The Advocate - 01 - The Advocate

by Teresa Burrell

  “Oh, uneventful.”

  JP laughed, and Sabre joined him.

  “Okay,” Bob said, “what’s going on? Are you two having an affair or something behind my back?” That struck them both even funnier, and they laughed louder. “And what the hell happened to your lip?”

  “You have been shut off from the world,” JP said.

  Sabre decided she’d toyed with him enough. “Remember Wednesday, when I called you from my cell phone?”

  “Yeah, on your way to see Alexis before you left town.”

  “Well, it all went downhill after that.” She told him the story, explaining in detail about being kidnapped, her Thanksgiving dinner, the escape, the night in the woods, and their rescue.

  Bob shook his head. “You’re sure you’re all right?”

  “Oh yeah, I’m fine. My wrists and ankles are a little sore from the ropes.” She raised her sleeves and her pant legs so he could see her bandages. “And my body is a little beat up from the hike, but otherwise I’m okay.”

  “And Alexis?”

  “She’s fine, too, at least physically.”

  “Wow,” Bob said. “The most exciting thing to happen on my vacation was Corey spilling his milk at the Thanksgiving dinner table and one of the hippie in-laws contracting diarrhea. I guess you topped mine.”

  The phone rang. JP went in the house to answer it. Bob walked over and gave Sabre another hug. “Sobs, I’m so glad you’re okay. I’m just sorry I wasn’t here for you.”

  “Hey, there’s nothing you could’ve done. Besides, you were here for me. You left your buddy JP to take care of me, didn’t you?”

  They sat and visited until JP returned. “That was Greg on the phone.”

  “Greg?” Bob queried.

  “Gregory Nelson, the detective on this case. He’s a friend of mine. We spent time together in the same precinct back in our rookie days. He’s a good guy.”

  “Did they find Murdock?” Sabre asked.

  “No, I’m afraid not, but they did pick up Peggy Smith. I guess she’s pretty high, but they’re about to interrogate her. He said we can go down there and listen if we’d like. We’d be in an adjoining room, and she won’t know we’re there. Want to go?”

  “You bet,” she said. “Besides, I want to get Ricardo Servantes’ address and number from Greg so I can thank him properly. I was so rum-dumb yesterday, I didn’t think to ask him. I’m not even sure I thanked him for saving our lives. Let’s go.”

  Detective Nelson greeted them when they arrived at the precinct, and directed them to a one-way window in which they could see Peggy sitting in a room with a police officer. She twitched and wrung her hands, and every few seconds she’d stand up and pace. The officer kept telling her to sit down.

  “We’re just about to start. Don’t worry, she can’t see you. Enjoy the show,” Nelson said as he left. They watched him walk into the room with Peggy. Nelson turned to the officer. “Has she been Mirandized?”

  “Yes, sir,” he said.

  “Did she decline to speak to an attorney?”

  “Yes, sir. She said she wants to cooperate.”

  Nelson turned to Peggy. “Is that right, Ms. Smith? Are you willing to talk to us without an attorney present?”

  “Yeah,” she said, “let’s just do it.”

  Nelson asked her a couple of preliminary questions and then asked about the night Honey was allegedly killed. “Where were you that night?”

  “At home,” Peggy said.

  “Tell us what happened,” Nelson said.

  “We had just finished eating when these two guys came to the door. They didn’t knock; they just walked right in. They were real mad at Gaylord. One of them said he got in too deep again and he better start paying. He said Boss wasn’t going to let him slide forever.”

  “Did you know what he meant by that?”

  “Yeah, when he lived in Dallas he had done some favor for this guy everyone called ‘Boss.’ Gaylord had helped him set up some gambling kingpin in Atlanta so Boss could take over his territory. Then he set up some patsy who took the fall.” Sabre felt a knot form in her stomach. She knew the “patsy” referred to Ron. Bob squeezed her hand.

  “It erased a lot of debt for Gaylord, but he wouldn’t stop. He just kept on betting those ponies and football games and anything else he could bet on. He spent his trust money every month and anything else he could borrow,” continued Peggy.

  “So what happened next?”

