The Advocate - 01 - The Advocate

by Teresa Burrell

  The bright yellow sun set, painting the ocean bronze, and the sky streaked with hues of pink, promising another breathtaking view. Sabre wondered if there would be a “green flash.” Every so often, when the sun set on the ocean, the atmosphere was such that it created a flash of green light.

  Sabre remembered the first one she had seen. During her freshman year of college, she and Ron were at the beach watching the sunset, unaware the flashes even existed until then. Just as the last bit of sun disappeared into the water, the horizon briefly flashed a bright green. Both she and Ron exclaimed, “Did you see that?” Sabre had only seen about half a dozen of them over the years, but every one she saw gave her brother back to her for that moment in time.

  The rounded edge of the sun disappeared into the ocean, the sky fuchsia for miles around it. Sabre watched the last bit of yellow light meet the dark blue waters. She waited, watching for the flash of green. The sun sank, but no flash. She continued admiring the beautiful sky. Flash or not, it delivered a tranquil sight.

  Before she descended from the wall, she glanced to her right and saw the man who had seated himself there earlier. As she rose, so did he. She walked toward him, in the direction of her car. After a few steps, he turned and went between some houses along the shorefront. She knew she was letting every little coincidence make her uneasy, and she didn’t want it to ruin her beautiful evening at the beach. She had to let go of this crazy paranoia. She took a deep breath.

  As she approached the spot where the stranger had been sitting, she smelled the familiar odor of Kantor cologne. Once again her heart skipped a beat. It was the only cologne Ron ever wore. The smell grew stronger the closer she came to where the man had been seated.

  She peered around, but he seemed to be gone. She watched as she walked to her car, but no further evidence of him or the smell presented itself. More paranoia?

  Frustrated, she drove home. Her relaxing time at the beach had lost its effect because she let her imagination run away with her again. The smell of the cologne, however, still bothered her.

  She ate some leftovers and cleaned up the kitchen. She put in her favorite old movie, When Harry Met Sally, and climbed into bed. It made her laugh, no matter how many times she watched it, but her attempt to lose herself in the movie proved unsuccessful. Both the stranger at the beach and Honey occupied her mind. What happened to that poor little girl? She would try again to talk with Alexis.

  After she tossed and turned for an hour, she fell asleep, but woke up several times thinking about the child whose world was void of sound. Where could she be? Each time Sabre fell back to sleep, she had a nightmare; either someone chased her or she dreamed of Honey, lost somewhere, wandering around by herself, scared and hungry.

  After Sabre woke up for the third time, she went downstairs and warmed a glass of milk. As a child, if she had a hard time sleeping, her mother would bring her one. It always seemed to work when she was younger. Sabre couldn’t be certain if it was because of the milk or because her mother would snuggle up to her and hold her until she fell asleep.

  She sat on the edge of her bed and sipped her milk. She finished, crawled under the covers, and after lying there about ten seconds, she felt something move in the bed. She first thought she had moved the covers, until she felt it crawling on her leg. She screamed as she jumped out of bed. Her heart pounded. She trembled as she stood frozen in place trying to catch her breath. She just stood there with her body convulsing until she had the good sense to turn on the light. Her reluctant hand reached for the blanket, grabbed the corner of the covers, and threw them back. Something darted away. She screamed again, jumped back, and bumped her head on the wall. Finally, she saw it, a harmless, little lizard. She tried to calm herself. She took a step, but her legs felt like jelly. Her heart beat faster, as she inched her way around the bed, pulling the covers off onto the floor. He seemed to be alone.

  Too frightened to get back in the bed or to lie down anywhere, she took a blanket from the closet and shook it out. She went downstairs, took the cushions off the sofa, and checked each crack and crevice. When satisfied there was nothing in it, she sat down on the sofa with the blanket wrapped around her, her knees pulled up to her chin. She sat in the dim light, still shaking. She wanted to call Bob, but it was three o’clock in the morning. For the rest of the night, she remained on the sofa in a state of fright, waiting for the sunrise.

  26

  Sabre dragged herself into the courthouse on Monday morning with dark, puffy bags under both eyes. Between the lizard and the nightmares about Honey, she had only slept a few hours over the weekend.

  Mike, her favorite bailiff, was working the metal detector. “Good morning,” he said.

  “Hi, Mike. How are you today?” she asked in a less than enthusiastic voice.

  “Obviously better than you. Rough weekend?”

  “You might say.” She forced a smile.

  “Well, you look like something the cat dragged in. I hope it was worth it.”

  “Absolutely.” Sabre winked, as she exited the machine. She didn’t want to talk about what was really on her mind, and complaining about her lack of sleep wouldn’t do any good. So she left him with the impression she’d had a wild weekend.

