The Trophy Exchange (43 page)

All
the techs,
b
ar
the
one
in the bathroom
,
were now packing up equipment and carrying bagged and tagged evidence down to the van. Her cell rang.
“
Pierce.
”

“
Lucinda, Ted.
”

“
Hey, Ted. Did you see Dr Spencer?
”

“
Yeah. It seemed like he was asleep when I arrived. He opened the door, stared at me and without a word, turned, leaving the door open and walked to the phone. As he came back, he punched in a number then he stood in front of me and stared again.
”

“
Who did he call?
”

“
His attorney, I think.
”

“
You think.
”

“
Well, Lucinda, he stood there staring at me and then spoke into the phone. He said,
‘
Evan Spencer here. Sorry to wake you but there
’
s a police officer on my doorstep. He just woke me up. He
’
s the second one to come around tonight. I want this harassment to stop.
’
Then he nodded his head a couple of times, said
‘
thank you
’
, disconnected the call and slammed the door in my face.
”

“
Then what did you do?
”
Lucinda asked.

“
I left.
”

“
You left?
”

“
C
’
mon, Lucinda, what else could I do? I looked him over while he was staring at me. I didn
’
t see any scratches or bruises on his face, hands or arms. What else could I do?
”

“
Dammit!
”
she said and hung up the phone.

She thanked the departing techs for their trouble, threw the deadbolt on her door and went looking for Chester. She found him huddled in a corner behind the recliner.
“
C
’
mon,
s
weetcakes, it
’
s just you and me now. Let
’
s call it a day
–
or something.
”

Fifty-Five

First thing in the morning, Ted was on the line pestering the airlines about their flights to Vegas. Lucinda made a personal appearance at precinct roll
-
call with the forensic sketch of the man she believed was Kirk Prescott and with a snapshot of Evan Spencer.
“
The guy we
’
re looking for looks a lot like this man,
”
she said pointing to Evan
’
s photograph.
“
But he
’
s a little bit older and probably has a shorter haircut.
”

She headed next to the
d
istrict
a
ttorney
’
s
o
ffice where she made her case for a new arrest of Evan Spencer.

“
Not yet, Pierce. There
’
s a great big step between lying to you about his brother and helping his brother kill.
”

“
But his lie is a clear obstruction of justice. You wouldn
’
t have any difficulty making that charge stick. And he probably helped hide his brother and he might even know where he is right now. Maybe he
’
s the one who creeped my house and attacked the apartment manager.
”

“
Probably, might and maybe don
’
t cut it, Pierce.
”

“
But
. . .”

“
We can file obstruction of justice charges at any point in the game. Focus on bringing in Kirk Prescott. Maybe we can get him to turn on his brother.
”

“
What? You
’
re thinking about cutting a deal with him? Do you know how many people he killed?
”

“
Oh, so you want the death penalty, Pierce?
”

“
Damn right.
”

“
Aw, that soun
ds like the Lieutenant
Pierce
I know and love. Ever since you brought in the Wagner woman, I was worried you were going soft on me.
”

“
Have you lowered the charges against Julie Wagner?
”

“
Not yet.
”

“
Listen, Reed
―”

“
Settle down, Pierce. I made an offer to he
r attorney
–
a manslaughter offer. I
’
m waiting to hear back.
”

“
Good. Now
,
about Evan Spencer?
”

“
Find Prescott, Lieutenant, and then we
’
ll talk.
”

“
Dammit,
”
she muttered under her breath as she turned and stepped out of his office. She headed down the hall until she spotted Evan Spencer and his attorney Stephen Theismann at the front desk. She pivoted on her heel and headed back to Reed
’
s office.

As she walked through his doorway, Reed was hanging up the phone.
“
Dr Spencer and his lawyer are here.
”

“
I noticed,
”
Lucinda said.

“
They want to talk to me.
”

“
And
. . .?”
Don’t you dare shut me out of this, Reed.

‘
And I think they should talk to both of us.
’

Lucinda smiled.

‘
Whaddya say we have our little conversation down in your murder room, Lieutenant. If we surround them with death
-
scene photos that might be just the thing we need to keep them aware of the gravity of the situation and keep the gameplaying to a minimum.
’

‘
I like the way you think, Reed.
’

He gave her a wink and they headed up the hall.

At the front desk, Theismann objected to Lucinda
’
s inclusion in the discussion. Reed listened but did not speak. Evan poked his lawyer in the side with his elbow. Theismann gave him a look that would freeze the dead but then remembered who was paying the bill and shut up.

‘
Follow us,
C
ounselor,
’
Reed said.

