I was up earlier then I had been for a while. After I got myself around and coffee was being made I called Bob at home.
“Morning Bob.
“What you want this early?”
“I need you to call Stone and the both of you to come over first thing this morning. I have someone you need to meet.”
“Eh yeah, it better be good.”
“It is I promise you.”
I knew Bob wasn't happy about being called before he even got up to go to the office. And my asking him to bring Stone was a puzzle he’d wonder about the whole time.
While we waited for them, I got Brenda up and we made breakfast and woke up Sally Ann. I told them I’d called Bob and Stone to come over first thing.
Sally Ann was petrified that I’d called her father.
“I don’t want to see him !” she screamed.
Brenda and I said we understood. But I pointed out that she’d have to meet him again anyway, and better here than a police station full of strangers and reporters.
Eventually, she calmed down and agreed with me. It Was better they meet again in private.
Brenda asked me about a shower and clean clothes for her. I told them I wanted them to see exactly as I found her. While she wasn't happy about it, she agreed that was probably the best way to do it.
By the time Bob and Stone arrived about an hour and a half later we’d cleaned up from Breakfast, and had more coffee ready, Both Brenda and I were dressed. And Sally Ann had a more fitting housecoat on covering up her clothes and her body.
We heard footsteps on the porch and I went to open the door.
Bob and Stone stood there. I invited them in. I had Sally Ann in my office. Once we were all sat down, I went on to explain how I had recognized one of the two girls that I had thrown out of the office at the movie theater. That one was dead. Then I now knew who the second girl was.
“Remember last week when I was in your office, and I mentioned the picture of your family?”
“Yeah, what about it?”
“What I didn't tell you at the time is that I recognized one of the girls in your picture. Sally Ann. She was the other girl I threw out of the office.”
“Ann You didn't tell me this… Why?”
“For several reasons, One I wasn’t 100% sure what I was seeing. I could have been wrong. And I wanted to find her first and make sure.” I finished up.
“And Now?”
“And Now I know for sure, Your daughter Sally Ann Shot Ben Roberts last week.” It just hung there like so much dead weight in the room. Bob knew or suspected much of this. But he didn't know this part.
“I found her yesterday.”
“And you didn't call me?”
“No, I didn’t because I needed to know exactly what was going on and why. And to make sure before I told anyone.”
“And you're sure. Now?”
“Yes. Sally Ann would you please come out?” I called.
They turned to look at the door of my office which opens slowly. Brenda came out. And wrapped in her arms was Sally Ann Stone. The look of pure shock on Both Bobs and her father’s face was priceless.
“How when?” was all Stone could mutter as he got up and ran to hug his little girl. Bob looked at me with a mixture of pride and anger, I knew he wouldn’t like the way I handled it. After everyone settled down and Sally Ann found a place next to her father I went on. It Took me a week of steady walking and questioning every junkie and whore in the city before I finally found her. She was in an abandoned hotel down on the far side of town. Living Off whatever she could find. Over the next several hours between Sally Ann and me, we explained what had been happening to her the last few months especially the weeks leading up to the killing of the girl in the warehouse, her friend Mona. She then went on to tell us about she was convinced that Roberts would get off form the murders of Lisa mayor, and Mona, and she feared he’d come back for her.
I wanted them to see her exactly as I found her, which is why she hasn’t had a shower or gotten clean clothes.
**
Eventually, things had to happen. Bob called the station and asked that a maton come over. Bob and Stone discussed what could happen to her, and what the next step would be. Bob decided that for now, he wouldn’t officially charge her, and just officially “Bring Her In for Questioning”.
They decided to let the DA charge her if he still wanted to after hearing her story.
It would be hard for them not to, unfortunately. Given the way, she committed the killing in front of the world. They probably would have to charge her, but given the nature of her situation whether they pushed it would remain to be seen. I was invited along as I’d found her and had to fill out more reports. I had known I’d be going back to the station again.
