Now Say You're Sorry

by Barbara Fournier

  “Thank you for bringing her flowers,” Mary Elizabeth said. “That was very kind of you. I know you want to ask Kei Lien questions, but I’m not sure she can answer them. Have a cup of tea with me. We’ll let her rest a little while longer. I made some cranberry muffins. They’re still warm.”

  “Sounds great to me. If you don’t mind, I would like it if you are in the room when I do ask Kei Lien questions. Just in case we need your testimony at trial.”

  “What have you found out, Detective? Do you have a suspect?”

  “A few, matter of fact. Please, call me Reese.”

  The two sat in the kitchen enjoying tea and muffins for over an hour. Reese really missed this kind of home life growing up. But that’s the way some families are. Not everything can be perfect all the time.

  Chapter 85

  Tim Cole, sitting in his holding cell, laughed maniacally when he caught sight of Teresa and Randall being escorted into the station in handcuffs. It was what she deserved, he thought. Only now, he would have to wait until they finished interrogating her before he figured out his own plan. It all depended on how much she told the detectives. He didn’t have to wait long. Randall and Teresa were led into the cells next to his by Detective Lake.

  “Guess they finished with you already. Get a lawyer, did you?” he teased.

  “Just shut your mouth, you idiot,” Teresa snapped. “Got it? Not another word or else!”

  “You know this man?” Lake asked. “Anything you would like to share? Anything at all?”

  “Yes, Detective, there is. But it’s sign language,” she said, extending her middle finger.

  “Now is that any way for a lady to behave?” Lake said with a wink.

  When Teresa’s attorney arrived, she was polite, but direct.

  “My name is Alexis Wade. I am the attorney for Teresa Kelsey. May I speak with her? In private, please.”

  The lawyer and her client were both escorted into an interrogation room. It was about twenty minutes later when Alexis Wade reappeared in the squad room.

  “My client has something she would like to say, but I see Detective Clayton is not here. Would you rather we wait for her to return?”

  “No, that’s not necessary.” Lake answered.

  The interrogation room was rather small. One wall mirrored, double-sided of course. Neat and clean. Walls more of a jail cell gray tone. An iron bar ran across the metal table, about four or five inches from the top for handcuffing purposes. Lighting was a little bit bright, but not that bad. The chairs, straight backed and purposefully uncomfortable.

  “What is it you would like to share, Teresa?” Lake asked.

  “First of all, Detective, those files you saw in my hotel room were the ones taken from Sara Hunter. I will admit to that. I needed to know if my late husband was responsible for raping that young woman. I was mortified to think he would do such a thing. I knew he was cheating on me, but I had no idea with who he was having an affair. The pages I took told me nothing of what he did or didn’t do. As a matter of fact, I really didn’t understand any of it.”

  “You do know that whatever you say to us will be used in court?” Lake asked.

  Alexis Wade stepped in.

  “Yes, I have informed her of her rights, but she insists on telling you what she knows. She’s aware this whole conversation is being recorded. She is trying to be of help, Detective.”

  Lake knew better. Cooperation was not in Teresa Kelsey’s vocabulary. But he went along with the charade, asking Teresa another question.

  “Mrs. Kelsey, did you hire someone to spy on your husband?”

  “Yes, I did, but I am not proud of that. His name is Timothy Cole.”

  He continued with the questioning, but wondered why Teresa was telling him all of this.

  “Where did you find Mr. Cole? The yellow pages?”

  “Detective,” said her lawyer.

  Teresa’s body stiffened. She wanted to tell him off, but her attorney squeezed her leg under the metal table. Just the thought of sitting in this dull gray, cold, poor excuse for a room nauseated her. Did the suspects placed in this room seriously believe that was a mirror on the wall? The table felt ice cold on her elbows. She knew she had to keep calm, for a while at least.

  “Ken Sorenson recommended Mr. Cole to me,” she answered.

  “Teresa, how well did you know Ken Sorenson?”

