[The Advocate 01.0] The Advocate

by Teresa Burrell

  "Yes, I'm driving up there on Wednesday, right after court. Mom would have a fit if I didn't go. Besides, I'm looking forward to a change of scenery."

  "Good, you need a break. When will you be back?"

  "Probably Sunday evening or late afternoon. Mom will insist I go to church with her on Sunday morning, and then she'll have to fix me a good meal before I leave. She's afraid I may starve to death on the long, one-hour drive. Then she'll pack me a care package of all the leftovers from the turkey dinner. Actually, that's my favorite part. I love the leftovers."

  "My wife always makes a really big turkey so we can have sandwiches for a week, but after a few days, I get sick of them. Corey never seems to tire of them, though."

  "So, are you going to the mountains this year?"

  "Yeah, we're all going, the whole family, even 'the hippies,' my sister-in-law and her husband. It'll be a grand time," Bob said, in his usual sarcastic humor. "My mother-in-law will spend the whole time complaining; the hippies will make their own vegetarian dinner with their home-grown herbs; and their kids will run wild through the cabin, because the hippies don't believe in stifling them. Since there's no television, telephones, or video games, I'll pretty much be bored out of my mind."

  "Sounds like a ball." Sabre, amused by Bob's reference to his sister-in-law and her husband as "the hippies," couldn't recall ever hearing their actual names.

  "It's okay. When things become too crazy, Corey and I'll go skiing. He's getting pretty good," Bob said with pride. "I'm giving him some new ski equipment for Christmas this year. He's outgrown most of last year's stuff." He looked at Sabre, "Sobs, I'm glad you're getting away for a while. I feel better knowing you'll be out of town while I'm gone. That lizard thing bothers me. You should've called me when it happened."

  "It was three o'clock in the morning. I didn't want to wake everyone up."

  "I don't care what frickin' time it was," he scolded her. "You must've been scared out of your wits."

  "It was a little spooky, until I realized it couldn't hurt me. The poor little thing was probably more frightened than I was. The way I screamed, it's a wonder I didn't scare him to death."

  "Listen, Sobs, why don't you stay with us until you leave on Wednesday?"

  "No. You don't need me intruding on your family."

  "Then go stay with my friend JP, the private eye. He'd love the company. I'd sure feel better."

  "Bob, it was just a lizard, a little lizard at that," Sabre said. "I just wonder how the poor little thing got into the house and into my bed." She saw the look of concern on Bob's face. "I'll be fine. You worry too much."

  Sabre didn't tell him about smelling Ron's cologne at the beach. He'd never let her go home alone if she did.

  CHAPTER 27

  Detective Joe Carriage had the attention of Internal Affairs. The information Sabre provided from Ruby Sterling, coupled with the attempt on Joe's life, provided enough to spur them to open an investigation.

  Brett and Joe left the department, walking together but not speaking. As soon as they entered the car out of earshot, Brett asked, "So, what's the latest from IA?"

  "They've talked to Ruby, and she gave them the information they needed."

  "Can she identify Davis?"

  "She picked him right out of a set of photos. She also identified the thugs who took her daughter. The big guy is still in town. The other one is nowhere to be found, but they're looking for him."

  "So are they going to make an arrest?"

  "Not yet. They hope to find the second guy, and they're trying to find out who ordered the hit on Steve. There also appears to be a gambling ring under investigation that may be tied in with Elizabeth's disappearance and Steve's death."

  "Well, I sure will be glad when this is over and things are back to normal at the office."

  Before Joe could respond, his cell phone rang. "Joe Carriage," he said.

  "Hi Joe, it's Howard Martin."

  "Howard, nice to hear from you; I've been waiting for your call."

  "I know and I apologize. I was waiting until I had more to tell you, but I'm still chasing some loose ends. I can tell you this much, though. There's an FBI file on Elizabeth and Gaylord Murdock. It doesn't, however, include her disappearance. No one informed us. It should've been reported to us five years ago, but the liaison between the Atlanta PD and our department neglected to inform us. In fact, it looks like someone squelched it deliberately so we wouldn't know about it."

