Chapter 11

Horatio at his usual quick pace arrived at the one way window to the room where Leticia was being held. The female officer in the room with her didn't look all that confident while the girl nervously paced back and forth from one side to the other. She had her hands inside her large blouse sleeves and seemed to be massaging her forearms as she walked. Occasionally she would stop and ask the officer if she wouldn't check to see if Detective Caine had arrived yet. She didn't seem to be impressed with the officer's assurances that Horatio would come into the room as soon as he arrived.

Horatio turned to the representative from the CPS, Ms. Serena Madwell. Ms. Madwell was one of those people who bring a sense of calm serenity into any room and then spreads it like the scent from flowers.

"I'm sorry to have disturbed your evening Detective Caine. It's just that Leticia was causing such havoc in the home where we placed her, I had to do something. Usually, a young person causes a scene as a way of acting out against or even just denying an unfamiliar situation. We're used to it and we generally let the tantrum work itself out. This time, however, since it has to do with a murder case, I thought to err on the side of giving in."

"I'll go talk to her and see what this is about."

Pausing, Horatio wondered if he should pull Odobescu out of holding, work the girl as he had worked the man. Then, he knew he couldn't do that to Leticia; she was too young. Besides, maybe all she wanted was reassurance that her father was alright.

As soon as Leticia saw Horatio, she threw herself sullenly into one of the two chairs in the room, her legs splayed apart and her arms crossed. "What kept you?"

Horatio sat down across from her and lowered his chin and bent his head to one side. He often found this pose reassured people. He smiled faintly and asked in a tone that was as close to without meaning as he could manage, "Why did you need to see me so urgently?" He really wanted to hear some benign declaration, something that he could reassure and send her off with Ms. Madwell.

"I want to tell the truth. I shot those men. It was me, not my father. I buried the gun too. I mean, he helped me bury them and all; after all I couldn't do that. Still, I killed them. Put me in jail and let my father go."

Horatio's heart sank. Whether or not she shot the men, he would have to ask questions six different ways to figure out what really happened. "May I ask you about how you did this?"

"Well, the first one was from the city bus. I was riding home and he got on after I did. Even though there were other seats on the bus, he sat by me. We started talking and then he started to put his hands on me. First it was his arm around my shoulder when he told a joke. Then the arm slid down so the hand was on my chest." Her face showed her distaste. "Then when I threw his arm off he tried to take my hand. By that time we were at my stop and I had to climb over him to get off. I ran but he followed me all the way home. I slammed the door but he knocked on it. I ran upstairs to where my father keeps his guns, took one, loaded it, ran down stairs, opened the door and fired. A lucky shot I guess because he fell down dead."

"Where was your father?"

"He hadn't come home from work yet."

"What did you do?"

"I had the body dragged halfway around the house by the time my father got home. He pulled him the rest of the way and he dug the hole while I cooked dinner."

Horatio examined the table between them. She had started the story with quite a bit of emotion but by the time she had ended, she was talking about cooking dinner like she might talk about finishing homework or cleaning the house. "What did you cook?"

The side of Leticia's mouth twitched as if she had spit. Her gaze followed the direction before she looked down at her still crossed arms. "I don't remember. This was a month ago, after all."

Another glitch in the story; not remembering what she cooked after killing a man was really unusual. People remembered details like that. Still Horatio nodded. "Okay, tell me about the second man."

"He got off the bus at my home stop and followed me like the other guy did." She paused briefly. "I didn't see him until I was about halfway home. I ran, he followed. I had put the gun in my room. Then I shot him like the other guy."

"Did you cook dinner while your father buried him?"

"No, I changed clothes and we both dug the hole and then filled it in."

"Then you had dinner?"

"What is with you and dinner? Are you hungry or something?"

"I'm just trying to get things in order, Leticia. I'm also guessing you were hungry after all that work."

"I don't remember. Look, I'm telling you I killed those men. Now let my father out of jail."

"Did you kill Deeshawn?"

What color there was briefly drained out of her face. "Sure, I killed him and every other murder you have on your desk," she sneered.

"A small hand fired that gun."

"So?"

"We were able to retrieve a partial print showing a pair of small hands held the gun while it was fired."

"Okay, yeah, I shot the little rat. He and his pals killed any chance I had of getting onto the finals team in the math tournament. He deserved it. I just wish his friends had been there too." She went on to describe the circumstances of where she was on the sidewalk and seeing Deeshawn standing in plain view, stretching his arms to the ceiling.

Horatio had often heard confessions but never one so cold or from one so young.

"Did you tell your father about shooting Deeshawn?"

Leaping to her feet, Leticia let out something between a primal scream and a growl. "Stop asking these dumb questions. Stop it! What does it matter what I did after killing these people?"

Still as deadpan as he could manage, he told her to sit down. When she did, he continued, "We both know you didn't use the gun you'd buried in the back yard. Where did you get the gun to kill Deeshawn?"

This part, about hearing about Baggy, stealing money from her father's wallet and buying the gun, was credible. She didn't have to buy bullets since it was a nine millimeter and her father's guns were the same caliper as well.

"After I shot him I ran throwing the gun into the storm drain as I went." She shrugged slightly. "It was simple."

"Did you tell your father about what you had done?"

Her mouth twitched again, her gaze followed. She was considering whether to react. Apparently she decided not to. "Yeah, I did. I mean, he knew about the others so why not this?"

