Guilty Until Proven Innocent

"We found what you suspected we might. We found his.40 Glock in a gun case beside his bed, and in his garage, a box with six fired bullets from the.40 and another marked 'Melissas's Glock' with three from a nine millimeter. We found two more nine millimeter cartridges in the gun case with the.40, and one fired nine millimeter case that was expanded out to the case dimensions of a.40. The bullets of the two nine millimeter rounds were wrapped in paper. There was also a set of loading dies for nine millimeter cartridges with some paper inside the box.

"Your DA has given me a Tennessee warrant for his arrest, and as soon as the paperwork clears, I'll expedite him back to Nashville."

By the next afternoon, Bryce was in one of my holding cells and the crime techs were going over the evidence the Atlanta PD had collected during their search. Everything matched my theory, including the little scrap of paper the techs had found under Judy's body. They were able to prove that little scrap of burned paper had the same fiber density, manufacturing method, and materials as the paper in Bryce's nine millimeter loading kit and on the two cartridges. They were also able to match the chemistry and physical characteristics of the gunpowder the Atlanta PD found in Bryce's garage with the unburned powder from the murder scene. When they loaded one of the two nine millimeter cartridges into Bryce's.40 and fired it, the bullet came out a match to Melissa's pistol, and there was unburned gunpowder in the water tank.

Even though his lawyer told him to keep his mouth shut, Bryce did his best to talk his way out of any involvement in the murder. Yes, he'd been in Nashville the day Judy was killed, but he'd only been visiting his daughter. He'd had lunch at the fast food place so his daughter didn't have to fix it. He'd rented the car because his was acting funny. The gas station just happened to be on the route he'd taken to get back on I-24.

He said he'd been thinking about starting a survival school when he bought the pistols, and only kept the bullets so he'd be able to use them in his classes. He claimed he had loaded the nine millimeter in his.40 to show his students what would happen. When I asked about the paper around the bullets, he didn't have a good answer. He said it was just something he'd read about and decided to try.

I reminded Bryce about the little piece of paper under Judy's body that was an exact match to the paper in Bryce's loading kit and on the two cartridges. Then I lied and told him we'd checked with his daughter and he hadn't been to see her for two weeks. His lawyer took Bryce aside and they had a whispered conversation for a few minutes. Then, he looked at me and Tim.

"If Mr. Grady pleads to voluntary manslaughter, will you drop the first degree murder charge?"

Tim smiled.

"What reason would I have to do that? He's guilty and with all the evidence, I won't have any trouble proving that in court. Given the amount of planning that was involved, I'm going to ask for the death penalty. It's still legal in Tennessee, you know."

"Mr. Grady says he just wanted to tell Miss Green to leave Melissa alone so she'd want to get back together with him. Miss Green said she wouldn't and started yelling at him to leave. He lost his temper then and shot her. There was no intention to kill her so there was no malice aforethought. That should reduce the charge to manslaughter."

The DA smiled again. He was enjoying this.

"Since he used one of the fired bullets from his ex-wife's pistol in such a way as to leave the impression she was shot with her pistol instead of with his, he knew from the start he was going to kill Miss Green and pin it on Mrs. Grady. That's the best evidence for premeditation with malice aforethought and first degree murder I've seen in my entire career."

Bryce's lawyer whispered to him for another couple minutes, then turned back to the DA.

"Would you accept a plea to second degree murder with the possibility of parole?"

Tim frowned.

"I need to hear the whole story before I make a decision like that."

Bryce told his story and it matched my theory in every detail accept one. That detail was that Judy didn't know him. His daughter told him Judy's name and address, and that she was a free lance programmer. He'd looked up her professional profile and saw she'd done a web site for a school charity in the past. Once he was in Judy's subdivision, he started down the street with his charity worker story so he'd have an innocent reason to be there. He gave Judy his story about putting computers in the poorer schools in the district. She told him she was glad to help with something like that, and invited him in while she wrote him a check.