  “Well, the big guy kept blabbering on, saying something about how he had to kill a cop five years ago because Gaylord had screwed things up. I never knew the whole story on the cop, but I know it had something to do with Gaylord’s wife disappearing.” Peggy started pacing. “Do you have a cigarette? I really need a cigarette,” she begged. Nelson nodded at the officer, and he left the room.

  “So, what happened then?”

  “It all happened so fast. Honey darted into the room. She grabbed her little chalkboard off the chair and turned to go back out. The big guy yelled at her, but she couldn’t hear him on account of she was deaf, so she just kept going. He got mad ‘cause she didn’t stop and he just kept yelling and acting all crazy like. Then he reached down, snatched her up, twisted her neck, and dropped her on the floor.” Her voice held little emotion. Almost as an afterthought, she sniffled. “He took my sweet little Honey from me. Why me?”

  Sabre rolled her eyes, “That was real touching. A little work and she might sound like she cared. I don’t know about you two, but I can’t muster up any sympathy for her. Even now, it’s not about Honey; it’s about what they did to poor Peggy.”

  The police officer returned, carrying a pack of cigarettes, a lighter, and an ashtray. He handed them to Peggy. She tore the pack open and lit one, shaking so hard she missed the end of the cigarette the first time she tried to light it. “He thought Honey had heard what he’d said about killing the cop and she’d be able to identify him. He had no idea she couldn’t hear anything.” Peggy took a deep drag on the cigarette. “Then he told Gaylord to clean up the mess, and they left.”

  “What did you and Gaylord do?”

  “Well, I was pretty upset. You know, my baby dead and all, so Gaylord gave me something to calm my nerves. He told me to go to Wal-Mart and buy the biggest plastic bin I could find and to stop and pick up about ten bags of ice, or as much as I could get.”

  “And did you?”

  “Yeah.”

  “What did you do when you got back?”

  “Gaylord was packing our stuff. He said we were going to California. He told me to pack up only what I really needed ‘cause there wouldn’t be much room. So I did.”

  “When you left, did you call the police?” Nelson asked.

  “No.”

  “Why not?”

  “I was too afraid. Gaylord said if I told anyone, I’d go to jail. He said he’d tell them I was high and that I did it. He said Alexis would back his story, and since I had a criminal record and he didn’t, I’d go to jail.”

  “If neither of you killed her, why wouldn’t you just tell the truth?”

  “Gaylord said if we did, we’d both die, and after I saw what that guy did to Honey, I believed it.”

  “So then what?”

  “Gaylord put Honey in the container I bought and put ice all around her. He put her in the back of the car. He got in the passenger side and told me to drive to Adelle’s, so I did. He made me stop just before we reached the trailer. I think he planned on leaving Honey there, but changed his mind because the dog kept barking. Instead, he waited in the car and told me to go tell Adelle we were leaving for California and taking Honey with us. Then we drove back home, finished packing the car, and left.”

  “Where did you go?”

  “We started driving to California. When we got to Phoenix, Gaylord said we needed to drop Honey off in the desert, but we had to wait until real late at night. It was still early in the day, so we went to see a movie. We’d been taking turns driving an
d we hadn’t slept much, so we both slept through most of it. Then we left and Gaylord turned on some road he’d found on the map. After a while, he drove off the road and across some dunes and stopped the car. He carried Honey out somewhere in the desert, dumped her out, and came back with the empty container. When we got to Yuma, he pulled up behind a grocery store near a trash bin. He told me to get out and throw it in the trash. So I did.”

  Sabre felt sick to her stomach. “That’s pretty much the way Alexis told it.”

  “I hope they nab the monster who killed Honey,” Bob said.

  “They already have,” JP responded. “I spoke with Nelson earlier. He said they arrested him a couple of days ago. He’s the same guy who abducted Elizabeth, Murdock’s wife. He’s the goon with the tattoo, ‘Mama tried,’ on his arm. They need to give him another tattoo on the other side that says, ‘and failed.’” Everyone chuckled. “By the way, they charged him with Elizabeth’s murder and the murder of the police officer who investigated her case. Now they can add another murder rap.”

