Chapter 16
Paula insisted she go with Stan to his interview on NBC Channel 5 with Veronica Brooks to provide moral support. Stan didn’t mind her going along as long as Rebekah didn’t find out. Stan hadn’t told her about Paula, even though they were just friends. He knew Rebekah didn’t like his propensity for befriending pretty women and would be angry if she found out about it. She barely tolerated his relationship with Kristina and constantly complained about it, even though she hung around with Kristina herself sometimes. On the way to the studio Paula advised Stan that Professor Hertel had invited her to go to San Antonio del Mar for the weekend to help him do research on the Burilo cartel.
“Right. I’m sure you’re going to get a lot of research done at a beautiful resort.”
“Well, Harry says if it’s a business trip, he can write it off on his taxes. He’s going to have a meeting with Wolford’s contact down there just to make it an official business trip.”
“Oh, I see. Well, if you see Brad Thornton down there, be sure and call me.”
“I will. Don’t worry.”
“This is going to be a tricky interview,” Stan said.
“Yeah, I bet. I’m glad it’s you and not me.”
Stan had wrestled for several days on what exactly he wanted to reveal in the interview. A lot would depend on Veronica’s questions and what interested her, but he also knew he could steer the interview in other directions during his response if he wanted to. Since his main objective was to clear Rob’s name, he decided on two major courses of conversation. First, he wanted to tell the world about Rob Shepard in such a way that they’d know he wasn’t capable of murdering his family. Secondly, he wanted to flush out the witness who he was sure had seen the killers responsible for murdering the Shepard family. If he was successful, the police would have no choice but to reopen the Shepard family murder investigation and get it right this time. He knew this was a dangerous move, so he asked Lynn Jenkins to arrange for some off-duty police officers to watch his house for the next twenty-four hours.
Stan didn’t have much time for watching TV, so he hadn’t seen any of Channel 5's extensive promotion of the interview. When he and Paula walked into the station, they were a bit surprised to see the reception room packed with people. In an unusual move for The Veronica Brooks Show, the producers had set up a small audience area like the ones in late-night talk shows. Stan was already nervous, and the live audience did not help. He looked out over a sea of strange faces, the knots in his stomach tightening, and he wondered why he had agreed to the interview.
While a technician fitted Stan’s microphone on his jacket pocket, Veronica smiled at him. Stan forced a return smile and then heard the director say, “On the air in ten seconds.” Stan took a deep breath and smiled at the camera.
“Good afternoon. Thanks for tuning into The Veronica Brooks Show.”
The crowd yelled and screamed enthusiastically while the show’s theme music was played. After a minute Veronica raised one hand. “Okay, okay. Thank you. Today we have with us Stan Turner, who, as you may know, was recently kidnapped and taken to a remote location apparently to be murdered by members of the Burilo drug cartel. Fortunately, Stan and Melissa Thornton, wife of millionaire Brad Thornton, were rescued by the FBI just seconds before the execution was to take place. I know it sounds like an episode of Harry O, but it’s real-life drama here in north Texas. Do you feel lucky to be alive, Stan?”
Stan nodded. “Oh, yes. Had it not been for the FBI’s surveillance of the Thornton home, Melissa and I would be dead right now.”
“Now, for those listeners who haven’t been following your exploits, explain to us why the Burilo drug cartel is after you. We know you’re a Republican County Chairman, a law student, and the campaign manager for the feisty Kristina Tenison, candidate for state representative in District 67, but I doubt any of those activities would upset the Burilo drug cartel.”
“No. What apparently has them upset is my efforts to clear the name of my good friend, the late Rob Shepard,” Stan explained.
“I think everyone is familiar with the Shepard murder-suicide.”
“Right, but I don’t believe Rob murdered anyone, and I’ve been conducting my own investigation to prove that he didn’t.”
“Do you think the Burilo drug cartel had Rob Shepard murdered?”
“Well, if you remember, the murders took place just days after the FBI launched their investigation of Brad Thornton for allegedly laundering money for the Burilo drug cartel. It’s my belief that Rob Shepard had knowledge or evidence that could have connected the cartel to Brad Thornton, and the only way to make sure the evidence never made it to a court of law was to kill him. Obviously, the person responsible didn’t want the authorities to know they were responsible for the murder, so they staged a murder-suicide.”
“Yes, but the police and coroner at the time indicated that Rob Shepard was severely depressed over the investigation, his expected indictment, and the prospect of having to drop out of the race for state representative. That certainly would be reason enough for anyone to take their life.”
“Maybe, but I was with Rob just hours before the murders. We were attending a reception honoring President Ford. Rob and I got to personally meet the President and shake his hand. Rob was in a good mood and didn’t seem the least bit depressed.”
“Yes, but some people are good at hiding their depression from their friends.”
“Perhaps, but I was Rob’s best friend. He confided in me. He didn’t believe he was going to be indicted. He knew nothing of any money laundering and, at worst, was guilty of being naïve.”
“So, the murder-suicide decision shocked you?”
