“Mireille’s mother?” asked Lucy.
“I’d bet on it,” said Sue, snagging a second sherry from a passing waiter.
Lucy noticed with some relief that Zoe had joined a lively group of young people. Deciding it was time to leave and tackle her long list of weekend errands, she thought she’d see if Zoe also wanted to leave or whether she’d prefer to hang with her friends.
“I don’t want to interrupt,” she began, joining the group, “but I really have to be going.”
“I’ll see you later, then,” said Zoe, who was sipping on a soft drink. “We’re going to stop by the cemetery together and say good-bye to Alison.”
“That’s a nice idea,” said Lucy, rather surprised.
“It’s the right thing to do” said one, a serious looking fellow with thick, black-rimmed glasses and a head of curly red hair.
“Are you sure you’ll be all right?” she asked Zoe.
“It’s something I want to do, Mom.”
“Alison’s not the first, you know,” said a chubby girl with long, black hair. “There’s been two others already this year.”
“Drownings?” asked Lucy, shocked.
“No. Overdoses,” said Zoe.
“Two at the college?” asked Lucy.
“From our class,” said the boy. “Alison’s the third.”
“And there’s been lots of close calls,” added Zoe.
“We see the town ambulance on campus almost every day,” said the girl.
“I’m really shocked,” said Lucy. “I guess I thought college kids would be too smart to be using.”
“You’d think so,” said the guy. “But if they use even once, thinking they’ll try it, it’s all they think about. It takes over their lives. Believe me, Alison’s not the last. There’ll be more.”
CHAPTER 4
Ted didn’t greet Lucy when she arrived for work on Monday morning. He didn’t even look up from his computer. “Don’t bother to take off your coat,” he said. “I need you to go straight to District Court.”
“Okay,” said Lucy, casting a “what’s up?” glance toward Phyllis and getting an eye roll and a shrug in reply. “Mind telling me what this is all about?”
“The Downeast Drug Task Force made a big arrest last night. Three dealers. The arraignment is today.” He pulled a sheet of paper off the printer and handed it to her. “Here’s the press release with the names. Try to get photos, okay?”
“Will do,” said Lucy, scanning the brief announcement that Carlos Cabral, 19, Manuel Perez, 21, and Eufry Victorino, 22, all from Queens, had been arrested following a three-month investigation. The three were caught in a Route 1 motel room with 50 grams of heroin, 40 grams of powdered cocaine, $5,750 in cash and several firearms. The street value of the drugs was estimated to be $15,000.
“I’m going to follow up on the official side,” said Ted. “I’m sure the DA will want to get some credit, as will the Task Force.”
“I always wonder why these investigations take so long,” said Phyllis. “What were they doing for three months? It doesn’t take the buyers three months to find a dealer, does it?”
“That’s one of the questions I plan to ask Detective Lieutenant Cunningham, who heads the task force,” said Ted. “Now, go, Lucy. You’ve got to get over to Gilead by nine. Time’s a-wasting!”
“Trust me,” said Lucy, looping her purse strap over her shoulder. “They never start on time.”
Despite the fact that trials seemed quite dramatic when presented on the TV news, Lucy knew that was because they were skillfully highlighted and presented for maximum effect. In truth, trials were extremely tedious and took a very long time to establish the most basic facts. Even arraignments, which were brief, required reporters to sit through a long list of other more minor offenders. Nevertheless, she felt a certain sense of excitement as she followed the familiar route to Gilead, the county seat, to cover what was sure to be a big story.
As she expected, the parking lot in the courthouse complex was packed and there were several satellite trucks from various TV stations. The Boston stations were all there, as was the regional cable news. She had to park in an overflow lot, which meant a long hike back to the courthouse, and by the time she made her way through the metal detector and had her purse examined by a gloved officer she was running late. Court was already in session, all the seats were taken, and she had to elbow her way into a spot in the back.
Judge Irene Thaw was clearly not pleased at the sudden intense interest in the proceedings in her courtroom, and she wasn’t about to expedite matters for the benefit of the assembled members of the media. As usual on Monday morning, following the weekend, there were a number of cases to be dealt with including the usual allegations of driving while intoxicated, spousal abuse, and disorderly conduct.
The air in the courtroom had become quite stale and Lucy’s back was aching when the case of the three alleged drug dealers was finally announced, causing the media crowd to snap to attention. Digital cameras and smartphones were readied, video cameras and tape recorders were switched on, notebooks were opened and pens were gripped to record the moment when the alleged offenders were brought into the courtroom.
District Attorney Phil Aucoin presented the charges himself, accusing Carlos Cabral, Manuel Perez, and Eufry Victorino of Class A aggravated trafficking in Schedule W drugs, illegal possession of firearms, engaging in interstate commerce for illegal transactions, resisting arrest, and driving a vehicle that did not have a current inspection sticker. That last caused a bit of a chuckle among the gathered crowd.
Aucoin had done his homework and went on to present the judge with the trio’s criminal records, which Lucy thought were remarkably long for such young offenders. All three had spent time in juvenile
