Reporter Three: ‘How about the possibility that it was staged by somebody on Congresswoman Bradshaw’s staff to win sympathy for her?’
For the first time, Showalter showed discomfort. He paused at least three or four seconds before he spoke.
Showalter: ‘At nine-fifteen this morning, after we received an anonymous tip, Detective Michaels and Detective Donlon obtained a search warrant from Judge Sandra Windom to search the premises and the automobile of Cortland Thomas Tucker. Because he lives with his parents we made a point of securing their permission as well. Mr Tucker is a volunteer driver for the Bradshaw campaign.’
Reporter Four: ‘Have they questioned him yet?’
Abby and I were alone in my office watching on my computer. From the reception area I heard two or three people talking back loudly, angrily to the screen they were watching. No way was Cory Tucker guilty of anything. One of the women sounded as if she was about to start crying.
The only thing Abby said was, ‘I don’t believe any of this.’
I nodded.
Showalter: ‘Mr Tucker is being questioned right now. We will likely release the statements this afternoon.’
Reporter Five: ‘Was there any physical evidence found?’
Showalter: ‘All I can say is that we feel something important was found in the trunk of Mr Tucker’s car. We haven’t had time to assess it at any length. Most likely we’ll address an entire range of questions in our written statements this afternoon.’
Reporter Six: ‘Have you contacted anybody in the Bradshaw campaign?’
Showalter: ‘No.’
Reporter Seven: ‘So Tucker has not admitted to anything?’
Showalter smiled. ‘Maybe you could call the police station and ask for interrogation room three. That’s where they’re questioning Mr Tucker right now. A detective will answer. You can ask him.’
The press loved the humor.
The phone rang. I didn’t need to use my legendary psychic powers to know who’d be calling me. Jess or Ted. I was hoping Jess.
‘Hi, Dev. Please tell me you don’t believe Cory had anything to do with this.’
‘He didn’t, Jess. Somebody set him up.’
‘That happens in real life, not just on TV?’
‘It happens a lot.’
‘Now if I can just stop my heart from racing at three thousand miles an hour.’
‘Showalter didn’t give you any kind of warning?’
‘None.’
‘I’m turning the campaign over to Abby. I want to work on this myself.’
‘I want to call Cory’s parents and tell them that he’ll have the best lawyers and the best detectives working to exonerate him.’
‘Let me call Mike Edelstein in Chicago. This’ll be so high profile he’ll be out here in a few hours.’
‘All right. That’s what I’ll tell Cory’s folks.’ Then, ‘Could Dorsey be behind this, Dev? I hate to think that. That’s the first thing we all thought of here. Ted and me, I mean.’
‘I hate to think so, too.’
‘The hate mail we get — it could be any of them.’
‘You’re sure right about that.’
‘Well, I’d better go. Please have Abby call me right away. Do you think we should keep to our schedule today? I’m supposed to visit three different places.’
‘It’s your call, Jess. The press’ll be all over you. It could get ugly.’
‘But you’d like me to go anyway, wouldn’t you, Dev?’
‘I’m not the one who has to face a press that’ll already be convinced that Cory’s guilty and that you and I and Ted were behind the whole thing.’
‘It’s so infuriating.’
‘That’s why I want to get working on it. I’ll have Abby call you.’
‘You’re aware that I’m going to keep all our appearances today, aren’t you?’
‘There was never any question in my mind, Jess.’
The gentle laugh contrasted with the harsh facts facing us. ‘Thank you for saying that, Dev. Thank you very much.’
Twenty-Two
Over the years I’d had to bail three or four of my politicians out of jail — and during my army days I’d interrogated more than a few prisoners in civil jails — but I’d never before had to seek to see somebody being held on a half-million- dollar bond.
We were three hours out from Showalter’s press conference but, as I climbed the police station’s front steps, his words still played in my mind.
The female officer at the reception desk, once I’d given her my name and asked to see Cory, said, ‘I don’t think that’s possible — you’re not his lawyer.’
‘He works for me.’ A lie, but what the hell. God had personally given me a daily allotment of one hundred and twenty-three lies. I was, after all, in politics.
She might not be pounding a beat but she was all cop. She fixed me with a pirate’s cynical eye and said, ‘He worked for you?’
‘Yes. He was my driver. I’m with the Bradshaw campaign.’
‘I see. But that still doesn’t make any difference. He’s been charged.’
‘Right now we’re waiting for his lawyer to get here from Chicago.’
‘He doesn’t have a local lawyer?’
‘No.’
‘Huh,’ she said. But it wasn’t a good ‘huh.’ It was, in fact, a very bad ‘huh.’ Bringing in a lawyer from Chicago. He’s so guilty one of the local lawyers could never do the job. And this guy, this Conrad here, looks like he’s from Chicago now that I think about it.
‘You’ll need to speak with Lieutenant Cummins.’
‘Chief Showalter knows who I am. How about I talk to him?’
‘He’s in a meeting.’
Cummins had to have played basketball in middle school and high school. He was a minimum of six foot five and just the right kind of gangly. Even if he’d tripped all over himself and never managed to get the ball in that nasty little hoop, he was so stereotypically a starting center the coach had to play him, though the bald pate and the fringe of white hair would have kept him on the bench these days.
Cummins was no help, either. ‘You need to be his lawyer.’
‘His lawyer is en route from Chicago.’
‘Well, I guess the Bradshaws have got the money.’
‘What the hell’s that supposed to mean?’
I’d irritated him. ‘It’s supposed to mean that the Bradshaws have the kind of money that can bring in Chicago lawyers. I’m sorry if I offended your delicate sensibilities.’
The woman at the desk snorted.
‘His folks have already been here,’ Cummins said. ‘They were very nice people. They spent forty-five minutes with him and then left. The lawyer they mentioned was Kostik, from right here. Guess there’s been a change of plans, huh?’
I would have to contact them. In the rush of things I’d forgotten to touch base. A very bad oversight.
‘Listen, Lieutenant Cummins. I apologize for snapping at you.’
‘All right.’
‘But could you do me a favor?’
He glanced at the woman behind the desk, as if she was in charge. ‘If I can.’
‘Could you get a message to Chief Showalter?’
‘He’s with the city manager right now.’
‘Could you tell him that Dev Conrad would appreciate just fifteen minutes alone with Cory Tucker?’
Again, the eye contact with the woman.
Then, ‘I guess I could give it a shot.’
Tucker was in orange jail clothes and handcuffs.
Showalter hadn’t sent him to County yet. Cummins had explained that they had eight cells on the second floor left over from the old jail.
Fear, confusion and defeat were all visible in the college boy’s face as he thanked the blue-uniformed officer who seated him in the wooden chair at the wooden table on the opposite side of me.