Perfect Game

by Leslie Dana Kirby

  Chapter Forty-three

  (Friday, September 15–Thursday, September 21)

  “What time do you get off?” Ryan asked as they pulled into the hospital parking lot.

  Is he asking me out? Lauren wondered, noticing a warm tingling sensation at the prospect.

  “My shift ends at midnight, but I often work later depending on how busy it is. And weekend nights usually get pretty crazy.”

  “I can be here by midnight to give you a ride. Or I can stay later if you have to work longer.”

  “I can catch a ride from one of the other interns,” Lauren insisted. “I’m pretty sure your professional escort assignment doesn’t extend to weekend duty.”

  “This time, I was offering as a friend.” He smiled.

  “That’s thoughtful of you, but I can catch a ride with Ritesh. He lives near me.”

  “Okay, if you’re sure…” he let his words trail.

  “I’m sure,” she said, suddenly not feeling sure at all. Had she just declined a date or a polite offer made out of a sense of obligation? Was he disappointed or relieved?

  “Okay, have a good weekend.”

  And that was the last she heard from Ryan until he arrived to drive her to court on Monday morning.

  Candace had saved Wallace for last, calling him to wrap up the entire police case with a pretty bow for the jury. Wallace was an experienced witness, not easily rattled on the stand.

  Wallace’s immediate impression upon arriving on the scene was this was a homicide staged to look like a burglary. The jewelry chest in the master bedroom was left with drawers hanging open, but nothing else in the house had been disturbed. A Rolex watch was still visible on a dresser in the same bedroom. There was no evidence of forced entry into the home.

  Wallace testified Jake Wakefield had demonstrated considerable self-confidence during his initial police interview along with an unusual display of emotion. While Jake had made sobbing noises throughout the interview, Wallace testified he had seen no tears. The rapidity with which Jake alternated between weeping and coherence made Wallace suspect Jake wasn’t really crying at all.

  Jake had been wearing a long-sleeved shirt despite the 114-degree temperature that day. On a hunch, Wallace had asked Jake to roll up his sleeves. Jake had hesitated before agreeing. Detectives had observed fresh scratches on Jake’s right forearm. Candace introduced several police photographs of the scratches. The injuries were consistent with those that might result from someone engaged in a violent struggle.

  Jake had refused to take a polygraph test on July twenty-fifth and had “lawyered up” at that time, making it impossible for the detectives to question him further. But that hadn’t stopped Jake from calling the detectives to place the blame elsewhere.

  Jake told detectives almost immediately that Lauren was the beneficiary of Liz’s life insurance, insistent that Lauren might have killed Liz for the payout. A few days later, Jake had called the detectives to report Lauren was spending money lavishly and had purchased an expensive new car. And the day after Jake had given Lauren the diamond ring, he had called the police to report he had spotted her wearing one of Liz’s stolen rings.

  This accusation prompted the search of Lauren’s apartment. They had tested every pair of her shoes for Liz’s blood and found none, did a forensic examination of her computer which revealed nothing suspicious, and looked for a possible murder weapon, finding nothing. Detective Wallace emphasized they had absolutely no reason to suspect Lauren other than allegations instigated by Jake.

  On cross-examination, Pratt forced Wallace to acknowledge that the expensive antique diamond ring had been found in Lauren’s apartment. Pratt also accused Wallace of a rush to judgment regarding Jake’s guilt, therefore failing to investigate other leads. But ironically, Jake’s accusations had forced the police to investigate Lauren with comparable intensity, which Wallace pointed out. Pratt then delighted in belaboring the investigative efforts that had focused on Lauren.

  “Isn’t it possible that the real killer had been after Elizabeth Wakefield’s jewelry specifically?” Pratt demanded.

  Wallace offered a measured response. “I suppose that’s a possibility, but I don’t know of any burglars that would overlook an expensive Rolex watch sitting out in the open.”