In all of the excitement and questioning of and about Sally Ann, I forgot about the gun in my safe. I was halfway to the station following Bob and Stone and Sally Ann in Bob’s car, before I remembered the gun. I decided at this point to wait and see what happens. This time I had saved myself some work and wrote out a statement ahead of time. Detailing my week of looking and giving exact details of where and when I found her. And what I’d done afterward right up until I called Bob this morning. I knew the DA would want to hear it directly from me.
This time we went around to the back of the station. No big fancy entrance this time. Which suited me fine. Going in the back way to the station lead us into a maze of small offices and past the evidence rooms and the coroner's office. Once past the crowded hallways of the first floor, we came to the offices of the detectives and DA and prosacutors, and others that worked on the legal side of the job. Both Stone and Bob said hi to a lot of people in passing as we made our way through the crowd of people going in and out of various offices. Once we reached the third floor where Bob’s office was, we walked right past it. And found an empty meeting room. Bob told me this room usually reserved for meeting with attorneys and the members of the court. After we were settled he called the DA.
We settled in for what promised to be a long day answering stupid questions over and over again. But it had to be done.
A few minutes later the same DA I’d met back in August came in followed by two of the same younger assistant DA’s that I had dealt with in August, this was not looking promising. We shook hands an introductions were made all around.
**
Bob explained that he hadn’t officially charged Sally Ann with the murder of Ben Roberts yet. but at this point, she was in mostly for questioning and to get her story... When he told them I was the one who’d both figured out who she was and found her. The DA and his cohorts shot looks between themselves. It was clear they’d not forgotten about August when I been in to make statements. And they still didn’t like me or my methods. Once we got past the basic explanations I was invited to tell them how I figured out who the shooter was. That didn't go well. They didn’t appreciate that I didn't say anything to them officially. I told them until I found her, and actually met her, I wasn’t 100 percent sure, I gave them to know that I wasn’t putting anyone in the spotlight until I was absolutely sure who they were. Truth is, in my mind, I was 99 percent sure when I saw the picture, but I didn’t tell them that. And I sure wasn't going to tell Detective Stone what I thought I knew until I knew for sure. Eventually, they gave up on me. After I went over several times how I’d spent my time and energy tracking her down.
Then it was her turn. She went over everything she told us at the house already. They wanted details most of which she didn't know or remember. Which didn’t make them happy, But there was little they could do. Finally one of the young DA assistants asked why she was dress like she was, with my trench coat. I told them I wanted them to see her exactly how I found her yesterday. This is the state I found her in. Holed up in an abandoned hotel on the bad side of town, cold and lonely and scared.
Not living in some fancy house or hotel with a manservant waiting for her. She had been living rough for several weeks on to months. And she looked and smelled it. They were not impressed. Apparently, they like their witness cleaned and pressed and presentable to the public.
Finally, we got the part they really cared about. The shooting of Ben Roberts.
**
Sally Ann looked at me, I nodded, and she began; Telling them about taking the gun from Ben Roberts place the last time she was there. Because her father was a cop, she was familiar with guns and generally knew how to handle one. Especially a revolver. I noticed the Assistant DA’s glancing at each other, with disapproval. They even shot a couple of disapproving glares at Stone, Like he was a bad father for teaching his daughter about guns. I wanted to jump in and say some things but I kept quiet. This was Sally Ann's show at that moment. So far she kept on point. She told them about her friend Mona, the second girl with her most of the time until Ben had killed her. She knew he’d been arrested and was petrified that he’d either escape or get loose and come after her. She really didn't think he’d be convicted and sent away. She was terrified he could send someone after her. She’d seen what he’d done to Eddie and Clair once he’d found them.
She read that the trail was starting that day, and somewhere she'd seen that they expected him to arrive in the front of the courthouse. So she both walked and hitched rides across town the day before. Sleeping in a doorway not far from the courthouse. She hadn’t eaten much in the last couple of days, she did manage to scrounge a something to eat that morning by bumming for some money from a reporter. Once the crowd started gathering for his arrival at the courthouse she just blends in as much as she could. She had waited almost two hours for the police panel van to pull up. She worked her way to the front of the crowd and when he was in the right spot and she had a clear shot she just did it. Stepped up to him and shouted, “You killed her” and shot him. And before the echo could die down and the reporters realized what she just did, she turned and blended back into the crowd. Everyone was so focused on Him lying on the sidewalk, they didn’t even noticed her backing out of the crowd and disappearing. She did see me when she was clear of the crowd but didn’t recognize me at first, it wasn’t until I showed up a week later, that she remembered seeing me that day.
