phone to her ear. "Ella, how are you?" he replied tentatively, his senses on high alert.

  "Alex, are you in town?" she asked.

  "I'll be there soon."

  "I need to see you."

  "What is it, Ella?"

  "I really need to speak to you about Adrienne. Can I meet you somewhere?"

  Alex looked at the clock on the dash. It was near noon. "I'll be at my dad's place in about fifteen minutes."

  "Oh, thank you. I'll see you there."

  The line went silent.

  As he pulled into the drive of his father's house, he saw Ella Moore sitting on the front porch steps, her arms wrapped around her knees. When she saw Alex's car, she stood and began walking over. She was an attractive woman and had many of her daughter's features. The red hair was more a dark brown after years of coloring away the gray. She was wearing khaki shorts and a sleeveless blue t-shirt with a white Hilton Head logo on the front. Her arms and legs were deeply tanned. Alex knew she worked as a waitress at a waterfront restaurant up in Georgetown and she must have had a lot of shifts on the outdoor deck. Normally, she wore too much make-up, but today, Alex was surprised to see her face plain as she came up.