Jim nodded, "Yep. Seems Mr Kinyon has a computer program that transcribes his wife's notes for him. It picks up any voice it hears, and types it down in a different colored ink."
"So, that's how he listens to her." Blair said. He always wondered how a man who lived with Professor Kinyon could stand to listen to those tapes every night. She was a very nice woman, and an excellent instructor, but when she started talking, well, you had better get comfortable. "So, what do we look for?"
"Anything that isn't her, is printed in red." Jim began to examine the first few pages of his stack. "Just look for those lines, and see if any of them are Wilson."
"How are we going to know it's Wilson, and not someone else in the room?"
"Remember the tape, and what I heard him saying."
Blair nodded and began to scan the papers on his lap. Each page had several lines of dialogue in red ink. Apparently Professor Kinyon had visitors during her dictation nearly every day. Most he could tell were her students, asking questions about the previous day's lecture, or concerned with a grade. He was on the third day's worth of notes, halfway through, when he saw several lines in red, alternated with black. "Oh my God." he said, laughing.
"What? Did you find something?" Jim asked, looking over at him.
Blair started to say something, started to recite the conversation between whoever had walked into the room and Professor Kinyon, but he changed his mind. "No, nothing. Never mind. It's not Wilson," he said. He read the lines again and smiled, shaking his head. Apparently, Professor Kinyon and her visitor both found one Blair Sandburg to be 'simply adorable'. He couldn't mention this to Jim. He was flattered, and embarrassed. Jim would love to get his hands on this.
"Here. Here it is." Jim leaned forward, holding out a piece of paper. "Dr. Stoddard, I'm telling you, Sentinel studies are a crock. You're passing over my nephew, for Blair Sandburg? Go ahead, see how far you get with it." Jim read the lines on the page he held. "That's it, at least the part I heard." He looked up at Blair. "We can prove the tape was spliced together. The FBI crime lab will confirm that with their voice analysis. Now we have enough to make Kathy Fisher very nervous."
Blair was shaking his head, "I still don't get it, Jim. I mean, to kill him? When she was going to go with him--I never would have thought--I thought I knew her."
"It's always that way, Chief." Jim patted Blair on the knee as he stood, walking back to the kitchen to deposit his ice in the sink. "You never really know someone. No matter how close you get, they can still surprise you."
Blair nodded, thinking of how he had just recently been dragged down a hallway and handcuffed to his own bed. "Yeah, tell me about it."
Jim turned. "Look, Sandburg, I am sorry. But you have to admit, if I hadn't, you would have gone off and done something stupid."
Blair rolled his eyes. How could Jim know him so well, and yet still surprise him with his own unpredictable behavior? He wanted to go talk to Kathy, and had spent the first thirty minutes trying to get out of the cuffs so he could call her. But, of course that would have done him no good. If she was the killer, he would have tipped her off, and she could have disappeared before Blair could tell Jim. And if she had help in doing the frame, then Blair could have ended up in even more trouble by confronting her. He knew better than to try any police work on his own, without Jim to think it all through. But he also knew he couldn't have stayed in the loft while Jim was off doing God knew what, trying to clear his name. But he was not going to admit that what Jim had done was the right thing.
"So, what do we do now?"
"Now, we get some sleep. Simon's getting a search warrant for Kathy's apartment first thing in the morning. And we're bringing her boyfriend in for questioning. If he was in on the phone tapping, thinking he was just helping her with some practical joke or something, then he just might get scared enough to talk." Jim stretched and walked towards the stairs to his room. "By tomorrow morning, I'm betting we have our killer."
"Hey, Jim. Wait a minute." Blair turned on the couch to face his friend. "About bail, and this whole grant thing, we should talk about it."
Jim shook his head. "Nothing to talk about, Chief. You applied for the grant before we started this project, and I posted bail to keep you out of jail. That's all there is, nothing to talk about." Jim said goodnight then and went upstairs.