Finally, someone asked the big question where is the gun?
Sally Ann glanced at me. Frankly, until the ride over, I’d forgotten that the gun was in my safe.
“I don’t know” She finally replied. Glancing at me.
“What do you mean, You don’t know?”
“Sometime during the week after I shot him, I lost the gun in some place I was staying at. And don’t know where or when. It just got lost somehow.” She tried to explain that she stayed in a lot of places usually for a few hours or one night, at most of the time she wasn’t even sure where she was, she just kept moving. Her looks and smell helped back up the story. She said there was no way she couldn’t tell them all the places she’d stayed, because she didn’t remember them, and wasn’t even sure where most of them were. I know I believed her. It was plausible that she could lose the gun.
The attorneys talked among themselves for a while. The four of us sat and waited. None of us dared to say anything. Finally, the District Attorney coughed and turned his attention directly to Sally Ann.
“Miss Sally Ann Stone, we are hereby charging you with the murder of Ben Roberts on October 14, 1947.”
He nodded and a guard at the door brought in a lady cop in uniform. She collected Sally Ann and cuffed her, and lead her out of the room.
“As for you, Detective Stone, I’m sorry to have to do this. But she did confess, and we have an eyewitness. So I have to charge her.”
Then he turned to me.
“Mr. St.James, I’m not sure what to do with you. Technically you haven't broken any laws, at least not that I can charge you with. So you're free to go. But keep yourself available for further questioning.” I told him I planned on it.
He ignored Bob. The DA’s got up and collected their respective papers and left. Without a word.
The three of us just sat there in silence. We weren’t sure what to make of them.
After everyone left. And the room was empty.
“I could use a beer.”
“So could I” came the reply from Bob.
But instead of the bar. We went back to his office and he pulled out the bottle of scotch and several old glasses. Pouring some in all three glasses.;
“Do you think they can make a case?” Stone asked. He hasn't said much the entire morning. In fact, the DA’s pretty much ignored him. Which suited me fine. The last thing I wanted was they’re trying to get into his history and his behavior on the case back in August. I now understood it, and probably would have done much the same thing If it’d been me. His daughter had been made into a porn star of sorts, and definitely pushed to prostitution, among many other things, and that was enough to handle, now charged with murder. Something she’d clearly done and admitted to. He didn't need the DA coming down on him too.
*
I took my glass and swallowed my fill of scotch. It burned all the way down. Shaking my head, I felt the effects start to work.
“Look I need to get back and see how Brenda is doing. And finish up on my reports for you Bob.”
“Yeah I need to go too, I have a lot of explaining to do with my wife.” Stone left and headed back down the hall the opposite way I was going to leave.
Just as I reached the door, Bob called me softly.
“Jim, the gun, where is it?”
I turned around and looked him squarely in the eye and lied.
“I don’t know. Does it matter?”
“I don’t know, if they find it, then they'll more than enough to convict her. She already confessed, so Even without it, they have a pretty good case.”
“I know. But, part of me says she didn't do it. Yeah I know I saw her, but I didn’t actually see her pull the trigger….”
“Are saying someone else could have actually done it?”
“No, She did it, but I don’t think it's the same girl, that left home earlier this year, she different then she was then. That girl didn't do it. The new girl she became did it, and I dare say with some justification too.”
“That doesn't make it right, does it?”
“I don’t know, Maybe it makes it less wrong.”
Bob pondered my reasoning. As he poured another scotch. Downing it quickly.
He tossed the bottle and empty glasses back in the bottom drawer of his desk.
Sitting down, and picking up a file,
“Right and wrong are rarely cut and dried. And this is even less.”
“Yep, Look I'll See you later.”
With that, I left.
Pulling into the driveway I pondered the gun. That damned gun. I just lied to Bob, Shit I didn’t want to do that. But producing the gun would only finish their case against a kid who had been taken advantage of, and forced to do things she didn't want to. And she could only see her only way out competently was to kill him.
