The Dying Room: A Faces of Evil Novel

by Webb, Debra

  The smile Jess had kept to herself slid across her lips now. “Very good, Detective.”

  Cook blushed. “I mean, the killer could be trying to throw us off his trail.”

  “His son was thousands of miles away at the time of the murder.” Lori moved to the photo of the son.

  “He could easily have hired someone to off his old man,” Cook suggested.

  “He could have,” Lori agreed. “But, according to the family attorney, a half million dollar insurance policy goes to the grandson and all property and other assets go to the son. It’s a fairly large estate but still not much of a motive for killing the judge considering Harvey is quite wealthy in his own right.”

  And there they were, back at square one without the necessary trinity: motive, means and opportunity. Jess hoped Sergeant Harper and Lieutenant Hayes gleaned something more from their interviews with the dozen remaining persons who had loved ones sentenced to death by Rutledge.

  Jess reviewed the board once more. “Since the housekeeper and everyone else we’ve interviewed claim the judge had no friends, why don’t we take a different route this afternoon? Let’s make a list of his closest professional associates and see what we find there. Maybe we’re looking for an attorney who’d had enough of Rutledge’s style of justice. Or a clerk he treated badly one time too many.”

  “His wife has been dead for two years,” Lori offered, “we may be looking for a scorned lover. There’s Viagra in his medicine cabinet.”

  “Detective Cook,” Jess turned to the youngest member of their team, “start with the housekeeper and let’s find out if she failed to mention a girlfriend or a companion.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Jess made her way to her desk and rounded up her sweater and bag.

  “I have the list of professional associates.” Lori flipped through the file she’d retrieved from her desk. “This lineup is interesting.”

  Tugging on the pink sweater that had quickly become her third trimester favorite, Jess mentally ran through the names she’d read on the list. “No doubt. On the rare occasions when the judge socialized, he was certainly among the powerful and elite of the Magic City.”

  Birmingham’s hierarchy hadn’t changed much for as far back as Jess could remember. Most of the current upper crust had connections going back to those who changed Birmingham from a fledgling community off the map to the Pittsburg of the south. Dan’s family was among those old money clans.

  “Our former mayor and our victim go way back.” Lori closed the file. “Isn’t his trial coming up soon?”

  Jess slung the strap of her bag over her shoulder. “It’s set for May. Dan thinks he’ll take a plea deal. His attorney turned down the one the DA offered last month.” Former Mayor Joseph Pratt was charged with a number of crimes, not the least of which were misuse of funds and the abuse of power. Dan’s career had almost been destroyed because of Pratt’s devious conduct.

  “We could start with him.” Lori grabbed her bag and jacket and headed for the door. “He’s on house arrest. I doubt he has anything better to do.”

  Jess couldn’t deny the little burst of glee she felt at the idea. “Let’s go make his day then.”

  As they reached the elevator, Jess settled her hand on her belly. “We have to stop for lunch on the way. This baby does not like to wait.”

  Lori pressed the call button for the elevator. “I cannot wait to start looking and feeling pregnant!”

  Jess laughed. “You do remember that less than a year ago we were both totally focused on our careers. Babies and husbands weren’t in our five-year plans.”

  The doors glided open and they stepped into the elevator car. Jess braced against the back wall and waited for the elevator to bump into motion. She’d learned quickly that sudden movements could be problematic to her balance these days.

  “You started it,” Lori reminded her. “The next thing I knew I had the fever, too.”

  “Guilty as charged.” To this day Jess wondered if subconsciously she’d missed those birth control pills on purpose. Whatever the case, in just over two weeks she and Dan were going to be parents. “So, have you and Harper started discussing baby names?”

  “We’re making our lists. Once we’ve picked out our individual favorites, we’ll negotiate.”

  Jess laughed so hard the baby jumped. “I’d like to be a fly on the wall during your negotiations.”

  Lori grinned. “Boy names will be easier. Since Chester is already named after him, we’re thinking of my father or his for boy names. I think I’ll win that negotiation.”

