A Stranger on the Beach

by Michele Campbell

  The truth. Right. No matter what Aidan said, Vernon Mays would never believe he was innocent. Lisa was wrong. There was no point in going through this charade. Aidan should use whatever limited leverage he had to save his brother.

  “You say, a satisfactory plea agreement. But what might satisfy you is different from what would satisfy me,” Aidan said.

  “If you want to know the sentence in advance, I can’t make any promises,” Mays said. “What I can do is tell you that, in similar cases, where truthful and effective testimony was rendered, defendants got somewhere between eight and ten years. That’s a ballpark. It may sound like a lot. But compare it to the twenty-five-to-life you’re facing now, and it’s pretty sweet.”

  “That wasn’t my question.”

  Mays spread out his hands. “Okay. I’m listening.”

  “I heard my brother Thomas Callahan, who’s the chief of police in—”

  “Oh, come on,” Lisa said. “Aidan. Don’t do this. You’re innocent. Tell him that.”

  Aidan didn’t like to ignore Lisa’s advice, but he had to. He would put Tommy first for once, the way Tommy had done for him his entire life.

  “I heard that my brother is under investigation and suspended from his job because of something I did the night of the murder,” he said.

  “That’s right. Because you broke into the Starks’ house. We have a witness who says she saw him let you go.”

  “It wasn’t like that. I can explain what happened, and you’ll see my brother did nothing wrong.”

  “Fine, but what does that have to do with your testimony against Mrs. Stark?”

  “I want to make a deal. I’ll testify and say whatever you want. But my brother stays out of this. You drop his charges.”

  Mays leaned forward. “Let me make one thing clear. Don’t ever tell me something because you think it’s what I want to hear. You need to tell the truth.”

  “You said a minute ago that if I claim innocence, you’ll think I’m lying.”

  “That’s right. Because a claim of innocence is not consistent with the evidence as we see it.”

  “That’s what I thought. If I claim I’m innocent, you won’t make a deal with me.”

  “Correct, because I won’t find you credible, and I can’t call a witness if I believe he’s lying.”

  “All right, then. What would you think if I said I did it? If I said I helped Caroline kill Jason Stark and dispose of his body? Would you believe me then?”

  “That is consistent with the evidence we have. So, yes. I would believe you.”

  “What if I said I did it, and that I was willing to plead guilty, but only on the condition that you stop this investigation of my brother and drop his charges. What would you do then?”

  “I would ask you to tell me truthfully exactly what Chief Callahan did that night.”

  “I can tell you right now. Tommy caught me inside Caroline’s house. He was on his way to an emergency and didn’t have time to book me. I promised him I would go to the police station and wait for him there. But I lied. I didn’t go to the station. Instead, I went to Tom’s house and helped my sister-in-law prepare for the hurricane, because I wanted to make up to him for what I knew I was about to do later that night. Then I went back to the Starks’ house and helped Caroline kill her husband and dispose of his body.”

  Beside him, Lisa was shaking her head in disbelief. Aidan ignored her and plowed forward.

  “We left the body in the cave at Glenhampton Beach. That was my idea. I knew that place from way back. I took Caroline there. We were thinking we would come back later, when we had access to a boat, and dump him in the ocean. But the storm saved us the trouble. It washed him out to sea.”

  The room was silent. He felt Lisa watching him and couldn’t turn his head. If he looked at her, he’d lose his nerve.

  “What if I said all that?” Aidan asked. “What would the effect be on Tom’s case?”

  “If you said all that?”

  “Yes. Would it fly? I plead guilty like that, and the case against Tommy gets dropped?”

  “I think so. Not as a quid pro quo, you understand. But because I would then view you as a credible witness, somebody who’s owned up to his guilt. Therefore, I would have no reason to disbelieve your testimony about your brother’s actions.”

  “What would you do for his case?”

  “Well. I could forward to the Internal Affairs people your account of the chief’s actions, along with my assessment that you’re credible and my recommendation that the investigation be discontinued.”

  “Would you do that? Would you put it in writing?”

