by Brad Cooper
“Yeah,” Clark said, half paying attention and half plotting the next move. Applying his chess strategy to real life situations was proving to be rather difficult.
The phone rang and Adam answered after a single ring. “Yo.”
“Hey! You guys watching this?” Kara asked on the other end.
“Just turned it on,” Adam said.
Ryan looked over and asked, “Who is it?”
“Kara,” Adam replied.
“Let me talk to her.” Then to Kara: “Hey, can you be over here in a few minutes?”
“Why can’t you come over here one time?” she answered sarcastically. Then she sighed and said, “I’ll be there in a few minutes. I just need to get dressed. Don’t say it.”
Ryan smiled and said, “It goes without saying. See you in a bit.”
Chief Sparks stood in front of a makeshift podium and spoke into a collection of microphones that were piping the sound of his voice over the airwaves of a handful of television and radio stations across the southern part of the state. Dealing with the press was new to Darrell Sparks and it was an activity to which he didn’t care to get accustomed. In fact, he could do without it altogether.
“The arrest was made around 8:30 yesterday morning. Mr. Willis was questioned just across the road here and was found to be in possession of a handgun that matched the type used in the shooting of Officer Ray Kessler,” Sparks said, making a point to speak as clearly and professionally as he could. He shuffled the few papers on the podium before continuing. “We were able to determine that the weapon had recently been fired and upon further examination found that the ammunition in the gun was identical to that which was used in the homicide. His fingerprints were the only ones present on the firearm and, at that point, Mr. Willis was taken into custody.”
Sparks looked around to see that nearly every reporter was scribbling notes on whatever paper they could find, trying to transcribe all that he had said in the shortest form possible. They were hanging on his every word. Newspapers, television stations, radio stations, they were all at his mercy for the next several minutes. The power, if that’s what it was, was addictive. “I’ll, uh, take a few questions if anyone has any,” he said. His lack of experience and polish had finally become apparent.
“Chief, what other evidence do you have?” one reporter asked from the back.
Sparks sighed at the mind-numbing question and said, “I can’t go into detail on that right now but the investigation is continuing.” He pointed at a young male reporter toward the front who appeared to be all of twenty years old but was assuredly older.
“Does the suspect have any prior arrests? Has he caused problems in the past?” the young man asked.
“Finally, a decent question,” Sparks didn’t say. “No, he does not have any prior record and he was never in any kind of trouble before this. Everyone around here knows him so we’re all kinda shocked,” he replied. “One more question.”
“Do you have any witnesses?” asked a reporter standing to the side.
Sparks finally felt the pressure of the situation. He hadn’t prepared an answer for that particular question.
Were there any witnesses? As a matter of fact there were a few witnesses… and I was one of them. Write that down.
“No, sir, uh, not at this time but we’re still looking into several things,” Sparks said. “Thank you for coming everybody. That’ll be all for today,” he said before turning and walking toward the entrance of the station.
As he did, he caught himself doing something he hadn’t intended. He was hurrying back to the safety of his office. As he slowed his pace he wondered if how long he would be truly safe, even in the confines of the world where he was most comfortable.
Clark’s wait only lasted twenty minutes. Kara arrived and let herself in, something that had become customary over time. The house was her second home. In fact, in many ways, she felt more at home in Clark’s house than she did in her own. It was a haven of acceptance, a place where being herself wasn’t met with criticism. Her choices were supported, not analyzed or questioned.
Kara wore a tight white tank top and a pair of maroon workout shorts that came from her physical education class at Spring Creek High and only extended halfway down her thigh, clinging to her skin. Making a fashion statement wasn’t paramount at the time. It was also another outfit that left Ryan’s eyes opened wide and his mouth dry. Speech was also particularly difficult at the moment.
After kicking off her sandals she looked at Clark with her arms at her side and her palms facing out and said, “Okay, I’m here. What is it?”
Clark smiled and said, “Can’t I just call and get you over here because I want to see you? I think our relationship has evolved to that point.” He was well aware of the reaction that would cause.
The annoyance was virtually painted on her face. “I swear to God, if you got me over here for no reason I’m going to…”
Ryan began laughing and said, “You’re going to do what? Huh? Come on…”
Finally, Kara broke a smile. ”Seriously, what is it?”
“Have a seat,” Clark said as he patted on the empty space beside him on the couch.
Kara sat down beside him and said, “Okay, now what?”
“Not a good question to ask but I’ll let it pass.” An impudent grin appeared at the corner of his mouth before he continued, walking through the options that were currently on the table. “We can’t just let them stick Alvin in prison for this but we can’t figure out how to handle this. We can’t just show up and tell them we have a tape and they better cut him loose before we broadcast it or something. So we need to decide what to do next.”
“Oh, and I guess you needed the brains of the operation to stop by and work it all out for you boys?”
That was only another opening for Clark. “No, I’m already here. We need you to distract the cops while we bust Alvin out. You’re quite the head-turner, you know.”
“Just flash them and we’ll be in there without a fight,” Adam said.
