Chapter 18: All Played Out
"This is what we got. Sara came to San Francisco to help her friend Beth." I started.
"Okay we have established that the attack took place in the apartment." Catherine said starting with the evident.
"And that Elizabeth was left out at the car when Sara was attacked." Nick put in.
"Now where was Thomas before he got back?" I asked.
"Clark said something about meeting his father before he went off the deep end." Warrick said.
I took a sip of coffee. "Okay that's a start. Does anyone know who his father is?" A series of head shakes went around the table. "Check it out. Catherine you viewed the blood spatter on the wall. Play the attack out for us."
"It was like this." Catherine grabbed a piece of paper and pen. "From left to right; the wall with the blood, the bed, and the door. Thomas is straddling Sara which puts him in an upright position; almost sitting on her. Blood spatter on the wall indicates the shot came from someone in a standing position. We all thought it came from Sara but now we know that is was Beth standing in the doorway. She came in, saw him, raised the gun and shot."
"Okay." Warrick picked up from there. "Thomas stumbles back off Sara and falls to the floor. But the shot only stunned him and he lays there waiting to make his move."
"Or gaining strength. As far as we know the attack was still a spontaneous thing, so let's play it that way." I interrupted. "But go on."
"Okay, Sara gets up and takes the gun from Beth."
"Beth is gone." Nick said getting into the simulation. "She runs. Sara on the other hand tries to fix her mess and attempts to call the police, but Thomas by then has gotten up and slams her into the door; striking her hip on the doorknob."
"Okay let's be in Sara's shoes. She is in a lot of pain." I encouraged them.
"Ready to pass out." Warrick added.
"Right. But she stays conscious and fights with Thomas again for control over the gun. Sara finally shakes him off and shoots him twice in the chest. The result blood spatter on the left wall. Am I right Catherine?" Nick said.
"Right on it Nicky. Okay at this point Sara couldn't possibly go on. She falls onto the floor."
"No Jeremy Green says she was on the bed." I corrected Catherine.
"But the bed is at least five maybe six feet away from the door where she was fighting with Thomas. She is in shock Gris, she will fall on the floor."
"Let's talk to Jeremy to find out if he just forgot. Then we'll ask Sara if she remembers."
"Right."
"Moving on. We have established self-defense by Sara's bruising but how do we prove that Sara came here just to pick up her friend?" I asked them but they seemed perplexed.
"We would have to show that Beth called Sara and was in immediate danger."
"We need Beth's past medical records to show long term abuse and her phone records."
"I hate to break up our brainstorming." Nick interrupted. "But something isn't making sense. Immediate danger doesn't imply a long drive from Vegas to San Francisco. Why didn't Beth call the police?"
"Sara was a friend she could trust." Catherine explained.
"Okay I'll buy that. But out at the car when Sara was attacked and Beth's protection was hindered, wouldn't you call the police? Thomas was beating the crap out of Sara so Beth had a perfect opportunity to call for help." Nick's voice seemed a little bitter at the mention of how Sara was in danger and her "friend" was safe.
"Maybe there wasn't a phone." Warrick said.
"You don't remember the pay phone right outside the apartment?"
"Oh yeah." Warrick faced me. "Gris there was a pay phone."
"Which gets back to my point, why didn't she call someone? I mean her best friend is in danger, and she couldn't have possibly known that Sara brought her gun. Unless..."
"She planned on it." I finished.
"Do you really think that's what happened?" Catherine asked.
"Well there are too many unanswered questions. Nick raised some good points. I want something conclusive though. Warrick go to that pay phone and dust it for prints."
"Its going to be a real mess Gris."
"I know but Clark's prints would be on the phone somewhere if she tried to call the police. I don't want to jump ahead and find out that she really did have no choice but to find Sara's gun."
"I want the phone and medical records." Catherine said.
"Okay. Nick go find out more on McBride's father. Abuse could be something that runs in the family. Anything like that could mean a stronger case of abuse, therefore a stronger case of self-defense."
"Sure. What are you going to tell Sara?"
"Yeah?" Warrick said. "Sara won't go for our theory Gris. You saw her in there. She was ready to keep quiet and take the rap for that girl."
"That's why I am going to wait for the evidence before I talk to her. I am going to talk to Jeremy."
"What if Beth did plan this? Do you realize what that would do to Sara?" Nick said.
"Talk about your true test of friendship." Catherine said lowering her head.
" 'An insincere and evil friend is more to be feared than a wild beast; a wild beast may wound your body but an evil friend will wound your mind.' "
Warrick raised an eyebrow. "Who said that?"
"Buddha."
"The wild beast was surely Thomas McBride but I do pray that Beth pulls through for Sara. I agree with Nick this would destroy Sara if she didn't." Catherine said.
"I don't know how it will affect her." I said honestly. "Remember the hardest thing for Beth was survival. She might forget how to help Sara. After all its survival of the fittest."
"And you don't think that Sara had to survive that jerk." Nick stared directly at me. I knew he was angry, he had every right to be.
"I know Nick. No one wants Sara to get through this or take away the pain as much as I do." I paused watching their reactions. This was the first time I have ever voiced my feelings for Sara. They were stunned to say the least. "Its just that survival is a powerful thing." I added quickly.
"More powerful than friendship?"
"I don't know. I hope not Nick. I hope not."
"Well either way this is a case like any other. The evidence cannot lie so we present it as it comes to us. If Elizabeth Clark is guilty then end of story." Warrick said. "Right Gris?"
I sighed. "Yeah. Well let's wrap up those holes we found."
They filed out I know with the weight of the world upon their shoulders. This case was turning more and more away from what we wanted. I picked up my feet and somehow managed to go to work myself.
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tbc...