Blair sat for a long time on the couch, thinking about what Jim had said, thinking about Kathy Fisher, Professor Wilson. He had never known Wilson had a nephew, let alone that he had wanted his nephew to accompany Dr Stoddard, instead of Blair. He wondered now if he had. Blair had never wanted to know who had taken his place, and so had never checked. It just wasn't important any more. But to know that Dr Stoddard and Professor Wilson had discussed him, had even argued about him and his Sentinel studies....It was strange. This whole mess was strange. He thought life was complicated enough when he partnered with Jim, started leading an almost double life between studying and guiding a Sentinel. What he had expected, he wasn't sure. Sentinels were chosen because of a genetic advantage, but were always used in the protection and defense of the tribe. So, if Jim Ellison was a Sentinel because of his genetic structure, was he a cop because of it too? Blair had never expected to find a Sentinel accountant. So he had to figure he'd be in for some excitement, following Jim around. He just never thought the excitement would include him so personally.
But, if he hadn't known Jim, he could still have ended up in this situation. Who knew what his life would be like, right now, if he had never met Jim Ellison? Or if Jim had brushed him off and refused to allow him to tag along all this time? He may have been passed over in accompanying Dr Stoddard, you just never knew. Then, Jim Ellison would have made sure he was locked away for the murder of Professor Wilson, since obviously Kathy had been planning this for some time. No, he was lucky to be where he was, when he was. And, he was lucky Jim had turned out to be such a friend. Being a Sentinel was no guarantee that he wasn't going to be a total dick. Blair was very lucky, indeed.
Part 8
* * *
Jim was just pouring the coffee when Blair came out of his room. "Hey Chief, you ready to hit the road?"
"What? You mean I can come with you this time?" Blair reached out and accepted the cup Jim was handing him, pushing his hair from his face with the other.
"Yep. Simon got that search warrant. He's over there now with a team, going through Kathy Fisher's apartment. They're bringing her, and her boyfriend, in for questioning. You can come down to the station, sit outside the room with the DA." He sipped his coffee. "She's agreed now that there's enough doubt about you. All the charges have been dropped."
Blair looked up, surprised. "You mean, I'm not a suspect anymore?"
"Nope. The crime lab hasn't finished with the tapes yet, but from what they've heard, they can tell the voices are dubbed, and of a different quality than Kathy's, who was supposedly in the same room at the same time." He set down his cup and began to clean the pot. "I'm betting this boyfriend of hers had no idea what her intentions were. And she may have planned this out for some time, but she's not exactly a hardened criminal." He paused, shaking his head. "And, she's not too bright. Unless it was never her intention to commit the perfect crime."
Blair put his own cup into the sink and walked, still somewhat slowly, over to get his coat. "She might have been hoping to get to South America before anyone figured it out. But, she couldn't leave until the investigation was over. I don't get it."
"Neither do most of them Chief." Jim put his own coat on and picked up his keys. "That's why we catch them." They both walked through the door and down to the truck. Jim opened the passenger door and offered a helping hand to Blair.
"I'm okay, thanks Jim."
He shut the door, then walked around the truck and got inside. "Listen, about Nelson..."
"No, Jim, you didn't." Blair looked over at him then, a look of regret on his face.
"No, Simon did. And Internal Affairs. He's on suspension, pe
nding an investigation." Jim started the truck and pulled away from the curb. "This isn't the first time he's looked the other way down there. Apparently, he's had some chip on his shoulder about being taken off the beat and put downstairs. I suppose anyone would, but that's no excuse for what he's done." Jim glanced at Blair who was looking at the floorboards. "Sandburg, don't judge them all by the actions of one or two, okay?"
Blair looked up, raising his eyebrows a little when he nodded.
"I'm serious." Jim said, noting the look on his friend's expressive face. "Maybe they don't all understand you, hell, sometimes I don't understand you. But most of them think you're ok." Jim smiled at the look of disbelief Blair tried to hide. "Just don't let it go to your head."
Blair nodded, "Thanks Jim."
Satisfied, Jim drove on in silence. His face was sore from Blair's punch, and he was still surprised that his friend had hit him. Not only hit him, but hit him hard. He didn't think Blair would ever do that, but then, he was sure Blair never expected him to handcuff him to a bed. He glanced at his reflection in the rear-view mirror, hoping Blair didn't notice his action. The skin below his eye was purple and slightly puffy, despite the ice he had held there last night. How was he going to explain this to Simon?
