Bottle Kill Ch. 03

"Then let me prosecute the case." Paulina said levelly, looking daggers at Savannah. "I'll get the bastard convicted. Without having to make a deal at all."

Savannah said "Why have to go to trial at all? Offer him 25-to-life concurrently, put him in a prison that has a lab and some farm fields where he can do his research, and actually help people. He still wants to help, so what's wrong with giving him the chance to?"

"Why don't we ask Tiffany Westgate and Charlene Conway what's wrong with it." Paulina shot back.

Savannah turned to Miriam and said "And we'll get the names of McMillan's confederates, the people who helped him."

"Which people are those?" Paulina said. "How will you know if he's telling the truth? He could give anyone's name, and how are we supposed to prove it and convict them?"

Miriam said "I believe the Iron Crowbar already has a few ideas of who those confederates are. I hate like hell having to depend on him, but he'll confirm the names and make the case for us." She then saw the look on Paulina's face, and said "What, you don't think he will? You think he'll let conspirators to murder go free?"

"No, that's not what I'm thinking." said Paulina...

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Meanwhile, Jerome and I came out of Interrogation-1. Captain of Detectives Claire Michaels met us in the hallway.

"We took Mary Carson through booking, and she's in I-2." Claire said. "Mike Malone is in Interrogation-Alpha on the other side of Headquarters, Peter Paulson is in Interrogation-Bravo, and James Jensen is in Interrogation-Charlie, where you asked me to put them. Having run out of room, we put George Grayson in the Pastor's Room, Steve Stewart in the breakroom, and Gabriel Schwartzmann in the Press Interview Room."

"Good." I said. "Let's take him first." I led the way into the front lobby and to the Press Briefing Room. The Interview Room was a small room next to the large briefing room, and it had Police cameras as well as hookups for Media cameras. I went in with Jerome Davis.

"Grandmaster Schwartzmann," I said, "I know that your wife and 3-year-old son came on this trip with you, and that you were with them instead of the Boone group on Sunday night. I just want to ask if you heard anything at all between 10:00pm and 11:00pm Sunday night. Did you hear Mike Malone go into his room, or anyone talking outside?"

"No sir." said Schwartzmann. "We had the TV on, and were settling in for the night. My son Peter was watching TV, and when he fell asleep, we turned it down but not off, and went to sleep ourselves."

"Okay, then." I said. "You're free to go, and by that I mean you can go home. But if you're going to be here tomorrow, there is one thing I'd like to ask you to do..."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Steve Stewart confirmed that he'd been 'on duty' watching over Mr. Boone that evening, as was George Grayson. After Mr. Boone and Mike got off the elevator at the fourth floor, they went up to their rooms on the eighth floor. Jensen had gotten them some takeout for dinner, and they ate that and then went to their respective room to bed. Steve said he did not see Peter Paulson nor Mary Carson, and they might've been in Peter's room the whole time, or might have come in later.

George Grayson's story was the same as Steve Stewart's. He said they went up to their room, ate dinner, and then he, George, went straight to bed, as it had been a very long day traveling and having security duty that evening.

James Jensen said "I went out and got everyone some food right around 9:00pm. There's not a whole lot of places open on Sunday night in this County, but I was back before 9:30 or so, and I ate and went straight to bed before any of the others came in. It had been a long trip getting in."

"So you didn't hear the others come in, or hear them talking?" I asked.

"I heard some talking and people moving around right after 10:00pm, but I fell right back asleep." Jensen said.

After finishing with Jensen, I told Claire that he, Steve, and George could be released to wait in the waiting room off the front lobby, or in the Press Briefing Room.

"So they're no longer suspects?" Claire asked.

"Unless someone commits the biggest blunder of all time and admits to something we don't know about, I think we can eliminate them as suspects... and eliminate them as useful to our cases..."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"Let's take Mike Malone next." I said to Jerome. He followed me into I-A, where Malone was waiting for us. We sat down, and I re-read Malone his rights from the card.

"Okay, Mr. Malone," I said sternly, "it's time to stop playing games. You were in the room next to Mr. Boone. You watched him go into his room, then went into yours. His murder and the murder of his fiancée happened within one minute of that time. Your wristwatch was set wrong... for several days. That was very convenient for you."