  “Yes.”

  “Okay, Mr. Mays. Then we have a deal.”

  58

  Three days later, at the crack of dawn, the guards came to take Aidan to court. This time, there was no private ride in Lieutenant Messina’s car. They put him in the windowless back of a prison van with five other guys who had hearings that day. Everyone looked pale and avoided eye contact. Nobody spoke. Maybe the others were going to plead guilty, too, and give up their freedom for months, for years, for life even. Aidan didn’t feel much like talking either. He might not be able to see out of this van, but he still understood how much he was about to lose.

  He’d been waiting in the cold of the holding cell for an hour when they came for him. He didn’t know what to expect. Lisa Walters hadn’t been to see him since the day Aidan told the prosecutor he was guilty. Maybe she’d given upon him. He wouldn’t blame her. But they brought him to the attorney interview room, cuffed him to the chair, and locked him in. He sat there, thinking about how to explain to her. Then he realized he didn’t need to. Lisa understood what Aidan was doing, and why.

  Finally, Lisa showed up, wearing a purple dress and glasses to match, which made him smile. She didn’t smile back. Her face was grim as she sat down across from him.

  “Hi,” he said.

  “Hi.”

  “You look like you’re going to a funeral.”

  “It is a funeral. Yours.”

  “Mays says I’ll be out in eight to ten years.”

  “No, in fact, he was careful not to say that. There’s no specific sentence in your plea agreement. As of right now, Caroline Stark is still on the lam, and you don’t even have anybody to testify against.”

  “That’s good. I don’t actually want to testify against her.”

  “It’s not good. Without testimony, you’re looking at twenty-five-to-life. For a crime you didn’t commit. Oh—and there’s no appeal from a guilty plea. It’s final. Do you understand that?”

  “I understand, Lisa. You explained everything. You did a good job.”

  “With this outcome? I don’t think so. If you insist on going through with the plea, I can’t represent you, Aidan. I’m sorry.”

  “I know you don’t agree with what I’m doing. But you’ve been with me this far. I don’t want to start with some other lawyer now. Won’t you do this one last thing for me?”

  “It’s not that simple. I can’t represent you. You allocute under penalty of perjury, and I can’t suborn perjury.”

  “Can you talk like a human? I don’t understand.”

  “You have to swear an oath on the Bible to tell the truth. Then the judge will ask what you did to commit the crime. If you say that you shot Jason Stark and helped dispose of his body, I’ll believe you’re lying. That’s why I can’t represent you. I can’t stand beside you and give my endorsement to false testimony.”

  “You don’t know that I’m lying.”

  “Come on, Aidan. We both know you are.”

  They looked at each other. He let out a breath.

  “All right. If that’s how you feel,” he said.

  “There is another way.”

  “What?”

  “It’s not too late. You don’t have to plead guilty. You can go in there and tell the judge you changed your mind.”

  “And let Tommy take the fall? No thanks.”

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sp; “I know you won’t listen to me. But maybe you’ll listen to him. Hold on.”

  “What? No.”

  But Lisa was already at the door, knocking on it. The guard unlocked it. Lisa consulted with him in a tone low enough that Aidan couldn’t make out the words. A moment later, Lisa left the room, and Tommy walked in.

  Aidan watched as his brother lowered himself into the creaky metal chair. Tommy’s eyes were red. His face was puffy, and for the first time, Aidan noticed that Tommy was losing his hair. If Aidan pled guilty, his niece and nephew would grow up while he was in prison, and his brother and sister-in-law would grow old. He needed to be willing to pay that price. He needed to stay strong and do what he knew was right—for once in his life.

  “Hey, bro,” he said.

  “Kid.”

  “Thanks for coming to see me. Big day. Nice to have family in the courtroom to support me. And thanks for paying for the lawyer. She’s a ballbreaker. It helped me so much to have her on my side,” Aidan said.

  Tommy took in a big breath and let it out slowly, like he was playing for time.