“Yes, because even if Rob was as depressed as the police and Medical Examiner say, he would never kill his wife and children. He loved them and would be incapable of hurting them in any way. I am absolutely certain about that.”
“Okay, so obviously your investigation was making some headway if the cartel decided to have you killed.”
“Yes, in the course of my investigation, I was fortunate to get my hands on some very incriminating evidence against a man named Carlos Morales. He’s heavily into the Silver Springs Ventures and reportedly the front man for the cartel. Of course, I turned that evidence immediately over to the FBI. I believe that act is what precipitated my abduction.”
The crowd stirred from the revelation. Stan looked out at them and wondered what they were thinking. He hoped his message was getting across to them.
“How does Melissa Thornton fit into the scheme of things?” Veronica asked. “Why was she kidnapped?”
“Like Rob Shepard, she probably has knowledge that could tie her husband to Carlos Morales or others in the cartel. Someone thought it would be clever to get us together and then get rid of two birds with one stone.”
“Where are you on the investigation now? Any progress?”
“Yes, I’m glad you asked. I have identified a witness who I believe saw the killers leave the Shepard house that night. Unfortunately, this person has not come forward for personal reasons.”
“Wow! Can you tell us who it is?”
“Not now. If I did, the witness would be dead by morning. No…what I’m hoping the witness will do is go to the police immediately and tell them what was seen. If the witness does that, the FBI can arrange protection, but if the witness stays silent any longer, then I will be compelled to go to the police and tell them what I know. After I’ve given the police this information, I’ll call you and reveal the witness’s identity.”
“An exclusive?”
“Yes. Since you’ve given me the opportunity to get my message out to the public, I’m giving you an exclusive on the identity of the witness.”
“Fantastic! What do you think this witness saw?”
“I don’t want to give out any details because that might help the cartel figure out the identity of the witness.”
“I see. So why not
go to the police or the FBI with the identity of the witness rather than air it on live TV?”
“Because neither the police nor the district attorney’s office are likely to do anything right away after I give them the information. If the witness shows up and confesses, they’ll be forced to reopen the investigation, and Rob Shepard’s name will be cleared.”
Many in the audience began to clap. Stan smiled at them.
“So, Stan, I hope you have a bodyguard with you tonight. It seems like the cartel would have good reason to get rid of you before you go to the police in the morning.”
Stan smiled. “Don’t worry about that. My house is being protected by off-duty police officers tonight, and I’ve already arranged for the evidence I have to be delivered to the police, the FBI, and to you by courier or overnight mail by 10:00 a.m. tomorrow. If I don’t make it through the night, will you be sure the information is reported to the public?”
“Yes, absolutely, but I hope that’s not necessary.”
“Me too.”
The audience laughed.
“Alright, ladies and gentlemen, tune in tomorrow and find out who this mystery witness turns out to be and whether Stan Turner’s bold actions here today bear fruit. Thank you, Stan, for being my guest today. It was definitely the most exciting and dramatic interview I’ve ever conducted.”
As Stan stood up, the crowd applauded and cheered. Stan nodded and then left the studio, quite relieved the ordeal was over. When he reached the reception area, he was mobbed by the crowd. Everyone wanted to shake his hand or pat him on the back. Paula watched with tears in her eyes as he made his way to her.
A woman grabbed his arm. “You’re a good man, Stan Turner,” she said. “Rob Shepard was lucky to have you as a friend.”
Stan smiled at the woman and took a step forward.
An elderly man shook Stan’s hand. “Good luck to you, boy! I’ll be praying for your witness to do the right thing.”
“Thank you,” Stan replied.
Another woman grabbed Stan’s arm. “You be careful, Stan,” she said. “Don’t go home. Go to a motel.”
Stan laughed. “I don’t think my wife would appreciate that.”
“She would if it saved your life.”
Finally, Stan reached Paula, and they made a quick exit. Stan looked around the parking lot warily, as there were many people standing around. He didn’t think any of Morales’ men could have made it to the studio that fast unless they’d already been following him. Stan felt better once they were on the road, but he kept looking in his rearview mirror to see if anyone was following him. At first, he thought he’d made a clean escape, but then he saw a blue Mercedes a few cars behind him.
He watched the Mercedes. When he changed lanes, the Mercedes changed lanes too. Just to be sure he was being followed, he turned right at the next signal and went completely around the block, ending up where they had started. The Mercedes followed his every move.
“We’ve got someone tailing us,” he said.
“Yeah. I wondered what in the hell you were doing.” Paula turned around and looked at the cars behind them. “Which car?” she asked.
“The blue Mercedes.”
She squinted, trying to read the license plate. “MXV 249,” she said.
“Write it down. I’ll never remember it.”
She opened her purse, pulled out a piece of paper, and wrote down the license number. “Okay, got it. What should we do?”
“Nothing. I don’t think they’ll try anything as long as we stay on busy streets.”
“I hope you’re right,” she said apprehensively.
“It won’t do them any good to kill me. I’ve already sent the information to the police.”
“So who is this witness? Molly Rogers?”
“Right.”
“How do you know she witnessed the killers leaving the house?”