There it was. I wouldn’t help them convict her for something she had a right to do.
The house was locked up tight. I had to ring the bell for her to let me in. We had started keeping it locked all the time, even when were are here, after the attempt on her life back in August. We often did when I had a particularly dicey case, but now we did as a matter of routine.
She said she’d been making lunch when I got home. While we ate I told her in details about the meeting with the DA this morning. That they did charge Sally Ann with murder. When asked about the gun, she said she had lost it some time afterward, but didn’t know where or how.
“It's in the safe,” Brenda stated.
“For now. But it's going to disappear.” I told her.
I told her about lying to Bob, and how I hated to do it, but I couldn't bring myself to hand it in, knowing it would definitely put a young girl in jail.
I told her she may go to prison anyway, but I wasn't going to help.
So later that afternoon I carefully took it from the safe and wiped it down completely and cleaned it, making sure there were no fingerprints on it, not even mine, I disassembled it and cleaned the cylinder, and barrel, and grip, and trigger, and any other part that might have prints on it. Along with the remaining five unspent rounds in the cylinder, and the one spent casing. When I was done it impossible to tell it had been fired recently. And there were no prints on it anywhere. Wrapping it back in a handkerchief I decided that it needed a new home, somewhere not my safe or even the house or office in the bar. I still wasn’t sure what I was going to do with it the long run, But I knew it couldn’t be in the house or bar. Or anywhere hey could get a search warrant for. I knew sooner probably rather then later the DA would seriously start to question her story about losing the gun. So I had to lose it for her. On the way to the bar that night with Brenda we took a little detour.
Stopping at the newly renamed MacArthur Park, I drove around the boat docks and amphitheater until I found a place out of the way, they looked like it it was secure enough to keep people from finding it accidentally. And keep it out of the weather. Having unloaded it earlier when I cleaned it. I decided at the last minute to remove the cylinder. That way if it did get found it was useless. Brenda waited in the car while I hid the gun and found a place to stash the cylinder. From there we went on our normal route to the bar and opened up as usual.
“Morning Bob.
“What you want this early?”
“I need you to call Stone and the both of you to come over first thing this morning. I have someone you need to meet.”
“Eh yeah, it better be good.”
“It is I promise you.”
I knew Bob wasn't happy about being called before he even got up to go to the office. And my asking him to bring Stone was a puzzle he’d wonder about the whole time.
While we waited for them, I got Brenda up and we made breakfast and woke up Sally Ann. I told them I’d called Bob and Stone to come over first thing.
Sally Ann was petrified that I’d called her father.
“I don’t want to see him !” she screamed.
Brenda and I said we understood. But I pointed out that she’d have to meet him again anyway, and better here than a police station full of strangers and reporters.
Eventually, she calmed down and agreed with me. It Was better they meet again in private.
Brenda asked me about a shower and clean clothes for her. I told them I wanted them to see exactly as I found her. While she wasn't happy about it, she agreed that was probably the best way to do it.
By the time Bob and Stone arrived about an hour and a half later we’d cleaned up from Breakfast, and had more coffee ready, Both Brenda and I were dressed. And Sally Ann had a more fitting housecoat on covering up her clothes and her body.
We heard footsteps on the porch and I went to open the door.
Bob and Stone stood there. I invited them in. I had Sally Ann in my office. Once we were all sat down, I went on to explain how I had recognized one of the two girls that I had thrown out of the office at the movie theater. That one was dead. Then I now knew who the second girl was.
“Remember last week when I was in your office, and I mentioned the picture of your family?”
“Yeah, what about it?”
“What I didn't tell you at the time is that I recognized one of the girls in your picture. Sally Ann. She was the other girl I threw out of the office.”
“Ann You didn't tell me this… Why?”
“For several reasons, One I wasn’t 100% sure what I was seeing. I could have been wrong. And I wanted to find her first and make sure.” I finished up.
“And Now?”
“And Now I know for sure, Your daughter Sally Ann Shot Ben Roberts last week.” It just hung there like so much dead weight in the room. Bob knew or suspected much of this. But he didn't know this part.