  “Unless the female perpetrator wanted only women’s jewelry she could later wear?” Pratt sneered.

  “Was there a question for me in there or were you just planning to testify for me?” Wallace asked. Scattered laughter followed.

  “Isn’t it true that deep scratches were also found on the upper arm of Lauren Rose shortly after the crime?” Pratt asked.

  “Yes, but those were unrelated to the crime.”

  “How can you be so certain?”

  “None of Lauren Rose’s DNA was found underneath Liz Wakefield’s fingernails. The blood and skin tissue found there belonged solely to Jake Wakefield. Additionally, Dr. Rose was able to provide a credible explanation for the scratches on her arm.”

  “And what was that explanation?”

  “She had been scratched by a combative patient.”

  “And you have a witness to this?”

  “No, there were no witnesses.”

  “You must have spoken to the patient?”

  “Yes, we did.”

  “And the patient admitted to scratching her?”

  “He said he might have.”

  “He said he might have?” Pratt asked sarcastically.

  “He had been driving under the influence and he resisted Dr. Rose’s medical blood draw because he feared she was taking a legal sample. He admits he may have scratched her, but he can’t remember because his blood alcohol level was 0.232. He has no memory for most of that evening.”

  “How convenient for Miss Rose,” Pratt said.

  “It would have been much more convenient if he remembered scratching her.”

  Wallace was forced to admit they never found bloody shoes or clothes belonging to Jake, but Wallace postulated Jake disposed of both the clothing and murder weapon on the way to the airport. “There are at least nine dozen dumpsters between the Wakefield home and the airport.”

  “And did you search those dumpsters?”

  “With countless potential dumping places? No, we didn’t attempt to search every dumpster in the Phoenix metropolitan area.”

  Pratt pushed on. “Are you aware Lauren Rose has access to fresh scrubs at her hospital?”

  “Naturally. She’s a doctor.”

  “Isn’t it possible Miss Rose wore hospital scrubs, cap, and booties to commit the crime and returned those items to the hospital laundry where blood-stained scrubs wouldn’t attract any attention?”

  “Almost anything is possible. It’s possible I’ll win the lottery tomorrow, but I haven’t quit my day job.”

  More laughter in the gallery.

  A vein on Pratt’s forehead began to visibly pulse. “Objection. Nonresponsive.”

  Judge Robles looked over his glasses at Wallace. Wallace had testified in Robles’ courtroom on several previous occasions and the two men were friendly with one another, but neither man showed signs of familiarity now. “Sustained. The witness is reminded to limit his responses to the questions posed by counsel.”

  “Detective Wallace, isn’t it possible Miss Rose wore hospital scrubs and booties to commit the crime and returned those soiled items discreetly to the hospital laundry room?” Pratt asked again.

  “I can’t answer that. I have no idea.”

  Pratt continued with a different line of questioning, “What evidence do you have that Jake Wakefield gave this ring to Lauren Rose?” He thrust the bagged ring under Wallace’s nose.

  “Dr. Rose told us that is how she came in possession of it.”

  “And you took her at her word?”

  “We have no evidenc
e that Dr. Rose was deceptive with us.”

  “Didn’t she fail a polygraph in this case?”

  “Objection, inadmissible,” Candace raged.

  “Sustained.” But the jurors had already heard the damaging question.

  Pratt grinned like the Cheshire cat. “Isn’t it possible Lauren Rose came in possession of the ring when she murdered her sister and stole her jewelry?”

  “That’s not what the evidence shows.”

  “So you have proof that Lauren Rose did not kill her sister, Elizabeth?”

  “We have alibi witnesses confirming Dr. Rose was at work for the entire evening on July twenty-third. We have absolutely nothing to implicate her.”

  Pratt grinned broadly. “Nothing except for an extravagant ring that Miss Rose coveted since the day it was given to her sister by Jake Wakefield?”

  “Only if the ring was really stolen at the time of the crime and I only have Jake Wakefield’s word about that, which doesn’t mean much because he has lied and stonewalled so many times.”