“I’ve done some research and discovered that she and her husband were in deep financial trouble. In fact, their home was posted for foreclosure and set to be sold on the first Tuesday of November. When Molly went upstairs just moments after the last shot was fired, she must have seen or heard the killers crawling out the window and dropping onto the roof. I bet she even went over to the window and watched them leave.”
“Oh, I see. She comes back to inspect the bodies and sees Cindy’s necklace. She figures Cindy won’t have any use for it anymore, so she steals it. The next day, she takes it to the pawn shop and gets just enough money to catch up her mortgage payment and avoid foreclosure.”
“Right, but she can’t tell the police the truth because she doesn’t want the killers to know she saw them or the police to do much digging for fear they’ll find out she’s stolen the necklace.”
“But what if you’re wrong?”
“I’m not. I know that’s what happened. If you’d have seen Molly Roger’s face the night I showed up at her house, you’d be as confident as I am.”
“Well, I hope you’re right. I hate for anything bad to happen to Molly.”
Paula’s misgivings bothered Stan. He prayed he hadn’t made a mistake about Molly and endangered her life. Suddenly Stan realized they were coming up to the on ramp of I30. He went up the ramp and pushed hard on the gas pedal. The car lurched forward and accelerated to seventy. The Mercedes stayed right on Stan’s tail as they wove through traffic, trying to keep some distance. Paula looked back nervously.
“They’re catching up to us. I think they may try to ram us.”
“Well, we can’t outrun them,” Stan said. “I saw this in a movie once.”
Paula looked at him incredulously. “You saw what in a movie?”
Just as the Mercedes was about to rear-end them, Stan swung the car two lanes to the left and slammed on the brakes. The Mercedes flew past them like a lightning bolt. Several cars in the left-hand lane had to take evasive action to avoid hitting them. Then Stan did a U-turn over the grass median and headed back down I-30 in the opposite direction.
Paula looked back and saw the Mercedes trying the same maneuver but farther up the road where the median was impassible and had gotten bogged down.
“Nice work!” Paula said. “I didn’t know you were an Indy driver.”
“We were lucky. We could have gotten rear-ended or mired in the mud trying to cross the median. But if they had rammed us from behind I might have lost control of the car and we could have ended up dead.”
“No. You handled the situation perfectly. I’ll drive with you in a car chase anytime.”
Stan laughed tentatively as his racing heart began to slow. On the way back home, he worried about his family. He knew Jenkins was there, but that didn’t completely allay his fears. After he left Paula off at SMU, he drove home praying everyone was okay. Jenkins’ police car was parked in front of his house, along with Agent Rutlege’s blue Malibu. When Stan walked in the door, Reggie ran to him.
“Dad! You’re okay,” he said, wrapping his arms around Stan.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” Stan said, picking him up and holding him. Mark and Peter looked on curiously.
“Is someone trying to hurt you?” Reggie asked.
“No,” Stan lied. “Why don’t you and your brothers go upstairs and play? I need to talk to Agent Rutledge and Officer Jenkins.”
Stan put Reggie down, and they all ran upstairs. Rebekah glared at Stan, shook her head, and went into the kitchen.
“So, I guess you saw the broadcast.”
“Are you nuts?” Jenkins scolded. “That was a very dangerous thing to do.”
“I know, but how else will I flush out the witness?”
“You should have brought the evidence to me,” Agent Rutledge said. “We would have interrogated the suspect and discovered the truth.”
“But it’s not your case,” Stan protested.
“It’s our case now if what you say is true. If the Shepard family was executed by the Burilo cartel, that puts it under our jurisdiction since they were tampering with o
ur witnesses.”
Stan shrugged. “Well, I did send you the info. You should have it a ten a.m tomorrow.”
“Who’s the suspect? I want to get some protection out to him. I’ve got two agents in the neighborhood, but it would be nice to be able to focus on one residence.”
“Molly Rogers.”
Stan explained about her financial problems and theft of Cindy Shepard’s necklace. He told them that the pawn shop owner had identified her photograph as a regular at his place of business.
“Well, I hope she comes in and confesses. That would make life easier for us all. I’ve talked to Detective Moore, and he’s going to advise us immediately if she comes in.”
“You might want to pick up her husband when he goes to work at eight. I don’t think he realizes what she did. He might be helpful in getting her to come clean.”
“Okay. We’ll do that.”
“So, any trouble on the way home?” Agent Rutledge asked.
Stan raised his eyebrows. “Well, now that you mention it, we did have a bit of a problem.”
Stan described the car chase and gave Agent Rutledge the license plate number of the Mercedes.
She just shook her head. “I hope I don’t end up visiting you in the morgue,” she said.
Stan smiled cautiously. “You and me both.”
Agent Rutledge left, and Stan thanked Jenkins for lining up the off-duty police officers to watch the house. He gave him some of the cash from Melissa’s retainer to pay the officers, and then Jenkins left. Stan sighed as he looked toward the kitchen door where Rebekah’s wrath awaited him. After summoning his courage, he stepped through the kitchen door.