‘
I expected we
’
d be welcomed into your office, Reed. Just where are we going? I refuse to return to that loathsome interrogation room for this meeting. I demand a place more befitting the respect we deserve.
”

“
I am so sorry,
C
ounselor, but that is not possible,
”
Lucinda said in mock-sweetness.
“
But don
’
t worry. We all get what we really deserve eventually.
”

Reed rolled his eyes at her and gave a tight, barely perceptible shake of his head. Theismann shot the same look at Lucinda that he
’
d given his client just moments ago.

Good
, Lucinda thought as she glared back.
I can be just as hostile as he is and I’ll enjoy it twice as much.

Fifty-Six

As the foursome entered the conference room, Ted looked up from the long table and assessed the situation without a pause. He gathered up his papers and retreated from the room to work at his desk where he could continue his calls without getting caught up in the morning
’
s drama.

Theismann was nowhere near as accommodating as Ted. He objected to the location. Reed pointed to the side of the table that faced the wall of crime
-
scene photos and asked him to take a seat.

Evan stood transfixed before the three timeline boards. He mumbled under his breath as if reading aloud.

“
Dr Spencer,
”
Theismann said.
“
Please have a seat.
”

Evan sat beside his attorney with a sigh.

“
Dr Spencer,
”
Reed began,
“
you called this meeting. How do you want to play it?
”

“
First of all, I would like to apologize for my continued deception,
”
Evan said.

Lucinda snorted and leaned back in her chair.

“Mr.
Reed,
”
Theismann objected,
“
the cop is making this more difficult than it needs to be. I ask, once again, that she not be present for this interview.
”

Reed ignored him and spoke to Evan.
“
Describe your deception, Doctor.
”

“
The main thing I concealed was the fact that I do have a brother.
”

“
We figured that out, Doctor,
”
Lucinda said with a sneer.

“
I regret my dishonesty, Lieutenant. I was keeping a promise I made to my mother.
”

“
A promise to your mother is more important than all of these lives?
”
she said
,
sweeping her arm across the photos on the wall.

“
No, Lieutenant, it is not. My priorities were out of whack. When I first learned the details of Kate
’
s death, I thought of my brother but believed he was still institutionalized. His involvement seemed impossible. Telling you about him would be a senseless betrayal of my mother and father. I know I was wrong about that now.

“
Try to understand how it all seemed to me. When we first moved to Lynchburg, my mother grilled me every day after school to make sure I had not given up the family secret. And each day, she had me reaffirm my promise not to tell. Before today, I
’
d only shared the secret with one person
–
my wife Kate. And I didn
’
t tell her until after Charley was born.
”

“
What
’
re you telling us,
D
octor?
”
Lucinda asked.
“
Kathleen knew your family secret so she had to die? And your brother was the perfect tool?
”

All the color drained from Evan
’
s face.

Theismann jumped to his feet.
“
This is uncalled for. We asked for this meeting and now we
’
re ending it.
”

“
Sit down
,
Theismann,
”
Evan said.
“
And shut up. I
’
ve earned her derision.
”

Lucinda and Reed stared at Evan wide-eyed and exchanged a glance of surprise and a shrug.

Patches of red suffused Theismann
’
s cheekbones.
“
I would like a moment alone with my client,
Mr.
Reed.
”

“
Your client does not want a moment alone with you,
”
Evan said.
“
Your client wants to tell the truth
–
the whole truth
–
no matter how inconvenient it may be. And he wants you to be a witness to the truth. So please sit down and concentrate on your accumulation of billable hours.
”

Lucinda wanted to laugh, but instead lowered her head and squeezed her nose between her thumb and her index finger. The tiny jolt of negative nerve impulses helped her maintain control.

For a moment, Theismann looked as if he
’
d stomp out of the room in a snit. But then he settled back in his seat.
“
Very well, Doctor.
”

“
As you were saying, Dr Spencer,
”
Reed said to jumpstart the conversation.

“
No, Lieutenant, I had nothing to do with my wife
’
s murder nor with any of the other murders. But I don
’
t expect you will accept my word about that on face value.
”

“
Good,
”
Lucinda said.
“
That
’
s at least one thing we can agree on. Did you pay a visit to Riverside Apartments yesterday, Doctor?
”

Evan frowned.
“
No. What does
. . .
Why? Never mind. I saw your charts. I realize I was available for all the murders except for Kate
’
s and the most recent attempted murder. My brother
’
s whereabouts, however, seems vague for all of them.
”

Lucinda nodded.

“
At times I was certain that Kirk killed Kate. And at others I refused to believe my own brother would kill my wife.
”

“
You didn
’
t think he
’
d killed Kathleen even though he attempted to kill you?
”
Lucinda asked.

“
I have no memory of that, Lieutenant. I only know of it because my mother told me. The indirectness of that knowledge robbed it of its reality. I do, however, remember Bethany Hopkins. But that had been so many years ago and Kirk had been out of my life for a long time. He was the bogeyman, a skeleton in the family closet
–
nothing more.
”

He looked up at Lucinda with wet, pained eyes.