  “Detective Wallace, did you personally witness Miss Rose take possession of the ring?” Pratt asked.

  “No.”

  “So it’s possible that Miss Rose stole the ring from Elizabeth Wakefield’s jewelry box?”

  “Anything is possible, but using that logic, there are a lot of pawn shop owners that should be considered suspects in robberies because they come in possession of stolen property all of the time.”

  Pratt attempted to discredit Wallace one final time, “Detective Wallace, isn’t it true you focused so exclusively on Jake Wakefield that you ignored credible evidence that might exonerate him, including evidence implicating Lauren Rose?”

  Detective Wallace responded decisively. “That is patently untrue. This investigation took seventy-five days, two full-time detectives, several criminalists, countless other police officers, and more than twenty-four hundred man hours to complete. This was an exhaustive, careful, and cautious investigation and all of the resulting evidence points squarely at Mr. Wakefield.”

  “I guess, you have to believe your own theory,” Pratt said.

  “Because it’s based on the facts,” Wallace retorted, but Judge Robles was already admonishing Pratt for making speeches in the courtroom.

  Chapter Forty-four

  (Thursday, September 21)

  Detective Wallace agreed to join the others for happy hour to celebrate his performance on the stand. Wallace had recently been featured on the cover of People magazine. Ryan teased him mercilessly about his celebrity status. Wallace accepted the ribbing good-naturedly, but he clearly despised the attention being showered upon him. He steered the prosecutors onto the topic of the Defense team, which was relatively easy to do because skewering the Defense was one of their favorite pastimes.

  Kyle did an excellent impression of Fisher, pretending to buff his fingernails while holding a press conference. Candace joined in with an impression of Pratt sputtering indignant diatribes to the judge. Lauren produced a spot-on impression of Jake, admiring his World Series ring and bemoaning the fact that this “pesky little murder trial is interfering with my pursuit of scandalous women.” With a general consensus that they had gained a significant advantage in the case, the mood was light.

  Afterwards, Ryan drove Lauren to Good Samaritan for her six o’clock start time. She asked him to pick her up at the hospital the next morning because she was pulling call that evening.

  “Are those on-call rooms how they show them on television?” Ryan teased.

  “Hardly. Ever notice how all of the doctors on television programs are young, hot, and have time for their personal lives?”

  “You’re young and hot and would have time for a personal life if you weren’t attending this bleeping trial.”

  Heat flushed her cheeks. “I can assure you those shows are unrealistic. They depict a lot of sex in on-call rooms, but if you offered a real resident a choice between sex and sleep, I’m pretty sure they’d choose sleep every time.” As soon as the words escaped her lips, she wished she could rescind them.

  Ryan smiled. “I guess it’s a lot like police work. Too much work, not enough time. Why do people take these jobs?”

  “The fame and fortune?”

  They shared a laugh.

  “Speaking of fame and fortune, they aren’t going to call you to testify at all?” she asked.

  “Nah. Wallace has a lot more experience on the stand. Besides, Candace is worried the Defense would try to discredit me because I’ve spent so much time with you.”

  “I feel terrible. I didn’t know it was going to mean you wouldn’t be able to testify.”

  “Because testifying is such a treat? I should be thanking you. You’ve saved me from one of Pratt’s scathing cross-examinations. Besides, I enjoy being your designated driver. It’s the most pleasant part of my day.”

  “Mine too,” Lauren responded instantly. Both the trial and her work were stressful. The times she spent in Ryan’s car were the most relaxing waking moments she had.

  “The Defense would have been right anyway.”

  “Right about what?” Lauren asked, confused.

  “I’m not impartial about you anymore. I haven’t been for a long time.”

  Lauren considered the magnitude of his words. It had been more than a year since she been abruptly dumped by Michael and her fledgling relationship with Jake had never even taken off. She had declined several efforts by LaRhonda to set her up. Even hearing that Michael had recently married Darcy had not upset her much. She had been too busy to miss dating.