Once back at the Precinct Jim took Blair back to the interrogation room he had been in just a few short days ago, only this time Blair stayed outside, standing behind the two way mirror in the observation area, next to Assistant DA Walters.
"Mr Sandburg, I just wanted to apologize for what happened. In light of this new evidence, you never should have been put in that situation." Walters offered him a seat next to her, where they could listen to the interrogation Jim and Simon were going to conduct.
Blair smiled, nodding as he sat down. "Hey, no problem. Just doing your job, right?"
"Still, what happened to you downstairs, I..."
"Forget it. It's okay." Blair waved a hand, trying to stop her from continuing.
"Okay, you two comfy?" Jim asked. "We're going to start with this guy, Peter Main. He's Kathy's boyfriend, the Communications Major. He's not under arrest yet, so he waved a lawyer." Jim glanced through the mirror at the young man sitting down at the table in the small interrogation room. "Have you ever seen him around?"
Blair looked, but shook his head. "No, I haven't. But I never knew Kathy had a boyfriend. We didn't see much of each other when she was researching for Wilson."
"Okay. Here goes." Jim left their little observation area and went around the outside of the room, entering from the far door.
Jim first approached Simon, handing him a file. They stood at the far corner of the room, conferring quietly. Soon after, Jim approached Peter Main, who sat at the table, fingering the tie to his sweat-jacket hood.
"So, Mr. Main. What can you tell us about Professor Wilson's murder?" Jim asked.
Peter fidgeted in his seat, looking from Jim to Simon, and back again. "Professor Wilson? Nothing, man. I don't know anything about the murder. I just know what I read in the paper. Oh, and Kathy told me that Blair Sandburg had been arrested."
Jim shook his head as he walked around behind Main. "He was, but there wasn't enough evidence. In fact, we've found evidence now that completely clears him of any crime. I take it your girlfriend didn't tell you that?"
"No. I mean, why would she?"
"Because it would concern you directly, that's why. I'm surprised she didn't let you know."
Peter Main turned, watching Jim as he paced behind him. "What do you mean, concerns me? Why would it concern me?"
Simon stepped forward. "Do you know that conspiracy can get you 10 to 15? Then we add aiding and abetting, tapping phone lines. By the time we're through, you'll be a little too old to go back to college and finish that degree."
"No, man...I don't know what you're talking about. All I did was--" He stopped suddenly, glancing from Simon to the floor and around the room. "I mean, I didn't do anything."
"We've got you there, at the scene. You cut your finger, on Wilson's phone. Did you know that they can extract DNA from even the smallest drop of blood?" Jim walked back around to the front of the table. "You had access to the equipment necessary for a sophisticated phone tap. Your girlfriend used you. If we can't place her in that room when Wilson was killed, then we'll settle for you."
"Wait a minute. I didn't kill him. I couldn't kill anyone. There's no way you could--I mean--I want a lawyer." He stopped again, looking at his hands. "I don't want to say any more until I get a lawyer."
Jim looked at Simon. "He sounds to me like a man who has a lot to worry about."
Simon nodded. "Indeed. I wonder if he'd be interested in cutting a deal?"
"I don't know. But if he wants his lawyer first, I guess we'll never find out. We'll just have to go ahead and charge him. I'm sure he can afford a good lawyer." Jim turned back to Peter then. "You have some rich parents or something, don't you? I mean, I'd hate to see you get the Public Defender of the week, when so much is at stake."
Peter looked at both men, squirming in his seat. He had begun to sweat, and Jim could hear his heartbeat increasing. He was ready to roll over, and Jim knew it.
"Okay, have it your way. It doesn't matter to me who goes down for the murder. As long as it's someone who had a part in it. This way, the case can be closed, and Ms Fisher will get her files and maps and take off for South America."