  "So the FBI was working with the Atlanta Police Department, but we didn't keep you informed. Is that what you're saying?"

  "Yup, but here's the kicker. The liaison . . . none other than your pal, Bill Davis."

  "Bingo," Joe said.

  "There's more. It appears your friend, Steve Parker, investigated thoroughly, in spite of the effort by Bill Davis to close the case. It looks like Steve must've gotten too close and that's why he turned up dead. And we have a pretty good idea where that may take us."

  "Have you spoken to Internal Affairs about this?"

  "No, I wanted to talk to you first, but I'll be glad to pass the info on if you say so. I'd have to do it eventually anyway, but I have a little leeway if you need some time," Howard offered.

  "No, there's no reason to stall; in fact, the sooner the better. Thanks, Howard. You just made my life easier."

  "Hey, it's the least I can do. By the way, I'm still working on the phone number. I should have something for you soon."

  Joe hung up the phone and told Brett what he just learned. "That should add another nail to Davis' coffin. This is opening up their case, too, on Elizabeth and Gaylord Murdock. I wonder what that's all about."

  "I don't know, but let's get back to the office. Adelle and Harry are coming in for the lie detector test this afternoon," Brett said.

  "Do you think they'll show?"

  "Who knows? Let's go find out."

  Brett and Joe arrived back at the office a few minutes before the scheduled test. They tried to avoid as much time as they could at the department, but they walked in this time with the realization it would soon be over.

  The examiner kept Harry in a separate room while they tested Adelle. He asked some preliminary questions and then delved into the questions about Honey. "Did Honey Stone ever live with you?"

  "Yes, most of her life," Adelle answered; the needle steady.

  "When did you last see her?"

  "In October, just before Peggy left for California."

  "Where did you see her?"

  "At Peggy's boyfriend's house," she said. Still no suspicious activity on the machine.

  "Have you had anything to drink today?"

  "No." The needle went up.

  "How much have you had to drink today?" the examiner rephrased the question.

  "Just a beer, one beer; I had to settle my nerves. I was worried about the test. I drank it just before we got here. I didn't think one beer would hurt nuttin'." The needle steady again.

  "Do you know where Honey is?"

  "No." No activity on the monitor.

  "Have you seen or heard from Honey since Peggy left for California?"

  "No."

  "Have you spoken with Peggy recently?"

  "Not since she left for California." No movement on the machine.

  "Are you in any way involved in Honey's disappearance?"

  "No."

  "Do you have any knowledge or information about her disappearance?"

  "No." The needle did not indicate any misgivings.

  The examiner looked at Joe and Brett to see if they had anything else they wanted covered. They both shook their heads. "Okay, Ms. Thompson, you're free to go. Just wait in the lobby; Detective Carriage will be with you shortly."

  "Did I do okay? I told the truth, you know," Adelle said, her hands shaking. She looked like she could use another drink.

  "You did just fine," Joe assured her.

  When she left the room, the examiner spoke. "Well, the machine seems to think she's te
lling the truth. And it caught her immediately on the drinking question."

  "Yup, I don't think she knows anything," Joe said. "Let's bring Harry in and see what the machine has to say about him."

  They went through a similar series of questions with Harry and obtained the same results. In fact, the needle hardly moved. He showed little emotion about anything. At the end, when the examiner checked with Joe and Brett to see if they wanted to ask anything else, Joe asked, "Do you beat your wife?"

  "Of course not," Harry responded. The machine went wild. "And this ain't sposed to be 'bout me and my wife; it's sposed to be 'bout Honey."

  Joe nodded at the examiner, who unhooked Harry from the machine. "Okay, Harry, you can go," he said.

  Joe thanked the examiner. He and Brett went to speak with Adelle and Harry. "So, how did Harry do? He didn't know nuttin' did he?"

  "Harry did fine, Adelle."

  "Peggy better not have done nuttin' to my little girl. I knowed I shouldn't of trusted her. Are you going to arrest her and her boyfriend?"

