Daryl's gone hunting before either Carol or Sweetheart wake up. Carol enjoys the morning with her daughter and then drops her at daycare before going to talk with Connie, who, it turns out, slept until Alvarado was getting out of bed to investigate, so she has no idea when he woke up after the first shot or how far apart they might have been.
But the lighthouse guard who was on duty that night does. The blond young man, Nick, who has become Kaitlyn's live-in boyfriend since Merry died, was not interviewed by Andrew that night. "Two shots?" he asks after Carol checks the guard logs for the night and tracks him down to ask what he heard. "I thought there was just the one. You mean that first sound I heard wasn't a thunderclap?"
"Thunderclap?" Carol asks.
"Well, it had just finished storming that night. One of those quick summer thunderstorms, you know, that just roll right through. Most people probably slept through it. After it was over, I thought I heard a thunderclap. Angels bowling, my mom used to call it. I thought it was just one last lingering boom from the storm. I didn't hear the gunshot for another fifteen minutes or so, when the storm was definitely past. You mean that wasn't the only shot?"
"There were two shots. I'll need to you to sign a formal deposition to that effect."
"Sure."
"And the prosecutor might need you to testify in court."
"Oh. Wow. You're…wait. Did she kill him?"
"Keep this quiet for a bit. We're not making an arrest until tonight. It's better you not talk about it at all. It's going to be hard enough to find an untainted jury pool as is."
Nick nods. "Okay. Damn. We haven't had a murder case since the Mutiny of 7 NE." He smiles. "Your husband was one hell of a bad ass during that." He looks embarrassed for a moment and says, "I mean, so were you."
Carol smiles slightly and slips her notebook into her shirt pocket before heading off to report her findings to Earl.
Arrest Warrant
Arresting Officer: Sheriff Earl Carter
Offender to Be Arrested: Susan Miller Lawson
Address of Offender: Cabin 10, Old Fort
Charge: Murder in the First Degree
Signature of Court Official: Judge Annette Berringer
Approved by my hand this 17th day of June, 10 NE.
Search Warrant
Requesting Officer: Sheriff Earl Carter
Officer(s) to Perform Search: Deputy Carol Dixon and Deputy Santiago Dominguez
Property to be Searched: Cabin 10, Old Fort
Object of Warrant:
Entire premises of the cabin, inside and on porch areas, with the intent to book as evidence any items potentially pertaining to charges of first-degree murder, including but not limited to 9 mm handguns, ammunition, and written communications.
Signature of Court Official: Judge Annette Berringer
Approved by my hand this 17th day of June, 10 NE.
Request for Reassignment, Demotion, or Promotion by Supervisor
Date: June 17, 10 NE
Supervisor Requesting Change: Sheriff Earl Carter
Supervisee: Deputy Andrew Davies
Check all that apply:
_ Promotion _X_ Demotion _X_ Reassignment
Suggested New Position:
Whatever the Council deems appropriate, but he shouldn't serve as a deputy anymore.
Reason for Request:
Dereliction of duty. Incompetence. Fraternizing on the job. Details provided upon request, or inquire of Councilwoman Dixon.
Decision and Notes of Council:
Andrew Davies will no longer bear the title and responsibilities of deputy or be given a patrol or investigative duties. He will continue to serve part-time as a bailiff of the court (variable hours) and will also be given two other part-time assignments: (1) Friday night bouncer at Linda's Tavern (4 hours per week) and (2) public sketch artist (variable hours). In his capacity as public sketch artist, he will be asked to provide sketches for the museum, for the Sherriff's Department, for instructional documents of the school, for the monthly newspaper, and for intra-Alliance communications as needed. Private family portraits will not be funded by the public purse, but Mr. Davies may continue to sell private family portraits on his own time for additional income.