“You? Innocent helper of law enforcement? Gag! Nick… I swear-”
“Grace!” Tim’s exasperated interruption silenced his partner. “Your testimony and cooperation is appreciated greatly, Ms. Burns.”
“Yeah, Sarah, pay no attention to the frumpy Marshal with bad hair. We think she’s going through early ‘change of life’ problems, and gets confused easily about what the hell her job entails.”
Another one finger salute was the only response from the frumpy Marshal.
*
Dan continued to do stretching exercises while a task force agent tried to get him to repeat his part in the apprehension of the Ripper. “Please, Mr. Lewis, sit down and answer my questions. The faster you do, the faster you get out of here.”
Dan kept stretching. “I saw this in a movie with Harrison Ford called ‘Hollywood Homicide’. When Ford and his movie partner, who are detectives, don’t agree with their continued internal affairs interrogation, they start doing yoga and real estate business. I explained in detail what happened twice. That’s all I have to say.”
“I don’t think you realize you could be charged with hampering a federal investigation. I am trying to get at the underlying facts and details leading to the so called Ripper.”
“Although I lost a betting pool I thought I won earlier, I’d be willing to wager there is no way in hell you’ll be able to charge me with anything. I’ll still testify at Ripper’s trial, but I’m done talking to you about underlying anything.”
“But surely you see-”
“Done now.” Dan sat and clasped his hands. “I want my lawyer when he gets here.”
*
Agent Kaitlin Anderson sat down with a smile across from Sarah Burns. “I understand you participated in an operation to entrap Gerald Kensky, allegedly the Seattle Ripper. Is that true.”
Sarah smiled back, remembering Nick’s coaching about testimony. “I helped catch the Ripper before he killed me and Dan. I kept an appointment at the Hilton Hotel. Dan Lewis escorted me to the appointment with a client. A man in a hood and mask stopped us. He tried to force us at gunpoint to go with him. We refused. When he tried to shoot Dan, Marshal McCarty had to wound him.”
“What provocation did McCarty have to shoot?”
“The Ripper aimed a gun at Dan’s head.”
“Will you be able to identify the suspect in court?”
“Yes. I know he couldn’t stand at a lineup, but I could have picked him out of one. Long dark hair, thin face, pug nose, and he has a cleft lip scar.”
“I thought he had a mask on.” The investigation was not proceeding in the manner Anderson anticipated.
“Nick removed his mask while he was on the pavement. I saw him real good.”
“Yes, but when you testify in court, the defense attorney will ask how you could know the man on the pavement was the same man who stopped you.”
Sarah began to laugh, but stopped when Anderson didn’t crack a smile. “I thought you were joking. How many huge wounded men did you think were on the pavement?”
“That was not the point of my question. I have to determine if your testimony could be impeached easily in court, and our case thrown out.”
“Are you stupid? The Ripper faced us, pointed a gun, was wounded, and then unmasked. No one switched him out with an innocent bystander with the same wounds.”
“I’m not sure you understand the countless questions an entrapment operation like this can generate in a court trial. You will-”
At that moment a man entered the room with a briefcase. He wore a black pinstripe suit. He had a friendly smile on his face, nondescript in appearance, angular in form, medium in height, and bright blue eyes which did not project friendliness. He handed Anderson a card.
“I am Justin Khole, Attorney for Nick McCarty, Dan Lewis, and Sarah Burns. I will be sitting in on every conversation from now on until you end this very strange pursuit of facts not in evidence.”
“Ms. Burns is a federal witness. She will have to answer the questions asked of her for the trial involving the suspected Ripper, Gerald Kensky.” Anderson’s face did not reflect her confident tone.
Khole put a hand over Sarah’s clasped ones. “Do not answer anything Agent Anderson asks. Her agenda here has nothing to do with your attacker.”