Once he was inside, he pulled his pistol and made her go into the kitchen. He said he knew there was only one way to stop Judy from seeing Melissa, and he wanted some revenge at Melissa for divorcing him as well. That's why he made the special rounds and used one to kill Judy. After he shot Judy, he unlocked the back door and left without locking the front. He correctly thought that would lead the police to assume Judy knew her attacker, and since Melissa was a good friend, we'd suspect Melissa. When we found out the bullet was from her pistol, we'd arrest her and he'd never be suspected, much less questioned.

Bryce had also planned the timing. His daughter had told him Melissa always went to Judy's house at two on Tuesdays and Thursdays. He planned the murder so Melissa would find the body and report it. He'd read enough to know the person who reports a murder is often the actual killer and the police would suspect as much.

I thought his confession proved the murder was about as premeditated as any could get, but the DA was satisfied. If Bryce plead to second degree, he'd still be going away for a long time, and the DA wouldn't have the time and expense of a trial. When Bryce finished, The DA frowned and spoke to the lawyer.

"I don't like it, but I'll accept it. Sit Bryce down and have him put all this in writing and then sign it. You know what I need from him, so don't try to change anything or the deal's off and I'll be in the viewing room when they push the plunger. I'll write up the documentation and have it back for his signature by this afternoon."

By five, Bryce had signed the paperwork and was in a holding cell. I went to holding to get Melissa. She looked miserable, but smiled when she saw me.

"You want to talk to me again?"

"No. I'm going to let you go."

"I convinced you I'm innocent?"

"Not exactly. Your ex-husband confessed to killing Judy. He set you up pretty well, but we figured it out."

"But you did believe me, didn't you?"

"Yes, my gut told me you didn't do it. I'm sorry you had to spend time in a holding cell, but it took a while to figure out who did."

"It wasn't so bad, well accept for the food...and this one woman who kept coming on to me. I guess I must look like a lesbian."

"Well, I'll take you to get your clothes and other stuff, and once you change you can go."

Melissa changed and came back with her purse in one hand and the bag with her pistol and other effects in the other. She smiled.

"This feels a lot better. Orange was never my color. Would it be asking too much if I bought you dinner to say thanks?"

"You don't have to do that."

"I know, but I want to. What time do you get off?"

I chuckled.

"About an hour and a half ago."

"You stayed just to let me go?"

"I thought it was something I should do, considering what I put you through."

"Well, let's go get a pizza or something then, OK?"

We were waiting for our pizza when Melissa asked me about Judy's family.

"Did you find out about Judy's relatives?"

I frowned.

"I couldn't find any. She was an only child and her parents are both dead. I checked the obituaries for their deaths and couldn't find any mention of any aunts or uncles she had. That's what her will said too, so I guess except for you, she was alone in the world."

"She's still there, isn't she, in the morgue?"

"Yes. If nobody claims her, the county will bury her. It doesn't look like anybody is going to."

"Who should I call so I can take care of that?"

"Have the funeral home where she made the arrangements call the morgue and pick her up. They'll be happy to let her go. It'll save the city some money."

"I guess she was like me then. Maybe that's why we hit it off so well. Neither of us had anybody. Well, I have my daughter, but she was always closer to Bryce. She's a lot like her father so she'll blame me for what happened and probably won't talk to me for a while. I guess I'll be alone again."

We talked about me for most of the meal. Melissa was pretty good at steering the conversation to what I liked and what I did. I figured that made her a pretty good real estate agent too. It wasn't that she was obvious about it. I'd just say something and she'd reply with something like, "Wow, that sounds interesting. Tell me all about it." By the time we were finishing our sodas, I was getting really comfortable with her, and I was regretting that I'd have to take her home.

When I pulled into Melissa's drive, she asked if I'd like a cup of coffee. A cup of coffee was a good excuse to spend a little more time with her, so I said yes. She put her purse and the sack on the coffee table and went to the kitchen. I sat down on her couch and thought about the last couple days.

I questioned myself about why I'd done what I did. It would have been easier to just use the evidence I had, charge Melissa with murder, and let the case go to trial. Her lawyer might have figured things out, and if he had, she'd have been acquitted and Bryce would have been charged. If her lawyer didn't, the evidence was pretty damning. He'd have probably tried to plea down to a lesser charge but Melissa would end up in prison.

