Chapter 37
RECONCILIATION
After finishing preparations for picking a jury I started concentrating on my trial outline and witness list. As I listed all the names of potential witnesses, I started thinking about the difficult question as to whether Jimmy Bennett should testify or not. He was a likeable guy but there was so much circumstantial evidence against him I knew Wilkerson would just love to shove all of it down his throat. After imagining that scenario in my mind awhile, I decided it wouldn't be wise to give him that opportunity.
As I was planning my defense strategy, I thought about Betty. As Jimmy's spouse she couldn't be forced to testify but she could testify if she wanted to. If she did testify, her testimony would be critical. I knew Betty said she didn't think her husband had killed Don and Amanda, but I was worried about Wilkerson distorting her testimony and playing up the divorce. I decided to call her and see if her attitude had changed at all since I had last talked to her. I needed to know if she was going to testify. She answered on the second ring and asked me about the wedding. I gave her a brief progress report and then asked her if she'd been keeping in touch with Jimmy?
"Yes, I saw him this morning."
"Oh, really. Did he come by?"
"No, he's staying here now."
"He is? How come?"
"We're back together."
"Back together? That's wonderful news. What happened?"
"I don't know. After that last cocaine episode, I figured I'd better keep a close eye on him—at least until after the trial."
"Un huh."
"So, we've been spending a lot of time together. He feels really bad about the way he's been treating me and the kids and has begged me for a second chance."
"Is that right?"
"He's a changed man. I know this might sound terrible, but I think with daddy gone, our marriage might have a chance."
"So, is the divorce off?"
"For now. We'll see how it goes. I didn't really want a divorce. I just felt like I didn't have a choice. Now things are different. He needs me."
"That's great. I'm so happy for you."
"So, how are things going with the investigation? Are you going to be able to get Jimmy off? Please tell me you've got some new suspects."
"We have a lot of suspects, but we can't prove someone else did it yet."
"Keep trying. You've got to get Jimmy off."
"I'll try my best. A lot will depend on you, though."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, Wilkerson is sure to call you as a witness. If you didn't testify that would be great. If you do testify, Wilkerson is likely to twist your testimony to help him convict Jimmy."
"I won't testify then."
"Good. I would like you there at Jimmy's side, though, during the trial. "
"I'll be there, don't worry. And if Wilkerson somehow gets me on the stand thinking I'll help convict Jimmy, he'll regret it."
Betty's announcement that the divorce was off was the best news I heard in weeks. It was important that the jury like Jimmy and the fact that he and Betty were trying to reconcile and overcome their problems would help a lot. There would no doubt be jurors who had faced similar marital problems and would sympathize with them. I was in such a good mood after talking to Betty, I decided to do something I had been putting off for weeks—talking to Speaker Potts and Congressman Manning.
Speaker Potts's district encompassed west Arlington and southeast Ft. Worth. Luckily the Texas State Legislature wasn't in session so he was at his home office. The office was located in Arlington on Cooper Street near the University of Texas at Arlington. His appointment's secretary squeezed me in his last open slot late that afternoon. She warned me he'd only have fifteen minutes. I arrived a few minutes early and flipped open a Good Housekeeping magazine while I waited. I was reading an article on making holiday table decorations when the receptionist advised me that he was ready to see me.
The office was ornately decorated in military memorabilia. From a quick inventory of the room I surmised the Speaker was a Vietnam vet—a retired colonel according to a notation on a photo of he and President Reagan. He smiled amicably and invited me to sit down.
"I really appreciate you seeing me on such short notice," I said.
"Well, I'm glad I was able to squeeze you in. I understand Jimmy's trial is coming up in a couple of weeks."
"Yes, time has really flown by and I still have so much to do."
"So, how can I help you?"
"Well, I've been informed that you and Don Baker were friends and business partners."
"Yes, that's correct. I've known Don for years. We've been partners in several ventures."
"I'm interested in the most recent one. According to the loan file at Metroplex Savings, a note became delinquent and had to be written off."
The Speaker shook his head. "Yes, that's true. What can I say? We really miscalculated the market and underestimated our competition. We tried everything to increase demand, cut our expenses, you know, but—"
"What kind of business was it? According to the records it was a corporation called United Recycling Corporation."
"Right. Its primary business was plastic recycling."
I nodded. "Hmm. So where was your recycling plant?"
"We contracted it out?"
"What do you mean?"
"We were a collector of used plastic which we in turn sold to another recycling company."
"I see. So, you didn't have any assets?"
"Just cash and receivables."
"How long were you in business?"
"I'm afraid we didn't last eighteen months."
"Who owned the company?"
"Myself, Don, and several other investors."
"Was Congressman Manning one of them?"
He nodded. "Yes, but I expect you knew that."
I smiled. "Yes, I just wanted to confirm it. . . . How much did you all invest?"
"Is this really relevant to your inquiry, Miss Waters?"
"I'm afraid it is. I'm having to check all the loans that Don called. There is a strong possibility that someone whose loan was called was angry enough to kill him."
"You're not suggesting—?"
"No. No. I just have to be thorough. I can't play favorites, particularly since you're a public figure. I have to treat you just like all the other suspects."
"Right."
"So, wasn't it embarrassing to Don to have your loan called?"
"I suspect it was, but there wasn't much that could be done about it."
"Did you and Congressman Manning personally guarantee the loan?"
"No. We did not."
"Isn't it unusual for a financial institution to loan money to a startup company and not require personal guarantees from the principals?"
"No. I never personally guarantee my investments. Don didn't require it."
"Did the OTS question your loan at all?"
Speaker Potts looked at his watch. "Ah, I'm sorry, Miss Waters. I'm afraid our time is up. I've got a meeting with a big contributor in two minutes. If you have any other questions, please feel free to submit them to my assistant and I'll try to answer them as soon as possible."
He stood up. I closed my notebook, put it in my purse, and reluctantly got up.
"It's been so nice to meet you," Speaker Potts said.
I smiled and we shook hands. "Thank you, Mr. Speaker."
As I was leaving, I noticed a man in an expensive suit in the reception area looking at me. He turned away when we made eye contact. An uneasy feeling came over me as I made my way to my car. As I was pulling out of the parking garage, I noticed the man in the expensive suit and Speaker Potts rush out and get into a blue Mercedes. I was probably being paranoid, but I got the feeling the man in the expensive suit was there to size me up. If I was right then wherever they were going had something to do with Metroplex Savings and Loan and, perhaps, Don's murder. I decided to follow them.
Up ahead I saw a gas station. I turned in and pulled up to a telephone booth and pretended to be searching my purse for a telephone number. When the blue Mercedes went by, I took up the chase. They drove South on Cooper to Interstate 20 and took the eastbound on-ramp. I followed them at a safe distance for several miles until they got off the freeway. It was soon clear where they were headed—the Dallas Naval Air Station. Unfortunately, I couldn't follow them onto the base. As I watched them drive through the gate, I took down the license plate number.