  She picked up her stack of files and walked over to her usual spot. Setting the files on the shelf, she spotted Bob at the front door. She walked over to greet him. His presence alone gave her comfort. “Mornin’,” she said.

  “Hi, honey,” Bob said, putting his arm around her shoulder as they walked. “You doing any better?”

  Sabre had called Bob as early as she thought appropriate Sunday morning. After sharing her lizard experience with him, he came right over and checked her house, but they couldn’t find the little culprit. Bob tried once again to encourage her to leave her house, but she refused.

  “I’m okay. I just need to catch up on my sleep. I’d sure feel better if we knew what happened to Honey Stone.”

  “Still no word, huh?”

  “Nope. The police, both here and in Atlanta, are investigating, but no one seems to know where she is. They’ve questioned everyone involved and none of the stories have changed. Gaylord and Peggy say they left her with the cousin, Adelle. Adelle and her husband say she should be with Peggy.”

  “What about Alexis? Does she know anything?”

  “Oh, I think she knows a lot, but she isn’t talking. She has either blocked it out, or she’s just too afraid to say anything.”

  “So what are you going to do at the hearing this morning?”

  “All I can do is set it for trial. I can’t let Alexis go home until I know Murdock isn’t involved with Honey’s disappearance.”

  “So the department hasn’t changed their recommendation? They still want to send her home?”

  “Marla doesn’t, but she had pressure from her supervisor. They’ve decided Murdock is a good guy and Alexis should be able to go home. Marla was delighted when I told her I was setting it for trial. We’re both hoping by the time we go to trial, we’ll have some answers on Honey’s whereabouts.”

  “Let’s go get it done,” Bob said.

  They went to Department Four for the Murdock/Smith case. The other attorneys were already in the courtroom when she and Bob entered. Sabre informed everyone she needed a trial date on Alexis. The recommendations for Jamie and Haley to remain in foster care went unopposed by Sabre, but Peggy’s attorney asked for the return of those children to their mother and Murdock wanted Haley in his custody. The attorneys took out their calendars and, along with the court clerk, agreed on a trial date of December 28, which placed the trial about a month out. Then they called the parents in for the hearing.

  Tom Gilley, Murdock’s attorney, argued for the return of Alexis to her father, pending the trial. Nevertheless, Judge Cheney denied his request since that was the crux of the contest by the minor’s attorney. Gilley was not surprised; he didn’t expect anything different. However, Murdock’s disappointment was evident. He tried to
maintain his usual calm demeanor, but his face reddened with anger. Sabre caught him looking at her with contempt. It only lasted a few seconds before he regained control. Although his look had sent a chill down Sabre’s back, she thought about how he must feel. What if he hasn’t done anything except try to protect his unborn child? What if he is a victim like the children? How unfair, then, to him and to Alexis. Who am I to decide, to play God, if you will, and keep them apart, especially now during the holidays? Nevertheless, she had no choice. She had to know what happened to Honey before she could let Alexis go home.

  Her thoughts were interrupted when Judge Cheney spoke, “… trial date, December 28th; settlement conference, ten days from today. The parents are ordered to return for both hearings. All previous orders remain in full force and effect.”

  Sabre stayed in the courtroom until the parents had left. She didn’t want to face Gaylord Murdock.

  “What’s the matter, Sobs?”

  “I’m okay. I just hope I did the right thing. I hate to see families split up, especially for the holidays. And now Alexis will be in Jordan for Thanksgiving and Christmas.”

  “She’ll be fine. She likes it there, and they love her. Besides, she’ll be with Jamie, and you know how important that is to her.”

  “True, it would be hard for her to be apart from him. But maybe they should both be with Murdock. He’s doing everything the department has asked him to do,” Sabre said.

  “But what about Honey? There’s a missing five-year-old no one can explain. They’re all lying. Think about it. Why hasn’t this child been reported missing? Why didn’t anyone mention her until we brought it up? Why did Alexis need to make up a name for her and hide her identity?”

  “That’s exactly why Alexis needs to stay where she is until we know more. Besides, even if Murdock is not involved with anything illegal, he may not be able to protect Alexis from those thugs who snatched Elizabeth.”

  “You did the only thing you could do. Something surely will shake out by the trial, and if not, it won’t be your decision any longer. Judge Cheney will make the call.”

  “You’re right. Let’s get out of here. I need some lunch,” Sabre said.

  “Okay, I’ll drive. Where would you like to go?”

  “You pick. I’ve made enough decisions for one day.”

  They chatted as they walked. Bob lit up a cigarette as soon as they stepped out of the courthouse. When he reached the car he took a few long, hard drags, and put it out. “So, what are your plans for Thanksgiving? Are you going to see your mother?”

  “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 his friend, “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.

  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 buddy, 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 i
f 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.