Piece Keeper (11 page)

He marched down the hall towards his office, walked
in, and immediately paused. The lead District Attorney for
Vermillion County, Jordan Benton, sat in his office. She was young,
attractive, smart, and ruthless. The height of a runway model with
the stature and build of an Olympic runner, her frame filled out
the two piece skirt and jacket suit she was wearing perfectly. The
skirt was black with pencil thin white stripes. The jacket was the
same color. She wore the top button unloosened showing off her
bosom perched perfectly above the v-line. Her brunette hair was
pulled back in a bun and her strong Greek features were prominent
in her almost bronzed skin tone. They had gone to the University Of
Illinois College Of Law in Champaign Illinois together. They were
friendly rivals, often engaging in mock law debates against one
another. They pushed each other to be better. During their last
year in school they had a friendly romp in the hay. It never went
past that. They both agreed it was just to blow off some steam and
relieve stress before they took the bar exam. The friendship never
faltered or changed but they never spoke of the incident again.
Eventually they graduated and went their separate ways but never
lost contact.

“What is this about, Jordan?” he asked his
boss/colleague, calling her by her first name, while staring out
the window at the ruckus between the police and protestors.

“You haven’t heard?”

“Heard? Heard what?”

“The State Attorney General has strongly urged that
the case be transferred to a different county for trial.”

“On what basis?”

“You serious, Love?”

“Outside? That’ll die down in a day or two.”

“State Attorney General doesn’t believe it will and
frankly neither do I.”

“Aren’t we jumping the gun here? Charges haven’t
even been brought up.”

“And probably won’t be… that’s another reason the
State Attorney General wants to transfer it to another county… a
less bias jury pool for the grand jury to see if we’re even going
to bring up charges or not.”

“Less bias my ass. This thing is all over the news
and social networks. There will always be bias. Let’s call it what
it is, Jordan. We’re just passing the buck hoping this will go
away.”

“Before we started this thing you assured me that if
I let you on this case you wouldn’t be too emotionally
involved.”

“And I’m not.”

“You sure about that, Black?”

Black took a step back and stuck his hands in his
pockets. He needed to re-assess the direction of the conversation.
It was looking more and more like his case was about to be
stonewalled. “Don’t mistake my passion for a liability, Jordan. You
know me.”

“I do know you, Black. That’s why I agreed to let
you on this case. I know you’ll give it your all and I know I owe
you one but if the state’s Attorney General really pushes this
thing I’m going to have to back his play.”

“Aren’t you a fun date. At least you kiss me before
you bend me over and stick it to me.”

“Just giving you a heads up, Black. It’s the least I
can do.” With that she rose from the seat and strutted past him out
of the office.

Black walked to the window and looked out. He felt a
pang in his heart as he stared out at the violent clash between the
protestors and law enforcement. It looked like a scene from some
1960’s civil rights protests news footage. Something needed to
change in his favor and it needed to happen fast.

***

James posted up at the back of the bar nursing a
beer with his back to the wall as he watched the patrons come and
go. Jason Aldean’s Burnin' It Down came streaming through the radio
speakers. He took a sip from his beer. He had no idea why he was
there. He knew he shouldn’t be seen with the two but he felt it was
something he needed to face. It needed to be dealt with one way or
another only he had no idea how he would handle it. He would have
to play it by ear and see what they had to say. It wasn’t long
before they arrived. Officers Foster and Hunter stepped through the
door. They spotted him and approached his table where they promptly
filled the empty seats.

“James,” Foster said sitting across from him.

Hunter nodded.

“You’re probably wondering why we asked you here,”
Foster said with her arms crossed. She leaned back in her seat
rocking on two legs. James didn’t respond so she continued. “We’re
just wondering why you didn’t show up that night?”

“What night?” James asked now on the defense.

“Come on, man. You know… that night,” Hunter said
leaning in close to James with his silly grin covering his
face.

“You two asked to meet and I’m here. So you going to
tell me what you want? If not I’m walking out of here.” James
stood.