  “I don’t know where to start,” he said. “There’s so much to say, but the most important thing is this. Lisa Walters says you’re innocent. She knows what she’s doing, and she wouldn’t lie, so I have to believe it’s true. I can’t let you take a plea when you’re innocent.”

  “Guilt and innocence. Who’s to say, right? It’s what people believe, and nobody ever believes me, Tom. They’re not about to start now. The prosecutor won’t believe me. The jury won’t. I’d go down and get nothing for it. This way, I get something I really care about. I get to make sure you don’t suffer because of me.”

  “I can’t let you do this. Go to trial, Aidan. I’ll support you. And the jury will believe you. You’ll see.”

  “At what cost? You losing your job? Wasting your kids’ college money on my defense, only to see me get convicted? No, it’s not worth it.”

  “You think I’ll sleep at night, knowing you’re locked up because you tried to help me? Don’t sacrifice yourself for me. I can’t live with that.”

  “After you sacrificed for me your whole life? It’s my turn now, Tommy.”

  “I won’t let you.”

  “My mind is made up.”

  “It’s not just about what you want. There’s also the truth. And the truth is, I cut you loose that night even though I saw you break into Caroline Stark’s house. That was a dereliction of duty, a betrayal of my badge. I deserve to pay for it.”

  “You’ve been paying for helping me as long as I can remember. Enough.”

  “This woman is the one who should be taking the fall. From what I understand, they don’t know where she is or when they’ll find her. I could go look for her myself.”

  “Ah, she’s probably in Mexico by now.”

  “I can’t let her get away with this. She’s a grifter. I could smell it on her when I saw her in the bar that time. She was working you, and you were eating it up. You always did have terrible taste in women. I should’ve said something. I should’ve stopped you.”

  “You said plenty, and I ignored you. Forget Caroline. Let me do this for you.”

  “I favored my family. That’s not an excuse. It’s the problem. I’m going to tell them the truth about what I did. Then you won’t have any reason to fall on your sword for me.”

  “No. Don’t you see? If you do that, my sacrifice is for nothing. I made my decision, Tommy. I’m pleading guilty. Go tell my lawyer. Take me to court. I’m ready.”

  59

  Jess and Mike were killing time, sitting in the courthouse cafeteria. They’d come to watch Aidan Callahan plead guilty to murder, but there had been an unexpected delay. They’d been told it could be an hour or two wait while a new lawyer was brought in to represent Callahan at the plea hearing. But it had already been over three hours, and when Jess checked in with the court clerk, he didn’t have any new information.

  Jess sipped her coffee and grimaced at the burnt taste of it. Mike scrolled through his phone, an herbal tea in front of him. She’d discovered he was a health nut. No surprise there.

  “Hey,” she said. “Do you think he really did it?”

  He looked up at her. “Callahan? Of course.”

  “What about the Russians? They had a serious beef with Jason Stark, and they’re known killers. Don’t you think that’s too much of a coincidence?”

  Mike shrugged. “I agree that’s strange. But truth is stranger than fiction sometimes.”

  “What about Callahan’s claim that he was drugged? The test results showed Ambien in his blood.”

  “You think the Russians drugged him?”

  “The Russians? No. Somebody else. Caroline, maybe.”

  “Or, Callahan took Ambien on his own that night. That’s more likely.”

  “It was a lot. Who takes that much Ambien?”

  “I don’t know anything about Ambien dosage. I don’t think you do, either. Anyways, he’s pleading. Nobody pleads guilty if they’re innocent.”

  “That’s not true. They do if they think they won’t be able to convince a jury, and the deal’s sweet enough.”

  “If Callahan can’t convince a jury, it’s because he’s guilty. And his deal isn’t even that sweet. At this rate, we’ll never find Caroline Stark. She’s probably sitting on a beach with an umbrella drink in her hand, beyond the reach of the law. Without her to testify against, Callahan does a minimum of twenty-five. Say twenty with good behavior. Not exactly a sweet deal.”

  “I know. That troubles me. There’s no appeal under his plea deal. What if he’s innocent?”

