circumstantial evidence that existed, possibly providing the
confidential information to Landry that eventually helped secure the
convictions. Then, when Frank and an unnamed suspect assaulted Kendra,
he'd done what he could to get rid of the case. When I thwarted his
efforts to issue it as a general felony, he fabricated the Long Hauler
by using confidential information he found about unsolved murders in
the cold case database and then ordered me to dismiss the case.
The memo went on to explain my discovery of the Derringers' connection
to the sex industry. After briefing Griffith, I'd obtained an
indictment against Derrick Derringer as the first step in an envisioned
investigation into the Zimmerman and Martin cases. Unfortunately,
O'Donnell had discovered the investigation and tipped off the
Derringers. They broke into my house, I heroically saved the day, and
Griffith would be pursuing any remaining culprits to the full extent of
the law.
It was accurate in the ways that counted, and at this point I really
didn't care if Duncan wanted to cover his ass. He was covering mine
too, and the end result was the right one. "Looks good," I said. "Will
Jackson issue the pardon?"
"It's a done deal," he said. "The governor's office will announce it
tomorrow, and Landry and Taylor should be out by that afternoon. We
need to talk about tying up the loose ends. We'll have problems going
after Culver. You know that, don't you?"
I told him I did, but he still seemed to think he needed to convince
me.
"Even if your victim can ID him, we're gonna have the same problems you
had with Derringer. No physical evidence. No corroborating testimony,
because everything you heard between the Derringers is hearsay. No
direct evidence of intent to kill. Not to mention the time that's
passed since the offense."
"I know," I said.
"You think this guy's attorney will go for a pre indictment deal?" he
asked.
"Depends on the terms," I said, "but, yeah. Culver's scared. Now that
he knows the Derringers aren't going to kill him, I think he'd like to
take his lumps and get it over with."
"Alright. I was thinking of something like Rape Three. Have him do a
few years but no Measure Eleven charges. Part of the deal could be a
scholarship account for the girl, since this guy's got a business.
How's that sound?"
We both knew Culver deserved to go away for good. The Derringers may
have pretended that the violence was staged, but it took people like
Culver and O'Donnell to choose to believe it. The reality was that
Griffith had come up with a deal that was the most we could hope for
under the circumstances. Sometimes that's as close to fair as we get
around here.
"I'll call Henry Lee with it. He'll be happy to hear he doesn't have
to try an actual case."
"Then why don't you take the rest of the day off? I'd say you've
earned it."
I turned back before leaving the office. "Tim said he didn't give
anything to Landry, that he assumed Forbes did," I said.
"She gets out either way, Sam. Unless you think Forbes is a long-term
problem, it's cleaner this way."
"I can't make that call right now."
"I know. That's why I made it."
I started to leave again but stopped at the door.
"Now what?" he said.
"Thanks, Duncan."
"Anytime, Deputy Kincaid."
I ignored the stares again on the way back out of the courthouse. Let
'em think I was in trouble. Tomorrow, I'd be a hero.
I wanted to go home and sleep for the next twenty hours, but there was
someone I needed to see.
Like most prisons, the Oregon Women's Correctional Institute had been
dumped in the middle of nowhere to avoid public outrage and plummeting
property values. The only other buildings within a three-mile radius
were two similarly ostracized yet essential enterprises, a casino and
an outlet mall. Needless to say, the combination made for an
interesting mix of soccer moms, prison families, and senior citizens in
RVs.
The guard brought Margaret Landry to meet me in one of the sterile
rooms used for attorney-client conferences. As I had requested, he
moved her in leg shackles and handcuffs.
When he brought her into the room, I said, "I don't really think those
are necessary, Deputy. Would you mind removing them and leaving us
alone? I'm sure Ms. Landry and I will be just fine here without all
of this."
If the guard ever got tired of corrections, he should try Hollywood.
His best attempt to look worried about my request was pretty realistic.
He removed the cuffs and shackles and left us alone.
I'd seen pictures of Margaret Landry, of course, but she'd aged
considerably during her two years in prison. Assisted by too many
cigarettes and too little sleep, she'd gone from looking well fed and
nurturing to haggard and crotchety.
After I introduced myself, she said, "I been dealing with someone in
your office named O'Donnell."
I dropped the bomb on her and announced that O'Donnell was dead. To
simplify things, I told her that Jamie Zimmerman's murderers had been
identified and killed, but not before they had shot Tim O'Donnell. I
figured it might be hard to earn her trust if I revealed that a member
of my office was a homicidal rapist. She'd get the details from
someone else down the road, anyway.
"Because of everything that's happened, you'll be getting out of here
tomorrow," I said.
"Where are they moving me to?"
"You can stay wherever you want. Maybe with your daughters until you
adjust to things. You're being pardoned, Margaret. You'll be free,
with no criminal record."
Her lower lip began to shake, and pretty soon she was crying.
When she'd finally stopped trembling, she lifted her head to the
ceiling. I couldn't tell if she was looking for answers or trying to
thank someone, but I could tell she hadn't felt however she was feeling
for a long, long time.
"I never meant this to happen," she said. "I kept calling the police
on Jesse, but wouldn't no one help me. When Jamie's body turned up and
I saw her in the paper, I thought I'd finally get that son of a bitch
out from under my roof, but they didn't believe me. They told me I
didn't have no corroboration." I kept digging myself in deeper and
deeper, and next thing I know I'm under arrest myself and can't take
any of it back."
"I feel bad for you, Margaret, but you put an innocent man in prison
and kept the police from looking for the men who actually killed Jamie
Zimmerman."