Deadly Distractions, A Stan Turner Mystery Vol 6
Page 43
CHAPTER 43
THE PACKAGE
Right after getting the call from Paula about Charlotte Harris I headed for the Fairmont Hotel. I couldn't believe that she had bolted from Don Harris so quickly. Obviously she had been wanting to leave him and was just waiting for the right moment. Don Harris had that effect on women. I was especially excited about interviewing Charlotte because she might be able to provide evidence to show that Don Harris went to the Double T Ranch on the day Bobby Tuttle was murdered. He might have even confessed the killing to her. When I got to the Fairmont I called Paul Thayer's office to find out what room Mrs. Harris was in. They didn't want to give out the room number over the phone so they said someone would come down and get me. After a few minutes a security officer found me, took me to her room, and let me in. Charlotte was over by the window looking down at the street.
"Hi, Mrs. Harris. I'm Stan Turner."
She turned and looked at me. "Hello."
"Are you all right?"
"Yes, just a little nervous," she said.
"Don't worry. You're safe now," I replied.
"Are you sure? My husband is quite resourceful. He might still find me."
"I doubt it. But we'll have you under 24-hour guard just in case."
"Good."
"Are you hungry? I can call room service."
"No, I'm too keyed up to eat."
"Right. Well, if you feel up to it, I have some questions I'd like to ask."
"Sure. Let's get this over with. What do you want to know?"
"How long have you been trying to get away from your husband?"
She sighed. "Since two weeks after we got married. I didn't realize the kind of man he was. He was so nice and charming until I pissed him off. I don't ever remember what I did, but he beat the crap out of me."
"Did you try to leave him then?"
"Yes, but he apologized and promised it wouldn't happen again. So, I didn't leave him."
"How long until he broke his promise?"
"Just a few days. He got mad again about something ridiculous and hit me again. I told him I wasn't going to put up with his abuse and was leaving. That's when he threatened my life."
"Why didn't you go to the police?"
"He warned me about going to the police. He said they couldn't protect me and that I'd be dead before they got to me."
"So, did he keep you prisoner?"
"Not exactly. After a day or two he acted like nothing had happened. I could have run I guess, but I was too scared."
"On the day Bobby Tuttle was murdered, did your husband use your car?"
"Yes, his truck wouldn't start so he took my car that day."
"When did he leave?"
"About 8:00 a.m."
"Did you see him during the day?"
"He came home around 9:30 p.m."
"Did you notice any damage to your car?"
"The mirror on the driver's side had been knocked off. He said it had happened at the car wash. That surprised me because Don didn't go to car washes very often. His truck was always filthy."
"Did he say anything about the Tuttle murder?"
"No, but he watched the coverage on the news and read everything about it the next morning in the newspaper."
"Did you see your husband with a shotgun that day?"
"No."
"Did you suspect he might be involved with the murder?"
"Yes, he hated Agent Tuttle. He complained about him all the time and said he was going to kill him more than once. I didn't take him seriously until the day he was murdered. I know everyone thought Dusty Thomas did it, but I wasn't so sure."
"Did you ever confront your husband with your suspicions?"
She frowned at me. "What, you think I'm crazy?"
Charlotte Harris was going to be a great witness. All I had to do was keep her alive for a week. I thanked Charlotte and told her to let us know if she needed anything. She had left so quickly she didn't have any luggage. I told the security guard to get her whatever she needed to be comfortable. He said he'd take care of it. When I got back to the office there was a package waiting for me. It was from Mo.
Inside was a manila file folder. I opened it and started looking through the papers. The first document was a report on S & T Packing. The document provided the history of the company, officers and directors, a description of its stated business, and financial status. At the bottom there was the following note:
"Secondary unofficial operation—Confirmed weapons' supplier to South and Central American guerrillas and drug traffickers."
This confirmed what Ron Green had suspected and provided the names of some of S & T's customers and the dates of transactions that had taken place. The next document was a complete report on Don Harris. It was nine pages long, beginning with his high school transcript at Hillcrest High School in Dallas. After graduating from high school he went to the University of Texas where he graduated in 1973 with a degree in graphic arts. While at UT, he was a member of the Army ROTC. After graduation he reported for duty and served until 1981 when he got a general discharge—not an honorable discharge.
The second document from Mo was part of a report about Harris' suspected illegal activities. Much of the report had been redacted but there was one paragraph that read: "Subject is a member of the Texas Militia terrorist group that advocates the secession of Texas from the United States. He also provides arms and munitions to said organization. Subject is under investigation by ATF for RICCO violations and IRS for tax evasion."
A final document contained names of persons associated with Don Harris. Heading the list were Ernesto Garcia and Lewis Lance. My heart jumped with joy. Garcia had lied to us and Lance had been less than forthright. They weren't just casual acquaintances of Don Harris. They were close associates and co-conspirator. Now my only problem was proving it. Mo had been kind enough to get me information, but these documents wouldn't be admissible at trial, and somehow I didn't think he would be able to provide witnesses. Nevertheless, it was a great relief to at least know I was on the right track. I'd find the evidence I needed. I just needed to keep digging.