Chapter Twenty-Five

Several months later.

"Boss, got a minute?" Carl Davis handed Talbott a court order attached to a thick file.

"Mick St. John? Finally. What was the hold up?"

"Judge didn't want to grant it. Seems like our boy Mick has friends in high places. Plus there was a little problem with probable cause but we got around that. Said it wasn't part of a criminal investigation yet. He warned us about a fruit of the poisoned tree defense so we may not be able to use any of this ... but we got the name. A Robert Fordham."

"Jacob Fordham's father?"

"The very same. Wasn't St. John all over that case?"

"He and Beth found the connection, helped us id the perp. I warned Beth against getting involved but St. John went in anyway. That guy's got a serious case of vigilante justice."

"He saved the kid."

Ben nodded, thoughtfully. "St. John also tainted all the evidence. It was a good thing the perp was a suicide or I would have had a tough time getting a conviction.

And now we know he is somehow related to the victim ... and why he was acting like it was so personal... "

Ben was frustrated. remembering a short conversation he'd had with Mick at the Fordham's house.

"I asked him how he knew the layout of those older homes and he said he had grown up near there. But I was never able to find anything ... (and Beth had jumped in to distract me.)

"So Mick suspected something, that's why he wanted confirmation. But it says here the original results indicated a negative result.

Now that's been reversed. I don't get it? What's the connection?"

"Maybe Mick was born on the wrong side of the blanket? Please tell me I can bring him in for questioning."

"No, we've still got nothing solid. But keep on probing. Someday we'll figure it out."

"Oh, wanted to let you know. Judge also threw out the charges against Beth. Her lawyer came up with additional testimony previously unused during the trial. You'll never guess who?"

"Mick St. John, man of mystery."

Ben sat in his office, thinking it over and then made the call.

"Beth, it's Ben Talbott. I know it's been a long time.

Are you free for lunch?"