“No, no. He told us, but then he made us all swear we’d keep it to ourselves. I don’t think I should talk about it, out of respect for him.”
His smile seemed thin. “I appreciate your discretion and I’m sure he would, too.” There was a pause. She thought he’d finished speaking. Then he said, “On the other hand, with him gone, those same restraints wouldn’t apply, would they? Especially when the facts might shed light on his death. If you think I’m out of line, just say so. I don’t want you to talk about this if you’re uncomfortable.”
“Why would I be uncomfortable?”
“I don’t know, Iris. You tell me.”
“I’m fine. This is fine. Go ahead.”
“You mentioned Friday. Can you tell me how you spent the day?”
She blinked. “I don’t remember. I probably came to work as usual. We must have done something, but I can’t recall. I could ask Joey. Really, I don’t know about any of this. I wish I could be helpful, but I can’t think of anything.”
“What about Friday night?”
Iris shook her head. “Sorry, I’m drawing a complete blank.”
“I understand you spotted Austin Brown a couple of times last week. Why don’t you start with that?”
Iris wasn’t prepared for the change of subject, but she could see the pit she was digging for herself. The Austin sightings were pure fabrication. “I’m not sure it was him. I can’t swear. I don’t want to be quoted in case I made a mistake.”
“What about the blackmail scheme? How much were you told?”
Back to that again.
“Not much.” She licked her lips. Her mind went blank again. Obviously, she and Joey knew far more about the blackmail scheme than anyone else. So how much knowledge would seem reasonable for an innocent bystander?
“Take your time,” he said.
She cleared her throat. “We knew a copy of a tape was sent to the McCabes along with the note. Fritz told us that.”
He shook his head, his smile weary. “The infamous tape. Creeps into the conversation everywhere you turn and why is that?” The question sounded rhetorical, but he was looking at her as though he expected a reply.
“No idea. Really.”
He made a note. “But you did know the tape was the leverage in the extortion scheme.”
“Everyone knew that.”
“What do you think made the tape so dangerous that someone would be willing to pay thousands to keep it away from the police?”
“I wouldn’t know. I never saw it.”
Mistake, mistake. Of course she’d seen it. The minute Joey found it behind the vent cover that shielded the heater opening in the boys’ bathroom at Margaret’s house. She’d seen it six times if she remembered correctly. There she was, lolling about big as life, naked with her tits splayed flat, completely out of it, and sloppy drunk while Fritz and company assaulted her with whatever came to hand.
“Not a problem,” he said mildly. “We’ll be screening it later. The chief might hold it for the squad meeting first thing tomorrow morning. Fritz didn’t tell you anything about the subject matter?” He watched her, his pen poised.
She flicked a look to his notebook, trying to see what he’d written so far.
How could she answer a question about subject matter? She couldn’t claim ignorance when he’d be seeing it himself. The notion of him watching Troy go at her, his back turned to the camera, buttocks squeezing together every time he thrust himself into her. Jesus. And Fritz standing by, twisting his imaginary mustache while he held up the can of Crisco? How many officers would be sitting there? Why not rent out a theater and charge admission?
She felt her cheeks flame. He’d been there three minutes and he’d already backed her into a corner. She’d never been so frightened in her life. She knew how these things went. You said one thing and you couldn’t go back later and say something else. Contradict yourself and everyone assumed you were lying. “Do I have to answer questions like that without an attorney present?”
His brown gaze settled on her squarely. Now she had his full attention. So much like her Uncle Jerry. This man had the same gentle air about him, except now he sounded puzzled and disappointed. “Why would you need an attorney? This is a preliminary chat. Information gathering. We can halt the conversation right here if you think the implications would be damaging. Something going on I don’t know about?”
“I don’t want to talk to you.”
He closed his notebook and slipped it into his pocket. He took out a business card and handed it to her. “How about I’ll catch up with you later? Call me if you change your mind. I appreciate your time. You take care.”
As soon as the door closed behind him, she picked up the phone and punched in Joey’s number at the construction trailer. The secretary picked up and said he was out on a job site and wouldn’t be back until noon. Iris left a message for him to call her and then she burst into tears. This was only going to get worse. What the hell would happen to them?
37
THE EXECUTION
June 1979
Trudging up the mountain path in the dark, Fritz felt sick, wondering how the situation had spiraled so far out of control. Somehow he was caught up in the thick of it when the quarrel wasn’t even his. If Austin had a bone to pick with Sloan, how had the rest of them been sucked in? Austin already thought Fritz was an idiot and the judgment made him act like one. It was like his mom telling him what a bad driver he was. The minute she got in the car with him, he’d do something stupid, like back into a garbage can. She didn’t have to say a word. From that moment on, he’d catch a tire on the curb going around a corner or he’d be looking somewhere else when the stoplight turned yellow and she’d gasp, brace herself on the dashboard, and point at the oncoming car he was unaware of.
Troy had been smart enough to go on strike. He’d driven them as far as the trailhead and then refused to accompany them further. Fritz wasn’t crazy about the expedition himself, but it was probably too late to protest. Even if he had the courage, what was he going to say? Austin would never let him off the hook. At the party, Fritz had tossed down five glasses of pink punch and two of green and had barfed it all back up while pretending to go outdoors to take a leak. Now his head was pounding and if he weren’t so afraid he’d make a fool of himself, he’d hike back down to the road. He and Troy could ditch the others while Austin did whatever he did. It would doubtless entail humiliation of some kind for any fool unlucky enough to be present. Fritz would have given anything to be able to stretch out in the truck bed and put his jacket over his head, but it was easier to keep on walking, looking for the perfect moment to stand up for himself. Right. Like that was going to happen.