Deceit

“But it’s just borrowed. I can give it back.”

“You’re carrying it. You shot someone with it.”

“He was trying to shoot me!”

“Tell that to the DA.”

Melissa’s shoulders arched. Her eyes sought Dan’s, silently begging him to take back his words. Dan stared back at her with his hard prosecutorial gaze. With a loud expelling of air, Melissa fell against the couch. Her chin dropped. “I can’t believe this.”

Dan handed the purse back to me. Shrugged. “We could forget about the gun.”

From beneath her lashes, Melissa eyed him warily.

“Unlawful carrying and possession of a concealed weapon is a small thing compared to homicide. That’s a crime that should never go unpunished. Tell me what you know about Linda Jackson’s murder, and we’ll let the gun thing go.”

“I told you. I don’t know anything!”

He headed for the couch and sat down beside her. Too close. Melissa leaned away.

“I think you do.” Dan’s voice ran smooth. “I’ve known Joanne for years now. She’s done some skip tracing for me, did you know that? Whenever I’ve had to find a witness that we’d lost track of. Joanne’s reliable. I believe what she says. And she tells me you’ve admitted to her that you witnessed Linda Jackson’s murder.”

“I didn’t. Really.” Melissa’s voice sounded dull. “I lied.”

Dan eyed her, waiting. Silence throbbed the air. Melissa focused blankly on the floor, her face a mask of stubbornness.

Perry eased away from her, back to his armchair.

Dan shifted his position. “Ever hear of a material witness?”

Melissa made no response.

“That’s what you are. You witnessed a crime, and your knowledge of that crime is material to prosecuting the case. Under California law you can’t just walk away with that knowledge. If you refuse to tell what you know, I can put you in jail. Right now.”

“No!” Melissa’s head swung toward him, her cheeks blanched.

“I can keep you in jail up to forty-eight hours. Which means Monday morning I’ll take you before the judge. He will order you to face the grand jury and tell them what you know. If you fail to appear before the grand jury, a warrant will be issued for your arrest.”

The district attorney’s words fell like hammers upon Melissa. I watched her body shrink with each blow. When he finished, her gaze roved the floor as if seeking an answer to this nightmare.

“Why are you so against testifying?” Perry asked. “You lived with Linda. I saw the two of you come into my store plenty of times, and you seemed to be great friends.”

“We were.” Melissa’s words were barely audible.

She said no more. Dan and I exchanged glances. I hadn’t known he could jail Melissa for refusing to cooperate. The illegal weapon charge, I’d thought, would be threat enough. Now she was indeed trapped. The knowledge should have soothed me. I’d hunted her and found her. Mission accomplished.

But a niggling voice inside taunted this wasn’t over.

“Have it your way.” Dan pushed to his feet. “I’m going to make the call.”

Melissa jerked her head up. “What call?”

“The police. They’ll take you down to jail. The gun charge is going with you too.”

“No!” Melissa sprang to her feet. “No, I…Baxter will kill me, don’t you see? He’s already tried. Why haven’t you asked more about that? He tries to kill two people tonight, and you want to take me to jail?”

“At this point I have absolutely no proof of who was chasing you and Joanne.”

“I know it was Baxter! Somebody he hired.”

“Maybe we can prove that. We have a better chance if we tie it to Linda’s murder. Baxter killed his wife, and you witnessed it. Then he tried to silence you for your knowledge. Without that tie, what have we got?”

“And what about me until you arrest Baxter?” Melissa demanded. “Who’s going to keep me alive?”

“California has a witness-protection program. We’ll take care of you.”

“I’d rather take care of myself.”

“Doesn’t look like that’s worked too well.”

Melissa glared at the DA, shallow-breathing. He raised his eye brows, waiting. Emotions flitted across her face—anger…blame…indignation.

The silence spun out.

From somewhere in the house a clock ticked. Outside a dog barked in the distance. Perry looked at me, gave me the slightest smile of reassurance.

Melissa closed her eyes. Resignation dragged at the sides of her mouth. She pulled her top lip between her teeth. Crossed her arms in a self-hug. Another minute passed before she spoke the words I never thought I’d hear. “If I tell you, how long until Baxter is arrested?”

“We’ll protect you until he is.”

“How long?”

Dan tilted his head. “You can lead us to the body?”

She nodded.

“Were you with Baxter when he buried Linda?”

Another slight nod. “He made me go.”

Perry and I exchanged a look. The mere thought sent chills through my veins. How could Baxter have done that to a teenager? I couldn’t wait to see the man behind bars.

Dan surveyed Melissa, then gazed across the room, his expression blending disgust and empathy. It was the mixture that made an effective DA. He possessed passion for bringing criminals to justice without becoming calloused to the plights of witnesses who helped him do so.

“Is Linda’s body in this area?” he asked.

“Yes.”

Dan dipped his chin. “Okay. When we find the remains, which will corroborate your story, he’ll be picked up.”

Which didn’t mean he’d stay in jail. If some expensive attorney managed to get him bail, he’d be back out on the streets until trial. That could take months. Maybe a year, even longer. The thought punched holes in my lungs. I peered down the long days ahead, envisioned the uproar in Vonita, two camps taking sides—including the people of my own church. Saw myself trying to live within the vortex, go to the store, pass people on the street. At least half of them would hate me. How could I even stay in Vonita?

Guilt stabbed me. How could I be thinking of myself while Linda’s body lay out there somewhere, crying to be found?

“How long will that take?” Melissa asked.

“I’ll get a forensics team together first thing in the morning. You lead us to the site, we’ll dig. It’ll take some time to assemble all the bones. Once the dig is done we’ll have to positively identify the body as Linda’s. If we can match dental records, it will take only a day or two. But because of the apparent danger you’re in, I’ll want to get Baxter off the streets as quickly as possible. I’ll push for picking him up before identification.”

Melissa dropped her chin and stared at the floor. Calculations played across her face.

Come on, Melissa.

“Could he be arrested as early as tomorrow night?”

“Yes. If you can lead us to the exact site quickly. After six years, maybe you’ve forgotten the spot, and we’ll have to dig here and there to see if we can turn up anything. That could turn into days.”

Melissa shook her head. “I know the exact spot. I haven’t forgotten.” Her voice lowered. “I’ll never forget.”

Dan cast me a look that read he still couldn’t believe this was happening. Baxter