Hunter stood also placing his hand on James’ chest
in an attempt to push him back down into his seat. “We ain’t done
talking. Sit down!” Hunter demanded.

James grabbed Hunter’s fingers and bent them back
until he felt them break. Hunter yelped in pain and dropped to his
knees while staring up at James through pleading eyes.

Foster wanted to interject, but she knew it was a
fight they would not win. She failed to jump in and shook her head
woefully. “Let him go, James.”

James let his angry scowl linger on his face for
several seconds before releasing Hunter’s hand.

Hunter fell back, gripping his wrist and trying
desperately not to touch his crumpled hand. “You broke my freakin’
fingers man!”

Foster pulled out the chair sitting next to her with
her foot. With her eyes still trained on James she barked at
Hunter. “Sit down and shut up!”

Hunter shot her a nasty look that quickly turned as
sad as a heartbroken toddler being scolded by her father. He
reluctantly rose from his place on the floor and took his seat next
to her.

James remained standing, positioning himself with
his back pressed against the wall. He placed one foot on the wall
and slid his hands in his pockets. “So is the Laurel and Hardy show
over now?”

Hunter looked as if he was ready to speak but he
held his tongue when he saw Foster shoot him a dirty look that
indicated that she might break his other hand.

Foster turned her glance back to James. “We have a
code, James.”

“I have my own code.”

“No code is above the uniform. We stick together no
matter what.”

“What do you want from me, Foster?”

“You’re close to Teresa. You should know better than
anyone that she’s mixed up in the head. Talk to her. Help her to
get her story straight… you know… retract her statement.”

“Why in the world would I do that?” James was trying
to remain calm which was becoming harder and harder every time one
of them spoke, especially since they were talking about Teresa.

“Thought you wanted into the club?”

“Not if that’s what’s the club’s about.”

“Don’t get high and mighty on us now,” Hunter
stated. “We know about that unsolved murder case.”

“What about it?”

Hunter was referring to an unsolved murder of which
he was the first on the scene. It was sloppy work. The man had been
found face down in the alley with his neck broken. His blood was
all over James’ nightstick. There was no way he should have been
cleared yet he was. The entire incident was a distant blur of a
memory. To top it all off the feelings of redemption he thought
he’d have never manifested. He thought that was all behind him. He
should have known better. He didn’t know what they may have had on
him but more than likely it was nothing. Surely this was all a
bluff to get him to compromise the investigation of Teresa’s
rape.

“You don’t want internal affairs to start poking
holes in that weak ass incident report you submitted?” Foster
stated.

“That case is a dead end just like this
conversation.”

“What do you have to gain by going against us?”

“What you bastards did to her was wrong and by God
you’ll pay!”

Foster laughed. “By God you’ll pay!” She repeated
him in the best gruff voiced imitation she could pull off.

James wasn’t impressed by her mocking him. “If
that’s all you got I’m out of here and fuck you very much for
wasting my time.”

“Didn’t want to pull this card, man, but you’re
leaving us no choice.”

“I’m done playing with you two.” James began walking
away.

“James!” Foster yelled.

James paused with his back still to the two.

“Two options,” Foster stated evenly. “You make this
thing go away and the Captain moves you up in rank faster than you
can blink an eye.”

“Or?” James asked no longer masking his
frustration.

“We strike deals with the D.A. implicating you in
the rape. We’ll say you were the mastermind of the whole thing. You
don’t want us to start rattling those bones in that closet. We know
what will fall out.”

“Good luck with that. For one, Teresa will never
corroborate that and two they’ll never believe it. You’re grasping
at straws. As far as those bones, do what you gotta do. You two
cross my path again I’m going to break more than your fingers.” He
walked out of the bar never turning back. Things were getting out
of hand. His secret ghosts were coming back to haunt him. He needed
to exorcise them and do it quick.

***

Waeltz and Black walked side by side down the hall
towards Jordan’s office. The two looked at one another
skeptically.