I said "I am not buying the story that you didn't hear anything. I am not buying the story that you don't know something. It's time now to come correct and tell the truth, so that we can put the murderers of Mr. Boone and Ms. Westgate where they belong."

"I want a lawyer." Mike said. I nodded and pointed at the one-way mirror behind me. Two minutes later, Mr. Coleman was being ushered into the room from the lobby-side door.

"Okay, you're represented." I said, to Mike Malone. "So let me ask you one last time... you say you heard nothing in the room next door to yours? No altercation, no blows, no breaking glass?"

"My client has been through this with you already." said Coleman. "At this point, you're just badgering the man."

"Am I?" I replied. "Okay, then. Why don't I tell you what your client did and didn't do, and he can correct me where I go astray, okay?"

I began: "You went into your room after Mr. Boone went into his. I submit that you did hear something, something like a loud noise like a door slamming, and you may have heard glass shattering. It was a strange noise... one rarely hears someone's head being smashed in by a bottle of Rye whiskey."

I continued: "At this point, you were listening intently. You heard the door next door close... that was the killer leaving. Still, you did not check on Mr. Boone and Tiffany, but you did open the door. And you saw and heard something that made you close the door and not open it again until the next morning... you saw and heard the door to Mary Carson's room across the hall closing shut."

I went on: "You instinctively knew something was horribly wrong, and that if you did anything, including checking on the Boones, Mary Carson very likely would bear the consequences. You're in love with Mary Carson, and you have been for a long, long time. So you did nothing."

After a long pause, Mike Malone said "I've broken no laws. I've done nothing wrong. Still, as you have just accused me of complicity in a capital crime, I think it might be best if I invoke my Fifth Amendment rights now."

"That's your right." I said. "And I'm not going to ask you any more questions. But I can and will say this: you are covering up for her, thinking you're doing something noble. But your feelings for her are not reciprocated. She does not love you, and she never will. And I assure you sir, that covering up for her is not noble, it will not help her, and it will not help you."

"Let me have a moment with him." Mr. Coleman said...

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Wasting no time, I led Jerome Davis into Interrogation-B. We sat down in front of Peter Paulson, and I read him his rights from the card.

"I want an attorney." Paulson said immediately. "I will answer no questions without an attorney present."

"Good You need one." I said. "And thank you for not wasting my time, so I'll not waste yours. Lieutenant, have Paulson taken through full booking, the whole nine yards. Orange jump suit, no belt, no shoelaces. He can call his lawyer after that."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Not three minutes later, Mr. Coleman called us back into I-A. When we got there, he said "With what are you charging my client?"

I sat down and then said "Right now we're holding him as a material witness. Possible charges, should we choose to press them, will include Lying to Police, Obstructing a Police Investigation, and could lead up to conspiracy to commit first degree murder."

"In other words," said Coleman, "a big word salad that doesn't amount to a hill of beans. You don't have a shred of proof regarding the conspiracy charge, and the rest of it is speculation on your part, and speculation is not evidence."

"So what are you trying to say with your own word salad, there?" I asked.

"My client has done nothing wrong." said Coleman. "This is not an admission of guilt by any means, but I want you to give him full immunity from prosecution for anything, in exchange for him renouncing his Fifth Amendment rights and answering your questions truthfully and fully."

"I'll get back to you on that." I said as I stood back up. My injured back was starting to ache from all the sitting and standing.

"Just one more thing before you go." said Coleman. "My firm handles business law, not criminal law. I can work the Immunity for Mr. Malone, but I have called in a criminal attorney for the others..."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"Okay, now for the big one." I said. We went down the hallways to the backside of the building, back to Interrogations 1 and 2. We got to the anteroom of I-2 and I looked inside through the one-way glass. At the table was Mary Carson, and with her was her new attorney... Gwen Munson of Prodder, Ryder & Reems, P.C.

Gwen Munson was short, even in the high heels she always wore, and her blond-ish hair seemed to be brighter than normal today. She had the sweetest voice one could ever hope to hear, but it belied the vicious ugliness of her attitude, and particularly her hatred of Police.

