Officer Jones (32 page)

His already short patience had run out. “We’ve already been over this—I had an alibi that day. Nobody in their right mind thought I was a suspect. And as for this court of public opinion, nobody sees me nothin’ more than a washed-up druggie who never lived up to his potential. Way I see it, I got nowhere to go but up.”

“So you’re sticking to your story that Senator Kingsbury was the unidentified juvenile in the car that night?”

“For the last time—Kingsbury wasn’t listed in the police report! They kept him out of it. Brad was dead, so they used the juvie kid to testify against me. It was my word against his.”

“I am not that easily fooled, Mr. Thompson. GNZ has secured the police report you speak of, and the unidentified person in the car was referred to as ‘Weasel Suit’ to protect his identity. I know that the Secret Service gives code names to presidents, and candidates for the office. For example, Ronald Reagan was codenamed Rawhide, while Bill Clinton was Eagle. So the fact that the unidentified passenger was being protected by a similar code leads me to believe it was indeed Senator Kingsbury.”

Lamar shook his head, exasperated. “He wasn’t a candidate twenty years ago. Weasel Suit was just a stupid nickname we used for the kid—Brad Lynch was a big wrestling fan, so he gave us all names based on his favorite wrestlers. Brad was the Mouth of the South because he never shut up, and I was Andre the Giant, since I was so tall.”

“If that’s the case, what was Weasel Suit’s real name?”

“The lawyers told me I couldn’t bring up his name or they’d sue my ass. I don’t got much, but I don’t wanna lose what I got.”

“That’s very convenient, Mr. Thompson.”

“Believe whatever you want, lady … I need to get back to work!”

Lauren then used her savvy interview skills to segue to the next topic. “As reported first by GNZ, sources tell us the murder of Senator Kingsbury may have been motivated by a homosexual love triangle that included the accused, Ron Culver. Would you still vote for Senator Kingsbury if he was found to be gay?”

Lamar looked around like he was trying to see if he was on
Candid Camera
. “First of all, I can’t vote because thanks to the lies of Kingsbury family, I’m a convicted felon. But the biggest reason I wouldn’t vote for him … is he’s dead!”

Lauren regained her look of superiority. “I hate to disagree, Mr. Thompson, but our latest GNZ Internet poll contradicts you. 72% of those polled said they would still vote for Senator Kingsbury even if he were gay.”

Lamar ripped his microphone off and stormed off camera. I really liked this guy. The camera panned back to Lauren who didn’t seem affected by the early departure.

Joe shook his head. “She sure ain’t the brightest bulb in the bunch. I’m sure there’s a guy out there somewhere she’s making miserable.”

Not anymore
, I thought, before turning my attention back to the television.

“If you are just joining us…” Lauren flashed her most serious look into the camera. “There has been a thrilling conclusion this morning in the murder of former North Carolina Senator, Craig Kingsbury. His alleged lover, Ron Culver, admitted to the crime in a guilt-filled suicide note. Sources within the state police have confirmed that Culver was in charge of an undercover security escort for the Kingsburys that night. The case has taken many twist and turns, but has remained unsolved since it occurred on July 4 of this year.”

For once I was focused on something Lauren said.

Fourth of July
.

Chapter 75

I had to get to Lamar Thompson.

The northward evacuation traffic was as bad as the weather and it took over two hours to get to Kitty Hawk, which according to Joe, was normally a twenty-minute drive.

Kitty Hawk looked much like the other Outer Banks villages I’d passed. Endless rental homes, clapboard cottages and fishing boats. The museum stood on the grounds of the Wright Brothers National Memorial.

Lamar was dressed in a beige park-ranger-type uniform and he was hunched over with bad posture that made him appear shorter than he was. His head was shaved bald and he walked with a limp. Besides myself, the only other folks taking the tour were a senior citizen couple who must not have had access to a weather report.

Lamar appeared a little nervous, and spoke mechanically on the tour. But the charisma I remembered from years ago would occasionally appear. And as a bonus, I learned more about the Wright Brothers, Orville and Wilbur, and their first flight than I ever thought possible.

