JP took a bite of his grits. “It tastes like home.”
After a moment or two of silence Robin said, “I talked to my cousin, Sandy, last night. They’ve been watching Ty’s house and his work. He’s been gone since Thursday. He left his house in the morning. Sandy’s brother-in-law works at Wedgewood where Ty works. He’s been keeping tabs on Ty, and he said Ty didn’t show up on Thursday morning and he hasn’t been there since.”
“What kind of company is Wedgewood?”
“It’s Ty’s father’s business. He’s a big developer, owns half the town and a good part of the county. Ty has worked there since he returned from college. He expects to take it over some day, although I don’t really think he wants to. He wants the power it wields, but other than that he couldn’t care less about it.”
“Maybe he’s just on a hunting trip or something.”
“Maybe,” Robin said. But JP knew she didn’t really think so, nor did he.
***
The Tran Case
Child: Emma, age 18 mos. (F)
Parents: Father—unknown, Mother—Kim-Ly Tran
Issues: Neglect
Facts: Mother left eighteen-month-old girl in locked room and went to work. Apartment complex caught on fire.
The neighborhood where Kim-Ly Tran had lived with her daughter looked worse than normal since the fire. A good part of the small apartment complex was burned down and remained uninhabited. The apartment building adjacent to Kim-Ly’s appeared to be undamaged except for the tapestry of black soot marks on the outside wall.
JP knocked on the door of the apartment that appeared to face Kim-Ly’s window. A teenager of Asian descent, who looked to be about fourteen years of age, answered the door. JP introduced himself.
“I’m Quang Pham,” the boy said, as he politely extended his hand to shake.
JP was impressed. Most of the teenagers he came into contact with, especially through Sabre’s cases, were not so schooled in their manners.
“Nice to meet you. Do you mind answering a few questions?”
Quang moved his head toward the dining room table. It held several books, some papers, and a laptop computer and a small jade statue of what appeared to be an Asian monk. “I was just working on a project for my Advanced Physics class, and I really need to get it done.”
“I’m sure you’re very busy, but this will only take a minute. I work for the attorney who represents Emma Tran.”
“Emma is just a baby. Why would she need an attorney?”
“You know about the fire, right?”
“Yes.”
“It’s our job to make sure Emma is safe and nothing like that ever happens again.” Quang nodded but didn’t speak. JP looked at the table where Quang’s school project awaited him. The window above the table gave the young student a perfect view of Kim-Ly’s apartment. “Were you here the day of the fire?”
“Yes.”
“What were you doing when the fire started?”
“I was here studying with my friend.”
“Was anyone else here?”
“No. My mother was working. She came home just after….” Quang stopped.
“Just after you and your friend saved Emma?” JP asked. He remembered two young men had rescued Emma from the burning building, but their names weren’t listed in the reports. Either the social worker didn’t know who they were or they were intentionally kept confidential.
Quang’s lack of response answered JP’s question.
“I’m not sure why you don’t want anyone to know about the rescue, but you two boys are heroes. You saved that little girl’s life.”
“My mom was upset. She was afraid we’d get in trouble for breaking into the apartment. And when people started calling us heroes, my mom said, ‘A hero who boasts about it is soon just a braggart.’ She said it was saving the child that was important, not getting recognition for doing it.”
“Your mother sounds very wise.”
“She’s a very private person. She didn’t want news reporters hanging around here.”
JP walked over and looked out the window into Kim-Ly’s apartment. “So, tell me what happened the day of the fire.”
“My friend, Kevin, and I were working on a report for our American Government class when we smelled smoke. At first we didn’t think too much of it, but it kept getting stronger. We looked out the window and saw where the smoke was coming from. We ran outside and then I saw the flames. That’s when we, uh, went inside and got Emma.”
“How did you get in?”
“Through the front door.”
“And her mother wasn’t home?”
“No. I saw her leave for work earlier.”
“And she left her front door unlocked and her child without anyone watching her?”
Quang popped his knuckles in what appeared to be a nervous gesture. “Not exactly.”
JP asked, “What do you mean?”
“I used a key.”
JP was a little surprised at his response. “Where did you get the key?”
“From Kim-Ly. Look, she’s not a bad mother. I know she shouldn’t have left Emma alone, but she has to work and she can’t afford a babysitter. She had someone staying with her for a while. The girl babysat for her, but she left about a month ago.”
“So, you know Kim-Ly?”
“I don’t know her well, but she’s always very nice to me. We’d talk sometimes through the window. When it’s warm we’d both have our windows open. She always asks me about my schoolwork. I knew she left Emma alone and she knew I knew. One day she told me she couldn’t afford a babysitter and asked if I’d keep an eye on her. That’s when she gave me the key.”
“Did you ever use the key before?”
