Chapter Twenty-nine
One week after giving State Attorney Moran her formal statement, Sandy remained under arrest, although out of custody. Uncertain of her fate. She had hesitantly disclosed the valuable information she had developed to fulfill her side of the bargain with Moran. However, there was no action from him in return regarding dropping the charges against her. He now claimed she had misunderstood. He had never agreed to such a bargain, he said, merely agreed to listen to what she had to offer and then decide.
Abby Olin had also given her statement to Moran and he guarded the contents tightly. Nevertheless, a former girl friend of Chip’s, who worked at the courthouse, gave him the gist of the statement confidentially. It was critically unfavorable to Sandy.
According to the statement, Abby would testify Sandy was fanatical about Banks. That Sandy was once his favorite plaything at the juvenile rehab facility, but he had scorned her. She had taken an oath to pay him back. She was going to get him whatever it took. She had encouraged Abby to entice Banks to Florida, even gave Abby his current address. She could even provide Abby a gun if needed. They had discussed various plans. It was Abby’s duty as a feminist sister to fight together against all men for women’s rights. According to Abby’s statement, Sandy would get agitated to the point of shaking physically when talking about the subject.
Sandy met with Jerry Kagan in his office when they learned of Abby’s statement. “All that, Jerry, plus that damn incriminating file they found on my laptop can also be interpreted to support such a scheme. Several times, I put down I was going to get him. Of course, I meant legally after I became a lawyer.”
“You could land back in jail at any time. He now has enough to go back before the judge and have your bail rescinded.”
“I wondered about that, Jerry. Why hasn’t he put me back in jail? I’m a co-conspirator to second-degree murder. Why am I out running around?”
“The question really is why doesn’t he want Abby in jail?”
“That’s right. If he denies me bail, then he must also deny Abby bail. Do you think he’s made some kind of deal with her? He’s keeping her out of jail in return for...something?”
“He’s up to something. You really ticked him off the other day, Sandy. It’s not in your best interest to keep doing that. He who has the power makes the rules.”
“I know, sometimes I just can’t resist. But right now, I’m playing it straight and he’s dirty dealing. He accepted and is using all that significant information I gave him. But he’s not giving me anything in return. He has me on a hook. How do I get off?”
“I’m not certain what his game is unless he’s unsure of what to charge Abby with. In any case, he has nothing to lose by keeping you waiting.”
“You’re being too kind. He’s a bastard and he’s stringing me out to get back at me. He knows he’s thrown my life into limbo.”
In the deposition Sandy gave Moran under oath, she reluctantly disclosed the involvement of Congressman Kidde in the beach body affair. The disclosure was inevitable. In spite of Freddy asking her to keep it all quiet, she had no choice but to reveal his name when questioned by the state attorney. Revealing the blackmail scheme led to answering who was being blackmailed, and this led to explaining the reason for the blackmail. That identified Kidde and placed him right on the beach with the dead stripper. It put on view his leaving the scene and failure to come forward the next day with what he knew. She had warned Kidde all this could happen if he didn’t come forward voluntarily and preempt any disclosure.
In her statement to Moran, she mentioned that Kidde told her he’d simply given the stranded girl a ride. She didn’t elaborate further. There remained a slight chance that the full details of the saga of the unattainable Betty Jo and the obsessed Freddy could stay hidden. That much, at least, would certainly be to his benefit. Perhaps, she thought, she’d write a book about it someday.
Moran wasn’t totally convinced that Sandy was being truthful, that she had all her facts straight, and was making the correct assumptions about what she had learned. The deconstruction of Congressman Frederick J. Kidde started when Moran, unconvinced of Kidde’s involvement, decided to follow up and verify what Sandy had disclosed.
He innocently invited Freddy Kidde and his attorney to Park Beach for an informal conference. When Kidde and his attorney arrived quietly at the rear entrance of the courthouse, they suffered incredibly bad luck. Renaldo Gitano a reporter from the Gretchen Henson show on CNN was there with a cameraman to greet them. Gitano was the same TV reporter who happened to have covered the Privado beach body affair back when it was first news in November. Some blogger had tipped off Gitano to a possible link between Kidde and the old Privado Beach affair.
The consequences were inevitable. The national news media rehashed the entire affair. They dug out, edited, and reedited old TV file film to create fresh breaking news: What had happened on that beach that night? Who was the woman? Who mistreated her dead body?
Now the media also enjoyed the added bombshell of blackmail. Allegedly, the congressman paid to cover up his involvement. In addition, as if any icing was necessary on that, someone had murdered the alleged blackmailer. Any part of it was dream-come-true stuff for the media.
Within seventy-two hours, there were no hotel rooms available within a hundred miles of Park Beach. The satellite TV trucks seemed evenly divided between the courthouse and the Freddy Kidde residence in Jensen Beach. The scandal held Breaking News status on TV for weeks. Reporters approached everyone within eyesight asking for their opinion.
The media got out the drums and brass bands quickly and the circus paraded into Park Beach. Although State Attorney Moran would later plead that he had no interest in investigating Kidde, at the time it seemed in his best interest not to clarify the situation, but just get out in front of the parade.
The media inundated Moran with interview requests. The national news ran his photo along with Kidde’s each night. They looped it all again on cable news and the Internet for days. Moran started giving briefings on the courthouse steps. He loved it. He’d hit the publicity lottery. His political ambition of running for the Senate from Florida now seemed within reach. Privado Beach has punched Moran’s ticket to ride. Although strutting on the media stage he never exactly stated what he was taking credit for.
Kagan commented, “Do you notice, Sandy, his briefings never contain any new information? He keeps saying he’d love to say more, but unfortunately he can’t comment on an ongoing investigation.”
“Sure, and leaving everything open to speculation is exactly what the media wants. They can fill in the blanks with sensational guesswork.”
“Contrary to those reports, Sandy, I believe Moran has no interest in prosecuting Freddy Kidde for anything. It’s clear from what you’ve told me, Kidde was on the beach when the woman choked, but there was no crime there. My sources tell me the police have filled in the name Toby Towalski and closed the case. So they’re not going to get Kidde on that.”
“So, the solitary thing left is failing to report the death. That’s so minor it’s ridiculous,” she added. “So where’s he going with all this. Why is he keeping Kidde and me hanging?”
“He needs your testimony. He needs to prove Abby intended to shoot Toby. She wanted him out of the way for the money. So, Kidde testifies Abby told him Toby was out of the picture. And you testify she yelled his name as she fired. Once all that is established he’s got Abby nailed for the felony murder of Bruce Banks.”
“But I’ve already agreed to testify and cooperate with the deposition. Moran just wants to strut and fret his hour upon the stage.”
“I know, it isn’t fair, but he could keep you hanging until Abby’s trial.”
“Her goddamn trial might not be for two or three years. And the Florida bar exam is in July!”
Silence.
“Wait a minute, that’s it. Moran has the power to keep me from becoming a lawyer.” She was stunned. “I can’t be licensed, probably can’t even take the bar exam, while I’m under arrest for conspiracy to commit murder. That’s what’s behind this.”
“That’s what I call wicked retribution. He gets back at you and has the last laugh. He has you trapped and no reason to set you free.”