"Thank you for being so honest, Leticia. Now, if you just sit tight, I'll be back in a few minutes."

Horatio stepped around the corner and called the Assistant District Attorney's office twenty-four hour answering service. Explaining he had a problem that needed immediate legal advice he asked for an attorney to be sent to the lab.

While waiting, he bought a carton of milk from the vending machine and took it to Leticia. She put it on the table with a thud and returned her hands to her sleeves, glowering at him. He excused himself again.

Half an hour later, Rebecca Nivens, briefcase in hand, looking as well-groomed as ever, appeared. "Horatio," she greeted in typical single word phrasing.

"Rebecca," he parroted as he had when they were dating for a brief period. Their breakup and shown him the great disadvantages to dating someone he worked with.

"What's up?" Her tone was always wary since he had dumped her unceremoniously when she had decided to carry through on a case that he thought did not need severe punishment.

He took her to the one way window and told her the circumstances of the girl being in the room.

"This is her word against her father's?"

At his nod, she considered for a moment before shaking her head back and forth. "I don't think this will fly yet. All you have is the parent and daughter protecting each other with no gun in either's hand. Both are probably involved to some extent or another but that's not enough." She turned her inscrutably oriental face to his. "Call me when you have more. Until then, you can keep her with CPS and the father in holding until the forty-eight hours are up while you look for more evidence." She turned and walked swiftly away.

Horatio shook his head as he took the phone out. "Tripp, I'm glad you're still on." He explained the situation with the girl. "I just talked with ADA Nevins. She says we need more proof. I hoped it wouldn't come to this but will you please bring Mr. Odobescu upstairs? Thanks."

When the parent was brought walking between two burly unis who held his arms firmly, Horatio motioned for them to hold still for a moment just around the corner while he talked with Sergeant Tripp.

"Ms. Madwell from CPS is at the window. I'm sure she'll be able to fill you in. I'll take Odobescu into the room and let's see what happens. Make sure the recorder is on, would you?"

"Make sure there's an officer in there with you. I think the kid is nuts." Came the Texan's blunt comment.

Horatio swept his jacket back and put his hands on his hips as he turned his blue eyes on to Tripp's face wondering if the man was joking. "Let's just see how the first round goes before we make any judgments."

Tripp turned and walked away without further comment.

Horatio motioned for the officers to advance with Odobescu. Nodding to one officer, he asked him to stand outside of the room with an eye on what was going on inside. The second, he said, was to bring the man in and stand, ready to take any action necessary. In the room he dismissed the female officer inside saying he would call for her when they were ready.

Once the officer was standing at the door and the officer outside was ready, he glanced at the mirror window. Finally he turned to Leticia. "Now, please tell your father what you told me."

Leticia's dark eyes filled with tears. "I'm sorry Papa, I'm sorry."

Odobescu's eyes grew wide. He turned to Horatio. "She lied. I did it, I killed those men."

"I never said what she had told me."

Turning back to his daughter, Odobescu lunged for the girl. "You lie! You know you lie! I killed those men!"

Though the officer and Horatio grabbed him, Leticia, seemed to be ready for what happened. She leapt up, knocking the chair out of the way and backed into the wall screaming, "No Papa, no! I won't let them put you in jail for me!" Sinking to the floor, she whispers over and over, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

By this time, the other officer and Tripp were in the room. Between them, they put Odobescu into one of the chairs and took an extra set of handcuffs; put one around his wrist and the other in the loop on the table close to where he sat.

Horatio went around to Leticia and helped her rise. He put the chair against the wall with one officer by her side and the other officer standing by Odobescu's side.

"Why you lie child? You want to spend life in jail?"

"Let her speak please."

Leticia only stared down at her lap as her fingers interwove and parted, as she shook her head.

Horatio bent down and said quietly into her ear, "We need more proof than you saying so. Right now it's just your word against your father's. That isn't enough."

Still she shook her head in silence.

"Until you choose to give us more information, I'll have to return your father to holding while we look for proof one way or the other.

He looked at the mirror again and shook his own head slightly. Bending over again, he said, "Why not think about this? Ms. Madwell will take you to another safe place where you can clean up and get some sleep. We'll talk again tomorrow. How does that sound?"

The negative head shaking stopped. She sighed and then nodded.

Ms. Madwell appeared at the door immediately. Apparently she had already signaled the female officer. "We're going to be fine now. I'll see you tomorrow. I contacted a great couple who wants to meet her tonight." The smile wasn't as reassured as her words.

"Leticia," Horatio called.

The girl turned with an almost hopeful look.

"Please don't cause any problems, alright? I'll see you tomorrow."

The light of hope leaving her face, Leticia turned to walk obediently beside the court officer.

# # #

Alone in the hall now, Horatio pulled out his phone and punched at the number he had only recently added to the list. After connecting, the phone on the other end rang several times until the answering machine came on. After nearly swearing, he considered leaving a message and didn't. So much for the idea of dessert with Manon. It wasn't that late but the look on her face when he had told her he had to cancel dinner had said it all. She was too lovely a lady to sit around waiting. If she was at home, she had seen the number on the caller ID and refused to pick up, or more likely, she had gone out with a friend and was telling him or her about the red headed jerk. Twice the reminder in one night; should he take the hint?