"Oh, how I wish Julia wasn't recused." I said. "So you'll be the one coming in with me, Captain Michaels. Follow my lead, and don't rise to the bait Gwen assuredly will present you."

"Roger that, sir." Claire said. "I'm ready." We went on into I-2.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the Iron Fuckup." Gwen sweetly greeted me. "So... what's this case you're about to lose all about?"

"Glad you could join us this evening." I replied cooly. "Captain?" That was Claire's cue to read Mary Carson her rights from the card, and she did so. And then the room became silent for a long moment as I peered hard at Mary Carson, who acted like a dog that knows it's being watched.

"Do you have a question for my client?" Gwen asked. "Or are you just going to stare at her all night?"

"I do have one question." I said. "Tiffany Westgate cared about you, a lot, Mary. So why did you conspire with Marty McMillan to kill her?"

"One of your infamous bluffs, Commander?" Gwen Munson said with great snarkiness.

"Not at all." I said. "Yes, there's a Poker tournament going on in Town, but I'm not playing in it... and this is no poker game, Ms. Carson. I hold all the trump cards; by way of contrast, your hand is completely empty of all but this Joker that is representing you now." That earned me a withering look from Gwen Munson.

"Why would she kill Tiffany?" Gwen asked. "She didn't know about the wills, that they'd been signed."

"Oh, there's far more motive than the inheritance... even if I spot you that she didn't know, which I don't think is true. I think she did know. But the other motive was revenge for being forced into sexual acts not only with Boone, but with Tiffany as well. They were paying her really good money above and beyond what the Staffing Agency was paying her, and they were holding that over her head."

I continued: "Tiffany didn't realize that you were engaging in the lesbian acts with her to string her along, and so you wouldn't get fired, did she, Ms. Carson? And then she pushed you into threesomes with Boone, who then began insisting you give him oral sex... if not actual intercourse... and you endured it to a point, and then complained to Tiffany, who made him back off."

I said: "Now for means. You, Mary, handled things like Mr. Boone's plane and hotel reservations, including this past week's reservations to this Hotel. It makes sense he wanted Room 404 again, and for you to have rooms near him reserved as well as the suite upstairs for the security team."

Your Iron Crowbar: "And then it struck me... that in spite of the Poker tournament and the Whiskey Convention here, and the hotel all booked up,you were able to put McMillan in the honeymoon suite, Room 814! And that's because you had already reserved it!"

"So what?" Gwen Munson said. "She booked the suite next door, too. Just part of a block, and the Boones could've changed their minds and wanted the nicer room."

"Nice try." I said. "It won't do. I'll also submit that when McMillan showed up and said he'd been in that room 20 years before, Boone had Mary arrange for McMillan to be lodged in that room again. Now after what happened there 20 years ago, I can hardly believe McMillan would even come to this Town, much less to this Hotel, much less that room. But he did... because it was part of the plan you had made with McMillan."

"Pul-eeze!" said Gwen.

I did not bother to respond, but just continued: "You discussed the plan with McMillan when you got him settled into the room. You knew he wasn't staying, and you knew he needed to establish an alibi, which he was going to do at University Hotel. But he needed to get into Boone's room, and get up to the fourth floor... and he did so by going up the fire escape stairs, and you opening the stairwell door to let him in."

I went on: "McMillan then hid in your room, 405, and waited. Since you had obtained all the room keys, you had an extra key to Room 404, and you gave it to McMillan. So after you left Tiffany, he let himself in with the key and attacked Tiffany."

I kept on going: "The plan was to incapacitate Tiffany, kill Boone first, then kill Tiffany afterwards. McMillan's rage almost wrecked the plan; he almost killed her before Boone got to his room. Alas, it worked out for you: McMillan dropped Tiffany, grabbed the bottle of Rye whiskey, smashed it into Boone's head with great hatred, then went over and broke Tiffany's neck."

I said: "McMillan hustled back to your room through the cracked door, and just in the nick of time. Mike Malone opened his door in time to see your room door close. And after he gets the Immunity deal he wants, he'll be telling us who he saw in the doorway."

I knew that was a bluff, but I didn't feel any obligation to tell Mary nor Gwen that. Instead I said "So that worked out. Once McMillan saw that the coast was clear, and no one came up to investigate, he went to the fire escape stairwell and descended, and made his way back to University Hotel... where he was let back into the hotel and his room there by a confederate."