  Mike snorted.

  “You thought Caroline Stark was innocent. Now you think Callahan is. I hate to break it to you, but if you want to be a cop, you need to start believing the defendants are guilty.”

  He went back to his phone.

  “Okay, then,” she said. “What about Caroline?”

  He looked up. “What about her?”

  “Why can’t we locate her? We’ve been monitoring her phone. Her sister’s phone. Her daughter’s phone. Surveilling locations where we think she might turn up. It’s been over a week with no trace. Where is she?”

  “I told you what I think. She left the country.”

  “We checked. Customs and Border Patrol has no record of that.”

  “Maybe she used false documents. A false name.”

  “I don’t buy it. If she’d made a big move, we would know. She went to ground. We need to search harder,” Jess said.

  “Okay. What do you suggest that we haven’t already tried?”

  “Follow her sister. We have every reason to believe they’re in contact.”

  “Actually, their phones don’t show any contact, Jess. Plus, I surveilled Lynn on two separate occasions. You read the reports. She went to the gym, the nail salon, the grocery store, and her husband’s trucking company.”

  “Why her husband’s trucking company?”

  “I assume because her husband works there.”

  He went back to his phone again. Mike lacked imagination, in Jess’s view. Something wasn’t sitting right about this case, and she was running out of time to solve it. Mike didn’t seem that interested in solving it, or maybe he just didn’t feel the same nagging doubts. Callahan would plead guilty by the end of the day. Once that happened, the pressure to close the file and move on would only grow. They could say they’d solved it. The killer was in jail. And yes, maybe a coconspirator got away, but she was female. The public wouldn’t view her as a serious threat. They could keep the warrant for Caroline’s arrest open, but they’d be reassigned to other duties. Maybe one day, years from now, Caroline would get pulled over for speeding, and Jess would get a phone call. Or maybe not. Maybe Callahan would take the fall alone.

  Mike would be satisfied with that outcome. Jess wouldn’t.

  She sighed, stood up, and went to the bathroom. When she came back, Mike was staring openmouthed at his phone.
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br />   “What is it?” Jess said.

  “I think you might get your wish.”

  “What wish is that?”

  “Caroline Stark.”

  “You have a lead?”

  “I got a text from the claims adjuster at the life insurance company. We’ve been in touch all along. If Jason’s death was foul play, they’re not responsible for paying out the five mil, so she’s been helping me. She just texted that Caroline filed a claim.”

  “When?”

  “Five minutes ago. She filed electronically. I have to figure out how to trace that filing to a location. Do you staties have a computer forensics expert I could borrow?”

  Jess thought about Aidan Callahan’s plea. It would happen well before they could trace the claim, and it would be final.

  “We can’t wait to trace her electronically,” Jess said. “By the time we get her location, she’ll be gone. Call your insurance company contact. Tell her she needs to bring Caroline in.”

  “Bring her in where? How?”

  “To her office. We’ll be waiting to lock her up on the outstanding warrant. Tell her to make up some excuse. There’s something wrong with the form Caroline filed. Or she has to sign it in person. Whatever the lady can think of.”

  “You think Caroline will fall for it?” Mike asked.

  “With five million dollars at stake? Hell, yeah, she will.”

  60

  The Long Island Mutual Life Insurance Company was located in a squat four-story office building on a busy street in Hempstead. There was a parking garage entrance to its left, a bank to its right, and a block of apartment buildings across the street. Behind the building, a fire lane allowed for deliveries and emergencies. Jess and Mike arrived in separate cars with less than ten minutes to spare until Caroline’s four o’clock appointment with Lily Chen, the claims adjuster who’d contacted Mike. Jess set up in the alley, covering the rear entrance and the building’s loading docks. Mike set up in front of the Regency Arms Apartments with a clear view of the building’s front entrance and the entrance to the parking garage. They agreed on the need to assess every vehicle to determine whether Caroline Stark was inside it. Her Escalade and Jason’s Mercedes had both been impounded as evidence, and they didn’t know what she’d be driving.