“Well, best I can tell, it’s all circumstantial evidence.”
Over quiche and juice at our weekly Tuesday breakfast, Lacey’s throaty voice brought the news I’d expected.
Somewhere inside me, far beneath any conscious thought or logic, I had been hoping there was direct evidence linking this other boy to the murder. Absolute proof, even. Then I could know that my son was truly innocent, in spite of what I’d found, in spite of what he’d told me. Since this was not the reality, I could at least find relief in knowing the other boy would not be convicted. “That means they’ll have to let him go. Right?”
“No. It’s circumstantial, but still pretty compelling. And the DA has been getting a lot of pressure from the mayor, so I expect this will go all the way to trial.”
“Compelling stuff like what?”
“As you already know, his name was on the pay-owe—that’s the same list Kurt’s name was on. He was also seen in the downtown Santa Barbara area on the night of the murder, but I’m guessing so were several other people on the list. There’s a partial fingerprint that appears to be his, but it appears as though the masterstroke of evidence against him came from the fool’s stupidity.”
“What do you mean?”
“A piece of the puzzle that they’ve never made public was that it appeared as though Rudy Prince had been robbed after he was murdered. One thing they’ve been on the lookout for was a gold medallion that he always wore on a gold chain around his neck. It was custom-made. I don’t know all the details of it, but it was one of a kind. Anyway, Gary Singer apparently pawned the medallion and chain down in Oxnard.”
This was the kind of information that could lead me to hope again. “So is it possible that Gary Singer really did rob and kill him? Maybe Kurt ended up with the bat some other way?”
Lacey reached over and squeezed my hand. “Baby, we both wish that were true, but let’s not lie to ourselves. Okay?”
“Then, how else did Gary Singer get the medallion?”
“The story he’s telling is that he came upon Rudy Prince’s body. He claims he didn’t know the guy was dead, just thought he was unconscious. Being such a fine, upstanding citizen, he then rifled Rudy’s pockets and says he found a bag of cocaine and some money, both of which he took. I suppose that would explain the fingerprint. Then he took the gold chain and medallion. According to him, he figured when Rudy got out of the hospital, he’d be able to sell it back to him for what remained of his drug debt.”
“Nice fellow.”
“That’s what I’m telling you. There’s no comparison between this kid and Kurt. Kurt is useful to society, Gary Singer is just trouble.”
“If he pawned it in Oxnard, how did the police in Santa Barbara even know about it?”
“They’ve been on the lookout for it from day one, and pawn shops are always on their watch list.” She shook her head, which made the large fuchsia flower on today’s headband wobble back and forth. “Greed got him. If he’d just tossed that thing in the trash, he would still be a free man today.”
“So, like you said, it’s all circumstantial stuff. I mean, a jury would see that and know that there’s nothing concrete, right? What do you think will happen to him?”
“You want my honest answer?”
“You know I do.” I said it with a confidence that I certainly didn’t possess. In fact, I was pretty sure I didn’t want to know the answer.
“Baby, he’s going down. With his record, no one’s going to believe a word he says. No matter what the truth is.”
The answer sank to the ground with what was left of my heart. An innocent man was going to prison for a crime my son had committed. A crime I’d helped cover up. I looked at Lacey with all the courage I could muster. “I’ve got to tell, don’t I?”
“If you go forward now, there’s more to it than just Kurt. You’ve destroyed evidence in a capital offense.”
I hadn’t even considered that part. “Lacey, would I go to jail?”
“I practiced civil law, not criminal, but I know that destruction of evidence is a misdemeanor in the penalty code.” She tapped her fingers against her lips, and I could almost see her mind perusing the legal library of information she’d learned over the years. She pulled her hands away. “They could also claim obstruction of justice and accessory after the fact, and they’re both felonies. I don’t think they would send you to jail, but we both know you’d lose your job, all your church friends, everything.”
I thought about the people I’d worshiped beside for the last twenty years and wanted to argue. But I couldn’t. “Maybe.”
“And if Rick starts talking custody for real, you’ve got to know that this would be the thing that tips the scales. Are you willing to lose both Kurt and Caroline to save a self-serving drug addict who would just as quickly turn around and rob you? Remember, that’s what happened to the last people who tried to help him.”
“I don’t know what to do.”
“Well, you better be certain of that answer before you do anything you’ll regret. My counsel as your lawyer is to stay quiet. My advice as your friend is the same. Prison is where this guy belongs anyway. Just let justice run its course.”