Page 36 of Shadow of Justice
Sam came to me. He looked over my shoulder. Through the wall of windows, he could see straight to the lobby. Caro wasn’t at her desk. No one could see in. Sam kissed me.
“Gus is ready.”
“Good. But maybe we should heed one piece of advice from Cutler. Maybe we should make sure we don’t become part of the story.”
“Cutler can go screw himself. I don’t make decisions based on empty threats from scumbag defense lawyers like him. Neither should you.”
He put an arm around me and drew me close. I loved his warm, solid strength. It was comforting to think he was willing to fight my battles for me. Only I knew ultimately this was one I would have to fight alone.
13
Three weeks before Jamie Simmons was set to go on trial for his life, I received a call I never thought I’d get. George and Claudia Luke wanted to talk.
We met on a Saturday evening in my office. They wanted to come when no one else would be in the building. When no one might see them walk through the parking lot. And they came alone.
I waited for them in the lobby, keying them in. At my insistence, Sam had called back the deputies who normally patrolled the grounds on the weekend. Sam himself waited across the street in his own office, ready to dispatch anyone I needed at a moment’s notice.
If it was possible, George and Claudia looked as if they’d aged ten years in the last two months. Late October now, I couldn’t imagine how difficult the upcoming holiday season would be for them.
George rested a protective hand on his wife’s back as I showed them into the conference room, turning on the hall lights as we went.
“Can I get either of you anything?” I asked, then kicked myself for not thinking about starting a pot of coffee. It was late though. Almost seven thirty.
“We’re okay,” George said. “We just want to get this over with.”
They chose two chairs at the long table, putting their backs to the bookshelves. I left my notepad in my office. Silenced my phone. I wanted this meeting to feel as informal as possible given the circumstances. I took my seat opposite them.
“I appreciate you coming in,” I started. “I’m here to answer any questions you may have. I can give you some idea of what to expect once the trial starts.”
Claudia cast a nervous glance at her husband. “I don’t think we can help you.”
“I’m saying I’m here to help you, Mrs. Luke.”
“Call me Claudia. Mrs. Luke was my mother-in-law. She was …”
George put a hand over his wife’s. “My mother was a hard woman to like.”
“Okay. Claudia. I really cannot imagine how stressful this has all been for you. I can understand why you’ve been reluctant to talk to me or Detective Ritter.”
“Can you?” Claudia snapped. “We didn’t just lose our daughter, Ms. Brent. This thing … this hideous thing … I feel like I’m losing my mind. That I’m in some nightmare but I can’t wake up.”
“Shh,” George consoled his wife. “It’s going to be okay. This will be over soon.”
Claudia’s hands trembled. She reached for a tissue box at the center of the table, took one, and blew her nose.
“What we want to know is,” George said. “Do you really think our son-in-law hurt Ellie?”
His question tore through me. I could only imagine what Bennett Cutler must have told them. It was in his interest to keep them believing Jamie Simmons had been framed. Railroaded. They’d accepted him into their family. Treated him like a son.
“Yes,” I said bluntly. “Jamie Simmons stalked and murdered your daughter. He’s kept it a secret all these years. I would not take this case to trial if I didn’t think he was guilty.”
“But Detective Ritter told us,” Claudia said. “He said my nephew was the one who did this. Dane threatened her. You don’t understand what was going on. I brought him into our home. George and I tried to help him turn his life around. Then he stole from us. He got violent with George. Did you know that?”
“No, I didn’t.”
“He did. George, tell her. Dane pushed him up against a wall. I thought he was going to strangle him. We threw him out. Ellie tried to warn us. She was never comfortable around Dane. Then he took my engagement ring. Stole money out of George’s wallet. Ellie found him searching her room looking for more money. She was the one who insisted we call the police. Dane hurt Ellie. I know it. And I let him into our home!”
“I’m sorry,” I said. “Claudia, you did what you thought was right. You tried to help your cousin. There’s nothing wrong with any of that. I believe you that Dane Fischer was a bad element. But he isn’t the one who killed Ellie. Detective Ritter knew twenty years ago he didn’t have enough for probable cause to arrest Dane. He was a lead. A person of interest. Nothing more. But Jamie … you have to understand I’m not at liberty to discuss some of the elements of my case. The evidence. But I assure you, I will be able to tie Jamie to Ellie’s murder.”
