The Advocate

by Teresa Burrell

  "I know. I seen you on the news. Everyone look for you."

  Sabre hadn't really thought about that. They'd been so far from civilization she'd forgotten about the real world. It would explain the reaction from the waitress, as well. She looked around the restaurant. Although there were only a handful of people in there, all eyes focused on their booth. "Why didn't you say something?"

  "You don't need to tell stranger. You say what you want. I listen. I help if I can."

  Within minutes, the place crawled with police, Sabre wasn’t the only one who had called them. Reports from others in the restaurant thought Ricardo was their captor. Sabre, Alexis, and Ricardo walked out with police officers surrounding them, herding them to a police car. A crowd of people had gathered in the parking lot, all straining to see the commotion. Three news trucks from different television stations pulled into the parking lot, all about the same time. Reporters and cameramen jumped out and ran toward them trying to get footage. The police hustled Sabre and Alexis into one car and Ricardo in another and drove to the station.

  CHAPTER 34

  Sabre awakened on Sunday morning, initially confused by her surroundings. She glanced around, and found a small clock radio on the nightstand. It read 9:54 a.m. Surely, that's not right. I haven't slept that late since college.

  Sabre dressed and wandered out to the living room, looking for JP, Bob's private eye friend. Finding no one, she stuck her head in the kitchen. She felt strange wandering around someone else's home, but more uneasy at the thought she might be alone. She spotted the sliding glass door open to the patio and looked outside.

  "Good morning, Sabre," JP said. "Did you sleep well?"

  "Yes, I did. Thanks so much for putting me up and for bringing my things from my house."

  "My pleasure; I'm glad I could help. Bob told me some time ago he tried to arrange for you to stay with me. Apparently, he feared something like this might happen."

  "I guess I should've listened to him, but who would ever expect Bob to be right about anything," she mocked.

  "Good point. By the way, is he coming home today?"

  "Yeah, he should be here shortly. I left him a message to call me on my cell when he gets home."

  "Want coffee? I'm afraid it's decaf. I'm trying to cut back on the caffeine, so my second pot in the morning is unleaded."

  "Decaf would be perfect."

  JP went into the kitchen and brought back a cup of coffee, a container of cream, and a couple of bagels. "Sorry I don't have any cream cheese, but I do have some jam if you want . . . and peanut butter."

  Sabre's mind elsewhere, it took her a second to respond. "No thanks; plain is fine."

  "You okay?"

  "Oh yeah; I'm fine. Just wondering where Murdock is right now and how long it'll take to find him. I can't stay hiding forever, and I don't want to take advantage of your hospitality."

  "Hey, America's finest is looking for him. They'll get him. Besides, his picture is plastered everywhere. Where's he going to go? In the meantime, don't worry about me. You can stay here as long as you need. I enjoy the company, and you're safe here."

  "Thanks, JP," Sabre said, just as her phone rang. Bob's name came up on the caller ID. "Hello, Robert."

  "S-o-o-bs," Bob said excitedly, stretching her nickname out as he often did when he hadn't talked to her in a day or so. "Where are you, honey? I tried you at home, but got voice mail."

  "I'm at JP's house."

  "Where?"

  "Your friend, JP. You know – tall, handsome guy, with a beard and a really big . . ."

  "Big what?"

  "Gun, really big gun."

  "Pray tell, what are you doing there?"

  Sabre remembered they had no television at Bob's cabin. Apparently, he hadn't heard about her abduction. "It's a long story. Can you stop by? I'll tell you when you get here."

  "Sure thing. See you in a jiff."

  When Bob arrived, Sabre greeted him with a big hug. They all went out to the backyard.

  "So," Bob said, "you're back from your mom's kind of early. How was your holiday?"

  "Oh, uneventful."

  JP laughed, and Sabre joined him.

  "Okay," Bob said, "what's going on? Are you two having an affair or something behind my back?" That struck them both even funnier, and they laughed louder. "And what the hell happened to your lip?"

  "You have been shut off from the world," JP said.

  Sabre decided she'd toyed with him enough. "Remember Wednesday, when I called you from my cell phone?"

  "Yeah, on your way to see Alexis before you left town."

