Chapter 21
Paula Waters
When Paula got home late that night Bart was on the sofa drinking a beer and watching TV. When she saw him she went over and collapsed next to him. He put his arm around her and pulled her up close to him.
“Rough day?” he asked.
Paula sighed. “A busy day. A lot’s happening.”
“Good or bad?”
“I don’t know. Too soon to tell. . . . I ran Rutledge’s offer by my client and he wouldn’t go for it. He can’t testify to something that is not true.”
“I figured that,” Bart said.
“Did you know the FBI is involved in the case now?”
Bart frowned. “No. I hadn’t heard that.”
“Yeah. They had a wiretap on Mike Sutherland and caught him hiring someone to steal Jodie’s car.”
“What? Are you kidding me?”
“No. They want her to file a complaint so they can use the car theft charge as leverage to get Sutherland to testify against Wilkinson and Hunt.”
“Is she going to do it?”
“Sure. She needs to get Sutherland off the street so she can sleep at night. That guy is a lunatic.”
“And your client is okay with it?”
“Yes, we told him Wilkinson and Hunt might implicate him in the murders but he’s standing by his claim of innocence.”
“He may be telling the truth. . . . You didn’t hear this from me but I heard they found trace elements of rat poison in a plastic grocery bag in Hunt’s trunk.”
Paula twisted around and looked at Bart. “Are you serious?”
“Yes. That’s what I heard. You’ll have to confirm it with Besch or Rutledge.”
“Oh my God. That’s huge.”
“I know. I thought you’d be happy to hear it.”
“So, I wonder when I will officially hear about it.”
“Probably not for a while. You know Rutledge will sit on it as long as possible, but now that you know it exists you should be able to get it sooner.”
“Won’t they know you told me if I ask for it?”
“Not if you just asked for the results of any and all their search warrants. They’ll have to give you everything then.”
“When did they do the search?”
“Yesterday.”
“Did they find anything else?”
“I don’t know. I just happened to overhear someone talking about the Vacor Rat Poison. It got my attention since I’d spent several hours searching for rat poison a few weeks back.”
Paula laughed. “Well, your hard work paid off.”
“Am I going to be rewarded for my efforts?” Bart asked with a grin.
Paula smiled wryly. “I may have to do that.” Bart leaned over and they kissed for a long moment. “But first I need nourishment. What’s for dinner?”
“I was going to order pizza.”
Paula frowned. “If you want to be rewarded tonight I’m going to need something better than pizza.”
“Oh, alright. How about a steak at Lawry’s?”
Paula’s eyes lit up. “Yeah, that will do.”
“I guess you heard they’ve filed a motion to consolidate all the cases.”
“No. I didn’t hear that.”
“So, your trial is going to be like a three ring circus.” Bart laughed. “I’m glad it’s you and not me.”
Paula gave him a playful jab with her elbow. “Thanks a lot.”
They debated getting dressed up but finally decided they were too hungry and didn’t have the energy for it, so they went as they were. Since it was a week night Lowry’s wasn’t busy and they were seated immediately. The waitress asked them what they’d like to drink. Bart ordered a beer and Paula asked for a glass of wine.
“So, how’s Stan’s wife doing?”
“Physically, she’s okay, I think.”
“Good.”
“She’s still depressed though and just sits around the house all day according to Stan. I’m worried their marriage is in trouble.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Stan’s been acting rather strange lately.”
“Strange? How?”
“Well, he disappears for hours at a time and is very secretive about where he’s been.”
“What do you think he’s doing?”
“Well, I followed him one time to a sleazy motel where he met a prostitute.”
Bart laughed. “Are you serious?”
“Yes. I’m afraid so. Then the other day he took a flight to Houston with the same hooker. They boarded separately, I guess so nobody would think they were together, but I’m sure it’s the same blond woman I saw him with at the Twilight Motel.”
“Oh, well. If he’s not getting anything at home, can you blame him?”
Paula shook her head. “It’s so not like Stan. I’m worried there’s more to it than that.”
