Monday 11th October
The Holding Cells, The Courthouse, Rider Park
Shaking the hand of an apologetic Gary Newcombe as the court rose and people began to file out was not a difficult thing for Goren to do. Harder, was to resist the temptation to tell him he should write a letter of apology to every police force in the country, because it was people like him made all their lives more difficult. That or suggest it was his wife and two small kids he gathered Newcombe had, he should really apologise to.
When what turned out to be Belray's lawyer came over and said his client had requested a private meeting with him or Detective Eames if she were around, it was different. For one thing he had no wish to set eyes on the man and Goren was wary. That it was an attempt to provoke something from him or learn something from him Belray could make later use of. And needless to say the lawyer was none too thrilled at the prospect either. Even if he had no authority as a cop in this jurisdiction, he might be a future witness against his client.
It was highly irregular to say the least and Goren didn't need to ask what Lewis and Caro thought of the idea. She had been concerned about him especially on Sunday, in the privacy of their room, about the effect this had on him. Most especially, for his relationship with Alex. The only time he was ever aware of her "doing her job" a little where he was concerned. For a short while, though later as he tossed and turned in bed a lot of the night, it was just her presence next to him was as re-assuring as anything she said.
He spoke with Drummond about it and the more senior DA than Bayard assigned the case. It would mean ruling out for the future any testimony of his but both were content anything he had to say about Belray could be sourced from other places. That was when he learned for example, that Kate at "The Silver Spur" had seen Whitney pass what looked like pills in there. What she didn't tell Eames and Carver when they called for fear of her own situation as the proprietor. So they had others who could link her to some kind of dealing without him. And almost all his interactions with Belray were in the company of others like Lewis. What decided Goren to go in the end was not himself, but Eames.
This was his one chance if not to deck the guy on her behalf, to at least kick him in the balls metaphorically and wipe that smile off his face. And with no one else there it was the word of a cop with an unblemished record against that of a caught red handed, or at least cactus handed, dealer. There was also something Belray and his lawyer did not know yet, though they would very soon as Drummond built the case against him for murder. It fit the bill perfectly.
So he went down to the three small cells, one of which he had been in a few days ago. Belray was the only one in them. Drummond dismissed the court guard and Goren picked up his chair and carried it over.
Set it down, unfastened his jacket and sat down.
"Good Lord Bobby" smiled Belray. "I would never have recognised you. Nice suit. You look younger without the beard too"
"What do you want Belray?" he asked quietly
Thinking much the same to see Belray in one himself and suspecting come trial that hair would be cut not just tied back.
"No need to sound so hostile" he shrugged. "Just wanted to say sorry. That you, Lewis, Ron and especially Alex got caught up in my little sideline"
"Mr Carver is an attorney. Eames and I are cops. It goes with the territory. Or rather people like you do"
Goren consciously relaxed his hands to not grip them together so tight.
"Oh I know I've been naughty and greedy Bobby but I am slightly surprised. You of all people should know mescaline isn't the same as LSD or heroin. Why it doesn't carry the same penalties"
"I know that. I even respect the rights of the Navajo and other people to use it as they have for many years. Different thing when its kids in uncontrolled situations and to line someone's pockets" he paused. "Is that it? Only I have things to do and you places or rather remand wing, to go to"
"So which hurts you more Bobby? That I turned out to be a bad man or you think I only screwed your partner to check out if you or Alex spotted something wrong at my place?"
Goren looked at him for a long moment.
"None of it hurts me as you put it. You know your trouble Belray? You make the mistake of believing every one thinks like you. And if you think you will provoke me into arranging to get the keys for your cell and for people to look away while you slip on a wet floor you are sadly mistaken"
He shrugged. "Though I will stroke your enormous ego by telling you rarely have I been so tempted. But Eames would not approve"
"I'm flattered. Eames. Interesting how suddenly she's that" Belray laughed softly. "That how you've kept your hands off her all these years? Between women like Caroline. And it wasn't just about that. If that's any help to her"
"So you know Belray? She shared with me that little conversation you had with her. The one about the nature of our relationship? The one we both suspect was really to test out if you could, if necessary, provoke division between us. Perhaps that tells you how unsuccessful you were?"
