Chapter Ten: Needed: A New Suspect
The next morning Amanda quietly pushed open the hospital room door and peered inside. She was both pleased and relieved to see that Mark and Steve appeared to be sleeping. Normally, neither man was an ideal patient and asleep was about the only time either one was truly manageable. Jesse was near the window using the minimal light coming through the closed blinds to make notes on a chart. Looking up, he closed the chart and joined Amanda in the hallway. He smiled appreciatively when she handed him a tall Styrofoam cup of coffee from the lobby coffee shop.
"You're a lifesaver, Amanda. Thanks!"
"I thought you could probably use something better than what's in the doctor's lounge."
Jesse took a long, satisfying swallow. "Did you see C.J. and Dion last night?"
Once the ambulance carrying Steve and Mark had arrived at the hospital the night before, Amanda had left to go home. Although serious, their injuries hadn't appeared life threatening and she knew she was leaving them in Jesse's capable hands. She had been anxious to see C.J. and Dion and reassure them in person that Steve would be okay. Now that her sons were getting older, it was getting harder to shield them from the sometimes dangerous situations that Steve's job placed him in. C.J. and Dion loved him very much and Amanda knew they'd be devastated, as they all would, if something ever happened to him.
"They were already asleep, but I saw them this morning. I hated to have to tell them that Mark got hurt too, but they were thrilled to know they both were going to be okay and were already planning to come visit once Mark and Steve are feeling up to it. How'd it go last night? Were you able to get any sleep?"
"I managed to grab a few hours in the on call room. By the time they were settled in their room, it wasn't worth going home." Jesse sighed. "They're both incredibly lucky. Mark has a concussion that will probably keep him down a few days, but that will give his wrist a chance to heal. Thankfully, it's just sprained. The x-ray showed no sign of a break. I also noticed some bruising around one of his kidneys so I ordered some tests, but everything came back negative."
"What about Steve?"
"No sign of any internal bleeding for him either which is nothing short of a miracle considering the bruising on his abdomen. The lacerations on his back are infected and he's running a fever. That's the most worrisome thing right now. The antibiotics haven't taken affect yet and, if they don't in the next couple of hours, I'm going to order something stronger. He probably could've avoided this if he'd let us take him to the hospital right away."
"You know he was never going to leave that cabin without Mark."
"Yeah, I know." Running a hand through his hair, he continued, "We cleaned out the gunshot wounds in his leg and shoulder. His ankle was a mess. I don't think there's any permanent damage, but he'll probably have a few new scars to add to his collection."
What Jesse didn't have to say was that the scars would be both physical and emotional. They still didn't know the whole story of what had happened while Steve had been held in that tiny cabin, but they'd seen how he'd reacted when Mark had thrown the ankle tether against the wall. They were worried the emotional trauma he sustained would take far longer to heal than the physical trauma.
"Have you seen Cheryl?"
"Briefly, last night. I'm kinda surprised she hasn't been by yet this morning."
"What do you say we go pay her a visit? I was at Tucker's school yesterday asking a few questions. Can you get away for a couple of hours?"
"I think it would be okay. Mark and Steve are stable. They should be out of it for a while yet. If anything changes, the nurse can page me."
"I'm going to go in and see them and leave these notes from C.J. and Dion. Why don't you grab a quick shower, and I'll see you in the ER in half an hour?"
Jesse handed her the charts. "Twenty minutes," he threw over his shoulder already headed for the stairs.
Sloans' Deck
Cheryl grimaced as she bent down to pick up the scattered papers on the conference room floor. Throwing the Rico Alonso case file in a fit of frustration had been immature, but it certainly had made her feel better. Fortunately, no one had been around to see her momentary descent into childish behavior. Cheryl rubbed the back of her neck where a dull ache had persisted for the past two days. I'm really overdue for some time off, she thought. When Sloan is back on his feet, I'm putting in for a lengthy vacation. I don't even care where I go. Just as long as I'm far away from crime scenes, autopsy reports, cell phones and email. And policy be damned, I'm not leaving a contact number. If they want to find me, they'll have to put out an APB. Maybe I'll even rent a car to make it harder for them.
Before his foray into the woods after Steve, Doctor Sloan had pretty much established reasonable doubt in the case against Tucker Baxter. Cheryl knew she couldn't go to the Assistant District Attorney with that news. She'd already made the mistake of approaching Captain Newman. He'd almost blown a gasket when she'd mentioned the possibility of Tucker's innocence. The ADA wouldn't be any happier than Captain Newman to hear that his supposed slam-dunk case was now in jeopardy. He'd also be expecting her to have some new information that would restore the case to one he could take into court and win. Since she was sorely lacking in that area, Cheryl wasn't about to incur the wrath of the ADA too. She had no desire to return to uniform which is where she was sure she'd end up if she didn't tread carefully.