“You’re really pushing it.”
“I wasn’t responsible for that one,” Clark said. “Anyway, we were talking earlier and basically we think it’s best to just go up a level or two and turn everything over to the state police. It’s useless as long as we have it and the authorities don’t. Plus, the longer we hang onto it, the more nervous I get about it. We both know Lisa’s not really safe until this is resolved and I don’t get the feeling that pinning this on a homeless Vietnam vet resolves anything quite yet.”
“I understand,” said Kara. “So what do we do? Just walk into the state police detachment and drop a tape of a cop getting shot on someone’s desk and leave? I’m sure they’ll have a few questions for whoever leaves it.”
Adam walked back into the room, having left to retrieve his water bottle. Ryan wondered if Adam ever went more than half an hour without it. “Think we should just call them or something? Tell them we have ‘information’ on the shooting that is sensitive and we can’t take it to the locals? It should get their interest, at least.”
“I’d say so,” Ryan said. “Let’s just go with that for now. We’ll call them up tomorrow and spell it out for them. Maybe have Lisa do it since it’s really her video and all. She knows more about what happened than any of us do.”
Kara paused and said, “You got me all the way over here, and the big problem took all of thirty seconds to solve? Give me a break.”
“Couldn’t have done it without you,” said Ryan, with a smile and a thumbs-up to follow.
More than half of the reporters had vacated the premises by the time Sparks looked outside through the door. The remaining members of the media were primarily associated with the television stations, looking into their cameras and providing a final summary of all that had been said and imploring the viewers to stay tuned to the next news broadcast on their respective stations for all the latest.
Time for a little show, Sparks thought to himself. “Car
l!” he shouted toward the back of the building, “Get him out here.”
Lilly appeared from the break room. “Do what, now?” he asked.
“Get his ass out here, parade him in front of the camera a little, stuff him in the car, and drive off. Stay gone for a half-hour or so and I’ll radio you when they’re gone. Give ‘em something to talk about tonight. The public will be all over him before you know it.”
Lilly laughed to himself and said, “Whatever you say, boss.”
Within a minute, Lilly walked out of the front door of the building but he was not alone. He was roughly leading and almost dragging a handcuffed Alvin Willis toward the car in the parking lot. Alvin’s appearance had changed in the short time since he was taken into custody. His trademark knit cap was gone, as were his jacket, his tattered camouflage clothes, and even his beard. His unkempt hair was still a mess yet he still appeared cleaner than he had in years. His imprisonment marked the first time that he’d bathed twice in a week in more than twenty years.
He thrashed violently as Lilly led him outside, drawing the attention of the remaining reporters. Almost simultaneously they spun around to catch a glimpse of the man accused of shooting a police officer in cold blood. “This must be the madman that murdered a cop!” their faces seemed to say. Cameras were powered back on and notes were made from the second he emerged from the building.
Alvin’s fighting became more severe as they moved closer to Lilly’s cruiser. He wriggled side-to-side, trying to keep Lilly’s hands from touching him. His deep raspy voice put into words what his actions could never say for themselves.
“You people help me!” he shouted in the direction of the reporters. “I don’t know why they got me here, man! I ain’t done nothin’!”
There was no one willing to help him. Why would there be? Assistance was hard to come by for a cold-blooded murderer.
The more Alvin fought Lilly off, the more aggressive his captor became. After pushing his prisoner time and time again, Lilly opened the door to the cruiser and forced the homeless man inside before driving into the distance faster than any news van could follow. Reporters shouted questions that went unacknowledged before knocking on the door of the station itself, only to be shunned again. Their day was over.
Inside Sparks’ office, Amick sat down in a chair opposite the desk. “Nice turnout by the media, huh?” he said.
“I don’t think that was the point, Frank. I don’t care how many of them showed up. I’m not made for that kind of stuff.” He sighed and asked, “What’s up?”
“Not much. I ran over to the Tochigis’ place to straighten things out. They’re not as nervous as they were before but they’re still shook up a little.”
“Anything coming in this week or did you even ask them?” Sparks asked.
“That’s sort of what they wanted to ask me about. You know, whether or not it would be okay or whatever.”
Sparks leaned back in his chair and said, “And you told them…?”
“I told them that since we made an arrest the pressure should be off and there won’t be no interference or anything. No reason for there to be really. Case is cooked as far as everybody knows.”
“Thursday?” Sparks asked.
“Don’t know. We talked about doing it on a different day or something. The last thing we need is for anyone to catch on to a pattern and get suspicious. That happens and people start asking all kinds of questions.”
“Right,” Sparks said with a nod. He paused and said, “We just need things to get back to normal here. Any more problems and we’re up the creek on this, and you know which one. They’ll be gone and we’ll have more problems than we can handle. We almost do now.”
“One more thing, Darrell,” Amick said abruptly. “The main guy’s not coming next time?”
“Yeah, uh, the little guy. Sato or whatever his name is.”