“I found her yesterday.”
“And you didn't call me?”
“No, I didn’t because I needed to know exactly what was going on and why. And to make sure before I told anyone.”
“And you're sure. Now?”
“Yes. Sally Ann would you please come out?” I called.
They turned to look at the door of my office which opens slowly. Brenda came out. And wrapped in her arms was Sally Ann Stone. The look of pure shock on Both Bobs and her father’s face was priceless.
“How when?” was all Stone could mutter as he got up and ran to hug his little girl. Bob looked at me with a mixture of pride and anger, I knew he wouldn’t like the way I handled it. After everyone settled down and Sally Ann found a place next to her father I went on. It Took me a week of steady walking and questioning every junkie and whore in the city before I finally found her. She was in an abandoned hotel down on the far side of town. Living Off whatever she could find. Over the next several hours between Sally Ann and me, we explained what had been happening to her the last few months especially the weeks leading up to the killing of the girl in the warehouse, her friend Mona. She then went on to tell us about she was convinced that Roberts would get off form the murders of Lisa mayor, and Mona, and she feared he’d come back for her.
I wanted them to see her exactly as I found her, which is why she hasn’t had a shower or gotten clean clothes.
**
Eventually, things had to happen. Bob called the station and asked that a maton come over. Bob and Stone discussed what could happen to her, and what the next step would be. Bob decided that for now, he wouldn’t officially charge her, and just officially “Bring Her In for Questioning”.
They decided to let the DA charge her if he still wanted to after hearing her story.
It would be hard for them not to, unfortunately. Given the way, she committed the killing in front of the world. They probably would have to charge her, but given the nature of her situation whether they pushed it would remain to be seen. I was invited along as I’d found her and had to fill out more reports. I had known I’d be going back to the station again.
In all of the excitement and questioning of and about Sally Ann, I forgot about the gun in my safe. I was halfway to the station following Bob and Stone and Sally Ann in Bob’s car, before I remembered the gun. I decided at this point to wait and see what happens. This time I had saved myself some work and wrote out a statement ahead of time. Detailing my week of looking and giving exact details of where and when I found her. And what I’d done afterward right up until I called Bob this morning. I knew the DA would want to hear it directly from me.
This time we went around to the back of the station. No big fancy entrance this time. Which suited me fine. Going in the back way to the station lead us into a maze of small offices and past the evidence rooms and the coroner's office. Once past the crowded hallways of the first floor, we came to the offices of the detectives and DA and prosacutors, and others that worked on the legal side of the job. Both Stone and Bob said hi to a lot of people in passing as we made our way through the crowd of people going in and out of various offices. Once we reached the third floor where Bob’s office was, we walked right past it. And found an empty meeting room. Bob told me this room usually reserved for meeting with attorneys and the members of the court. After we were settled he called the DA.
We settled in for what promised to be a long day answering stupid questions over and over again. But it had to be done.
A few minutes later the same DA I’d met back in August came in followed by two of the same younger assistant DA’s that I had dealt with in August, this was not looking promising. We shook hands an introductions were made all around.
**
Bob explained that he hadn’t officially charged Sally Ann with the murder of Ben Roberts yet. but at this point, she was in mostly for questioning and to get her story... When he told them I was the one who’d both figured out who she was and found her. The DA and his cohorts shot looks between themselves. It was clear they’d not forgotten about August when I been in to make statements. And they still didn’t like me or my methods. Once we got past the basic explanations I was invited to tell them how I figured out who the shooter was. That didn't go well. They didn’t appreciate that I didn't say anything to them officially. I told them until I found her, and actually met her, I wasn’t 100 percent sure, I gave them to know that I wasn’t putting anyone in the spotlight until I was absolutely sure who they were. Truth is, in my mind, I was 99 percent sure when I saw the picture, but I didn’t tell them that. And I sure wasn't going to tell Detective Stone what I thought I knew until I knew for sure. Eventually, they gave up on me. After I went over several times how I’d spent my time and energy tracking her down.