  Lost in thought, Lauren wasn’t sure how to respond.

  Ryan pulled into the side entrance of the hospital and broke the silence. “See you in the morning…” he said, exactly as he always did.

  She smiled cheerfully. “Great. See you then.” As she opened the employee door, she turned to wave, but Ryan’s sedan was already disappearing around the corner.

  Chapter Forty-five

  (Friday, September 22)

  Lauren had tossed and turned all night thinking about what Ryan had said and kicking herself for the way she had handled it. Why hadn’t she told him how grateful she had been for his support or how much she enjoyed his company? She ruminated about how her silence must have sounded like a deafening rejection to him. How he must have been eager to escape when he pulled away so quickly.

  As she waited outside on a hospital bench for him to pick her up the following morning, she agonized about what she could say to fix the situation. She had stopped by the hospital cafeteria to purchase some pastries and clutched the white bakery bag in her sweaty palm. Ryan pulled up punctually. He would try to get out of the car to open her door for her if she didn’t beat him to it so she jogged toward the sedan in her pencil skirt and high heels. As she did so, she stepped on an out of place landscaping rock. She lost her balance and threw out her arms in a desperate attempt to prevent a fall, wobbling back and forth before regaining her balance. Ryan watched from the car with alarm. To mask her embarrassment, she dipped into an elaborate bow with a flourish of her arms. She could hear the welcome sound of Ryan’s laughter when she opened the car door.

  “That was quite the performance.”

  “Thanks, I’ve been practicing in all of my spare time.”

  Lauren saw he had a Starbucks drink waiting for her, flooding with relief that he didn’t appear to be upset with her.

  “Thanks for the chai tea. That is exactly what the doctor ordered, both literally and figuratively. Bear claw?” she offered. He raised one eyebrow suspiciously and accepted the pastry.

  Lauren’s mind was racing about what she should say, but Ryan spoke first. “Candace plans to rest the Prosecution’s case soon. Who do you think the Defense will call as their first witness?” They slipped easily into their usual dialogue about trial proceedings and Lauren
lost her resolve to finish the conversation they had started yesterday. Maybe she had been reading too much into things. The tension she had feared did not exist and not wishing to stir any up, she decided to let the matter drop.

  At the courthouse, there was more media pandemonium than usual. Television reporters were preparing sound bites, breathlessly speculating that the Prosecution would rest their case that day.

  Candace called Wallace back for re-direct, hoping to keep him on the stand long enough to prevent the Defense from starting the presentation of their case that day. She wanted the jury to have time to contemplate the full magnitude of the Prosecution’s case over the weekend.

  “Detective Wallace, do you remember Mr. Pratt asking if you were able to prove that Dr. Rose was not involved in her sister’s murder?”

  “Yes, I remember.”

  “Can you tell us if that is how police investigations proceed?”

  “I can tell you that is not how police investigations proceed. If police were required to prove everybody who did not commit the crime, we would be investigating the entire human population. However, we do try to eliminate all possible suspects until we narrow it down to the person responsible.”

  “And were you able to eliminate Dr. Rose as a possible suspect?”

  “Yes. Dr. Rose has a reliable alibi. Several of her coworkers confirmed she was at work that evening. Additionally, Dr. Rose was fully cooperative with the investigation and provided consistent statements throughout.”

  Candace kept Wallace on the stand for as long as she could, wrapping up shortly before noon. Judge Robles recessed court for lunch.

  The Prosecution team celebrated over Chinese take-out. They had presented a very strong case to the jury. They had not seen any Defense witnesses waiting in the courtroom lobby, suggesting the Defense would wait until Monday to call their first witness.

  The conversation turned to the question of whether or not Jake would take the stand.

  “Jake will insist on testifying,” Lauren predicted. “He won’t want to miss his moment in the spotlight.”