Page 10 of Shadow of Justice
“Jamie Simmons,” I said. “We don’t know much of anything yet. He was a classmate of Ellie’s. Based on the photographs in his grisly treasure box, he was obsessed with her.”
“And he married her sister?” Caro asked. “That’s just … my God.”
“Did you know her?” I asked.
Caro shrugged. “I mean, maybe. I can’t say as I remember her. Just Ellie. She was a few years younger, I think. Ellie would have probably been fourteen or fifteen when I knew her. And I don’t meanknowher know her. I just saw her around. But I remember her being very bubbly. Adorable really. Not shy around adults, you know? Funny. My friend Vivian, the one who lived next door to the Lukes. She really liked her.”
Phil’s file also contained a copy of Dane Fischer’s polygraph results. I pulled it out.
“Dane Fischer,” I said. “He was the main person of interest at the time.”
“I remember that,” Caro said. “Some sort of cousin.”
I skimmed through the poly. Fischer had been questioned for almost two hours. The examiner detected deception regarding his alibi. His feelings toward Ellie. And finally, his denial of wishing her harm or causing her harm.
“Gus is beside himself,” I said. “If he was wrong about Fischer all these years …”
“Phil wouldn’t file charges,” Caro said. “I remember that very well. Gus was angry. Lord, he was just a kid then himself. I want to say this was his first solo homicide case. That bothered Phil along with a lot of the rest of it.”
“What do you remember about Gus in those days?” I asked. I could barely envision Gus Ritter as a young detective. Twenty-two years ago, he would have been in his early thirties.
“He’s always been one of the good ones,” Caro said. “Intense, sure. Just like now. But smart. Driven. He’s never cared whether he ruffled certain feathers. I mean that as a compliment.”
“What did he look like?” Hojo asked. “I just can’t picture Gus Ritter looking like anything other than the fire hydrant he is.”
Caro laughed. “He hasn’t. I’ve known Gus since he was a street cop just out of the academy. Twenty-five, maybe twenty-six. That man has looked the same for forty years. He could probably grow a full beard in elementary school.”
“How long can we keep this under wraps?” Hojo asked. I understood the concern in his tone. If Gus ended up making an arrest, it would be Hojo’s first high-profile case since his appointment as acting prosecutor.
“Gus is working on getting search warrants for Simmons’s house, phone, computer, car. The whole bit. He wants to serve everything first thing in the morning. We’re trying to be as low-key as possible, but if Janine is already talking …”
“She’s not talking,” Caro said. “She talked to me. It’s not the same thing.”
“It won’t matter,” Hojo said. “Judge Saul needs to keep things under seal.”
“Jamie Simmons has neighbors,” I said. “It’ll get out. My best guess, we can keep things quiet until about noon tomorrow. Not much after.”
“Okay,” Hojo said. “What do you need from me in the meantime?”
“Nothing.”
“Where’s the girl?” Caro said. “Simmons’s daughter?”
“Sam and Gus convinced her not to go home tonight. She’s going to stay with a friend. Sam sent a couple of deputies to sit on Simmons’s house. Make sure he doesn’t try to run.”
“Does he know his daughter fingered him for murder?” Hojo asked.
“Not according to her. She hasn’t said anything to her mother either. This girl is feeling completely alone right now. She has no idea how her family will react to this news.”
“I can’t even imagine it,” Caro said. “That is one brave kid. Poor thing.”
“How does Gus want to handle this?” Hojo said. “Who’s going to break it to the wife … er … the sister?”
“Hayden says her mother will probably be at home first thing in the morning. Jamie is a respiratory therapist over at County. He leaves for work at eight thirty. Gus is planning on serving his warrants by seven.”
“She can’t go back to that house,” Hojo said. “This daughter. It’s too dangerous for her.”
“She knows that. But I’ve told Gus I want a social worker. Erin Luke is about to find out her husband murdered her sister and her daughter’s the one who figured it out.”
