After Joe was led away, Chief Collig entered the room. "How bad is it?" Frank asked him, hoping some break had come up that they hadn't been informed of.
"Not good," Ezra admitted. "There was motive, opportunity and know-how. Joe hated him because of Vanessa dumping him. He was missing for several hours the night the car was messed with and he is a damn good mechanic."
"Wait a minute," Frank said, an idea coming to him. "Joe was home before eleven. If the car was messed with while Roger was at Vanessa's, he wouldn't have had time to fix the car and get home even if he had hitched a ride or something."
Collig shook his head sadly. "Roger and Vanessa went to her house as soon as they left the pizzeria and according to your friends, they left minutes after Joe did. He had plenty of time to get out there and fix Billings' brakes."
"Then Joe has to use the insanity plea," Frank said.
"He doesn't want to," Felix told him.
"I don't care what he wants," Frank said, scowling. "He's still a minor," he said, turning to his dad. "You can arrange to have him analyzed. Joe would never do something like that if he were in his right mind and if he isn't, then he wouldn't know it anyway, right?" he reasoned.
After giving the matter a little thought, Fenton nodded his head. "You're right," he agreed. "Having Joe in a hospital would be much better than having him in prison."
Three days later, Joe had finished the testing. His family had been forbidden to see him during the testing but now that it was over, they were waiting at the police station, anxious to hear the results. Laura went ahead to start the visit with Joe while Frank and Fenton went to meet with Dr. Albert Neaves, Felix and Chief Collig and find out about the outcome of the tests.
"Well?" Frank demanded, as soon as everyone had been introduced and seated in Chief Collig's office.
Dr. Neaves, a distinguished looking man with thinning black hair and blue eyes, looked at the file he had on his lap. "Joe is a bit disturbed, but I don't think I would label him insane," he began. "Joe does have issues that need to be worked out but those resolve more around guilt than anger."
"Guilt?" Ezra asked in surprise.
"I believe Joe feels responsible for the death of his previous girlfriend, Iola Morton. He feels it his fault the Morton's lost their daughter. Furthermore, he seems to have a self-destructive psychosis. He feels that he doesn't deserve to have good things happen to him," the doctor said.
"Could you explain that in simple English?" Collig asked.
"My conclusions are thus: Joe could not kill anyone for revenge of a wrong because he believes he deserves that wrong."
***
"Your father and brother will be here in a minute," Laura told Joe. "They went to talk to the doctor."
"Those tests were unnecessary," Joe said. "I am not crazy. I was not crazy. I didn't try to kill anyone. And I will not admit to doing so even via an insanity plea."
"But Joe, it's your best chance," she told him. "You have to do it this way."
"Why?" Joe demanded. "Do you believe I did it too?"
Laura looked down at her hands, unable to look at him. Joe saw all he needed to know. "I see," Joe said. "If my own family doesn't believe I'm innocent, what chance do I have with a group of strangers?"
"Joe," Laura looked up at him, tears in her eyes. "I love you. We all do. This is for the best."
"Yeah," Joe whispered, his eyes curiously devoid of emotion. "For the best." He stood up and hit a button on the door. A guard opened the door and escorted Joe out of the visitation room.
"Your dad and brother want to see you too," the guard told him.
"I don't want to see them," he said. "But I would like to see my lawyer."
Fifteen minutes later, after Frank and Fenton had been told of Joe's denial to see them, and had left, Joe was escorted into the interrogation room where his lawyer was waiting for him. "Joe," Felix said, standing as Joe came in and sat down. Chief Collig was also still present.
"I'll leave you two alone," Ezra said, turning to the door.
"No," Joe said before he could turn the knob. "Please stay."
"Joe, the doctor said..." Felix began.
"I don't care what the doctor said," Joe told them, his tone of voice remaining calm. "I want to change the way I plead."
"Wonderful," Felix said in relief. He had been prepared to argue the pros of the insanity plea and tell him why such a plea might work after his evaluation.
