“If that’s true, Jim, it’s because you haven’t expressed much interest in it.”
“I’m very interested in it,” Bruno said.
“Then I’m sure Jimmy will be glad to brief you on all the details of the investigation,” Hurd said.
“Jimmy has already briefed me,” Bruno replied hotly.
“In that case, I don’t know why you’re here, Jim,” Hurd said. “It’s not as though we’re keeping information from Jimmy. In fact, he’s the one who’s been keeping us abreast of his own investigation. We’re not hiding anything from him.”
“Why won’t you let me attend the meeting?” Bruno demanded.
“Jim, I’ve already explained that we’ll be dealing with other cases in our meeting, cases you have no reason to be privy to.”
“I see,” Bruno said, getting to his feet. “Let’s go, Jimmy; we’re apparently not wanted here.”
“I don’t think it’s like that, Chief,” Jimmy said.
“I said, let’s go!” Bruno retorted.
“I’ll certainly keep you posted if we get anything new, Jim,” Hurd said.
Bruno walked out of the office without another word.
“I’m sorry about this,” Jimmy said.
“Lauren will call you later,” Hurd replied. “Keep that to yourself.”
Jimmy looked puzzled. He shook hands and left.
Hurd watched to see that they were out of his office, then he walked next door to the conference room, where Lauren, the medical examiner and the forensics guy were waiting. Everyone sat down.
“I’m sorry to be late,” Hurd said, “but I had to ask Chief Bruno of Orchid Beach not to attend our meeting.”
“Why?” the ME asked.
“Because he’s our only suspect in the case,” Hurd explained.
The ME looked shocked. “What evidence do we have against him?”
“He has a history of being accused of rape,” Hurd explained. “We have no material evidence at this point, but I think it’s best if we keep him out of the loop until we can exclude him as a suspect.”
The ME shrugged. “If you say so, Hurd.”
“This is confidential, of course.”
“Of course.”
Jimmy and Bruno were driving back to the Orchid station with Jimmy at the wheel.
“What was that about?” Bruno asked.
“Chief, I don’t think it was about anything,” Jimmy replied. “Hurd explained himself, and I think we have to accept his explanation.”
“Why would he want to keep information from me?” Bruno asked.
“I don’t think he does. Sergeant Cade has been in touch with me on a daily basis, and I’ve called her a lot, too. I think I’m fully briefed on the case.”
“Well, I don’t feel fully briefed,” Bruno said.
Jimmy pulled into the station parking lot, and they got out of the car.
“I’ll get the case file and go through it with you,” Jimmy said.
Bruno slammed the car door. “Oh, fuck it!” he spat. “You handle the goddamned thing any way you like. I’m out of it.” He stormed off and went into the station.
Jimmy went back to his desk, and he was reading the file again when his phone rang. “Detective Weathers.”
“Jimmy, it’s Lauren.”
“Hi, Lauren.”
“I’m sorry you were kept out of the meeting this morning, but we didn’t want Bruno there.”
“How come?” Jimmy asked.
“Because he’s the only suspect in the case.”
“Bruno?”
“Yes. He has a past history of rape.”
Jimmy took a deep breath. “Lauren, I think you should know that I read the stuff on Bruno’s court-martial, so I know about your involvement.”
“It’s just as well,” she said. “I would have told you eventually. I hope you don’t think I was keeping anything from you.”
“Well, you kept the fact that Bruno is a suspect from me.”
“We don’t want him to know, and I think you can see how important it is that you don’t tell him.”
“That puts me in kind of an awkward position,” Jimmy said.
“I know it does, but I can’t do anything about that. For the integrity of the investigation you have to keep this from him.”
“And what happens when he finds out and I get fired? Are you folks going to give me a job?”
“Don’t worry. We’ll see that it doesn’t come to that. Either Bruno will find out when we get enough evidence to arrest him, or he won’t find out at all.”
“All right, Lauren, I’ll play along, but please don’t get my ass caught in a wringer.”
“I won’t, Jimmy. I’ve got to run now. Bye-bye.” She hung up.
Jimmy hung up, too. “God in Heaven,” he said aloud to himself.
29
Holly got out of her first day’s training for the Malibu Mirage at dusk, and she was exhausted. She had spent half her day learning the airplane’s systems and the rest in the simulator, which she had found trying. It didn’t fly like the airplane, and, although she could look out its windows at the landscape, it was more of a schematic of a landscape, and it didn’t help all that much. She decided she would rather fly the airplane itself.
She got into her car and was heading back toward the beach and home when, shortly after crossing the bridge, she saw two police cars, their lights flashing, with a silver sedan pulled over. She drove slowly past the cars and got a look at the driver, who appeared to be a sixtyish man, sitting in his car and talking with two police officers. She supposed that the Orchid force had started stopping every white male driving alone.
All she could think about now was a drink, some dinner and a hot bath.
Teddy had just crossed the bridge when the lights began flashing behind him. He considered whether he should make a run for it but decided against it. After all, he was a solid citizen with ID to back it up, so he pulled over, lowered his window and waited. To his surprise the police car pulled past him and blocked any escape, and another car pulled up behind him. A moment later there was a flashlight in his face.
“Good evening, sir,” a young officer said. “May I see your license, registration and proof of insurance?” His hand was on his gun.
“Certainly,” Teddy said, reaching for his wallet.
“Slowly, sir, please,” the cop said.
Teddy slowly produced his wallet, removed the license and handed it over, then opened the center armrest for his registration and insurance information, while another cop watched him closely from the other side of the car.
“Mr. Smithson?” the cop read from the license. “What are you doing out tonight?”
“Driving home,” Teddy replied.
“From where?”
“From the Publix market on US-1,” Teddy said. “There isn’t a big supermarket on the island.”
“Would you step out of the car, please?”
Teddy got out.
“Place your hands on top of the car, please.”
He did so and felt himself being searched. “What’s this about?” he asked. “Why did you stop me?”
“Do you mind if I have a look inside your car, Mr. Smithson?”
“No, I don’t mind, but I’d like to know why.”
“Just a routine procedure, sir. Please have a seat on my front bumper, right behind your car.”
Teddy walked back to the police car behind him and sat down. He watched as the two officers thoroughly searched his car and as one officer pressed the button inside the car that opened his trunk. The two officers moved around the four bags of groceries in the trunk and looked under the floor where the spare tire was stored.
“All right, Mr. Smithson,” the cop said, handing him back his paperwork. “You may proceed on your way. I apologize for any inconvenience.”
“Not at all,” Teddy said, accepting his paperwork and returning to his car. The cop had not even mentioned that he had been driving at least ten miles per hour over the speed limit. He started the car, waited for the police car to move from in front of him, then pulled away from the curb and continued on his way.