Following the tour, I introduced myself to Lamar, and informed him that I had a few questions for him. He didn’t look happy to see me.

“I’m done with all you reporters. That crazy blonde lady told me she’d pay me five hundred bucks to come on, and how much of that do you think I’ve seen? It was supposed to be one time, then it was until they solve the case … I’m sure it’ll be something else now!” He limped away as fast as he could.

It didn’t surprise me that Lauren would offer money for interviews—a definite no-no. Or at least it used to be.

When I caught up to him, I pleaded, “Lamar, I don’t work for GNZ anymore. I don’t want to do a story with you, I just have a few questions.”

“I don’t got time for this, man. I gotta get home to see if I still got one.”

“I’ll buy you dinner,” I desperately offered.

Thompson stopped. When you spend your teenage years being the most highly recruited high school basketball player in the country you get used to free stuff. He looked nostalgic … and hungry. I could tell he was up for a free dinner; I guessed it had been a while.

We didn’t go to a fancy restaurant, rather, the coffee shop in the museum. Thompson splurged with an order of roasted chicken and a cheeseburger on the side. He ate like he hadn’t eaten in a month.

“So how’s the new job going?” I asked.

“You saw me out there, what you think?” he replied, and flashed the smile that was once splashed on the cover of
Sports Illustrated
.

“I thought you were good,” I answered as I bit into my greasy Salisbury steak sandwich. I was pretty hungry myself. “I learned a lot about the Wright Brothers.”

He laughed. “Yeah, an airplane is the only way a couple of white boys like Orville and Wilba could get off the ground.”

I laughed back, finding his straightforwardness refreshing. We had a lot in common—two limping guys who wanted the truth … and to avoid Lauren Bowden at all costs.

“Lamar, you mentioned that the Kingsbury family lied during your trial. I also believe that a deal was cut with the judge in the case.”

He looked relieved that someone finally believed him. “The not-so-Honorable Raymond Buford. I’ll never forget that sumbitch as long as I live.”

The thing was, Buford and the others who knew about the cover-up didn’t live that long. And I was convinced that this was because Benson got to the judge, and got him to spill the beans, probably while he was begging for his life on that hook.

“I need to know the name of the kid you called Weasel Suit. The one who got paid by the Kingsburys to lie on the stand. It’s very important, Lamar.” I was sure I knew who it was, but needed confirmation.

“Like I told the blonde lady, the lawyers...”

“It’s okay, Lamar—this will just be between us.”

I was sure he’d heard that one before. He thought for a moment, but I could sense when a source felt a trust between us. He just needed to be nudged across the finish line. “The Kingsburys are dead, Lamar. The nightmare is almost over. If you give me this name, I can put an end to it.”

Thompson thought for a moment. “Things are better for me now. Not what I thought life would be, but better than yesterday. I don’t want to go back there.”

I wasn’t sure if he was referring to prison or the night of the accident, perhaps both. “It’s important, Lamar.”

“He was this rich white kid who lived down the hall from me. I didn’t even know him that good. Brad was the one who asked him to come that night. He used to wear a suit and tie to class like he was some sort of businessman. And he would blast U2 music from his room. I told him once if he didn’t turn it down, the only Bloody Sunday he was going to witness was when I introduced my fist to his face.”

“Did he?”

He smiled confidently. “I could always spot an opponent with no spine.”

“Like a weasel … I need a name, Lamar.”

His smile vanished. He rubbed his temples, as if he were having an internal debate. His face scrunched like he was feeling physical pain. But I could see he’d passed the moment of no return. The volcano was bubbling over with twenty years of pain … and then it erupted, “His name was Bobby … Bobby ‘The Weasel’ Maloney! If I ever get my hands on that sumbitch I will…”

I was already scrambling through my overnight bag. I removed a bunch of objects, including my cell phone, and placed them on the table. Finally, I found the copy of the newspaper I was looking for. On the front page was a picture of Maloney giving the
Lisa Spargo Memorial Award
to Kyle Jones at the Rockfield Fair.