  Chet’s son would be four by the time the baby was born. Jess imagined there would be a few awkward moments when Chet’s ex heard the news. On the other hand, she had taken the announcement that Chet and Lori were getting married fairly well. Maybe this one would be as easy.

  “Our boy name is a given,” Jess said, “we’ll name him after Dan. Selecting a name for a little girl hasn’t been so easy. Dan wants to name her after me or at least to use my middle name.”

  “Are you okay with that?”

  The elevator doors opened once more and Jess waited until they were outside to answer. The March wind whipped hard, making her wish she’d tucked her hair into a ponytail. “I’m not sure.”

  Jess’s middle name, Lee, was after her father. Her parents had died in a car crash when she was ten, but last year she’d learned that most of what she’d believed about her parents had been fiction. Though her father had turned out to be one of the good guys, he had cheated on her mom. It was a long sad story that had shaken her and Lily.

  They loaded into Lori’s red Mustang. “I like the name Beatrice Irene.”

  “Is it a family name?”

  Jess smiled. “My mother’s middle name was Irene.”

  “Are you worried about offending Katherine?”

  Dan’s mother was so excited about the baby Jess was reasonably sure it wouldn’t matter what they named the child. Still, she wanted to do this right. Family was important. She hadn’t really realized just how much so until the past few months.

  “Katherine’s mother’s name was Beatrice.”

  “I like it.” Lori merged into downtown traffic. “It’s elegant.”

  Jess agreed. Beatrice. She rubbed her belly. It was perfect.

  Crescent Road, 1:30 p.m.

  Joseph Pratt lived in a 1910 Craftsman style home that sat on a hillside overlooking prestigious Forest Park, one of Birmingham’s historic communities. His grandfather had built this house as a gift to his wife. It was a lovely home.

  When the social niceties were out of the way, the former mayor looked directly at Jess. “I suppose you’re here about Harmon’s murder.”

  “We are.” Jess settled her teacup on its saucer. “The two of you traveled in many of the same circles. You worked together on fundraising efforts over the years. You served side by side on various councils. I’m hoping you can provide some insight as to who might have wanted him dead.”

  Pratt sipped his tea before setting it aside. “Harmon lived by one rule: an eye for an eye. Justice was all that mattered to him. If you broke the law and had the misfortune of appearing in his courtroom, you paid the highest penalty allowed by law. I’m sure he left a very long list of enemies.”

  “We’re considering those as well as any friends and close professional associates.”

  He laughed. “I see. Am I a suspect?”

  “Should you be?” Jess turned the question back on him.

  “Harmon and I began our careers around the same time. We were going to be the most powerful and influential people in the city. The movers and shakers who made things happen.” He shrugged. “To a large degree we succeeded.”

  “Did the judge ever cross that line he so rigidly held others to?” They both knew Pratt had crossed a number of lines.

  “You mean was he like me? Capable of doing whatever necessary to achieve his goals?”

  Jess assumed the question was a rhetorical o
ne.

  “Any man who reaches a position of considerable power makes decisions that can weigh on his conscience. It’s a necessary evil. In time, Dan will tell you the same, I’m sure.”

  Jess had wondered how long it would take Pratt to try to drag Dan into the muck with him. “Have you heard any rumors about the judge being involved with a female friend or companion?”

  “Men like Harmon are very careful about their personal lives. If he was keeping company with a lady friend, she would have been a professional.”

  Jess hesitated. “By professional do you mean a companion who gets paid for her time?” There really was no delicate way to put the question.

  “Certainly. There are a number of services in the city that are discreet. If Harmon was enjoying the comforts of a companion you’ll find it was handled in a very businesslike manner. He was far too devoted to his wife to begin a relationship with another woman. Perhaps his companion had a boyfriend who wasn’t happy with her job choice. I suppose, if such a scenario occurred, she could have been followed to Harmon’s home by someone with criminal intent.”

  “We’re considering all possibilities,” Jess agreed.