"I want to plead guilty," Joe said.
"Not good," Ezra admitted. "There was motive, opportunity and know-how. Joe hated him because of Vanessa dumping him. He was missing for several hours the night the car was messed with and he is a damn good mechanic."
"Wait a minute," Frank said, an idea coming to him. "Joe was home before eleven. If the car was messed with while Roger was at Vanessa's, he wouldn't have had time to fix the car and get home even if he had hitched a ride or something."
Collig shook his head sadly. "Roger and Vanessa went to her house as soon as they left the pizzeria and according to your friends, they left minutes after Joe did. He had plenty of time to get out there and fix Billings' brakes."
"Then Joe has to use the insanity plea," Frank said.
"He doesn't want to," Felix told him.
"I don't care what he wants," Frank said, scowling. "He's still a minor," he said, turning to his dad. "You can arrange to have him analyzed. Joe would never do something like that if he were in his right mind and if he isn't, then he wouldn't know it anyway, right?" he reasoned.
After giving the matter a little thought, Fenton nodded his head. "You're right," he agreed. "Having Joe in a hospital would be much better than having him in prison."
Three days later, Joe had finished the testing. His family had been forbidden to see him during the testing but now that it was over, they were waiting at the police station, anxious to hear the results. Laura went ahead to start the visit with Joe while Frank and Fenton went to meet with Dr. Albert Neaves, Felix and Chief Collig and find out about the outcome of the tests.
"Well?" Frank demanded, as soon as everyone had been introduced and seated in Chief Collig's office.
Dr. Neaves, a distinguished looking man with thinning black hair and blue eyes, looked at the file he had on his lap. "Joe is a bit disturbed, but I don't think I would label him insane," he began. "Joe does have issues that need to be worked out but those resolve more around guilt than anger."
"Guilt?" Ezra asked in surprise.
"I believe Joe feels responsible for the death of his previous girlfriend, Iola Morton. He feels it his fault the Morton's lost their daughter. Furthermore, he seems to have a self-destructive psychosis. He feels that he doesn't deserve to have good things happen to him," the doctor said.
"Could you explain that in simple English?" Collig asked.
"My conclusions are thus: Joe could not kill anyone for revenge of a wrong because he believes he deserves that wrong."
***
"Your father and brother will be here in a minute," Laura told Joe. "They went to talk to the doctor."
"Those tests were unnecessary," Joe said. "I am not crazy. I was not crazy. I didn't try to kill anyone. And I will not admit to doing so even via an insanity plea."
"But Joe, it's your best chance," she told him. "You have to do it this way."
"Why?" Joe demanded. "Do you believe I did it too?"
Laura looked down at her hands, unable to look at him. Joe saw all he needed to know. "I see," Joe said. "If my own family doesn't believe I'm innocent, what chance do I have with a group of strangers?"
"Joe," Laura looked up at him, tears in her eyes. "I love you. We all do. This is for the best."
"Yeah," Joe whispered, his eyes curiously devoid of emotion. "For the best." He stood up and hit a button on the door. A guard opened the door and escorted Joe out of the visitation room.
"Your dad and brother want to see you too," the guard told him.
"I don't want to see them," he said. "But I would like to see my lawyer."
Fifteen minutes later, after Frank and Fenton had been told of Joe's denial to see them, and had left, Joe was escorted into the interrogation room where his lawyer was waiting for him. "Joe," Felix said, standing as Joe came in and sat down. Chief Collig was also still present.
"I'll leave you two alone," Ezra said, turning to the door.
"No," Joe said before he could turn the knob. "Please stay."
"Joe, the doctor said..." Felix began.
"I don't care what the doctor said," Joe told them, his tone of voice remaining calm. "I want to change the way I plead."
"Wonderful," Felix said in relief. He had been prepared to argue the pros of the insanity plea and tell him why such a plea might work after his evaluation.
"I want to plead guilty," Joe said.