“And the head minister’s son, who’s my prime suspect right now. What did that weasel lawyer want from our great and glorious leader?”
Rourke gave him a warning look. “Seems like your boy, the minister’s kid, remembers Darlene talking about a cop who was pressuring her to put out. He also remembers that he was a homicide dick and that his first name was Nick. The lawyer says the kid withheld the information because he was afraid we’d set him up if he pointed a finger at one of our guys. So he wants to know why we’re pushing so hard on a kid minister, just because he may have strayed a bit, but we’re ignoring one of our own who was doing the same thing.”
“What did you tell the boss?” Harry asked.
“I told him the minister’s kid and our guy are both under investigation, and that I’d send him copies of the daily reports to back that up. I also told him Nick’s assigned to limited duty until the case is resolved, or at least his part in it is resolved.”
“What did he say?”
“He said to suspend him forthwith. He said it could be a suspension with pay, but he wanted him out of here before the shift ended.”
Harry looked over his shoulder and noticed that Nick’s desk was empty.
“I told him a half hour ago,” Rourke said. “He came in late this morning.” Rourke hesitated and gave Harry a look that said, late enough to have been at your house.
Harry nodded, but didn’t take the bait. “How’d he handle the suspension?”
“He was upset, but he knows my hands are tied.” Rourke drew a long breath and shook his head. “Harry, I don’t make him for this. And it’s not just because he’s a brother cop.”
“Neither do I. But there’s enough evidence pointing at him that we can’t ignore him, either.”
Rourke thought it over for several moments. “Who do you think broke into your house?”
“Bobby Joe Waldo,” Harry said. “The same minister’s kid that lawyer was yapping about. It was either him or somebody very close to him. But I can’t prove it. Not yet, anyway.”
“Why would he take a chance like that?”
“The same reason they’re trying to deflect attention toward Nick. He probably heard Nick’s name from Darlene. That part of it’s probably true. But he’s just using it; grasping at anything he can to take the pressure off. He knows I’m closing in on him. That’s why he broke in. He wants to see what I’ve got on him and he knows he can’t get in here. I think he was hoping to find exactly what he found, copies of reports that I was working on at home. Somebody was watching my house the other day and he took off when Jocko spotted him.”
“Are you talking about your father, the retired Clearwater sergeant? He saw this guy too?”
Harry nodded. “Neither one of us made the connection then. Jocko couldn’t make the guy out, but it was obvious he was watching the house. Hell, maybe he followed me home one day. Or maybe he followed me two or three days. I wasn’t exactly looking over my shoulder. But if he did, and he saw me bringing home some folders, it wouldn’t take a genius to figure out what they were.”
“So what are you going to do now?”
“I’m going go have a talk with the young Reverend Waldo.”
“Be careful,” Rourke warned. “The sheriff doesn’t want to piss off the faith community. This is still the Bible belt, and he’s still running for reelection.”
When Harry got back to his desk there was a note to call Walter Middlebrooks. That would be a demand to stay away from his client. He decided he would see Bobby Joe first and save the pleasure of Middlebrooks for later.
Bobby Joe wasn’t at his church office, his secretary explaining that “the minister called in sick.” To Harry’s surprise the short, plump, and extremely prim woman was more than happy to hand over Bobby Joe’s home address. “He lives above the garage at his daddy’s house,” she said, as if that solitary bit of information told Harry everything he needed to know about Bobby Joe.
Harry kept his back to the spy hole in Bobby Joe’s front door. He wanted the benefit of surprise when the young minister opened it and realized who was standing there; wanted to see what tells Bobby Joe would give up. No matter how proficient the lair, there was always something that would show if a cop remained patient and watchful. The problem wasn’t that some suspects were so clever. It was that there weren’t enough patient cops.
Harry turned as the door opened and was met by a look of abject fear in Bobby Joe’s eyes, a look that turned to sudden relief when he saw who it was.