  "We'll continue to investigate and we'll let you know if we find out anything about Honey's whereabouts," Joe said. He stood up and stepped towards the door.

  Adelle ignored the implication to exit and went on, "Those Murdocks will probably try to cover it up. All that money and all . . . ."

  Brett walked over to her and directed her to the door, "Don't worry, Adelle, we'll take it from here. We'll find out what happened." He kept talking with her all the way to the door.

  Before she exited, Adelle stopped and looked at Brett, "Don't let those Murdocks get away with this just cuz they got money. Ya hear?"

  "We won't. We'll find out what happened, and we'll get the person responsible. You just go home and get some rest now," Brett said.

  Adelle still would not leave. Finally, Harry grabbed her by the arm and gave her a yank pulling her off her feet. "Adelle, let's go. We're done here."

  Joe did all he could to keep from popping Harry one for the way he treated Adelle. After they left, he said, "Boy, Harry's some piece of work, isn't he?"

  "Yup, he'll probably go home and beat the crap out of her for making him go through this. He had little interest or concern about Honey. Say, if you don't need me right now, I have some paperwork to catch up on."

  "Sure, I'll catch up with you later."

  "Okay. I do want to stick around here for a while in case your friend Howard gets through to Internal Affairs. You know how they like to make their busts so everyone can see them. I wouldn't want to miss this one if it goes down at the department," Brett said.

  When Brett left, Joe returned to his office, called Detective Nelson, and explained everything he knew so far. Then he called Sabre. He had several things he thought she ought to know for her own safety.

  "Hi Joe. How was your weekend?"

  "Not bad, and yours?"

  "Interesting," she said without any further explanation. "What's up?"

  "We just finished the lie detector tests on Adelle and Harry Thompson, and they appear to be telling the truth. Peggy seems to be the last one who saw Honey."

  "Does Detective Nelson know?"

  "Yeah, I just spoke to him. He's going to go talk with Peggy again. Maybe even take her in for questioning."

  "You don't think she'd hurt her own daughter, do you?"

  "I don't know. It wouldn't be the first time a druggie sacrificed their kid for drug money. I've seen druggies do some pretty awful things."

  "Yeah, me too, but she doesn't strike me as the type. Although, she is pretty self-centered."

  "Well, we'll see what Nelson comes up with," Joe said. "Sabre, I think there's a connection between Elizabeth Murdock's disappearance and your attack by the bat."

  "What are you talking about? What kind of a connection?"

  "Remember, I told you Steve had a riddle on the case he was trying to solve. I found the riddle on the notepad Steve kept on Elizabeth's case. It read:

  Color, a pretty, bright red

  In the darkness, toward the light;

  Circling, circling the head

  Blinding speed, causing sheer fright.

  Also, Steve left a note stating he had figured it out. He said it was a red bat."

  After a moment of silence, Sabre said, "So you think whoever let the bat loose in my office has something to do with the Murdock case?"

  "Well, you have to admit, it's a pretty strange coincidence. And another thing . . . . You don't find those red bats in California; they live east of the Rockies. Someone went to a lot of effort."

  "I don't know what to think," Sabre said. "Maybe those thugs who took Elizabeth are after me. But why?"

  "I don't know. Just be careful until we figure this out. One more thing – I found a phone number indented in the paper with the riddle. We're checking it out. It may be nothing, but I'll keep you posted."

  Joe and Brett stayed at the office most of the day waiting for some action. Joe spoke with Howard Martin in the late afternoon. He had wasted no time contacting Internal Affairs. Martin provided them with the information on Davis and as much as he could from the FBI file. Between the FBI and Atlanta Police Department, they made twelve arrests, rounding up thugs connected to the gambling ring, but an arrest of Davis had still not been made.

  CHAPTER 28

  Sabre packed for the holiday weekend. Both her mind and body ached for some respite. She looked forward to playing with Ron's dog, Patches, sleeping in, baking pies, and spending time with her mother. The house would fill up on Thanksgiving Day. Uncle Chet and Aunt Victoria would be there with the twins. The girls, both married now, had five children between them. She looked forward to seeing the newest baby. Of course, she'd have to put up with all the remarks and questions about when she would follow suit. Nevertheless, she looked forward to the visit.

