Chapter 11
Jail wasn’t part of Lance’s plan for his life. He’d been appalled when his sister got arrested for DUIs, and had vowed never to do anything that would lead to his own arrest.
And here he was. The old saying was true: No good deed goes unpunished.
Okay, sure—he deserved a ticket for driving without a license. Maybe even a fine or a suspension of his permit. But not jail. He should have known not to get tangled up with a girl who was on drugs. Addicts were like octopuses, wrapping you up, manipulating and draining you, dragging you down. He’d told Emily that so many times when she was hanging with those losers. Why hadn’t he taken his own advice?
Shame twisted his stomach as he walked through the police station, his hands still cuffed behind his back. His mother, who had followed them to the precinct, warned him not to tell them anything until she got an attorney here. He hoped the lawyer would get here soon, because he honestly didn’t know if he could keep his mouth shut if they pressured him to talk.
The cop sat him down in a metal chair in a cold, small interview room and released his handcuffs. He looked around for a camera and found one mounted in the top corner of the room, just like on those cop shows. They’d record what he said, and people would analyze his story. It was downright creepy.
A man he hadn’t seen before came in and held out his hand. “Lance, I’m Detective Dathan. I’m going to be taking your statement.”
He shook. “Nice to meet you.” It seemed like a lame thing to say, even a little silly, but maybe if he pulled out all his manners, they’d realize he wasn’t some ordinary thug.
The man slid his chair out behind his desk. It scraped on the concrete floor. Every noise in here seemed amplified, as if it were designed to intimidate.
Detective Dathan was a perfect customer for the Big and Tall Shop. At around six-four, his meaty, imposing arms covered most of the table. “So … why don’t you tell me what happened?”
“I … I’ve already explained it to the officer that arrested me.”
“I know, but let’s just go through it again.”
Lance felt his pulse throbbing in his throat. “I’m sorry, sir, but my mom wanted me to wait until she gets me a lawyer.”
The door flew open, and Lance jumped. His mother stood in the doorway with a uniformed cop behind her. “Bob, this is the mother,” the cop said. “She wants to be present for the questioning.”
Lance met his mother’s eyes, hoping they didn’t throw her out.
The detective groaned and rubbed his face. “Lady, that’s not the best idea.”
“He’s a minor,” she said. “I’m his mother.”
He sighed and got up. “All right. Joe, go get her another chair.”
Lance sat stiffly, relieved to have someone on his team. His mom could make them see the truth. She always fixed everything, even when it seemed impossible. When the chair was brought in, she sat down next to him. The detective took his seat again, looking peeved.
“So … we were saying …”
“That I need to wait for a lawyer,” Lance said, glancing at his mother for approval.
“I’ve called our attorney, Gus Thompson,” Barbara said. “He should be here soon.”
The detective slapped his knees, then got up. “Okay.”
“I mean, I don’t have anything to hide,” Lance said. “It’s not that. I had the baby, but Jordan did give her to me.”
His mother touched his hand, squeezed it to shut him up.
The man slowly sat back down. “Just handed her over, huh? Then forgot and called the police?”
His mom squeezed tighter.
“No sir.”
“Well, she says you took the baby forcefully.”
“No way! She didn’t say that.”
The man’s eyes widened. “I have the complaint right here.”
Sweat dripped down Lance’s temple. “If she said that, she lied.”
“The police report says she had bruises on her face and body.”
Barbara sucked in a breath. “Does she claim Lance did that?”
“No. It was an observation the officer made.”
Lance’s ears burned. “Her mother did that!” he cried. “She’s crazy and violent. She’s a meth addict too.”
“So you felt it was the right thing to do to remove the baby from that environment?”
“No! I didn’t remove it!”
Barbara slammed her hand on the table. “That’s enough! I know enough about the law to know that you can’t keep questioning him once he requests an attorney.”
Detective Dathan didn’t like that. Rubbing the stubble under his chin, he said, “When they re-engage us, lady, we’re allowed to continue. And that’s what he did.”
Lance looked at his mother. “What does that mean?”
Barbara pointed at him. “It means, don’t say another word until the lawyer gets here, Lance!”
The detective got up and jerked Lance to his feet. “Then let’s go.”
Lance stared up into his face. “Go where?”
“To booking, and then to the holding cell.”
“No! You’re gonna lock me up? Mom!”
Barbara tried to block the door. “Please, just let him sit here until the attorney comes. It won’t be long.”
“No, lady. We don’t let our perps hang out with their mommies. Either we’re questioning him, or he goes in the cell.”
Lance could see that there was nothing his mom could do to change this, so he straightened his shoulders and lifted his chin. “It’s okay, Mom. I can go.”
She started to cry, that same frustrated, helpless weeping he’d seen so many times when Emily was making them crazy. He would have given anything to make her feel better.
Barbara followed the detective and Lance out of the room, and she looked across the desks to the door. Where was Gus? He’d promised to hurry.
On the other side of the room, she saw Judge Hathaway walking through. Though Barbara didn’t know much about the law, she had learned some things from Emily’s arrests and from the arrests of the children of the moms in her support group. Judge Hathaway had been the one who’d heard Emily’s first case of DUI. He was probably the one who would decide whether they would set bail for Lance tonight. She crossed the room and caught him in the hallway. “Judge, can I talk to you for a minute?”
