The Truth of Yesterday (70 page)

     “If he'd come to us in the first place the killer would be behind bars and he'd be safe.”

     “We both know it doesn't always work like that. Good lawyers can get even the guiltiest clients off Scot-free, and Black can afford the best lawyers in the country. Besides, if Black has mob ties, and there is evidence in there that he does, then he could exact revenge even from behind bars.”

     “Hello?” TJ interrupted. “I'm sitting right here and this isn't exactly making me feel any better about this.”

     “Feel any better?” Evans snapped. “Why should you feel any better about anything? This isn't about making you feel good; it's about catching a murderer and bringing him to justice.”

     “So you do believe that Black is the killer now?”

     “I at least think he was behind it, although it would be more likely that his type would hire to have it done.”

     “The crime didn't show any signs of a professional hit. Everyone has said it seemed more like a crime of passion.”

     “Black is smart,” the detective insisted. “After we talked earlier I made a few calls about this guy. He's a very wanted man. They've been trying to get him for years and the man is like Teflon, they can never get anything to stick. He's suspected of being behind no less than six deaths-five murders and one suicide-and that's just in the
US
alone. It's long been common knowledge that he is involved in the drug trade and rumored that he has mob ties. The man is scum, but they've never been able to prove anything. He's very careful. I doubt he'd be so foolish as to hire a killer who would make this look like a professional hit. They'd want to confuse things as much as possible.”

     “Or maybe Black went to talk to Paul, maybe to try and scare him off, and it got of hand.”

     “Why the hell does it matter whether it was a professional or an amateur?” TJ suddenly blurted out. I took a good look at him and realized that this whole ordeal had been harder on him than I had thought. In fact, I hadn't been thinking about him at all; I'd been focused on one things and one thing only, catching Fenton Black. I reached over and took
TJ's
hand. An expression I had never expected to see flickered through Evans' eyes, compassion.

     “You're right, Mr. Jackson. It doesn't matter. We have more than enough reason to bring Fenton Black in for questioning at the very least. It's much more likely that we can do more than that thanks to the contents of that folder you brought in. I have to be honest with you; there's a good chance you'll have to testify at the trial, but there is no reason why your name should ever come up before then. If it would make you feel better, we can place you in protective custody until then, and since I'm sure the FBI will be involved in this before it's over, I can even say it's a safe bet you could be offered the witness protection program.”

     TJ shook his head.
“None of that.
Whatever happens will happen. I'd like to stay out of the media as much as possible, to protect my job, but if that can't be done then I guess I'll just have to face the consequences.”

     “You've certainly changed your tune since you walked in here,” Evans remarked thoughtfully.

     “Listening to you has made me realize that this is a lot bigger than me. This man has to be stopped.”

     The detective nodded and turned his attention to me. “Mr. Kendall, on behalf of the police department of
Washington
D.C.
, I want to thank you for your part in bringing this evidence to our attention. Now you're part is finished. You've done a fine job. We'll take it from here.”

     “Hey, you'll get no argument from me,” I said quickly. “I'm not some maverick who wants to bring this guy down on his own. As you said, I've done my part; the rest is up to the professionals. I only have one request to make.”

     Evans rolled his eyes and heaved a monumental sigh. “Here we go,” he muttered.

     “It's not that big a deal. I just want a little time before you move on this, maybe one day at the most.”

     He narrowed his eyes.
“A little time for what?”

     “I'm afraid that's private,” I said quietly. I wanted time to get Jake out of there before the SWAT team burst in and arrested him, but I couldn't very well tell Evans that. I didn't know how I was going to contact Jake if he was holed up with Black, but I had to try. I owed him that much at least.

     Evans stared at me a while longer, then shrugged. “It's going to take about 12-24 hours to get the warrants in order. You have however long it takes. I can't give you any more time than that and I can't nail it down any more than that. When the team and the warrants are ready, the team will move in.
Simple as that.”

     “It's something,” I said.

     “It's a damn sight more than you had any reason to expect,” Evans replied.

     I nodded. When you're right, you're right. The detective stood up and TJ and I quickly followed his lead. We both shook his hand and then we were led out. Standing outside the police station, I turned and gave TJ a careful once-over.

     “Are you going to be ok?” I asked.

     He gave me a bleak look. “Only time will tell,” he said wearily. “I don't really expect them to be able to keep it out of the news forever. Eventually it will come out and so will I, out of the closet that is. And then I'll lose my job and quite possibly my life.”

     “You could always take them up on their offer of the witness protection program.”

     “And spend the rest of my life pretending to be someone I'm not? I've done that for the first half of my life, I'd rather not have to do it for the rest of it. No, I'll just take things as they happen.”