  "Well, it all went downhill after that." She told him the story, explaining in detail about being kidnapped, her Thanksgiving dinner, the escape, the night in the woods, and their rescue.

  Bob shook his head. "You're sure you're all right?"

  "Oh yeah, I'm fine. My wrists and ankles are a little sore from the ropes." She raised her sleeves and her pant legs so he could see her bandages. "And my body is a little beat up from the hike, but otherwise I'm okay."

  "And Alexis?"

  "She's fine, too, at least physically."

  "Wow," Bob said. "The most exciting thing to happen on my vacation was Corey spilling his milk at the Thanksgiving dinner table and one of the hippie in-laws contracting diarrhea. I guess you topped mine."

  The phone rang. JP went in the house to answer it. Bob walked over and gave Sabre another hug. "Sobs, I'm so glad you're okay. I'm just sorry I wasn't here for you."

  "Hey, there's nothing you could've done. Besides, you were here for me. You left your pal JP to take care of me, didn't you?"

  They sat and visited until JP returned. "That was Greg on the phone."

  "Greg?" Bob queried.

  "Gregory Nelson, the detective on this case. He's a friend of mine. We spent time together in the same precinct back in our rookie days. He's a good guy."

  "Did they find Murdock?" Sabre asked.

  "No, I'm afraid not, but they did pick up Peggy Smith. I guess she's pretty high, but they're about to interrogate her. He said we can go down there and listen if we'd like. We'd be in an adjoining room, and she won't know we're there. Want to go?"

  "You bet," she said. "Besides, I want to get Ricardo Servantes' address and number from Greg so I can thank him properly. I was so rum-dumb yesterday, I didn't think to ask him. I'm not even sure I thanked him for saving our lives. Let's go."

  Detective Nelson greeted them when they arrived at the precinct, and directed them to a one-way window in which they could see Peggy sitting in a room with a police officer. She twitched and wrung her hands, and every few seconds she'd stand up and pace. The officer kept telling her to sit down.

  "We're just about to start. Don't worry, she can't see you. Enjoy the show," Nelson said as he left. They watched him walk into the room with Peggy. Nelson turned to the officer. "Has she been Mirandized?"

  "Yes, sir," he said.

  "Did she decline to speak to an attorney?"

  "Yes, sir. She said she wants to cooperate."

  Nelson turned to Peggy. "Is that right, Ms. Smith? Are you willing to talk to us without an attorney present?"

  "Yeah," she said, "let's just do it."

  Nelson asked her a couple of preliminary questions and then asked about the night Honey was allegedly killed. "Where were you that night?"

  "At home," Peggy said.

  "Tell us what happened," Nelson said.

  "We had just finished eating when these two guys came to the door. They didn't knock; they just walked right in. They were real mad at Gaylord. One of them said he got in too deep again and he better start paying. He said Boss wasn't going to let him slide forever."

  "Did you know what he meant by that?"

  "Yeah, when he lived in Dallas he had done some favor for this guy everyone called 'Boss.' Gaylord had helped him set up some gambling kingpin in Atlanta so Boss could take over his territory. Then he set up some patsy who took the fall." Sabre felt a knot form
in her stomach. She knew the “patsy" referred to Ron. Bob squeezed her hand.

  "It erased a lot of debt for Gaylord, but he wouldn't stop. He just kept on betting those ponies and football games and anything else he could bet on. He spent his trust money every month and anything else he could borrow," continued Peggy.

  "So what happened next?"

  "Well, the big guy kept blabbering on, saying something about how he had to kill a cop five years ago because Gaylord had screwed things up. I never knew the whole story on the cop, but I know it had something to do with Gaylord's wife disappearing." Peggy started pacing. "Do you have a cigarette? I really need a cigarette," she begged. Nelson nodded at the officer, and he left the room.

  "So, what happened then?"

  "It all happened so fast. Honey darted into the room. She grabbed her little chalkboard off the chair and turned to go back out. The big guy yelled at her, but she couldn't hear him on account of she was deaf, so she just kept going. He got mad 'cause she didn't stop and he just kept yelling and acting all crazy like. Then he reached down, snatched her up, twisted her neck, and dropped her on the floor." Her voice held little emotion. Almost as an afterthought, she sniffled. "He took my sweet little Honey from me. Why me?"