“Right. The next guy in line, or whatever, is coming. Maybe just the bruiser guy, Akira or whatever it is he calls himself.”
“What the hell do we care? We don’t talk to them. As long as we make sure everything gets on the ground okay and they get back in the air, we get paid. Everything else is their problem,” he said before muffling a snicker under his breath.
“Good point. Just wanted to tell you.” Amick got up from his chair and said, “I’m gonna take off for the rest of the day unless you need me for something. I need some sleep. I’m beat.”
“That’s fine. Just be back in tomorrow. Robbins can handle things tonight. The kid’s coming along pretty nicely and there won’t be any reporters around tonight for him to handle so it’ll be no big thing.”
“Gracias, Darrell. See you tomorrow.” Amick walked out of the office, already retrieving his keys from his pocket.
Sparks watched Amick drive past the window and onto the main road before once again leaning back in his chair and closing his eyes, savoring the solitude and lack of activity. Moments this peaceful had been rare during the forty-eight hours but even though the environment was calm, his mind was not. His thoughts were racing. The shooting, the media, the arrest, the additional media, everything was snowballing. How had things reached this point?
Sparks leaned forward in his chair, placed his elbows on his desk, and held his head in his hands. He rubbed his eyes and wondered where everything was headed. Was the money this important? Was it worth it, no matter how high the amount? He did not have the answers to those questions as they crossed his mind but he did know one thing for certain.
It was too late to turn back.
CHAPTER
14
“I still don’t understand why I have to be the one calling,” Lisa said to Adam. She had been pacing the floor for twenty minutes. The decision had been made to call the authorities in order to hand over what evidence they had and tell them everything they knew. She understood that much. It was the fact that she was the one making the call that made her uncomfortable.
“Because you’re the one who saw everything. Listen, I know you aren’t too big on making this call but that’s the way it’s got to be. They’ll want to ask you questions and we don’t know everything you do. No matter what all you told us, you couldn’t have told us everything. Just take your time and talk to them.” He reached for her hand, held it, smiled, and said, “I’ll be here the whole time. It’ll be fine.”
Lisa managed a nervous smile, mainly in recognition of Adam’s effort, but her mind drifted back to the call she would have to make. It had been on her mind all morning. The constant second guessing, the planning, the “what-if” game, it had all been replayed several times over. Why did she have to come home at that particular moment?
Of all the nights not to stay with Adam, she thought.
The call was more than necessary, it was imperative. She knew and understood as much but that did not alleviate the pressure. Adam had already been there for two hours. The clock read 11:30 AM and yet it seemed as if he had been there for much longer. Time was creeping and that did not make things easier either.
Adam placed his hand on Lisa’s knee and said, “The sooner you call, the sooner it’ll be over.”
Lisa nodded in agreement and said, “I know. I know.”
“Just take a couple of deep breaths, settle down a little, and call. It’ll be fine, okay? I’ll be right here the whole time.”
Lisa did as he asked and she immediately looked to him for reassurance. He smiled back at her, an offering of security that she could not count on from anyone else at the present time.
“Ready?” he asked.
She shook her head and reached for the cordless phone on the table beside her. Adam watched as Lisa dialed the numbers slowly, buying herself as much time as she could without actually stopping. The number belonged to the closest detachment for the state police, which was located more than fifteen miles away. Spring Creek’s miniscule size and nonexistent crime rate hardly merited its own detachment.
After two rings a female voice answered. “West V
irginia State Police Department. How may I direct your call?”
“I, uh, I’m not sure who I need to talk to,” Lisa said with a shaky voice.
The woman who answered the call did not detect the nervousness in her voice. “What does your call concern, ma’am?”
Lisa swallowed and said, “I have information about a case and I need to talk to someone about it.”
“Hold just a moment, please,” the woman said before putting Lisa on hold.
There was no sound on the phone line except for her own breathing, which she could hear through the receiver. For more than a minute she remained on the line in total silence. Her pulse had finally slowed to near normal when the line clicked.
The voice was not so much deep as it was powerful and the speech came with authority. “This is Lieutenant Aliff. What can I do for you?” the man’s voice said.
It had not been an exciting day for Ron Aliff. His boredom was mounting. He’d clocked in at 9 AM on the nose and done little more than stare at the clock since. Tuesdays never produced the amount of work that Mondays did. Some paperwork and four cups of weak and barely drinkable coffee were all that kept his day from being completely empty. Now a phone call comes in that could possibly provide activity for the day or, at the very least, relieve the boredom.
Finally, he thought.
“I need to talk to someone about what happened out in Spring Creek a few days ago,” the voice said on the other end of the line.
It was obviously a woman. Aliff estimated that she couldn’t be older than her early twenties, if she was that old. “Right, the officer that was shot. Kessler, was it?” he asked, already knowing the answer. As if there had been another shooting.
“Right,” she said.
“Wasn’t an arrest made in that case? That’s the report that we got,” Aliff said, already processing the next set of actions in his mind. He reached for a notepad and a pen so he could make whatever notes were necessary.