"How can you have this evidence? Were you an eyewitness?" Norwood shook his head. "I don't get it."
Page cleared his throat. "Your Honor, there is a witness. Her name is Nancy Gordon." Darius took a deep breath and leaned forward intently.
"Ten years ago, an identical series of murders occurred in Hunter's Point, New York. The day before we found the bodies, Detective Gordon told me about those murders and why she believed Martin Darius committed them."
"Then call Detective Gordon," Norwood said.
"I can't. She's missing and she may be dead. She checked into a motel room after leaving me. I called her several times starting around eight, eight-thirty, the next morning. I think something happened to her shortly after she checked in. It looks like she was unpacking when something interrupted her. All of her possessions were in the room, but she hasn't come back for them. I have a team of detectives looking for her, but we've had no luck so far."
"Your Honor," Betsy said, "if Mr. Page is going to testify about this woman's statements to prove my client murdered some women ten years ago, it will be pure hearsay. I know the court is giving Mr. Page leeway, but Mr. Darius has state and federal constitutional rights to confront the witnesses against him."
Norwood nodded. "That's true, Mrs. Tannenbaum.
I'll tell you, Mr. Page, this bothers me. Isn't there another witness from Hunter's Point you can call who can testify about these other crimes?"
"Not on such short notice. I know the names of the other detectives who worked on the case, but they don't work for the Hunter's Point police anymore and I haven't traced them."
Norwood leaned back and almost disappeared from view. Betsy was dying to know what the missing detective had told Page, but she had to keep the testimony out if it was the ammunition Page needed to keep Martin Darius in jail.
"It's eleven-fifteen, folks,"- Norwood said. "We'll adjourn until one-thirty. I'll hear legal argument then."
Norwood stood up and walked out of the courtroom.
Harvey Cobb rapped the gavel and everyone stood.
"Now I know why Page thinks I killed those women," Darius whispered to Betsy. "When can we talk?"
"I'll come up to the jail right now."
Betsy turned to one of the guards. "Can you put Mr. Darius in the interview room? I want to talk to him."
"Sure, Mrs. Tannenbaum. We're gonna wait for the court to clear before taking him up. You can ride with us in the jail elevator if you want."
"Thanks, I will."
The guard handcuffed Darius. Betsy glanced toward the back of the courtroom. Lisa Darius was standing near the door, talking to Nora Sloane. Lisa glanced toward Betsy. Betsy smiled. Lisa did not smile back, but she did nod toward her. Betsy raised a hand to let Lisa know she would be right with her. Lisa said something to Sloane.
Sloane smiled and patted Lisa's shoulder, then left the courtroom.
"I'm going to talk to Lisa for a moment," Betsy told Darius. Lisa was waiting just inside the door, looking nervously through the glass at the waiting reporters.
"That woman said she's working with you on an article for Pacific West,"
Lisa said.
"That's right. She's going to tag — along while I try Martin's case to see how I work."
"she said she'd like to talk to me. What should I do?"
"Nora seems responsible, but you make up your own mind. How are you holding up?"
"This is terrible. The reporters won't leave me alone.
When I moved to Daddy's house I had to sneak out of the estate through the woods so they wouldn't know where I was going."
"I'm sorry, Lisa. This isn't going to get any easier for YOU."
Lisa hesitated, then she asked, will the judge let Mar-tin out on bail?"
"There's a good chance he'll have to. The State's evidence has been pretty weak, so far."
Lisa looked worried.
"Is something troubling you?"
"No," Lisa answered too quickly.
"if you know anything about this case, please tell me. I don't want any surprises."
"It's the reporters, they've really gotten to me," Lisa said, but Betsy knew she was lying.
"We're ready," the guard told Betsy.
"I've got to talk to Martin. He wants you to visit him."
Lisa nodded, but her thoughts seemed far away.
"Who is Nancy Gordon?" Betsy asked Darius. They were sitting next to each other in the narrow confines of the courthouse jail visiting room.
"One of the detectives on the task force. I met her the night Sandy and Melody died. She interviewed me at the house. Gordon was engaged to another cop, but he was killed a few weeks before the wedding. She was still grieving when I joined the task force and she tried to help me deal with my grief.
"Nancy and I were thrown together on several occasions. I didn't realize it, but she took my friendliness as something else and, well…"
Darius looked into Betsy's eyes. Their knees were almost touching. His head bent toward her. "I was vulnerable. We both were. You can't understand what it feels like to lose someone you love like that, until it happens to you.
"I became convinced Waters was the rose killer and I did a stupid thing.
Without telling anyone, I started following him. I even staked out his house, hoping I'd catch him in the act." Darius smiled sheepishly. "I made a mess of things and — almost blew the investigation. I was so obvious, a neighbor called the police to complain about this strange man who was camped outside their house. The police came. I felt like an idiot. Nancy bailed me out. We met at a restaurant near the police station and she let me have it.
"By the time we'd finished eating, it was late. I offered to drive her home because her car was in for repairs. We'd both had a few beers. I don't even remember who started it. The bottom line is, we ended up in bed."
Darius looked down at his hands, as if he was ashamed. Then he shook his bead.
"It was a stupid thing to do. I should have known she would take it too seriously. I mean, it was good for us to have someone to spend the night with. We were both so lonely. But she thought I loved her, and I didn't.
It was too soon — after Sandy. When I didn't want to continue the relationship, she grew bitter. Fortunately Waters was caught soon after that and my involvement with the task force ended, so there was no reason for us to see each other. Only, Nancy couldn't let go. She called me at home and at the office. She wanted to meet and talk about us. I told her there was no 'us," but it was hard for her to accept."
"Did she accept it?"
Darius nodded. "She stopped calling, but I knew she was bitter. What I can't understand is how she could possibly think I killed Sandy and Melody."
"If the judge lets Page testify," Betsy said, "we'll soon find out."
Chapter Twelve
"Let me tell you how I see it, Mrs. Tannenbaum," judge Norwood said. "I know what the Constitution says about confronting the witnesses and I'm not saying you don't have a point, but this is a bail hearing and the issues are different at trial. What Mr. Page is trying to do is convince me he's got so much evidence a guilty verdict at the trial is almost a sure thing. He thinks some of this trial evidence is going to come from this missing detective or from someone else in New York. I'm going to let him tell me what the evidence is, but I'm also going to take into account that he doesn't have his witness and may not be able to produce her, or these other detectives, at trial. So, I'll decide what weight to give to this testimony,]) I'm going to let it in. If you don't like my ruling, I don't blame you. I might be wrong. That's why we have appeals courts. But, right now, Mr. Page can testify."
Betsy had already made her objections for the record, so she said nothing more when Alan Page was sworn in.
"Mr. Page," Randy Highsmith asked, the evening before the bodies of Victoria Miller, Wendy Reiser, Laura Farrar and an unknown male were unearthed at a construction site owned by the defendant, did a woman visit you at your residence?"