“Is that him?” I asked, shoving the paper in his face. “Is this the Bobby Maloney who sold you out?”

Lamar studied the photo. Years had gone by, but a person never forgets the man who sent him to prison. He shook his head with a combination of anger and sadness before simply saying, “Sumbitch.”

Having spent countless hours with Coldblooded Carter, I’d become quite knowledgeable on the history of professional wrestling and it’s cast of characters. At the center of many of Carter’s stories was a wrestling manager named Bobby Heenan, who was known derisively in many quarters as Bobby the Weasel. He was infamous for talking tough at his opponent, but then cowering when confronted. This led to a famed match in 1988 against the Ultimate Warrior, in which the loser had to wear a weasel suit.

When Lamar mentioned the wrestling nickname to Lauren, it clicked for me. I first thought of Carter’s Bobby Heenan stories, but then my mind wandered to weasels I knew named Bobby, including one who used to wear his weasel suit to school to impress the teachers. Before that moment I hadn’t connected that Maloney had also attended UNC, and would have been a freshman at the time of the accident—not yet eighteen at the time of the accident. I now understood why Grady Benson moved to Rockfield. There was just one more key piece of information.

“What was the date of the accident?” I asked urgently.

He flashed ten fingers. Then he did it a second time. “The day that ruined my life.”

10/10

I thanked Lamar like he just saved my life, and rushed out of the museum into the torrential downpour. I climbed into my rental and headed north toward the airport. I went to call Christina to pick me up and realized I left my phone in the cafeteria. It was too late to go back.

I now knew Officer Jones’ next move, and I had the date marked on my calendar.

Chapter 76

Rockfield

October 7

All flights were canceled on Thursday night due to Hurricane Ava. This was not good news for the woman who had the misfortune of working the ticket counter. Dealing with JP Warner was not discussed in the job manual.

I thought of driving, but the reality was that I would arrive in Rockfield no earlier than Friday morning, no matter what I did. So I gritted my teeth and took the first flight the next morning.

When I finally arrived, I purchased a new cell phone. I then tried to get in touch with Christina, but she was nowhere to be found … or more likely, wasn’t answering. So I was forced to call my mother for a ride, which made me feel like I was twelve years old. She sent Ethan instead. It was an obvious attempt by Mom to get the two bickering brothers together.

“Nice shiner,” I greeted Ethan. I knew it resulted from the fight he had in my honor.

“You should see the other guy,” Ethan replied, stealing my line. We climbed into his minivan, which was filled with a strange combination of dolls and football equipment. I saw it as another sign that I should never have children.

“I really appreciate what you did for me.”

“It was nothing. Although, I’m not sure the school board sees it as such a noble act.”

“What did they say?”

“I can coach the rest of the regular season. But I will be suspended for the league championship game and state playoffs.”

Guilt churned in my stomach. “That’s total BS! They purposely took you out at the pinnacle of your career to make a point that they wouldn’t play any favors because Dad’s on the board.”

“The pinnacle of my career is every day when I wake up and get to do something I love for a living. I’m lucky they didn’t fire me.”

“It really doesn’t bother you they are taking away your chance to win your first state championship? This year was your best shot,” I replied, perplexed.

“It’s not
my
championship, JP … it’s the kids’ championship.”

I took a moment to let it sink in. Just more proof that we were from different planets. “You really are about the story and not the glory.”

“Huh?”

I smiled. “It’s just that I always wanted to be like my older brother. I guess the more things change the more they stay the same.”

“Try living with three screaming kids, and busting your rear to make the next mortgage payment, then tell me you still want to be like me.”

“I wish I could have been a better role model for Noah.”

Ethan patted me on the shoulder. “If Noah knew what you were doing for him he’d be proud. Did you find anything new about Jones on your trip?”

I was too tired to go through the whole convoluted story, and explain how his real name was Benson. “Nothing I can prove. Is there anything positive we can talk about?”

“The Rockfield High football team is undefeated—are you coming to the game tonight?”

“Now
that’s
positive. I wouldn’t miss it for the world. Keep the good vibes going.”