For some reason, I couldn't let that happen, and I decided that reason was I liked Melissa. I had no hopes of it ever being more than that because she was a lesbian. That didn't really bother me, so maybe we could just be friends. I was thinking about how to ask her that when she came out of the kitchen with two cups and a coffee pot.

She sat them on the coffee table in front of the couch and asked if I wanted cream and sugar. I said black was fine and she smiled.

"That's how I like my coffee too."

Neither of us said anything for a couple of minutes. Melissa looked like she was thinking, and I didn't want to disturb her. She took another sip from her cup, then looked at me.

"Does the relationship I had with Judy bother you?"

"No, not really. People make their own choices based upon what they feel and believe. I wouldn't want someone judging me for my choices, so I don't judge others for theirs, well, as long as those choices are legal. Why?"

"I've just been thinking, that's all. Judy was a special person and I'll miss her.

Judy understood what I needed because she needed the same thing. We slept together and it was wonderful, but she and I both knew it was wonderful because of how we both were, not because we were lesbians. I like men and Judy liked men too. She just didn't trust any enough to have a relationship with one. The only man I knew well enough to have sex with was Bryce, and I couldn't do that once he started sleeping with another woman."

"I can understand that. I'm not sure I understand what you're trying to tell me."

Melissa touched my arm.

"What I'm trying to say is I didn't divorce Bryce because of Judy or because he had a girlfriend. You can't imagine how it is to live with someone who always knows the right answer to everything and always decides what you're going to do and how you're going to do it. I divorced Bryce because he was an egotistical jerk and I couldn't live with him any more. His girlfriend was just a convenient reason."

Melissa looked at the floor, then back at me.

"You're not like that, and I like you. I know I should be mad because you arrested me and put me in jail, but I'm not. I think a lot of detectives would have just stopped looking once they found out what you did about my pistol. You didn't, and I think you must like me or you wouldn't have done that. I hope you like me, even if it's just a little."

I wasn't sure what to say to that. Sometimes people who've been under a lot of stress say and do things they really don't mean later. I didn't want to take advantage of Melissa.

"I do like you Melissa. I was hoping we could be friends after this."

Melissa smiled at me.

"I was hoping for more than just friends. I need more than just a friend right now, and I can't see that changing any time soon."

"If you're saying what I think you are, I'm not sure that's a good idea. You hardly know me and I hardly know you."

Melissa scooted across the couch until her thigh touched mine.

"I suppose it seems like I'm going pretty fast, but I'm old enough to know what I want and need, and I'm old enough I'm not embarrassed to tell you that. I know you well enough to trust you, and that's all that's important to me."

I didn't get a chance to say anything more because Melissa put her arms around my neck and kissed me. It had been a while since a woman kissed me, and a long, long time since I'd been kissed like that. Not responding was impossible even if I'd wanted to. I didn't want to.

Melissa purred through our kiss when I touched her breasts, then eased back and smiled.

"I hoped you'd want to do that. I want you to do it a lot more."

Dressed, Melissa was a pretty woman with what looked to be some very nice curves. Naked and lying on her bed, she was all sensuality and ripe woman. When I got out of my clothes, she held out her arms.

"Come help me remember how it feels to be with a man again."

I don't know if I made her feel like that or not. What I know is she was a very desirable woman who knew exactly how to make me want her more than I wanted anything else. It wasn't like she was intentionally doing anything to make me want her. It was just that she was so very responsive to my touch and used her own touch to take me to the point of needing to feel my cock inside her.

Her nipples rose stiff and covered with little ridges when I touched them, and she moaned with each little touch. She caught her breath and then sighed when I closed my lips around each turgid nub and sucked gently.

Her hip was satin smooth under my hand, and when I stroked the curve and then squeezed gently, Melissa rolled to her side and draped her thigh over mine. I felt her soft tummy against my hip and the soft tickle of the hair on her mound.

She kissed me again, and then breathed in my ear, "I want you...I want to feel you inside me."

It didn't seem to me as if there'd been enough foreplay, or at least not as much as with the other women I'd been with. Melissa evidently thought she was ready though. I knew I was. From the first moment I'd felt her nipple in my mouth, my cock was stiff. Feeling Melissa rocking her mound over it only increased my desire for her.