  Her face reddened.

  “What are you implying, Detective?” inquired her attorney.

  “Well, we already know that Teresa gave him a place to stay while he went to the academy. We also know from Randall Cummings that Officer Sorenson made frequent visits to Teresa’s suite, even though he had moved out and rented his own apartment. Would you care to tell us why he stopped by so often?”

  Teresa was livid. She turned to her attorney

  “I’m done here.”

  “Oh. One more question, Mrs. Kelsey,” Lake said, savoring the moment. “On two separate occasions you made a casual statement to my partner and to me. Would you like to explain how you knew the knife plunged into your beloved husband’s heart was a ten-inch butcher knife?”

  Teresa’s face froze. The fiery red color in her cheeks washed to a whiter shade of pale.

  “Why you son of a bitch! Who do you think you are talking to?”

  Lake stood and opened the door to leave the room.

  “See you in court, Mrs. Kelsey. Officer, please escort Mrs. Kelsey to her cell to await her bail hearing.”

  Chapter 86

  Reese knew that a conversation with Kei Lien was going to be difficult. She set up her recorder and then thought she probably shouldn’t question her without her attorney present. Does she even have one? Does she even know what an attorney is? She could speak with her, but Reese knew nothing she said would technically hold up in court.

  “Mrs. Hollingsworth, does Kei Lien have an attorney?”

  “Well, my son represented her guardianship hearing for Minh Nyung. I don’t know if it is possible for him to represent her in court for this, though. By the way, what exactly is this?”

  “Her father was murdered. It’s a possibility that Kei Lien either knew his killer or maybe was his killer. I would have killed the bastard long ago if he was my father.”

  “I think you’re right. We need to be sure this young lady is well-represented with an attorney before she answers or tries to answer anything.”

  “Let’s just agree that Kei Lien was unable to speak when I was here.”

  “Deal. I’ll show you out. And, detective, thank you.”

  “Thank you for the wonderful muffins and conversation. Maybe next time she will be awake,” Reese said with a wink.

  Reese reported back to the station and gave Lake a quick update on her visit with Kei Lien and that she couldn’t speak with her.

  “It’s probably for the best,” Lake replied. “She probably should be represented. This whole case is getting to be a cluster…”

  “Don’t say it.”

  “I spoke with Teresa and her lawyer while you were gone. Teresa admitted to taking Sara’s files. She claims she just wanted to see if her husband was a rapist. She claims she didn’t understand the report at all. She also admitted that she hired Tim Cole to spy on Sergeant Kelsey, not kill him. I asked her to explain the relationship between her and Ken. She flipped out and stopped the conversation.”

  “Damn it, Emerson! What about the knife? That’s what I would have thrown at her.”

  “Ye of little faith. I loved the expression on her lawyer’s face when I asked how Teresa knew it was a ten-inch blade. It was priceless.”

  “You’re a good boy, Mr. Lake,” she mocked.

  “That’s Detective Lake. Your partner, remember?”

  “Touché, you pain in the ass.”

  “You are cute when you get
ticked off,” he teased.

  “Then I must be cute a lot.”

  Chapter 87

  “This case is going to be a nightmare for the judge and jury,” Clayton said.

  She was reviewing the case with Lake and pacing back and forth as she thought out loud.

  “It’s so complex. Tim Cole has already confessed to so much, but we need to prove his involvement in the murders of the Sergeant and Chandler. He must have had help. That would have been a lot of work to clean up the blood, destroy their clothing and gift wrapping them. Not to mention sewing a dog tag into someone’s head. He couldn’t have done all of that alone. I think we still need to try and get some answers from Kei Lien. She might have the missing pieces of this puzzle. Her attorney is Mr. Hollingsworth. He needs to be there when we question her.”

  “Got it,” Lake said. “Do you want to start with Cole first? His attorney and the not-so-new looking briefcase are speaking with him now. I’ll get him back in here to see what else we can find about his client’s confessions.”