Somebody is scaring the hell out of him, Harry thought. And it isn’t me.
“Expecting the bogeyman?”
Bobby Joe stiffened. Harry took advantage of the momentary confusion and walked past him into a disheveled living room.
“Hey, didn’t Middlebrooks talk to you?”
Bobby Joe said, following him inside.
“Talk to me about what? Are you referring to Nick Benevuto?”
“Is that the detective? Darlene just called him Nick, a real scary homicide detective.”
Harry turned to face him. “Scarier than me, Bobby Joe?”
Bobby Joe swallowed hard. “Look, Middlebrooks already talked to the sheriff and he was supposed to talk to you. My daddy wants to know why you’re all over me about this, all over our church, and nobody’s lookin’ at this cop who was threatening Darlene?”
Harry made his mouth form a slow smile. “We’re looking at him, Bobby Joe. In fact, we’ve been looking at him almost as long as we’ve been looking at you. But you know what, Bobby Joe? I don’t make him for that murder. I make you for it.”
“That’s crazy. I didn’t kill anybody.” Perspiration had begun to form on his upper lip despite the cold blast of air-conditioning that filled the apartment. “Alright, I admit I slept with her. I was seduced. That woman could seduce anyone. But I didn’t kill her.”
“Somebody in your church killed her, Bobby Joe, and if it wasn’t you I think you know who it was.”
“I don’t. All I know is this Nick guy.”
“Bullshit!” Harry shouted. “You either did it, or you can point a finger at the person who did.” Harry jabbed his own finger into Bobby Joe’s chest. “And you better tell me, you little shit, or you’re going down for it.”
“All I know is Nick-”
“We’ve checked Nick. We’ve checked him inside out. And you know what? You’re not gonna be able to hang this on him. But I’m gonna be able to hang it on you. And your lawyer and all his bullshit stories about Nick Benevuto aren’t gonna let you weasel out of it. So you better tell me what you know.”
Bobby Joe tried to light a cigarette, but his hand was trembling and it took several attempts before he succeeded. “If I could help you, I would,” he managed.
“Who else was watching her? Who else was trying to do what your daddy asked everybody to do… to get something on her?” As he asked the question, Harry realized what had been taken from his house. It had been the copy of the church bulletin, the one in which Reverend Waldo repeated the call he had made from his pulpit, the call to his flock to go out and get something on Darlene, to make her pay for her sins. He was now 90 percent certain that it hadn’t been in the file when he checked it this morning. It was the only thing that had been missing. He glared at Bobby Joe, thinking about the pistol whipping Jeanie had sustained. “Did you break into my house this morning?” He waited while Bobby Joe just stared at him. “Answer me!” he shouted when the minister failed to speak.
“No. No. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Somebody broke in and went through my files. If it wasn’t you, then you know who it was.”
Bobby Joe’s face was dead pale. “You’re tryin’ to get me killed,” he croaked.
Harry grabbed him by the arm. “Who would kill you, Bobby Joe?”
Bobby Joe pulled away. “I’m not sayin’ anything more. I want you out of my house. I want you out of here right now.”
Harry returned to his car and sat, staring up at the apartment. His instinct told him to sit on Bobby Joe, to see who he went to see, or who came to see him. But first he had to find out if his memory was correct, that the church bulletin was really missing. He tried to call Jeanie on her cell phone, but there was no answer. He called Jocko’s house and Maria told him that Jeanie had left with Rubio, saying they were going to a movie to try and get her mind off what had happened. She said Jocko had gone with them, but that she decided to stay home and cook everyone dinner. She asked if he was coming to eat. Harry said he would try; then ended the call before Maria could begin an extended guilt trip. He had no choice. He had to head to his house and check the file. He’d also have to check the office to make sure it wasn’t there. In the meantime he’d have to try and get a patrol unit to drive by Bobby Joe’s apartment and keep track of anyone who showed up.