Then it was her turn. She went over everything she told us at the house already. They wanted details most of which she didn't know or remember. Which didn’t make them happy, But there was little they could do. Finally one of the young DA assistants asked why she was dress like she was, with my trench coat. I told them I wanted them to see her exactly how I found her yesterday. This is the state I found her in. Holed up in an abandoned hotel on the bad side of town, cold and lonely and scared.
Not living in some fancy house or hotel with a manservant waiting for her. She had been living rough for several weeks on to months. And she looked and smelled it. They were not impressed. Apparently, they like their witness cleaned and pressed and presentable to the public.
Finally, we got the part they really cared about. The shooting of Ben Roberts.
**
Sally Ann looked at me, I nodded, and she began; Telling them about taking the gun from Ben Roberts place the last time she was there. Because her father was a cop, she was familiar with guns and generally knew how to handle one. Especially a revolver. I noticed the Assistant DA’s glancing at each other, with disapproval. They even shot a couple of disapproving glares at Stone, Like he was a bad father for teaching his daughter about guns. I wanted to jump in and say some things but I kept quiet. This was Sally Ann's show at that moment. So far she kept on point. She told them about her friend Mona, the second girl with her most of the time until Ben had killed her. She knew he’d been arrested and was petrified that he’d either escape or get loose and come after her. She really didn't think he’d be convicted and sent away. She was terrified he could send someone after her. She’d seen what he’d done to Eddie and Clair once he’d found them.
She read that the trail was starting that day, and somewhere she'd seen that they expected him to arrive in the front of the courthouse. So she both walked and hitched rides across town the day before. Sleeping in a doorway not far from the courthouse. She hadn’t eaten much in the last couple of days, she did manage to scrounge a something to eat that morning by bumming for some money from a reporter. Once the crowd started gathering for his arrival at the courthouse she just blends in as much as she could. She had waited almost two hours for the police panel van to pull up. She worked her way to the front of the crowd and when he was in the right spot and she had a clear shot she just did it. Stepped up to him and shouted, “You killed her” and shot him. And before the echo could die down and the reporters realized what she just did, she turned and blended back into the crowd. Everyone was so focused on Him lying on the sidewalk, they didn’t even noticed her backing out of the crowd and disappearing. She did see me when she was clear of the crowd but didn’t recognize me at first, it wasn’t until I showed up a week later, that she remembered seeing me that day.
Finally, someone asked the big question where is the gun?
Sally Ann glanced at me. Frankly, until the ride over, I’d forgotten that the gun was in my safe.
“I don’t know” She finally replied. Glancing at me.
“What do you mean, You don’t know?”
“Sometime during the week after I shot him, I lost the gun in some place I was staying at. And don’t know where or when. It just got lost somehow.” She tried to explain that she stayed in a lot of places usually for a few hours or one night, at most of the time she wasn’t even sure where she was, she just kept moving. Her looks and smell helped back up the story. She said there was no way she couldn’t tell them all the places she’d stayed, because she didn’t remember them, and wasn’t even sure where most of them were. I know I believed her. It was plausible that she could lose the gun.
The attorneys talked among themselves for a while. The four of us sat and waited. None of us dared to say anything. Finally, the District Attorney coughed and turned his attention directly to Sally Ann.
“Miss Sally Ann Stone, we are hereby charging you with the murder of Ben Roberts on October 14, 1947.”
He nodded and a guard at the door brought in a lady cop in uniform. She collected Sally Ann and cuffed her, and lead her out of the room.
“As for you, Detective Stone, I’m sorry to have to do this. But she did confess, and we have an eyewitness. So I have to charge her.”
Then he turned to me.
“Mr. St.James, I’m not sure what to do with you. Technically you haven't broken any laws, at least not that I can charge you with. So you're free to go. But keep yourself available for further questioning.” I told him I planned on it.
He ignored Bob. The DA’s got up and collected their respective papers and left. Without a word.
The three of us just sat there in silence. We weren’t sure what to make of them.
After everyone left. And the room was empty.
“I could use a beer.”
“So could I” came the reply from Bob.