  Reese chuckled a little. “That poor guy had no clue what he was getting into. He seems very smart though, just pulled the wrong straw. I’m surprised he’s still Tim’s attorney, he could have asked to stay in Jade. Although this could put him on the map. Okay, partner, let’s do this.”

  “I’ll also get Randall and Teresa’s statements signed. They have the same lawyer. Alexis Wade.”

  Lake really wanted another shot at Teresa. He also knew it was not likely going to happen.

  “I just received a call from the D.A in Jade,” Officer Manning said coming from the Captains office. “She’ll be here for Cole’s sentencing trial.”

  “She really does want Cole in jail for the rest of his life,” said Reese. “Plus, this case has made national news. Looks good for her if this goes the way she wants it to.”

  First thing Reese did was contact Hollingsworth to set a time for the meeting with Kei Lien. Next was the task of questioning Tim and his lawyer. Reese somehow had to find out the name of the “Boss,” although she had a pretty good idea it was Teresa.

  Raymond Schmidt approached Reese.

  “Detective, I hear you would like to question my client. Yet again. I don’t know what more you could possibly ask Mr. Cole. What else is there to say?”

  “We would like a few more answers,” she answered.

  “You do know that he will most likely be sentenced to life in a secure mental facility due to the findings of the psychiatrist? It’s all in the reports.”

  “I am well aware of that. Why don’t I join you two in the interrogation room?”

  Tim raised his head out of his hands as they entered the room.

  “Mr. Cole did you see anyone else in the Chandler house when you were there?” Clayton asked.

  Tim really liked the way Mr. Cole sounded coming from Detective Clayton.

  “He hurt her,” Tim replied.

  “Who? Who did he hurt?”

  Reese and Cole’s attorney watched as Tim morphed from rabid criminal to a big brother protecting his little sister. His eyes and face softened and it sounded like he really did have a heart, instead of putting a knife through one.

  “He hurt his little girl. He’s no good because he did the same things to her as that no-good sergeant. And after they were done with her, they would make her say I’m sorry.”

  Tim sat very still for a few seconds feeling the pain of his friend. His new friend.

  “Did you see anyone else while you were in his home, Mr. Cole?” Reese continued.

  “The girl climbing out the window. Chandler’s girl.”

  “By Chandler’s girl, do you mean his daughter?” Reese asked.

  Schmidt was just as disturbed as Detective Clayton with this new info. It seemed no matter how many times he advised his client not to answer, he completely disregarded his pleas. This was the kind of testimony you would expect in a courtroom.

  “Tim, I would recommend that you keep silent at this point,” Schmidt advised.

  But Tim continued.

  “I just made sure what needed to be done was done. Then I left. But I had to come back to put that dog tag in his head.”

  “Mr. Cole,” Schmidt interrupted, growing agitated with his client. “How am I supposed to help you if you are disregarding my advice to not say anything else?”

  “Does it matter?” Tim shrugged. “I’m going back to one of those places anyway. Where they fill your head up with wires and give you drugs that make your head hurt.”

  Reese proceeded.

  “Mr. Cole, why a dog tag that said Santa?”

  “Because Chandler was Santa. He would tell his little girl that it was her fault these things happened to her because she wrote letters to Santa asking for someone to love her. So, I wanted all of you to know it was him that hurt her. Santa. And the others. Even the Sergeant.”

  “Mr. Cole, how did you know all these horrible things were happening to Kei Lien?” Reese asked. She was doing her best to keep the conversation running smoothly and not frighten him into silence. She was beginning to feel a little bad for this guy. It seemed he was trying to help this girl, right or wrong.

  “I guess I felt bad for her. I watched her hang clothes on the line and cook food. Never seen anybody else. No girlfriends. No mom. Mom...” Tim’s voice trailed off. “I love my mom. You know that, right?”

  “I know,” Reese said gently. “How long have you been going in Kei Lien’s house to watch her?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Mr. Cole, who is the person you call Boss?”