“Just once when Emma was sick and she wouldn’t stop crying. I went to check on her, but I didn’t really know what to do. I held her for a little while and she finally fell asleep, but she woke up again and started crying soon after I came home. My mom came home right after that so I couldn’t go back there.”
“Did you tell Kim-Ly?”
“Yes. She didn’t have to work the next day and she bought her some medicine.”
“What else can you tell me about Kim-Ly?” JP asked.
Quang shrugged his shoulders.
“Do you know where she works?” Quang’s face turned red, but he didn’t respond. “Quang?”
“I heard a rumor that she was a stripper. So one day Kevin and I followed her to work. We couldn’t go inside or anything, but we saw the club. It’s called ‘Muffs.’ It’s only about a mile from here.”
“Thank you for the information.” JP reached out to shake the young man’s hand. “And for saving that little girl’s life.”
“Is she okay?”
“Emma is fine. She’s in a good home.”
“I mean Kim-Ly. Will she be able to keep her daughter?”
JP wondered if Quang was smitten with Kim-Ly. “That depends on her. If she does what she’s supposed to do, she’ll be able to raise her daughter. The court has to be sure she won’t put her in danger again.” JP started for the front door. “One more thing: Do you know the name of the girl who lived with her?”
“She said her name was Jade, but I heard Kim-Ly call her Bich, which means Jade in Vietnamese. Jade got angry when she called her that and said it was no longer her name. I don’t know her last name. I thought they were sisters because they looked a lot alike, but Kim-Ly said they weren’t.”
“How old is Jade?”
“She claimed to be eighteen, but she acted about twelve. She thought she was a princess or something.”
“Do you know why she left? Or where she went?”
“She never went anywhere. It was almost like she was hiding there. One day a man drove up in a real expensive black car and took her away. She didn’t scream or anything, but you could tell she didn’t want to go with him. I thought maybe it was her father or brother or something.”
“What did the man look like?”
“He was Asian—Vietnamese, I think. He had short dark hair. He was pretty buff, and he wore a black suit.”
“How old would you say he was?”
“Thirty, maybe. I’m not sure.”
“Had you ever seen him before?”
Quang shook his head. “No, that was the first time.”
“Did you see him after that?”
“I think he came here a couple of nights ago. I came home just as a woman walked away from Kim-Ly’s apartment. The man seemed to catch her by surprise, but they walked together down the sidewalk right past me. Neither of them spoke. Just as I got to my door I heard the man say something in Vietnamese. I turned around, but it was getting dark and I couldn’t see them that well from where I was standing. It looked like the same man who took Jade. They walked to the car together, but this woman didn’t seem to want to go with him either.”
“What exactly was she doing?”
“He had his arm around her, but she seemed to be pulling away. She didn’t scream or anything so I didn’t think that much of it. Do you think there was something wrong?”
“I don’t know. It may be nothing,” JP said. “Did you hear anything they said?”
“The man opened the back door of the car and it sounded like he said, ‘Get in,’ but I can’t be sure.”
“What did the woman look like?”
“She was Asian, thin, pretty. She wore nice clothes.”
“How old do you think she was?”
“Twenty or thirty, maybe. I don’t know. I’m not very good with ages. I thought Kim-Ly and Jade were a lot younger than they said.”
Chapter 21
The Durham Case
Child: Matt Durham, Defendant
Type: Delinquency case
Charges: Two counts of First Degree Murder
Victims: Hannah Rawlins & Mason Usher
Facts: Double homicide. Two teenagers bludgeoned to death with a baseball bat.
Sabre parked her bike in front of San Diego Juvenile Hall, fastened the lock to the bike rack, and went inside. She filled out the form and took a seat. Sabre went there early because family visiting hours were in the afternoon and the place would be packed. For now, she was the only one in the waiting room. Within five minutes an African-American woman in her thirties appeared. She was dressed in khaki pants and a white shirt. She didn’t smile, but her words and tone were pleasant. Sabre noticed how aware she was of her surroundings as she escorted her through the hallways with stark walls painted institutional tan. They walked through one locked door after another, each time waiting for the door to close before the next one could be opened. The cells they passed contained delinquents who were charged with minor offenses. The violent felons were housed in a different unit towards the back. They stopped to let a group pass that had just left the cafeteria.
The officer who escorted Sabre instructed her to wait in the cubicle provided for interviews until they brought out Matt Durham. It took another five minutes or so for the officer to return with him. Durham took a seat across the table from Sabre.
“Hi, Matt,” Sabre said.
Before he could answer, the officer asked, “Would you like me to remain in here with you?”
Sabre had never had the question asked of her before. She wondered if the officer was new or if it was something Matt had done that prompted him to ask. “No, thank you.”
The officer nodded. “I’ll be right outside,” he said just before the door closed behind him.