“Like what?”
“I don’t know. Maybe with all the stress he’s been under he’s about to have a mental breakdown.”
“He could be on drugs,” Bart suggested. “That would explain his absences and erratic behavior.”
“He doesn’t act like he’s on drugs. At the office he’s just as sharp as ever and I’ve never smelled booze on his breath.”
“Have you asked him about it?”
“No. If he’s cheating on Rebekah that’s his business, I guess. Then again, I did promise to watch Rebekah’s back.”
“Well, if it’s not affecting his work then I wouldn’t worry about it.”
“Yeah. Well, I’m not like you. When something isn’t right, I worry.”
The waitress brought them their drinks and then asked what they’d like to order. Paula ordered a filet and Bart got a rib eye. A few minutes later she brought them bread and salads. They ate in an uncomfortable silence for a few minutes then Bart stopped eating.
“So, what are you going to do?” he asked.
Paula shrugged. “Maybe Jodie and I should have lunch with Rebekah to see how she’s doing. I’ll ask her if everything is okay with Stan.”
“Are you going to tell her Stan is cheating on her?”
“No, but she may already know. If she does and still wants to save her marriage maybe we could help.”
“I think you should stay out of it.”
“You’re probably right, but I may not be able to do that if Stan continues to cheat on her. If there’s a divorce it will affect the partnership. He’ll have to buy out her community interest and that will be a problem since he just put four kids through college and is broke.”
“How do you know that?” Bart asked sharply.
“I know Stan. He spends every penny he earns. He’s told me his savings account has twenty dollars in it.”
“Well, it may be too late. Rebekah will probably file for divorce the moment she finds out he’s cheating on her.”
Paula knew the thought of that scared Bart. If Stan were divorced she’d have trouble leaving him alone. She had always loved Stan and she was sure he had feelings for her as well, but he’d always been married and couldn’t bring himself to betray Rebekah.
“That’s true,” Paula replied. “But that’s just another reason I need to find out what is going on. If I can get him to stop now, maybe Rebekah will never find out.”
Bart nodded but didn’t say anything.
After dinner they went home and before Paula could make good on her promise to reward Bart for his hard work on her case, the telephone rang. Paula answered it.
“Paula. This is Jodie.”
“Oh. What’s wrong?”
“Detective Besch called. Mike Sutherland wouldn’t go for the deal. He claims he knows nothing about the murders or the theft of my car.”
“What about the wiretap?”
“He’s not talking on advice of counsel. Apparently his lawyer isn’t impressed by it. He says he can get it thrown out.”
“On what grounds?”
“I don’t know.”
“I’m s
o sorry, Jodie. Has he made bail yet?”
“Uh huh. He’s already on the street. Luckily I have Carl with me.”
“Well, I doubt he’d try anything while his case is pending. That would be stupid.”
Jodie sighed deeply. “I hope you’re right.”
Jodie’s news put a damper on Paula’s mood so she told Bart she’d have to give him a rain check on his promised reward. That night Paula took a long, hot bath hoping that would relax her. But she still had trouble sleeping and when she did finally fall into a shallow slumber she had a terrible nightmare about finding Jodie’s body in their office parking garage in a pool of blood. She awoke with a start. Her clock radio said it was 4:27 a.m. She got up and went into the kitchen to get a glass of water. Her case seemed to be spinning out of control. She wondered why Sutherland hadn’t taken the deal. Was he afraid of Tom Wilkinson and the consequences of testifying against him or was he being truthful when he claimed to know nothing about the murders? She took a deep breath trying to relax but it didn’t help. Her shoulders were hard as bricks and she had a throbbing headache.
The next morning she told Stan they needed to have a strategy session. They did this periodically to coordinate their activities and make sure everyone knew what the others were doing. Maria had brought donuts so they all got a cup of coffee and a donut and convened in the conference room.
“I couldn’t sleep after you called me last night,” Paula complained.
Jodie shook her head. “Me either. I thought for sure Sutherland would take the deal.”