  The conversation ended.

  Chapter 88

  Detectives Lake and Clayton arrived at the Hollingsworth home as scheduled. A houseful of people greeted them. Kei Lien’s attorney, Denton Hollingsworth, along with Minh, Mary Elizabeth and Daniel were inside. Everyone in the room was advised the conversation was being recorded. Reese began by assuring everyone that she and Detective Lake were there to find out what happened on the night of Adam Chandler’s murder and not to accuse anyone of anything. Reese thought it wise to start the questioning, seeing how her partner didn’t have a great bedside manner. Mary Elizabeth held Kei Lien’s hand to let her know she was safe during the conversation and not to be afraid.

  Reese began.

  “Could you tell me your name, please?”

  “Kei Lien.”

  Reese was surprised she could speak at all, considering what she had been through. She glanced at Mary Elizabeth.

  “It’s fine,” Mary Elizabeth said. “Kei Lien is having a good day today. No medications. We even shared a cranberry muffin this morning.”

  Reese smiled.

  “Do you understand what Mr. Hollingsworth told you before we arrived, Kei Lien? You do not have to say anything to us that you do not want to. Do you understand that?”

  Kei Lien nodded her head yes and her lawyer verbally acknowledged that Kei Lien understood so it would be on the record.

  “Can you tell us what your father did to you and why he did it?” Reese asked.

  Kei Lien stared blankly at the detective. Mary Elizabeth chimed in.

  “Kei Lien, can you show the officers where your father and the other gifts from Santa hurt you?”

  “My client is pointing to her mouth, her vagina and her anal area,” Denton said, explaining Kei Lien’s actions.

  He was nauseated knowing this girl was tortured. Even though she was not the first rape victim any of them had been involved with, this was incest. And a very disturbing life for this woman.

  Reese continued. “Kei Lien, can you tell me if you saw any other people in your house besides your father the day you ran away?”

  “Yes.”

  “Do you know how many? Do you remember?”

  “The gift from Santa, a woman and my friend Tim,
” she answered. “Is he in trouble?”

  Kei Lien started to get anxious, Mary Elizabeth squeezed her hand tighter.

  “No one will hurt you now,” she reassured Kei Lien.

  “My friend Tim said that to me.”

  “Said what?” asked Reese.

  “No one will hurt me now.”

  Kei Lien’s breathing was getting shallow, her legs were beginning to thrash. Reese knew she better wrap this up soon before this young lady needed another shot to quiet her. She held up a photo of Martin Kelsey.

  “Is this the man you call Santa?”

  “Yes, one of them.”

  “Did you stab your father with a knife?”

  Denton interrupted. “She does not have to answer that question, you know that. Shut off the recorder now.”

  “This will be off the record,” Reese shot back.

  Kei Lien lifted her head slightly and answered.

  “No.”

  Reese shared a photo of Teresa Kelsey.

  “This is the last question I will ask today,” Reese said, hoping to calm Kei Lien a bit. “Can you look at this photo? Was this lady in your house the night you ran away?”

  “No.”

  Everyone in Kei Lien’s room glanced at each other in silence. They thought they had this case wrapped up and certain Teresa Kelsey was the Boss.

  Denton broke the silence.

  “I think we should all leave now so she can get some rest.”

  Each one filed out of the room. Daniel was the last one left to leave. He stood in the doorway and gazed lovingly at Kei Lien.

  Kei Lien raised her hand, smiled, and gently waved to Daniel.

  “My new friend.”

  “Where do we go from here?” Lake asked once they were back in the car. “Is this back to square one? If so, I’m going to need a drink. A real drink. What the hell just happened to our case? There is something else we are missing, another piece to this, another person. Not that I don’t think Teresa is involved. She sure as hell is, but there is more.”

  “Maybe we should have that so-called drink later tonight, Detective Lake,” Reese answered. “That is if you behave yourself between now and then.”