"No way, I'm not taking the fall for her." Peter sat up then, looking at Jim. "All I did was tap the phones, and make some tapes. She said it was a joke. She said it wouldn't hurt anyone. I never asked her what they were for. Maybe I should have, but I was too interested in whether or not I could do it. I'd never tried something so elaborate before. It was, sort of research, for me. Just tap the lines, make some tapes, and make sure some of the phones wouldn't work at certain times. Nothing more. I didn't kill anyone. And I didn't think she had, either. Until last night."
"What happened last night.?" Jim asked.
"Well, she said she was getting nervous, about some of the things you were asking her. She said she was afraid you were going to start thinking she had done it. We talked for a few hours, and suddenly she tells me that she did kill him. And that since I was a part of it, I had to go along, give her any alibi she'd need, whatever." He looked away for a moment. "She was going to take Wilson's place. Do his research and become famous. I swear, it was all her. She did it. And she wanted it to look like Blair Sandburg was guilty. I don't think she wanted him to go to jail, but she never thought they'd suspect her." He looked at Simon. "I guess neither one of us was very bright about this."
"That, you can be sure of." Simon replied. He opened the door and motioned for a uniformed officer to come inside. "Read him his rights. You'll get that lawyer soon enough."
"But, I told you, I didn't do it. I didn't kill Wilson." Peter stood as the officer grabbed his arm.
"You didn't throw the spear, but you were a larger part of this than you know. You'll get your day in court."
Jim watched Peter being handcuffed and nodded his relief that it was no longer Blair in that position. He waited until the officer led Peter out of the room, then he and Simon left, returning to the observation room.
"Well, it's my turn with him now." Ms Walters stood, looking back at Blair. "Again, Mr Sandburg, I'm sorry."
Blair stood, smiling slightly. "Thanks."
Simon watched her leave the room, then turned to Jim. "Okay, now are you going to tell me what happened to your face?"
Jim glanced at Blair, noting the mockingly curious look on his face. The 'I dare you' he saw there made him flush. "I ah..."
"Yeah Jim, tell us what happened."
Jim didn't want Blair to know he had told Simon about handcuffing him, but he couldn't make Blair upset by lying about the punch.
"What about Kathy Fisher, Simon? Has she been brought in?" Jim decided a change of subject was in order. Blair snorted behind Simon and Jim's saw him rolling his eyes.
Before Simo
n could answer a female officer entered the room. "Captain, I'm sorry, she gave me the slip in the ladies room."
"What? Who did?" Simon asked, glancing at Jim.
"Ms Fisher. I took her to the ladies room, and...well somehow she got away from me."
"When? Which way did she go?" Jim asked, moving toward the door.
"Just a couple of minutes ago. She headed up to the roof, I think."
Jim reached out and grabbed Blair, "Come on Chief." As they hurried down the hall, they could hear Simon calling out orders for a building search. Jim reached the door marked roof access and opened it.
"Wait a minute Jim, are you sure she went up? There's no way down from up there."
"I'm sure Chief, I can smell her perfume." Jim held the door open as Blair went through, then they both started climbing the one flight that would take them to the roof of the seven story building. "There's one way down from up here. And it's quick."
"Oh my God." Blair followed as quickly as he could, understanding now what Jim meant.
They burst through the door and Jim scanned the area quickly, looking for Kathy. "There." He pointed to the far corner of the building, where she stood, perched on the edge of the roof. They both ran to the corner, slowing as they got closer. Jim put out a hand to stop Blair as they approached.
"Don't. I'll jump. I swear, I'll jump." Kathy saw them approach and held out a hand. "I'm sorry Blair. I never really meant for this to happen. All the time, when I was making the tapes, splicing them together, I never really thought about what I was doing. But then, when it was over I just...I'm sorry." She turned and looked down.
"No! Kathy, don't. It isn't worth it." Blair stepped forward and Jim put out a cautionary hand, following behind him. "Don't do this, please. Come on, don't do this."
Kathy shook her head and looked up, beyond them both. Jim turned to see Simon and three other officers coming towards them. He held out a warning hand and turned back to Kathy. "Listen, Ms Fisher, Blair's right. It's not worth it. Just come on down, and we'll get you a lawyer. Nothing's worth dying for."
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