  When she finished packing, she drove to see Alexis. She planned to visit with her, stop to see Carla, and then head out of town.

  When Kathy, the attendant, brought Alexis out, her eyes lit up. "So nice to see you, Miss Sabre," Alexis said.

  "So nice to see you, Miss Alexis," Sabre retorted. She turned to the attendant. "Thank you, Miss Kathy." Sabre looked around. "Where's Jamie?"

  "He has a little stomach ache and is taking a nap. Did you want me to wake him?" Kathy asked.

  "No, don't. I'll see him next trip."

  Sabre and Alexis went into the interview room. Alexis told her all about the things planned at Jordan for Thanksgiving Day, including the special turkey dinner and the kids putting on a play. Alexis had a large part in the play and spouted off every word without a script. "Can you come to my play?"

  "I'm sorry, Alexis, but I'll be out of town. I'm going to see . . ." She didn't want to tell her about the visit to her mother. She imagined how many times Alexis must wish she could see hers. ". . . relatives in another city. They're fixing a big Thanksgiving dinner, much like you'll have here."

  "It's okay. You've heard my part anyway," she said, but Sabre heard disappointment in her voice. "And it's the best part. Jamie and the other little ones are the turkeys. They have feathers for their tails and goofy beaks we made in art class, and they go around gobbling. They're sure funny . . ."

  The door opened and Gaylord Murdock stepped in. "Hello, Alexis, Sabre," he said. "How are you two today?"

  He reached out his arms for Alexis to come to him. She gave him a hug. "Hello, Father. I thought you weren't coming until tomorrow."

  "Well, I missed my little girl, and so Kathy said I could come today."

  Sabre was surprised to see him walk in. This was highly irregular and inappropriate. She'd have a talk with Kathy before she left, but right now she needed to deal with the situation without making a scene in front of Alexis.

  "Hello, Mr. Murdock," she said. "Where's Kathy?"

  "She's out there," he said, tilting his head toward the door. "She said since you were in here she didn't need to be, and she had a lot of other things to do this evening."

&n
bsp; "Well, Alexis and I have just started our visit. Would you mind waiting outside for a little while so we can finish up?"

  Murdock had his left arm around his daughter and his right hand in his pocket. "No problem," he said, as he walked toward her. "But first, I'd like you to do something for me." When he stood within inches of her, his eyes motioned to the hand in his pocket. He pulled his hand up so Sabre could see the tip of a handle on a pistol.

  Sabre surveyed the room. She couldn't reach the phone without going through Murdock. If she screamed he might shoot and kill her and Alexis. "What do you want?" Sabre asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

  "Alexis, get Ms. Brown's bag," he said. "Now, let's go out in the square," Murdock said calmly. Alexis looked confused. "Just do as I say, Alexis," he said firmly.

  Alexis picked up Sabre's black bag and put it over her shoulder. She and Sabre moved toward the sliding glass door. As they stepped outside, the cold air hit Sabre, and she felt a chill come over her entire body. She saw Alexis shiver as well. Reaching for her, she pulled her close to keep her warm.

  "Alexis, show me where you went the night you left here and went to Sabre's office. How did you get out?" Murdock said.

  "Through here," Alexis said as she walked toward the outer door of another office, slowly opened it, and looked in. "Wait," she whispered. Alexis could see the clerk in the back room. As soon as the clerk turned her back, Alexis said, "Okay, quickly." She stepped inside the door, followed by Sabre and Murdock. They walked through the small room to the other side and out the door. A man came out of a room as they started across a hallway. They ducked around the corner, but the man turned the other direction and disappeared. Walking down the short hallway, they entered another room filled with old file cabinets and boxes. Alexis squeezed between a couple of boxes and behind a file cabinet to a door leading outside. Sabre and Murdock couldn't fit through. Murdock instructed Sabre to pick up one of the boxes. While she had her hands full, he grabbed the other one and moved it, allowing enough room for both of them to squeeze through.