is, what if he didn’t kill the girl?”
“But he did. Come on, Cora. You read the transcript.”
“What about the counter boy?”
“What about him?”
“Why didn’t he testify?”
“Why should he? He didn’t have anything to do with it.”
“Says who?”
“What do you mean, says who? No one says any different.”
“Darryl Daigue does. Darryl says he relieved thecounter boy, and the counter boy went off with Anita Dryer.”
Chief Harper wasn’t impressed. “Oh, that’s what he says now?”
“What do you mean
now
?”
“As I recall, he used to blame it on the witness.
What’s-his-name. It’s been so long.”
“Ray Tucker?”
“That’s it. Ray Tucker. Good for you. Of course, you just read the transcript.”
“And you didn’t. Like you say, Chief, it’s been twenty years. Isn’t there a chance your memory’s a trifle hazy?”
“Of course there is. I can’t remember the name of every witness. I’m not even sure who was on the jury. But there’s one thing I do know. There was no doubt in my mind we had the right man.”
“Even though you had no evidence.” As Chief Harper opened his mouth to protest, Cora added, “And I’m not talking about the pot that got suppressed. I know all about that. You also didn’t have a rape kit, did you? ’Cause it turned out she wasn’t raped. That charge was dropped before trial.”
“It’s not uncommon. The prosecution will often dump a charge it thinks it’ll have trouble proving.”
“Doesn’t it hurt their case, there being no evidence of rape?”
“Not at all. In fact, a lot of these sex crimes escalate to murder for just that reason. The perpetrator lashes out in frustration when he’s unable to perform.”
“Yes, the prosecutor made that point in his closing argument. Several times, as I recall.”
“It’s certainly a valid argument.”
“It’s making the best of it. If there was evidenceshe’d been raped, the prosecution would be harping on that. There’s none, so they turn it around and pretend the
absence
of evidence is damning.”
“What’s wrong with that?”
“A little unfair, don’t you think? If she’s raped, it proves he did it, if she’s not raped, it proves he did it? What would prove he
didn’t
do it?”
“Nothing. But that’s not so strange, because he did.”
The phone rang. Harper scooped it up, said, “Police.” He listened a few moments, said, “All right, put me down for two,” and hung up. “The PTA’s raffling off a turkey,” he explained.
“A live turkey?”
“Good lord, I hope not. Clara would just get attached to him, and we’d wind up with a pet instead of a meal.”
“So, help me out here, Chief. Who can I talk to about Darryl Daigue?”
“Damned if I know. It’s been a long time. His lawyer’s dead. The judge is dead. Prosecutor left town. You can hunt up whatever jurors are left, but they’re not gonna help you much. They all voted guilty.”
“Doesn’t mean they were all sold. Sometimes one strong juror can sway the tide.”
“I suppose.” Chief Harper said it with a complete lack of enthusiasm.
“Whatever happened to Ricky Gleason?”
“Who’s that?”
“Counter boy Darryl says he took over for.”
Harper shrugged. “You got me.”
“You remember him at all?”
“Can’t say as I do. He didn’t testify in the trial. Didn’t figure in the case at all, as far as I know. I’m not even sure what he looked like.”
“He have parents in town?”
“I’m sure he did at one time. Probably dead or moved away, or I’d have heard of ’em.”
Cora sighed, got to her feet. “You’re a big help.”
“Actually, I am. I’m giving you some good advice, Cora. I’m telling you to leave this alone.”
Cora nodded grimly. “Join the club.”
Sherry was cooking dinner when Cora got home. A marvelous cook, Sherry loved spending time in the roomy kitchen, whipping up delicacies. When Cora came in, Sherry was at the butcher-block table, massacring
“But he did. Come on, Cora. You read the transcript.”
“What about the counter boy?”
“What about him?”
“Why didn’t he testify?”
“Why should he? He didn’t have anything to do with it.”
“Says who?”
“What do you mean, says who? No one says any different.”
“Darryl Daigue does. Darryl says he relieved thecounter boy, and the counter boy went off with Anita Dryer.”
Chief Harper wasn’t impressed. “Oh, that’s what he says now?”
“What do you mean
now
?”
“As I recall, he used to blame it on the witness.
What’s-his-name. It’s been so long.”
“Ray Tucker?”
“That’s it. Ray Tucker. Good for you. Of course, you just read the transcript.”
“And you didn’t. Like you say, Chief, it’s been twenty years. Isn’t there a chance your memory’s a trifle hazy?”
“Of course there is. I can’t remember the name of every witness. I’m not even sure who was on the jury. But there’s one thing I do know. There was no doubt in my mind we had the right man.”
“Even though you had no evidence.” As Chief Harper opened his mouth to protest, Cora added, “And I’m not talking about the pot that got suppressed. I know all about that. You also didn’t have a rape kit, did you? ’Cause it turned out she wasn’t raped. That charge was dropped before trial.”
“It’s not uncommon. The prosecution will often dump a charge it thinks it’ll have trouble proving.”
“Doesn’t it hurt their case, there being no evidence of rape?”
“Not at all. In fact, a lot of these sex crimes escalate to murder for just that reason. The perpetrator lashes out in frustration when he’s unable to perform.”
“Yes, the prosecutor made that point in his closing argument. Several times, as I recall.”
“It’s certainly a valid argument.”
“It’s making the best of it. If there was evidenceshe’d been raped, the prosecution would be harping on that. There’s none, so they turn it around and pretend the
absence
of evidence is damning.”
“What’s wrong with that?”
“A little unfair, don’t you think? If she’s raped, it proves he did it, if she’s not raped, it proves he did it? What would prove he
didn’t
do it?”
“Nothing. But that’s not so strange, because he did.”
The phone rang. Harper scooped it up, said, “Police.” He listened a few moments, said, “All right, put me down for two,” and hung up. “The PTA’s raffling off a turkey,” he explained.
“A live turkey?”
“Good lord, I hope not. Clara would just get attached to him, and we’d wind up with a pet instead of a meal.”
“So, help me out here, Chief. Who can I talk to about Darryl Daigue?”
“Damned if I know. It’s been a long time. His lawyer’s dead. The judge is dead. Prosecutor left town. You can hunt up whatever jurors are left, but they’re not gonna help you much. They all voted guilty.”
“Doesn’t mean they were all sold. Sometimes one strong juror can sway the tide.”
“I suppose.” Chief Harper said it with a complete lack of enthusiasm.
“Whatever happened to Ricky Gleason?”
“Who’s that?”
“Counter boy Darryl says he took over for.”
Harper shrugged. “You got me.”
“You remember him at all?”
“Can’t say as I do. He didn’t testify in the trial. Didn’t figure in the case at all, as far as I know. I’m not even sure what he looked like.”
“He have parents in town?”
“I’m sure he did at one time. Probably dead or moved away, or I’d have heard of ’em.”
Cora sighed, got to her feet. “You’re a big help.”
“Actually, I am. I’m giving you some good advice, Cora. I’m telling you to leave this alone.”
Cora nodded grimly. “Join the club.”
Sherry was cooking dinner when Cora got home. A marvelous cook, Sherry loved spending time in the roomy kitchen, whipping up delicacies. When Cora came in, Sherry was at the butcher-block table, massacring
Similar Books