The judge turned. He had a golf tan, and the crinkles at the corners of his eyes suggested he spent a lot of time smiling … or squinting. She hoped he was a reasonable man.
“Sure. What’s up?”
“I’m Barbara Covington. My daughter Emily came through your court a couple of years ago.”
“I remember Emily Covington,” he said. “She’s the girl who disappeared last year.”
“Yes,” she said. “She’s doing great now. But this isn’t about her. It’s my son. He was arrested for kidnapping today. But he didn’t do it. The teenaged mother is a friend of his, and she gave him the baby to protect it from her abusive family, and he was keeping it until — ”
“Ma’am, this is inappropriate. This is what court is for.”
Desperate, she grabbed his arm. “Please—it’s Saturday. Can’t you set bail tonight, and then I guarantee I’ll have him in court Monday morning? He’s fifteen. He’s not a flight risk, and he’s never been in any legal trouble, ever. He’s a good kid. This whole thing is absurd!”
The judge didn’t seem moved. “Kidnapping is a serious charge, ma’am. I don’t know if that’s prudent here. I’ll have to take this under advisement.”
She knew what that meant. Lance was going to wind up spending at least a couple of nights in jail. “He only went there to try to talk his friend into going back to treatment. The girl is a mess, and so is her family.”
“Look, I understand your concern. But I have people to answer to.”
The judge wouldn’t want people saying he’d let a kidnapper back out on the streets the very day they caught him with a baby. Besid
es, he probably had distraught parents arguing for their children every day. “This is all going to be cleared up,” Barbara said. “Jordan will tell the truth if they can get her away from her mother. I know she will. The public isn’t going to go crazy over this, because it’s all just a mistake. I know this is an election year — ”
The judge jerked his arm away, clearly insulted. “I’m not thinking of politics, Ms. Covington. I’m thinking of the rule of law.”
His tone was dismissive, cutting her off. As he walked away, she wondered if she’d made it worse.
Lance was going to spend the night in jail.
Chapter 12
It was the first time Kent had flown with Blake, and as they lifted off the small runway and into the night sky, turbulence bounced them. Kent clutched the door handle.
“Just hang on till we get through these clouds. Should be clear a few miles out.”
The moonlight was bright when not obscured by clouds. He hoped they wouldn’t become engulfed in them, disorienting Blake. Wasn’t that what happened to John Kennedy Jr.? “You ever flown at night, Kent?” Blake asked him, his voice sounding tinny through the headset.
“Not like this,” he said.
“Nervous?”
“A little.”
“Don’t sweat it. Look at all the lights. It’s gorgeous. And it’s a lot easier to see the airport with it all lit up.”
Last month Kent had worked a homicide case at a small private airport in Atlanta, and the lights hadn’t been kept on at night. “What if the lights aren’t on?”
“I can turn them on myself using the radio microphone key. I checked in advance in the Airport Facilities Directory, and if I press the key four times for that airport, the lights will come on. Piece of cake. We’ll be fine.”
Adjusting his headset, Kent looked out the window. He couldn’t see the usual landmarks, like rivers. But he could see the lights along the highways. “You sure you know how to get there?”
“Got the GPS,” Blake said into his mike. “It’ll take us right there. Probably take about five and a half hours.”
Kent raised an eyebrow. “Why? Flying commercially, it’s only about an hour and a half.”
“Yeah—flying a big jet at 30,000 feet. But in this thing, flying at about 4,500 feet at 120 miles an hour, it takes a while. It’s 533 miles by air, and we’ll have to stop once to refuel. We’ll probably be there about eleven thirty. So what did Barbara say when she found out the cavalry is coming?”
Kent had told Blake all about his feelings for Barbara. It was because of her influence that he’d found a church and gotten involved in the men’s group where he’d met Blake. Now the guy was his racquetball partner and one of his closest friends. “She sounded relieved that I was coming to help her. I don’t have any clout with the police department there. But there are some things I can offer. At least she won’t be alone.”
“I think this is a God thing.”
Kent looked at him. “How do you figure that?”
“It’s the perfect opportunity to take things to a deeper level with her. An answered prayer.”
Kent hoped that was true, that God was intervening and fueling this relationship. Despite his visits to Jefferson City, he hadn’t been able to move things along on his own. “I know you won’t believe this, but I’m not doing this to seize the opportunity. I’m seriously concerned about Lance.”
“He’ll be okay.”
“I’m not so sure. A kidnapping charge? That’s pretty serious.”
“Well, when we get there I’ll text all the guys and get them to pray.”
At nine o’clock, they landed in Jackson, Tennessee, to refuel, and Kent got out of the plane to stretch and use the bathroom. Before he got back in, he called Barbara.
“Kent?” Her voice was anxious. “Are you here already?”
“No, only halfway. I’m hoping to be there by eleven thirty or so. Can you pick us up?”
“Of course. Kent, they’re keeping Lance tonight. I talked to the judge but I don’t think he’ll let him out. We’re going to have to wait until Monday unless I can get Jordan to drop the charges.”