“She call you down too?” Black asked referring to
Jordan.

“I was summoned so I came. You know what this is
going to be about?”

Black shrugged his shoulders. “She didn’t say
anything to me.”

Waeltz snarled. “Whatever it is I’m sure I’m not
going to like it. Geez, I hate lawyers.”

Black shook his head and laughed to himself. “Just
like cops. Everyone hates ‘em until they need one.”

Waeltz looked at Black angrily from the corner of
his eye. He knew he was right, but he’d never admit it.

They reached her office to find the door open. She
stood at the door wearing her signature jacket and skirt ensemble
with her ink pen behind her ear and a tablet in her hands.

“This bullshit!” She screamed as the two entered her
office.

“What is it?” Waeltz asked as he flopped down on her
leather sofa.

She cut her eyes at him angrily. “Get your greasy
ass off of my furniture detective!”

Waeltz cleared his throat and stood. “Yes
ma’am.”

“What’s going on Jordan?” Black asked, trying to get
to the core of the problem.

“What’s going on is you too screwed the pony royally
on this one.”

“Are we going to play guessing games or are you
going to spit it out?” Waeltz shot back now becoming annoyed.

“There will be no trial.”

“No trial?” Black blurted out angrily.

“Why not? What’s the issue?” Waeltz asked trying to
calm everyone down.

“The issue is there will be no grand jury because of
a lack of evidence,” Jordan stated.

“No evidence? Sure we do. We have the strap-on from
Foster’s place.”

“Which you obtained illegally. I had to pass out
I-owe yous to get her attorney not to press charges against you
two.”

“What the hell do I have to do with this?” Black
asked looking confused.

“Foster’s attorney tells me that while boy genius
over here was breaking and entering with what I’m assuming was a
fake warrant you were there as an accomplice. I don’t know how you
win cases in Chicago but in Danville we—“

Black cut her off mid-sentence. “Wait a minute… he
called me over so I met him. I don’t know anything about a warrant
or how he obtained it.”

“Even if I believed you that’s beside the point.
It’s all about perception. You’re an attorney for the state of
Illinois. Any first year lawyer’s going to say that it was safe for
her client to presume from seeing the A.D.A., who just happens to
be working a case she’s involved in, at her home with the
investigating detective that the warrant they’re holding was legit.
It doesn’t take much leg work to prove it wasn’t and that the
warrant asshole did have was presented falsely to illegally search
her home. And what in the hell are you even doing working this
case, Waeltz? Shouldn’t it have been passed to internal
affairs?”

“Something must’ve gotten lost in the process,”
Waeltz stated. “I was never taken off of the case.”

“This is classic. Grade A professionals over there
at your station huh, Waeltz?” Jordan asked sarcastically. “The
evidence is out. What were you two thinking?”

“Thinking? I told you I didn’t know what he was
going to pull,” Black stated.

“In his defense he had no idea, Jordan,” Waeltz said
trying to defend Black.

“That’s District Attorney Benton and this isn’t the
eighth grade, detective. There’s no taking one for the team. You
both screwed up, point blank. Without any other evidence the case
is dead in the water. Her word against theirs and I am not taking
that chance. Bring me some more evidence, some legally obtained
evidence, then maybe we can do something.”

“Come on, Jordan,” Black asked pleading with his old
comrade. “How am I going to look Teresa in the eye and tell her the
case is closed pending further investigation?”

“Sorry, Black. I wanted to help you. Don’t forget
when the case came across my desk I’m the one who called you. I’m
afraid you came out here for nothing. Just go home.”

Waeltz shook his head disapprovingly and exited the
room. Black paced the room angrily.

Jordan ignored him and scrolled through her iPad.
“Anything else, Black?”

“No….hell yes!”

She paused from looking through her iPad and focused
her attention on Black. “Excuse me?” she asked taking offense at
his tone.

“You heard me. How dare you talk to me like that in
front of Waeltz?”