It had been one of the most awkward parts of the conversation between them. When he'd held Alex in his arms on the bridge and she felt she had to tell him that. But he somehow made her smile. Admitting his thought about her "that way" was the same. Five seconds and about five years ago. Or have I insulted you again now Alex? Should I say I thought about it for longer?
Goren stood up and said. "Just one thing before I go. Why did you ever let a girl like Whitney in on your little scheme? Just between us of course. I expect your lawyer will advise you to plead guilty on the supply and throw yourself, your bills, your dead kid and your living one on the mercy of the court in mitigation"
For the first time he saw the man flinch at mention of his children and that almost permanent smile fade a little.
"I probably will but since it's between us I had no choice. The little tart found out for herself. Whitney bless her wasn't as dumb as she looked. She called by one day after Terry had been unable to resist her charms again. Came round when I was grafting some new stock in the greenhouse and knew or worked out what I was doing"
"Stolen stock from Texas or your own?"
Belray laughed "Ah so you worked out where I got my first plants"
"Eames did. Remembered when you went to Texas to fetch that bull and you said something to her about going to the Laredo rodeo. Only place to find peyote in any large quantity these days is South West Texas. Almost has endangered species status I believe. Thanks to poor cutting and idiots digging it up who don't know to handle it correctly"
"Yeah that is where I got my initial rootstock. Brought it back with old Nimitz. Anyway Whitney wanted in or she'd open her mouth as wide as she opened her legs round town"
"Bad mistake. I'm guessing it was her unauthorised expeditions and casual sales began to focus the likes of Guthrie closer and closer to this area"
"Could be"
"That why you killed her?"
Belray laughed. "Don't be foolish Bobby. I know they are trying to pin that on me. Will never stick and I didn't do it. Sonny did. Or are you bought into the same fantasy ole Art has? He plugged her and I slugged her? Now let me think…this time last week the Sheriff was 24 hours from coming up with reasons why you did the same. A fact I expect might come out in court"
"Don't be so sure Johnny" he smiled. "I gather there are some mighty suspicious bleach spots on the sleeve of a white shirt of yours"
"Oh this would be the one I was wearing Monday night. The same one I had on the day I caught my arm on some wire"
Goren rested his hands on the back of the chair. "Ah I didn't know that. But it's still the one you were wearing when you hid down behind that old tree trunk at the pens while Sonny raped a dying Whitney. When the bark caught on that fancy embroidered yoke and pulled out one of the threads"
"What thread?" he frowned. "Oh you mean that one you saw on Saturday. Hope you told the cops about that Bobby. Or it could have blown away by now. Weather we've been having the last couple of days"
"I did and when Art went to look for it Sunday morning it was gone"
"There you go" he smiled. "See how badly they do the job round here Bobby?"
"Don't be too quick to criticise Johnny" he said quietly. "Because the red thread you went down there to pull out of that post, was not the one from your shirt. What you got rid of was fibre Art and I pulled out of a blanket he keeps in the Toyota on Saturday afternoon"
There was no reply from inside the cell.
"See while you were playing the good host to your guests Art and I were photographing and bagging and replacing that thread. With the Reverend Jones as an independent witness to what we did. When I told the Sheriff about it, he suspected someone else on the ranch. But as only nine of us knew about it, Art figured as you say round here, to lay a little trap. Just to see what happened"
Goren glanced at his watch.
"I must go Johnny. Let you think about that and why you really should have got rid of that shirt. Or not said it was "almost a year" since you were "anywhere near" that corral in the statement you made last Tuesday when Whitney was found. Think about that and what modern technology can do on fibre matching and fading"
He picked up the chair and walked away a step or two before turning to see a very different looking Johnny Belray.
"Now what was that saying of yours…oh yeah…unsuspecting prairie rat meets wily rattlesnake. Buenos tardes Mr Belray"
As Goren got to the end of the hall there was a low moan from the cell behind him. Sounded more painful than a kick in the balls.
"Side retired Alex" he said silently as he went through the outer door.
To be continued…