"Well, it couldn't have been my client." Gwen said. "She was seen on the elevator video just minutes before the time you allege the murders happened."

"No, it wasn't Mary at University Hotel." I said. "It was someone whose whereabouts we cannot show at the Hyatt very clearly... Peter Paulson."

I could almost feel the reactions in the Monitor Room and Classroom 'E'. I also saw the look of shock on Mary's face... not the shock of being accused, but of knowing that I was correct.

I drove on: "You said you were in his room having sex with him, but no one else can confirm seeing him between 10:00pm and 11:00pm or so. And that's because he was across Town. He let McMillan back into University Hotel, and then he hauled Uber to get back here."

"Now that fire escape stairwell door to the outside can be unlocked and accessed with an employee passkey, but going up the stairs is normally useless, because the doors can't be opened... from the stairwell side. But someone in the hallway could open the door... and that's exactly what you did, Mary. You let Peter in, you went to his room with him, and you stayed there the rest of the night. The other security guys saw you coming out of Peter's room the next morning, which they'd seen before, and they assumed you and he had been in there all night."

"You will never prove any of that." said Gwen.

"Vee shall see." I said in my 'German' tone of voice. Then I said normally as I stood up: "I've got one deal to give out. Mike Malone wants it, Peter needs it and he knows it, and Marty McMillan could even get some considerations of his impending sentence if he throws you under the bus, which he can do. Think about your future, Ms. Carson... think about your future..."

And with that, Captain Michaels and I left the room...

Part 17 - Issues and Answers

Second verse, same as the first. When we got into the hallway, Detectives and Officers poured out of the Monitor Room and Classroom 'E' and subjected me to another round of applause. Then the Chief came up and 'invited' me to the Main Conference Room, an invitation I could not refuse. Waiting for us was Miriam Walters, Savannah Fineman, and Paulina Patterson. I felt some hope when I saw Paulina there.

Teresa Croyle was also present, and sat to my left on the far side of the table as the Chief sat at the end of the table to my right, his usual place. Paulina was to his right, Miriam to her right, and Savannah to Miriam's right... as much distance from me as she could feasibly get. Captain Michaels also had realized she could come in and wouldn't be stopped, and she did so, sitting down to Teresa's left.

"I congratulate you, Commander, on those brilliant solutions to the case." Miriam said, and I sensed that she actually did mean it. "Now we just have to prove it. So who do you want to give the deal?"

"Oh, give a deal to anyone who wants one." I said almost jovially. "Mike Malone is right: he technically has broken no laws where we could make a provable case. So I'll happily give him Immunity in order to nail McMillan ice-cold and put real heat on Mary Carson. I think he knows more of her involvement that he's let on, and could tell us a lot."

I continued: "McMillan has confessed, but if he's offered concurrent 25-to-life sentences and takes that, I won't mind. He's going away for good and we all know it. Of course he'll never get to do real research while at Jacksonville State Penitentiary, but they do have a vegetable farm down there he can work very hard on."

Me: "Mary Carson and Peter Paulson are guilty as sin, but proving their guilt is going to be tricky, especially Peter's. I was hoping to find some University Hotel video with him on it, but it's been 'no joy' on that so far. There's money in this case, and some of it was spent to make sure we haven't gotten the video evidence we'd like to have."

And then Savannah Fineman opened her mouth: "I don't know if we really have anything more than McMillan's confession. He's going to be working a huge sympathy play before whatever Jury he's tried in front of, and we may have to book Murder-2 or even lesser to make sure we get a conviction on something."

Savannah: "And I see absolutely no proven case against Mary Carson -OR- Peter Paulson. If Mary was smart enough to figure this whole thing out, then she's smart enough to realize that it's circumstantial, weak, and all she has to do is keep her mouth shut. Even more so for Peter. He immediately lawyered up, and all he has to do is take the Fifth and you have nothing on him. Nothing at all... unless you're hiding something."

That got Teresa showing some anger. I said quietly to her "Don't let her get to you; her words are worthless." Teresa nodded, and now it was Savannah and Miriam's turns to look angry.