  “Steve Parker, the police officer he killed, was Joe’s best friend.” Sabre jumped up. “Joe! I need to call Joe. Will you two excuse me for a moment?”

  “Sure, go ahead,” Bob said, reaching for his cigarettes. “I’m going out for some fresh air.”

  Sabre looked at him and raised her eyebrow. “You mean contaminate the fresh air, don’t you?” Bob smiled and left.

  “I’m going to talk to Nelson for a minute. I’ll be right outside,” JP said.

  Sabre dialed the phone.

  “Joe Carriage.”

  “Two-syllable Joe. How are you?” she asked, teasing about his accent.

  “Sabre, are you okay? Where are you?”

  “I’m fine. I’m at the precinct with Detective Nelson. They rescued us yesterday morning. I’m sorry; I should’ve called you sooner.”

  “It’s okay. Nelson called to let me know they found you, but not before I saw it on television. It’s big news here because of the Murdock family,” he said, his voice smiling. “How’s Alexis?”

  “She’s safe and sound.”

  “Are you sure you’re okay?”

  “Yes, I am, although I’ll feel better once they catch Murdock. Say, I understand things have picked up for you as well.”

  “Yes, they arrested Bill Davis a few days ago. But Sabre, there’s something else you need to know. It’s about your brother. Murdock knew him.”

  “I know, Joe. Murdock told me all about it,” she said. “Look, I need to get back in. Let’s talk tomorrow after you’ve read the police report, and we can fill in the missing blanks for each other.”

  “Sounds good.” He paused. “Sabre, I’m so glad you’re safe.”

  35

  The next morning Sabre woke up in JP’s house for the second time, still adjusting to the strange room. She missed her bed, her personal things, and her familiar surroundings. JP had been kind enough to go pick up some of her belongings, but she still didn’t have everything she needed. He had brought her red notebook for her, though, and that pleased her. It had been some time since she’d been able to write in it or read it. She picked it up and held it in her hand for a second. It seemed so small. She thought back to when Ron gave it to her for her sixth birthday; it seemed to have so many pages then.

  She read through the list, beginning with Marry Victor Spanoli right through to her last entry, Peace Corps. She wondered if Victor had married and if he had children. She wondered if he even remembered her. She realized she probably wouldn’t remember much about him if it weren’t for the reminder in her notebook every day.

  Sabre had another entry to make. When she had been out in the woods, walking for miles up and down the mountains, she’d wished she had stayed in better shape. She vowed to become more physically fit if she ever made it out. She needed a goal to keep her motivated, something tangible to drive her. She smiled. She knew what she wanted to do, something she had thought about before but had never taken too seriously. She loved to run. She picked up her pen and wrote, Run a Marathon.

  Sabre spent the day trying to keep busy. She returned some phone calls and e-mails, and worked on some files Bob had brought her from her office. She hated using JP’s dining room table for her desk. Although he didn’t seem to mind, she still felt in the way. Imposing on others made her uncomfortable, and she missed having her own space. She felt guilty for being ungrateful for all the help he had given her. She wanted to go to court, go for a run in the park, or just sit in her own house and do nothing, unsure how long she could take being a prisoner, no matter how comfortable the surroundings. She couldn’t continue to let Bob do her caseload, either. She had made up her mind. “JP, I’m going to court tomorrow.” He laughed. “What’s so funny?”

  “Bob said you wouldn’t last more than a day. Are you sure I can’t talk you out of it?”

  “Nope, I can’t do this. I’ll be in the loony bin by the end of the week.”

  “Okay, but here’s the deal. I’ll drive you to court. You’ll be safe while you’re there. The bailiffs will keep an eye on you. After your hearings are completed, I’ll pick you up and bring you back here. You’re not going to your office or your home. Understood?” He sounded like a drill sergeant.

  “Yes, sir!” She saluted him and clicked her heels together. “Whatever you say, sir!” She laughed. The idea of returning to the real world made her giddy.

  “What say we order a pizza and watch a video, something nice and easy, like a good comedy?”