  Sabre rolled her eyes, "That was real touching. A little work and she might sound like she cared. I don't know about you two, but I can't muster up any sympathy for her. Even now, it's not about Honey; it's about what they did to poor Peggy."

  The police officer returned, carrying a pack of cigarettes, a lighter, and an ashtray. He handed them to Peggy. She tore the pack open and lit one, shaking so hard she missed the end of the cigarette the first time she tried to light it. "He thought Honey had heard what he'd said about killing the cop and she'd be able to identify him. He had no idea she couldn't hear anything." Peggy took a deep drag on the cigarette. "Then he told Gaylord to clean up the mess, and they left."

  "What did you and Gaylord do?"

  "Well, I was pretty upset. You know, my baby dead and all, so Gaylord gave me something to calm my nerves. He told me to go to Wal-Mart and buy the biggest plastic bin I could find and to stop and pick up about ten bags of ice, or as much as I could get."

  "And did you?"

  "Yeah."

  "What did you do when you got back?"

  "Gaylord was packing our stuff. He said we were going to California. He told me to pack up only what I really needed 'cause there wouldn't be much room. So I did."

  "When you left, did you call the police?" Nelson asked.

  "No."

  "Why not?"

  "I was too afraid. Gaylord said if I told anyone, I'd go to jail. He said he'd tell them I was high and that I did it. He said Alexis would back his story, and since I had a criminal record and he didn't, I'd go to jail."

  "If neither of you killed her, why wouldn't you just tell the truth?"

  "Gaylord said if we did, we'd both die, and after I saw what that guy did to Honey, I believed it."

  "So then what?"

  "Gaylord put Honey in the container I bought and put ice all around her. He put her in the back of the car. He got in the passenger side and told me to drive to Adelle's, so I did. He made me stop just before we reached the trailer. I think he planned on leaving Honey there, but changed his mind because the dog kept barking. Instead, he waited in the car and told me to go tell Adelle we were leaving for California and taking Honey with us. Then we drove back home, finished packing the car, and left."

  "Where did you go?"

  "We started driving to California. When we got to Phoenix, Gaylord said we needed to drop Honey off in the desert, but we had to wait until real late at night. It was still early in the day, so we went to see a movie. We'd been taking turns driving and we hadn't slept much, so we both slept through most of it. Then we left and Gaylord turned on some road he'd found on the map. After a while, he drove off the road and across some dunes and stopped the car. He carried Honey out somewhere in the desert, dumped her out, and came back with the empty container. When we got to Yuma, he pulled up behind a grocery store near a trash bin. He told me to get out and throw it in the trash. So I did."

  Sabre felt sick to her stomach. "That's pretty much the way Alexis told it."

  "I hope they nab the monster who killed Honey," Bob said.

  "They already have," JP responded. "I spoke with Nelson earlier. He said they arrested him a couple of days ago. He's the same guy who abducted Elizabeth, Murdock's wife. He's the goon with the tattoo, 'Mama tried,' on his arm. They need to give him another tattoo on the other side that says, 'and failed.'" Everyone chuckled. "By the way, they charged him with Elizabeth's murder and the murder of the police officer who investigated her case. Now they can add another murder rap."

  "Steve Parker, the police officer he killed, was Joe's best friend." Sabre jumped up. "Joe! I need to call Joe. Will you two excuse me for a moment?"

  "Sure, go ahead," Bob said, reaching for his cigarettes. "I'm going out for some fresh air."

  Sabre looked at him and raised her eyebrow. "You mean contaminate the fresh air, don't you?" Bob smiled and left.

  "I'm going to talk to Nelson for a minute. I'll be right outside," JP said.

  Sabre dialed the phone.

  "Joe Carriage."

  "Two-syllable Joe. How are you?" she asked, teasing about his accent.

  "Sabre, are you okay? Where are you?"

  "I'm fine. I'm at the precinct with Detective Nelson. They rescued us yesterday morning. I'm sorry; I should've called you sooner."

  "It's okay. Nelson called to let me know they found you, but not before I saw it on television. It's big news here because of the Murdock family," he said, his voice smiling. "How's Alexis?"