Sabre and Matt exchanged greetings and then Sabre asked, “Do you remember JP, my private investigator?”
“Yeah.”
“He’s been interviewing some people to help with your defense. He talked to your coach about the baseball bat.”
“So, you can prove it was stolen then?”
“Unfortunately, the coach didn’t remember your saying anything about it being missing.”
“I told him the next day at practice. I didn’t even realize myself that it was gone until I went to use it. But you can check. I even filled out the stupid form.”
“Yes, he did have the form.”
“So there. Now all you have to do is find out who stole my bat.”
“And who do you think took it?”
“I’ve been thinking about that,” Matt said. “The only one I can think of is Darren Flynn.”
Sabre wanted her client to be innocent, but there was something in his voice that didn’t set well with her. “Your teammate? The one you had a fight with at the Poway game?”
He looked up in genuine surprise. “How’d you know about him?”
“I’ve made it my business to know what’s gone on in your life. That’s what JP is doing. He’s trying to find the truth so we can mount the best defense for you, but I need a little help from you, Matt. Tell me about the fight with Darren.”
“That guy has an awful temper. He’s always going off. Ask anyone on the team.”
“Okay. So, what happened that day at the game?”
“He had my bat and I was coming up, so I asked him for it real nice. He got a little huffy with me, but he handed it over. Then as I started to leave the dugout he stepped in front of me and I accidentally bumped him. He freaked out and started shoving me.”
“Did you try to hit him with your bat?”
“No. Did he tell you that?”
“I didn’t say that,” Sabre said. “I’m just asking.”
“Well, I didn’t. It might have come up with my hand when he shoved me back or maybe I raised it without thinking.” He shook his head and his eyes seemed to gloss over. “The fool. You don’t shove a guy who has a bat in his hand.”
Sabre wondered if that was his feeble attempt at being humorous, but it seemed more threatening than funny. She had a difficult time reading this young man. He seemed to go from an innocent little boy to someone menacing with the shake of his head.
“Let’s talk about your alibi again. I need more information than what you gave me the last time we spoke about it.” Sabre watched Matt’s face, but saw no change of expression. “So, where were you?”
“I was playing video games with a friend.”
“Who?”
“I can’t get him involved.”
“Matt, now is not the time to be a ‘good friend.’ You’re facing a murder rap. If you have an alibi, we may be able to make this all go away.”
“Just find out who took the bat. Then you’ll have the guy who killed Hannah.”
“Were you with your friend, Ralph, who works at the garage on Convoy?”
Matt’s eyes widened and his mouth opened slightly. “How do you know about him?” This time Sabre thought his surprised look was exaggerated, maybe even faked. She was either losing her touch or convinced he committed this horrible crime and therefore was having trouble believing him. She shook it off.
“Just a little investigating, and if we can find him so can the police. So, you need to tell me so we can question him first.”
“Okay,” Matt said, but he didn’t answer for a few seconds. “His name is Ralph Fletcher. He works at Jim’s Oil and Lube.”
“Where does he live?”
“I don’t know his address, but it’s in Clairemont right off of Mt. Alifan Drive. You know, where the terrorists lived.”
“The terrorists?”
“Yeah, from Nine-Eleven. You know, the guys who blew up those buildings in New York City.”
Sabre felt a chill run through her body. She hadn’t thought about them in a while or how close they had lived to her. She was living with a friend who attended Mesa College and had a condo only a block or two away. It was a temporary arrangement for Sabre and she had used the Mailboxes, Etc. across the street to get her mail for that semester—the same place the terrorists used to send and receive their packages from Saudi Arabia. For weeks following Nine-Eleven, Sabre couldn’t go in there without seeing an FBI agent.
“I know the apartments,” she said.
***
The car was too far out in the intersection for Sabre to swerve left and go around it. If it kept coming, they would surely collide. She saw the young man in the driver’s seat looking down at his phone and tapping it with his finger, never looking up or at her. She slowed as much as she could and swerved around to the right, hoping the Honda would keep going and she could zip around it.
Without warning, the car jerked and made a sudden hard turn to the right. Sabre reacted instinctively. She squeezed the hand brakes just hard enough to slow the bike down and then wheeled the bike around behind the Honda, just missing the rear of it by a few inches. She quickly steadied her bike and for a few seconds she was even with the car. The driver still did not look at her and she suspected he never knew she was there. He sped away without a backward glance.
Angry at the texting driver and shaken up by the near accident, Sabre finished her trek home. By the time she reached her condo she had calmed down. She called JP. He updated her on the Tran case and she in turn gave him the information she had obtained from Durham. She didn’t mention her bicycle incident for fear he would think someone was after her.
Chapter 22
The Advocate's Ex Parte (The Advocate Series Book 5) Page 11