  “Sounds good; I’m hungry. You call and order the pizza. I’ll pick out the movie.” She looked through his collection of movies. She had no trouble picking one out. “Here we go,” she said, as she put When Harry Met Sally in the machine. “I love this movie.”

  “Me, too.” JP smiled.

  About twenty minutes into the movie, someone knocked on the door. “That was quick,” JP said, as he stood up to answer the door, expecting to see the pizza delivery person. Nevertheless, he looked through the peephole before he opened the door.

  “Nelson,” he said in surprise, “what are you doing here?” The detective didn’t respond. JP opened the door and stepped back, making room for him to enter. “Come on in. You can join us for some pizza. It should be here any minute now.”

  “No, thanks. I’m not hungry,” Nelson responded, trying to be pleasant, but he had an edge in his voice. “Hi, Sabre.”

  “Hi Gregory, what brings you here?” She perked up and added, “Did they find Murdock?”

  “No, I’m afraid not,” Nelson said. He sat down in front of Sabre and put his hand on top of hers. She knew something was wrong, but was afraid to imagine what it might be. Her stomach felt queasy. She heard the detective speak, but the words didn’t register. “Listen, Sabre, I’m sorry, but there’s a fire. Your condo is burning.”

  “What?”

  “I’m sorry,” he repeated.

  “How bad is it?” JP interjected.

  “It’s still burning. They’re doing everything they can to extinguish it, but right now it’s out of control.”

  Sabre looked at him, shaking her head from side to side. “My house is burning?”

  He nodded.

  “No,” she said, “this can’t be happening. How … What happened?”

  “We don’t know yet. One of the condos next to yours is burning now, too, but it started inside yours.”

  “Oh my God, there’s a baby next door and an old couple on the other side. Is anyone hurt?”

  “No, they’re fine. A police officer detected the fire while patrolling the area. Consequently, the neighbors evacuated. Everyone is okay.”

  The pizza man knocked on the door. Nelson sat up, turning toward the door like a lion ready to pounce on its prey. JP checked the door, then opened it. He paid him, took the pizza, and set it on the table. No one felt much like eating.

  Sabre didn’t cry, partly because it hadn’t all sunk in, and partly because she wouldn’t allow herself the
luxury in front of people. “Do you think Murdock did it?”

  “We don’t know. We don’t know yet what caused it. It could’ve been some electrical thing or something. As soon as the fire is contained, they’ll be looking for the cause. We’ll know more then.”

  “Objection, non-responsive,” she said, as if in the courtroom. “I didn’t ask you what you know; I asked you for your opinion. Do you think it was Murdock?”

  “If it’s arson, he’s our prime suspect.”

  Sabre stood up. “I’m really exhausted. If you two don’t mind, I’m going to go to bed.”

  “Go ahead. Goodnight,” they both said.

  She walked toward the bedroom, stopped after a few steps, and turned. “Oh, JP, I think I’ll pass on court tomorrow. I haven’t a thing to wear.”

  Sabre lay down on the bed, trying to comprehend the magnitude of what had just happened. She realized all her personal belongings were probably destroyed; every treasure, every memory, and every photo of Ron, all gone. She started to cry – a deep, loud wail. She couldn’t keep it inside any longer. Everything is gone! I have nothing of Ron left. That’s what he wants. He can’t hurt Ron any more, but he can still hurt me. When she remembered her notebook, she reached for it, clenched it in her hand, and tucked it under the covers. She pulled it to her heart and held it tightly with both hands. Her wailing turned to sobs. Eventually, she fell asleep with the notebook secure in her arms.

  36

  Bob walked into Sabre’s office after court to gather up some of her files, once again amazed at her organizational skills. Everything Sabre had asked him to pick up was exactly where she said it would be. He noticed, however, something missing in the room. “Elaine,” he called to the receptionist, “did you do something with the photo of Sabre’s brother?”

  “No,” she answered, as she walked down the hallway to the room. “It should be sitting on the credenza where it always is.”

  “Hmm … well, it’s not here. Do you know if Sabre did something with it?”

  “No, I don’t think so. In fact, I remember seeing it on Tuesday when I put some things on her desk.”