  "She's safe and sound."

  "Are you sure you're okay?"

  "Yes, I am, although I'll feel better once they catch Murdock. Say, I understand things have picked up for you as well."

  "Yes, they arrested Bill Davis a few days ago. But Sabre, there's something else you need to know. It's about your brother. Murdock knew him."

  "I know, Joe. Murdock told me all about it," she said. "Look, I need to get back in. Let's talk tomorrow after you've read the police report, and we can fill in the missing blanks for each other."

  "Sounds good." He paused. "Sabre, I'm so glad you're safe."

  CHAPTER 35

  The next morning Sabre woke up in JP's house for the second time, still adjusting to the strange room. She missed her bed, her personal things, and her familiar surroundings. JP had been kind enough to go pick up some of her belongings, but she still didn't have everything she needed. He had brought her red notebook for her, though, and that pleased her. It had been some time since she'd been able to write in it or read it. She picked it up and held it in her hand for a second. It seemed so small. She thought back to when Ron gave it to her for her sixth birthday; it seemed to have so many pages then.

  She read through the list, beginning with Marry Victor Spanoli right through to her last entry, Peace Corps. She wondered if Victor had married and if he had children. She wondered if he even remembered her. She realized she probably wouldn't remember much about him if it weren't for the reminder in her notebook every day.

  Sabre had another entry to make. When she had been out in the woods, walking for miles up and down the mountains, she'd wished she had stayed in better shape. She vowed to become more physically fit if she ever made it out. She needed a goal to keep her motivated, something tangible to drive her. She smiled. She knew what she wanted to do, something she had thought about before but had never taken too seriously. She loved to run. She picked up her pen and wrote, Run a Marathon.

  Sabre spent the day trying to keep busy. She returned some phone calls and e-mails, and worked on some files Bob had brought her from her office. She hated using JP's dining room table for her desk. Although he didn't seem to mind, she still felt in the way. Imposing on others made her uncomfortable, and she missed having her own space. She felt gui
lty for being ungrateful for all the help he had given her. She wanted to go to court, go for a run in the park, or just sit in her own house and do nothing, unsure how long she could take being a prisoner, no matter how comfortable the surroundings. She couldn't continue to let Bob do her caseload, either. She had made up her mind. "JP, I'm going to court tomorrow." He laughed. "What's so funny?"

  "Bob said you wouldn't last more than a day. Are you sure I can't talk you out of it?"

  "Nope, I can't do this. I'll be in the loony bin by the end of the week."

  "Okay, but here's the deal. I'll drive you to court. You'll be safe while you're there. The bailiffs will keep an eye on you. After your hearings are completed, I'll pick you up and bring you back here. You're not going to your office or your home. Understood?" He sounded like a drill sergeant.

  "Yes, sir!" She saluted him and clicked her heels together. "Whatever you say, sir!" She laughed. The idea of returning to the real world made her giddy.

  "What say we order a pizza and watch a video, something nice and easy, like a good comedy?"

  "Sounds good; I'm hungry. You call and order the pizza. I'll pick out the movie." She looked through his collection of movies. She had no trouble picking one out. "Here we go," she said, as she put When Harry Met Sally in the machine. "I love this movie."

  "Me, too." JP smiled.

  About twenty minutes into the movie, someone knocked on the door. "That was quick," JP said, as he stood up to answer the door, expecting to see the pizza delivery person. Nevertheless, he looked through the peephole before he opened the door.

  "Nelson," he said in surprise, "what are you doing here?" The detective didn't respond. JP opened the door and stepped back, making room for him to enter. "Come on in. You can join us for some pizza. It should be here any minute now."

  "No, thanks. I'm not hungry," Nelson responded, trying to be pleasant, but he had an edge in his voice. "Hi, Sabre."

  "Hi Gregory, what brings you here?" She perked up and added, "Did they find Murdock?"

  "No, I'm afraid not," Nelson said. He sat down in front of Sabre and put his hand on top of hers. She knew something was wrong, but was afraid to imagine what it might be. Her stomach felt queasy. She heard the detective speak, but the words didn't register. "Listen, Sabre, I'm sorry, but there's a fire. Your condo is burning."