  Pratt stood. “I’m afraid that’s all the time I have to share today, Chief. If you have any additional questions, feel free to call my attorney.”

  “Thank you for your time.” Jess managed to get to her feet without grabbing onto Lori who’d already stood.

  As they left the room, Pratt commented, “Dan was wise to pass on the offer to be the city’s next mayor.”

  Jess glanced at him. “He’s quite happy as the chief of police.”

  Pratt nodded. “The more power a man possesses, the more temptation he faces. You remember that, Jess, and Dan will be fine.”

  Neither Jess nor Lori spoke again until they were ensconced in her Mustang, and Pratt’s address was in the rear view mirror. “That was strange,” Lori said.

  “Very.” Jess mulled over Pratt’s final comments for a moment. “How many high-end escort services are operating in Birmingham?”

  Lori considered the question as she navigated traffic. “Three I can think of.” She glanced at Jess. “But only one a man like the judge would patronize.”

  “That’s our next stop,” Jess announced. “Let’s find out if any of Rutledge’s death row alum have friends or family employed by one of the high-end services. Maybe this wasn’t the first weekend the judge had been all tied up.”

  The idea that the judge would break the law by hiring a call girl would have made his killer even angrier. A judge who regularly sentenced defendants to the harshest penalties should have held himself to the same standard.

  Maybe being a hypocrite had carried a higher penalty than the judge had anticipated.

  Chapter 11

  The Garage Cafe, 10th Terrace South, 2:30 p.m.

  Buddy ordered his usual. Like the song said, it was five o’clock somewhere. He needed a beer. Hell, he probably needed something a whole lot stronger but a beer would have to do.

  He had all sorts of contacts in the world of private investigations. He even had a few a wiser man would avoid. Occasionally, a case required the kind of expertise only someone working outside the law could provide. Finding Sylvia’s daughter required a little bending of the law. Nothing too drastic, just the proper connection in Sacramento. He’d found a guy he thought might come through for him. No worry there.

  It was the other part that bugged the hell out of him.

  Dan Burnett walked in and looked around. He spotted Buddy at the table in the darkest corner farthest from the door and started that way. Dan and Buddy were the same age. They’d been fierce football rivals back in high school. As quarterbacks, Dan had represented the best at his fancy private school, and Buddy had given him hell from the public school on the other side of the tracks. In recent months they had become friends, sort of. They both loved Jess, and they both cared about Sylvia. Though Sylvia was a year older, Dan would have been in high school with her. He’d known her his whole life. Hell, he’d married her younger sister a decade or so ago. One of several failed attempts to forget Jess.

  Dan would surely have some idea who the father of Sylvia’s child was.

  The chief of police took a seat at the table and sent a pointed look first at the beer and then at Buddy. “You having a bad day, Corlew?”

  Buddy motioned for the waitress. “Let’s just say it could be better. What’re you having?”

  Dan grinned. “Maybe I’ll join you.”

  Stella, the waitress, paused at the table. “You want another one of those?” She pointed to Buddy’s Corona?

  He shook his head. “Bring one for my friend.”

  Stella winked. “Anything for Birmingham’s top cop.” She sashayed away.

  “I took the afternoon off,” Dan said. “I have some shopping to do.”

  Buddy grinned. “Spoiling that baby already, are you?” Dan and Jess were going to be incredible parents. The kid was one lucky little urchin.

  “Actually.” Stella arrived with the beer and Dan thanked her. “This gift is for Jess. There’s this mother and child necklace I want to give her when the baby’s born. I’ve been looking all over for just the right one and I finally found it. I’m picking it up today.”

  Six or seven times Buddy had gone over how he would approach the subject and now that Dan was here, he wasn’t so sure where to start.

  “You have something on your mind, Corlew?” Dan knocked back a slug of his beer.

  No use putting it off any longer. “I need some information on a friend of yours.” He leaned forward, braced his forearms on the table. “But this has to stay strictly between the two of us.”