“He’ll be okay, Barbara.”
“No, he won’t! He’s just a kid, and he’ll be in there with dopers and criminals.” He winced at the pain in her voice. “What was he thinking? Taking the car, finding a baby, and keeping it? He didn’t even call me. He should have taken it straight to the police.”
“Where are you now?”
“I’m at the police station, but I’m thinking of going to Jordan’s. I’ve got to talk some sense into that girl.”
“Barbara, no! Wait until I get there.”
“I can’t! It’ll be too late then to show up at her house. But if I can find her there now and let her know that Lance, who’s supposed to be her friend, is in jail because of her — maybe she’ll tell the truth.”
“Is there anybody you can take with you?”
“No, I don’t have time to find anybody.”
“Then get the police to go with you.”
“I’ve already asked. They said they already have her statement. It’s Saturday night, Kent. Nobody wants to go to a lot of trouble.”
“Then get your attorney to go with you. Is he still at the station?”
She sighed. “Yes, he’s just about to go into the interview with Lance.”
“Then after he’s done there, take him with you, Barbara. Promise me.”
He heard muffled voices, then she came back to the phone. “Okay, Gus said he’d go with me.”
“Great.” He checked the plane—the refueling truck was driving away, and Blake was climbing back in. “Just be careful. We’re about to take off again. I’ll try to text you from the air when we’re about thirty minutes out. We’re landing at Garrison Airport.”
“I’ll be waiting.”
He hung up, feeling that tug on his heart that he always felt when he spoke to her. As they took off again, he prayed that God would go with her and Gus, surrounding her with protection. Jordan had to tell the truth about Lance. Otherwise, this would be a colossal mess, and he didn’t know how they would get Lance out of it. He’d been found with the baby, after all. On paper, that didn’t look good.
Chapter 13
Lance was relieved when they brought him out of the holding cell and took him back to the interview room. Gus Thompson, an attorney who’d once coached Lance in the church basketball league, stood waiting for him with his hands in his pockets.
“Lance, how’s it going, buddy?” Gus shook his hand like they were greeting each other at Sunday school.
“Terrible,” Lance said, aware of the heat on his cheeks. “They think I kidnapped a baby!”
Gus shushed him until the guard had left them alone. “Okay, sit down and tell me everything. From the very beginning. Starting with how you know Jordan Rhodes.”
Lance spilled it all out, and when he finished, Gus folded his hands on the table. “Okay, Lance, all this seems like it should be relatively easy to prove. I’ll be here during the interrogation, but be careful how you tell the story. Don’t say anything that might lead them to think that you felt the baby would be better off if it was removed from the home.”
“I may already have.”
“What did you say?”
“I told them about the chaos there, and the detective started putting words in my mouth, like I was saying that I wanted to take the baby away from all that. But that never even crossed my mind. I knew I couldn’t take that baby. I didn’t even see it before I found it in my car.”
“All right, don’t panic. Just answer them slowly, and think before you speak. Remember that anything you say can be misinterpreted. I’ll stop you if I think you’re not being clear or if they’re taking it down the wrong track.”
“Okay, but do you think they’ll believe me?”
“It doesn’t really matter at this point, as long as the girl claims you kidnapped the baby.”
Lance grunted. “
Then somebody should go talk to her. I know her mother made her say that. If they could get her alone, she’d tell the truth.”
“I’ll try to get the police to do that. But they’re not obligated. If they won’t go, your mom and I will.”
“But am I going to have to stay in jail?”
“Probably, in the detention center. Just until Monday, or until Jordan clears things up.”
“Two nights in jail with a bunch of criminals? I can’t do that!”
Gus patted Lance’s cold hands. “It may not come to that, Lance. Don’t panic yet.”
“But I shouldn’t have to go to jail for something I didn’t do!”
“I know, Lance, and it isn’t over yet. Just know I’m going to do my best to get you released tonight.”
But as the detective came back in, Lance realized the truth. His life was in the hands of a meth addict.
Chapter 14
They weren’t going to release Lance. Barbara had already concluded that they didn’t care about her tears or her pleading, and they didn’t care whether Lance was innocent. It all boiled down to the unreliable statement of a known methamphetamine addict who hadn’t even been sane enough to get to the hospital to have her baby.
Two nights in juvenile detention would seem like an eternity to Lance. And it could even be longer. If Jordan didn’t back down from her statement, he could go to prison.
But Barbara couldn’t let her mind go there. Jordan had to back down. Barbara would convince her.
When she watched them load Lance, handcuffed, into the van to transport him to juvenile detention, she stood on the dark sidewalk in a daze.
Gus touched her shoulder. “Barbara, he’ll be okay.”
She ignored his reassurance. “Gus, can we go to Jordan’s now?”
Gus hesitated. “Are you sure that’s a good idea? You and Lance have both said it’s a violent and wild place where everybody uses drugs. How far do you expect to get with people like that?”
“If Jordan changes her story, Lance can get out tonight.”
He sighed. “All right, but I have to tie up some loose ends inside. Go home, and I’ll call you when I’m finished.”
Vicious Cycle Page 6