“I’m not surprised,” Stan said. “From what Jodie tells me he’s a smart guy and isn’t about to get at odds with Wilkinson. He knew that to rat on them would be a death sentence. Better to spend six months in jail for a simple car heist.”
“So, where does that leave the FBI and the DA on the prosecution of Wilkinson, Hunt and Jamison?” Paula asked.
“Agent Lot said they were still going to prosecute them, they have the fingerprint, the plastic bag in Hunt’s car containing particles of rat poison, and a lot of circumstantial evidence. They’ll go with that if they have to but to insure a successful prosecution they’d like a live witness,” Jodie replied.
“Well, I doubt Wilkinson, Hunt or Jamison will turn on each other. They have been working together a long time,” Stan said.
“So, do I continue to assume that they are responsible for the murders,” Paula asked, “or should we suggest one of our other scenarios?”
“No. It’s still our most viable theory,” Stan replied. “I’d stick to it for now.”
“Okay. Have we talked to all the witnesses? Who else might know something?” Paula asked.
“I’m enrolling, well Brad and I are enrolling in Evelyn Sanders aerobics class,” Jodie advised. “ She’s Chris Hunt’s girlfriend and was with him at Emilio’s restaurant on the night of the murders.”
“That’s a bit dangerous, isn’t it?” Stan asked.
“That’s why Brad is enrolling with me. I just want to become friends in hopes that she’ll confide in me. When the time is right I’ll bring up the murders.”
“That could take some time,” Paula said.
“I know, but if I move too fast she’ll get suspicious.”
“Well, I doubt the FBI will get anything out of her,” Stan said.
“No, I think my plan is our best shot,” Jodie said. “If it turns out she knows something I’ll alert Agent Lot and Detective Besch and then maybe they can cut a deal with her.”
“Okay,” Paula said. “But be careful.”
“I will and I’ll have 24/7 protection.”
“Good. . . . Now going back to the question of other witnesses. There is one witness we haven’t talked to yet,” Stan advised.
“Who is that?” Paula asked.
“Emilio’s wife.”
“Why should we talk to her?”
“Because she was friends with all the victims and might know why they were targeted for murder.”
“But we know why,” Paula protested. “Wilkinson wanted to buy Emilio’s property and he wouldn’t sell.”
“Yes, that’s our main theory but we should continue to investigate other scenarios. Trying to kill four people to ruin a business is a bit of an overkill. I still want to pursue the theory that one or more of the victims was targeted.”
“Huh. Okay,” Paula said. “Do you want to talk to her, or should I?”
“I’ll talk to her since she’s an old client,” Stan said.
“Is there anybody else?” Paula asked.
Paula looked at Jodie and then at Stan. Stan shrugged. “That’s all I can think of for now.”
“Alright. I’ll start working on my trial outline and witness list. Then I’ve got to set a time with Rutledge to review the evidence he intends to use at trial.”
“What about letting Ricardo testify at trial?” Jodie asked.
It was rare that an attorney would allow his or her client to testify at trial because a good prosecutor could make even an innocent man look guilty, but sometimes it was necessary if there was any hope of getting a verdict of not guilty.
“It’s a risk but it’s something we will have to seriously consider,” Paula replied. “Ricardo is adamant about his innocence so that passion might sway some of the jurors.”
After the meeting broke up Paula went to her office to start working on her trial outline. The trial outline would be her guide through the trial. It included her opening and closing statements, the names and order of witnesses, the evidence that would be presented and how she would get each piece into evidence. Once the order of witnesses was set a very thorough list of questions would have to be prepared for each witness. She would also have to prepare questions for the cross examination of the prosecution’s witnesses. Of course, all of these witness questions were just a starting place. Once she started asking questions the answers she received would trigger more questions.
When she had the basic outline completed she felt better. Now she knew exactly what she’d do at trial. All she had to do now was subpoena the witnesses, ask them the right questions and get all her evidence admitted. Then it would be up to the jury to decide who and what to believe. She just prayed when all was said and done Ricardo would be found innocent.