But instead of the bar. We went back to his office and he pulled out the bottle of scotch and several old glasses. Pouring some in all three glasses.;
“Do you think they can make a case?” Stone asked. He hasn't said much the entire morning. In fact, the DA’s pretty much ignored him. Which suited me fine. The last thing I wanted was they’re trying to get into his history and his behavior on the case back in August. I now understood it, and probably would have done much the same thing If it’d been me. His daughter had been made into a porn star of sorts, and definitely pushed to prostitution, among many other things, and that was enough to handle, now charged with murder. Something she’d clearly done and admitted to. He didn't need the DA coming down on him too.
*
I took my glass and swallowed my fill of scotch. It burned all the way down. Shaking my head, I felt the effects start to work.
“Look I need to get back and see how Brenda is doing. And finish up on my reports for you Bob.”
“Yeah I need to go too, I have a lot of explaining to do with my wife.” Stone left and headed back down the hall the opposite way I was going to leave.
Just as I reached the door, Bob called me softly.
“Jim, the gun, where is it?”
I turned around and looked him squarely in the eye and lied.
“I don’t know. Does it matter?”
“I don’t know, if they find it, then they'll more than enough to convict her. She already confessed, so Even without it, they have a pretty good case.”
“I know. But, part of me says she didn't do it. Yeah I know I saw her, but I didn’t actually see her pull the trigger….”
“Are saying someone else could have actually done it?”
“No, She did it, but I don’t think it's the same girl, that left home earlier this year, she different then she was then. That girl didn't do it. The new girl she became did it, and I dare say with some justification too.”
“That doesn't make it right, does it?”
“I don’t know, Maybe it makes it less wrong.”
Bob pondered my reasoning. As he poured another scotch. Downing it quickly.
He tossed the bottle and empty glasses back in the bottom drawer of his desk.
Sitting down, and picking up a file,
“Right and wrong are rarely cut and dried. And this is even less.”
“Yep, Look I'll See you later.”
With that, I left.
Pulling into the driveway I pondered the gun. That damned gun. I just lied to Bob, Shit I didn’t want to do that. But producing the gun would only finish their case against a kid who had been taken advantage of, and forced to do things she didn't want to. And she could only see her only way out competently was to kill him.
There it was. I wouldn’t help them convict her for something she had a right to do.
The house was locked up tight. I had to ring the bell for her to let me in. We had started keeping it locked all the time, even when were are here, after the attempt on her life back in August. We often did when I had a particularly dicey case, but now we did as a matter of routine.
She said she’d been making lunch when I got home. While we ate I told her in details about the meeting with the DA this morning. That they did charge Sally Ann with murder. When asked about the gun, she said she had lost it some time afterward, but didn’t know where or how.
“It's in the safe,” Brenda stated.
“For now. But it's going to disappear.” I told her.
I told her about lying to Bob, and how I hated to do it, but I couldn't bring myself to hand it in, knowing it would definitely put a young girl in jail.
I told her she may go to prison anyway, but I wasn't going to help.
So later that afternoon I carefully took it from the safe and wiped it down completely and cleaned it, making sure there were no fingerprints on it, not even mine, I disassembled it and cleaned the cylinder, and barrel, and grip, and trigger, and any other part that might have prints on it. Along with the remaining five unspent rounds in the cylinder, and the one spent casing. When I was done it impossible to tell it had been fired recently. And there were no prints on it anywhere. Wrapping it back in a handkerchief I decided that it needed a new home, somewhere not my safe or even the house or office in the bar. I still wasn’t sure what I was going to do with it the long run, But I knew it couldn’t be in the house or bar. Or anywhere hey could get a search warrant for. I knew sooner probably rather then later the DA would seriously start to question her story about losing the gun. So I had to lose it for her. On the way to the bar that night with Brenda we took a little detour.
Stopping at the newly renamed MacArthur Park, I drove around the boat docks and amphitheater until I found a place out of the way, they looked like it it was secure enough to keep people from finding it accidentally. And keep it out of the weather. Having unloaded it earlier when I cleaned it. I decided at the last minute to remove the cylinder. That way if it did get found it was useless. Brenda waited in the car while I hid the gun and found a place to stash the cylinder. From there we went on our normal route to the bar and opened up as usual.