there?”
“Did he sexually abuse you?”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“It goes to motive. Did he?
“He never touched me.” That was misleading. He hadn’t touched her, but it was sexual abuse the moment he unzipped and told her to get on her knees.
“How about Abigail?”
“You’ll have to ask her.”
“No, I don’t have to ask her!” He raised his voice, “I’m asking you. What do you know and what does she say?”
“She told me she was abused. I’d be surprised if she wasn’t.”
'So she might have been telling the truth. Banks might have been threatening her.'
“How would he even know her location after all these years?' She thought a minute about what she had just said. Then leaned forward. 'Unless...she contacted him first to get his name thrown into her phony being-threatened story. Did you find any emails to or from Banks on her computer? Oh, that’s right, you never checked her computer. I forgot who I was dealing with.” She knew she had him on the defensive, but she'd better not press it. 'I do know Abby thought she was shooting the Toby guy. I heard her yell his name before she shot him.'
He closed the file and set it aside. “Abigail Olin doesn’t know who she shot. No one other than you has mentioned a man named Toby. She doesn’t know any Toby and didn’t know for sure who was out there in the dark. But when the man started up her back porch, she shot him. All the facts seem to support her prowler story. We’re charging her with manslaughter and releasing her on her own recognizance this morning. If her story checks out, we’ll drop all charges against her.”
“Have you tested her for drugs?” She was half joking.
“Will you mind your own business? Miss Reid, we’re reviewing possible charges against you. I’d love to prove you somehow butted in and caused this entire dangerous situation to occur.”
“You’re saying somehow I was the cause of a prowler shooting which you say was accidental? Make up your mind. Was it accidental or did I cause it? I’m telling you Abby knows the Toby guy she shot. So don’t just drop charges because she claims he’s a prowler. Geez, at least investigate whether or not she knows him.”
He stood to signal the conversation was over.
She continued, “They’re into something together. I don’t know why she wanted him dead. I believe she asked him to come over and use the back door so she could shoot him. She yelled his name as she fired. The daughter has seen him. He might even be Abby’s boyfriend. Can you shoot a boyfriend in this state and get away with it?”
“You no doubt could, you’re the trickiest gal in town. Don’t worry. We’ll check it all out.”
“Well, check it out before you let her loose. Hey, let’s ask the daughter. I’m supposed to pick her up this morning. She stayed overnight with her friend, Izzy.” Sandy took a small notebook from her handbag and punched in the number. Someone called Jamie to the phone. “Jamie, you all right?”
“I’m okay. Where’s Mom. Can I go home now?
“Toby, the man your mother shot, died. She says he was a prowler. She’ll be in jail for a few more hours.”
“Mom killed him? Awesome. Isn’t that serious?”
“It depends on why she did it. I’ll explain later. Got a question for you. Was Toby your mother’s boyfriend?”
“I don’t know. They went out once. He was at the house several times.”
“They went out together? Say that again, Jamie, louder.” She held her phone out so Moran could hear. “Thanks, Jamie. I’m coming over now to pick you up.”
“You can’t. Izzy’s mother says I can’t go with you. It might be dangerous, or something. She said too much is going on. She won’t let anyone but my mother pick me up.”
“Very smart of her, Jamie. I’ll come over there now and talk with her.”
She clicked off, stared at the state attorney, and waited.
Moran sat back down. “Okay. The kid’s no doubt lying again. We’ll look into it. I’m still letting her mother out while we investigate. What’s this Toby’s last name?”
“You’re asking me his last name? I’ve no idea. You have the body. Why don’t you turn him over, take out his wallet, and look at his driver’s license? His name will be printed on the license just above his address.”
Moran tried to ignore her, but his face was getting red. “There’s some confusion about his ID.”
“Toby is quite likely a nickname. I suppose that could really confuse you.”
“Take your wisecracking mouth out of my office!”
She left the county courthouse and drove out to Izzy’s house. Her house was six blocks north of Jamie’s house. Jamie had said white with blue shutters. As Sandy stopped in the driveway, a young woman ran off the porch to meet her. “Are you Sandy? I’m Izzy’s mother. Jamie’s not here. Izzy said she just got on her bike and went looking for you. Why are you involved in this anyway? You’re butting in and causing trouble. Why don’t you leave Jamie alone?”
Chapter Eight
Sandy tried to shake off the sudden chill of learning that Jamie was missing. She backed out of the driveway at Izzy’s house and with tires screeching headed down the block to Abby’s house. Yellow police tape remained stretched around portions of the back porch area where the shooting had occurred. She ran to the front door and pounded. She was surprised when Abby opened it.
“You’re out on bail already?”
“Personal recognizance. No big deal shooting a prowler in this state.”
“Is Jamie here?” Sandy shouted.
“No,” Abby said, “and you couldn’t see her if she was. I just got here. Most likely she’s down at Izzy Palmer’s.”
“She isn’t there. She took off on her bike!”
“Oh, okay. So she’ll be home.” Abby started to close the door. “Will you get out of here? I don’t want to talk to you.”
“But what about Jamie? We need to look for her.”
“She’ll show up when she gets hungry enough or it gets dark enough.”
“Are you sure? Has she done this before?”
“Before? Hell, this is her life. I don’t know where she goes. She’s in her own little world.”
“She shouldn’t be.” Sandy stifled the urge to shake the woman by the shoulders.
“Butt out, Sandy. You’re absolutely screwing things up. Especially with all that corny porn shit.”
“You’d have gotten away clean with killing Toby if I hadn’t been there.”
“Looks like I have gotten away with it.” Then she frowned. “How’d you find out his name?”
“You yelled it out just as you fired.” She remembered Jamie had also told her his name, but no sense in getting her in trouble. “You knew that wasn’t Bruce Banks out there.”
“Might have been.” Abby smiled.
“What do you mean might have been? Did you contact Banks after I told you where he lived? I think you just wanted emails from him to support your story of being stalked.”
“Now, wouldn’t that have been clever of me?”
“You were expecting Toby. You were ready with the gun. Why did you want him dead? Maybe I’m mistaken and it didn’t have anything to do with porn, but you two are involved in something”
“It has nothing to do with nothing. Now get the hell out of here. My lawyer says State Attorney Moran is definitely buying the prowler bit. So get lost and stay away from Jamie.” She slammed the door.
Sandy walked slowly back to her car. Jamie had mentioned child porn. Was she mistaken or did she lie to get her mother in trouble. Full of hostility for her mother, she might have lied. Sandy must not have connected with Jamie as well as she thought. Now she was in the middle of Abby’s personal squabble with Toby. And where was Jamie?