     “Maybe it won't be all bad. Things seldom are, you know. You could find another great job at a more accepting school.”

     He shrugged. “There's always hope.” He held out his hand for me to shake. “Thank you, Killian.”

     
“For what?”
I asked, confused.

     
“For forcing me to take some action.
That file had been eating away at me ever since Paul died, but I seemed paralyzed to take that first step. You took the decision away from me and it was actually a relief. Come to think of it, I'm half hoping the papers will get a hold of this and out me. It would save me the trouble.” He flashed me a feeble grin and I impulsively reached out and hugged him. He returned the hug, clinging to me for several seconds as if I were a lifeline; then he released me all at once and stepped back as if embarrassed.

     “Take care of
yourself
, TJ,” I said.

     “I will. And you take care of yourself. You're the one with the dangerous job.”

     “Really, it's not usually all that dangerous.”

     
“If you say so.”
He waved and walked away to his car. As soon as he was out of sight, I felt all the remaining energy I had just drain right out of me. My vision blurred and I felt myself swaying a bit. A shook my head and forced my feet to walk to my car. I climbed inside and rested my head against the steering wheel.
I'll just close my eyes for a few seconds
, I thought.

     The next thing I knew someone was tapping on the window. I jumped upright, and for a brief, disoriented moment, I didn't know where I was. Then I focused on Evans' sour mug glaring in through the car window and it all came back to me. I glanced down at my watch as I opened the door. I'd been asleep for almost half an hour.

     “I hope you weren't waiting to bug me some more,” he growled.

     “No, actually I just fell asleep. I haven't been sleeping very much lately.”

     “If you're that tired are you sure you're ok to drive?” he asked, sounding almost concerned.

     “Yeah, I'll be fine after that power nap,” I answered with a cheeky grin.

     “Then get going,” he said with a slap on the roof.

     
“Yes, sir.”
I sketched a salute and pulled the door shut as I started the car.

     He tapped on the window again, but this time I just rolled it down. “One more thing,” he said leaning down to look in at me. “You be careful. You're one of the good guys; it'd be shame to lose an investigator like you. That was some fine detective work you did. I'd be proud to have you on the force.”

     “Thank you, Detective Evans,” I said, sincerely moved. He moved quickly away across the parking lot. I watched him go, and then put the car in reverse and backed out of the space. I started for
Chris
' house; I owed her an explanation.

     When I arrived,
Chris
' father Louis insisted that I stay for dinner so I could tell them what had happened. So that's what I did; I gave them the whole story while we ate a very homey meal of roast beef, potatoes, carrots, and green beans. Their reactions to my account were all that a storyteller could hope for; Louis was impressed,
Chris
hung on every word, and Kevin was in awe.

     “Man, you're like the Hardy Boys or something,” he said when I'd brought them up to date. “Both of them rolled into one.”

     I laughed. “At least you didn't say Nancy Drew,” I joked. “That would have to be
Chris
; I couldn't have done it without her.”

     
Chris
actually
blushed
a little. “So that's it, then?” she said, in an effort to shift the attention away from her, “The case is closed? Fenton Black killed Paul Flynn?”

     “Well, the case won't be officially closed until they arrest Black, but yeah, all the evidence points to Black as the killer.”

     “But our part is finished?”

     “You're part is finished. I still have one more thing I have to do.”

     “What would that be?”

     I shook my head. “It would be better if you didn't know.”

     “It's not something illegal is it?” Louis asked.

     
“No, nothing like that.”

     “Then what did you mean it would be better if I didn't know?”
Chris
asked.

     
“Just that if you knew what I had to do you would probably try to talk me out of it and it would be pointless because it's something I have to do.”

     “So it's something stupid or dangerous,” she said darkly.

     “Or both,” Louis added jokingly.

     “Killian...”
Chris
started.

     
“
Chris
, really.
You don't even know what I'm going to do, so why try to talk me out of it?”

     “Listen to him,
Chris
tina,” Louis said before things degenerated into an argument. “Sometimes there are things on a case that have to be cleared up that aren't part of the official investigation. The investigators need it for closure. God knows we don't often get it, so if we have the chance, we have to go for it.”

     I practically glowed under the inclusion implied in his statement. This veteran cop considered me to be an investigator. I was still basking in the warmth his words had given me when
Chris
sighed.

     “Well, at least you're spending the night here,” she said.  

     “What?” I yelped. “I can't spend the night here; I have to get back tonight.”

     
Chris
frowned. “Why? What's the rush?”

     “I...I just have to get back as quickly as possible.”