I started to roll her on her back, but Melissa put her hand on my arm and pulled herself a little tighter against me, then slipped that hand between us and found my cock. After moving her body a little, I felt her guide the head between her puffy, wet lips. She sighed as it slipped between them and then into her entrance.

She used the leg draped over my thigh to sort of pull herself over my cock while I pushed gently, and she sighed when our stomachs touched.

"Oh God, It's been so long, I'd forgotten how this feels."

With Melissa half on top of me and using her hips to help stroke my cock in and out, I was feeling some new sensations too. The feeling of my cock being in a sort of odd angle was exciting, but not so much that I was going to cum fast. It was more like one continuous sensation that was taking me slowly to that point. I'd never felt anything like that before.

When my cock bottomed out on each stroke, Melissa rocked her hips a little and pushed my cock head into something very soft and very wet. I'd get this zing of sensations and then she'd relax a little. After a while, I began feeling her body contract around my cock when she rocked her hips, and those contractions changed everything.

They were changing her too. Melissa started breathing faster, and after kissing me again, pulled my hand to her breast. I stroked the nipple, then pushed it flat against her breast and let it pop back up. She gasped and her body slammed into my stroke. I felt a tighter contraction and she seemed to get wetter inside.

After a few more strokes, she whispered, "Pinch a little". When I did, she moaned and started rocking her body into my thrusts as little faster. I changed the speed of my strokes to match, and Melissa grabbed my shoulder to pull her body tighter against mine.

I didn't have much willpower left when she cried out and pushed her body over my cock tight and held it there. Her little mewing cries blew in my ear as she strained to keep me inside her and I felt the tension tighten her body against mine. Then, she groaned and bucked into me over and over as the orgasm swept her away. My cock throbbed four times as I shot my seed deep inside her writhing passage. Melissa kept shaking after I'd spent, so I kept stroking my cock in and out. She relaxed a little a few seconds later, but about every other stroke, she caught her breath, pressed her body into me tightly, and I felt a little contraction squeezing my cock.

Melissa stopped panting and kissed me again. Her tongue found mine and sent little thrilling shocks down my spine that made my cock lurch a little. She then squeezed me tight and whispered, "Mmm...that was so wonderful. Just stay here in bed with me. I need to feel you beside me tonight."

I did spend the night, and the next night after I finished my shift. I was off the next day, and took Melissa to the funeral home to make the arrangements for Judy. Three days later, I stood with Melissa at Judy's grave. There was no minister or priest to say any final words. Melissa said Judy wouldn't have wanted anything like that. There was just me, Melissa, and the funeral director.

Once she stopped sniffing and blowing her nose, Melissa laid a white rose on the casket and said "Goodbye Judy. I won't ever forget you". She took my arm and I walked her to my car and took her home.

Over the next few weeks, Melissa took care of Judy's estate. After it had been cleared of all her data, Judy's computer equipment went to the local high school. Melissa said since Judy let Bryce into her house because she wanted to donate money for computers in schools, Judy would want her stuff to go to the school system.

She kept a few of Judy's other belongings that had special memories of their time together. The rest, including Judy's house, she sold. All totaled, the estate was worth about a million. Melissa didn't keep it all like Judy's will said she should, but she said Judy would like what she did with it. She turned seven hundred and fifty thousand into a scholarship fund to help kids majoring in computer science in college. The rest she put into an IRA for herself.

We still see each other at least a few times a week. Those times are special to us both. I think right now, our relationship is a lot like the relationship Melissa had with Judy. Like Judy, I don't have anybody either, and Melissa understands what that means. I'm starting to understand what she needs too. She needs to be treated as the intelligent and kind woman she truly is. Being with Melissa, even though it's not all the time, is more than I ever hoped to find with a woman. I can't begin to describe the feelings I have when we're laying side by side after having sex.

We haven't talked about the future much. I don't think Melissa is really ready for that. She's still pretty sad about losing Judy. I hope she wants more, but I'm not pushing her. Maybe someday, she'll tell me she's ready. I hope so.