  Dan’s eyebrows reared up. “I don’t keep secrets from my wife, Corlew. She has issues with secrets. The last one I kept from her, when I had Hayes keeping an eye on her, cost me three nights in the guest room after we got back from our honeymoon.”

  Danny boy was right about that. Jess would kick both their asses. “Okay, but tell her she’d better not say a word to Sylvia.”

  Dan frowned. “Sylvia? What does she have to do with this?”

  Buddy had two options here. He could tell Dan Sylvia’s secret or he could spill his own. “She...” He slouched back in his chair and blew out a burst of frustration. “I got a thing for her, man.” He moved his head from side to side. “I can’t shake it.”

  Dan nodded slowly, a frown furrowing its way across his brow. “You’re saying that you like Sylvia? You’re interested in her... romantically?”

  Buddy had never allowed a woman to get so far under his skin. Not once. He’d never been married—hell, he’d never been engaged. He had no desire for kids or any of that home and hearth baloney. Sylvia made him want to stake a claim. The thought of her with another man made him see red. He couldn’t keep her out of his head long enough to focus on a damned thing. Over the years, his pals had told him this would happen one day. Love was like a drug, once you stumbled upon the one that tripped your trigger you were addicted.

  “Yeah,” he confessed. The admission didn’t hurt as much as he’d expected it would. “She’s all I think about.” Saying the words out loud somehow lifted the elephant off his chest and let him breathe a little easier.

  Dan chuckled. “April fool’s day is not until tomorrow, Corlew.” He reached for his beer again.

  “Part of me wishes this was a joke, but it’s not. I need your help, Danny boy. I gotta figure this out.”

  “You’re serious?”

  Buddy nodded. “As a heart attack.”

  Dan was the one bracing his forearms on the table and leaning forward this time. “Are you two seeing each other?”

  “We had this moment.” He couldn’t believe he was spilling his guts like this. “That night... after your wedding. I guess we both tried to pretend it was nothing, but then... it started again.” Just thinking about this morning had him sweating. God Almighty, he wanted that woman every minute of every day.
/>   Dan nodded. “All right, so how can I help?”

  Buddy shrugged. “I’m way out of my league here. I know Sylvia was married once to Larry Grayson.” He knew the lieutenant from his days on the BPD. Grayson was a veteran cop with only a slightly better pedigree than Buddy. Rumor had it that Sylvia only married Grayson so people would stop wondering when the senator’s oldest would get married. The marriage had ended when Grayson turned his attention to another, younger woman. “Since that didn’t work out, I’m wondering if there was someone before that who maybe stole her heart. Maybe she’s already had the love of her life and isn’t interested in finding anyone new. Like you and Jess, you know? If that’s the way it is, I’d like to know before I get in any deeper.”

  Dan held up a hand. “You have to forgive me. First, I can’t believe we’re having this conversation, but secondly, and more importantly, I’m having trouble with the idea that the infamous womanizing Buddy Corlew is smitten. Maybe it’s Sylvia who should be worried.”

  “Trust me,” Buddy assured him, “I’m the one who’s in way over his head.”

  Dan studied him for a moment. “Sylvia was very focused on her education back in school. We lost touch during our college years since I was in Boston with Jess.”

  Damn it. Buddy had forgotten about that. “I guess you don’t know who she was involved with in college.”

  “As a matter of fact, I might.” Dan glanced around as if he feared being overhead. “I remember my mother mentioning that Sylvia and Benton Murdock were an item.”

  Buddy’s gut twisted. “You mean the eldest son of Winston Murdock, as in the governor of Alabama?” Holy shit.

  “That’s him. I think they dated most of her senior year in college, but the next thing I heard he’d married someone else. The daughter of some Texas oil tycoon.”

  “You’re sure there wasn’t anyone else?” Buddy’s heart felt as heavy as a load of bricks. Now he understood why Sylvia wouldn’t tell him the name of the father.

  “If you really want to know more, you should ask my mother. She kept up with everyone who was anyone back then.” He laughed. “I think she still does.”