"It was so easy when we thought Tucker was the murderer," she muttered to herself. "Should've known it was too easy."
It was unfortunate Doctor Sloan couldn't have provided her with another suspect to investigate. Even a small piece of good news probably would've placated Captain Newman. Sure, leave me to put all the pieces together by myself, Cheryl thought then sighed tiredly. She rested her head on the table for a moment. Normally she wasn't this pessimistic about a case but sleep deprivation and stress were making her act and think out of character. It wasn't that she was mad at Steve's dad for establishing doubt. Cheryl knew nothing would be gained by sending an innocent person to jail. She was just tired of staring at the case file and not making any progress.
Closing the reorganized file, Cheryl decided to take a break and go to the hospital. Other than a hurried conversation with Jesse the night before, she hadn't heard any news about Steve and his dad. She'd asked the doctor to call her if anything changed, but her phone had been silent through the long night so she assumed their recoveries were progressing without complications.
Wearily, Cheryl got to her feet. Maybe a spa, she thought, her mind drifting back to her much needed vacation. I could start with a facial and work my way to a full body massage. That would feel great about now. Opening the conference room door, she pulled up short as she came face to face with Jesse who had his hand poised in midair ready to knock. Amanda was right behind him.
"Did we catch you at a bad time?" Jesse asked.
"Actually, I was just on my way to the hospital, but that can wait a few minutes. How are Steve and Doctor Sloan?"
Jesse briefly described their injuries. "I'm keeping Steve mildly sedated to give his body a chance to start recovering."
"Guess I won't be getting their statements for a while yet." Cheryl cast an appraising look at the doctors. "Although I appreciate it, I doubt you came all the way down here just to give me a medical update."
"We wanted to know if you'd made any progress on the Rico Alonso case."
"That seems to be the only topic on everybody's mind this morning."
Noting the signs of exhaustion on Cheryl's face and the tension in her neck and shoulders, Amanda said, "I suppose everyone is anxious for a resolution."
Cheryl nodded. "Nobody more than me. Come on, I need to get out of here. We can talk at that little outdoor bakery up the street."
Ten minutes later the threesome was seated around a small table coffee cups in front of them. Jesse and Amanda sat silently sensing Cheryl needed a few moments to collect her thoughts. They were anxious to question her about the case but recognized the strain she was under. They had seen a similar look on Steve's face dozens of times when a tough case had him frustrated. Impulsively, Amanda reached out to grasp Cheryl's hand.
"How are you doing?" she asked, gently.
Cheryl glanced up surprised by the question. She gave the doctor a weak smile. "I've been better," she admitted. "I just feel like all I've been doing is beating my head against the wall."
"Maybe it would help to talk about what you've found out so far," Jesse suggested. "Steve doesn't like to admit it, but sometimes it helps him get a fresh perspective if he talks to us."
"I certainly could use a fresh perspective. The file is blurring in front of my eyes. I made matters worse by telling Captain Newman about Doctor Sloan's theory."
"He didn't take the news very well?"
"That's an understatement. Personally, I think that's why Captain Newman was so adamant about him not being at the meeting with the Forest Service yesterday. Little did he know, though, that Doctor Sloan would still end up being the one to find Steve."
"Captain Newman should know by now not to underestimate Mark for a minute," Jesse said. "When it comes to Steve, he has some sort of sixth sense."
"Well thank goodness he does or we still might be trying to find Steve," Amanda said, pushing her cup aside. "Let's start with our victim. What do we know about Rico Alonso?"
"He was a bully who got his kicks tormenting Tucker although he wasn't Rico's only target. I guess just his favorite since he knew he could count on Tucker to react. Rico and his groupies seemed to stay away from the more popular kids preferring to focus on the geeks and slower students."
"What kind of student was he?"
"Average, B's and C's mostly. His counselor said he could've been a better student if he'd applied himself to his studies with the same dedication he had for harassing the other students."
"What about his gang? Any problems, disagreements there?"
"Steve and I interviewed all of Rico's friends after the murder as a matter of routine. There weren't any red flags to indicate trouble within the group."
"So nobody wanted to get rid of Rico to be the head tormentor?"
"Their group isn't a gang in the true sense with officers and a hierarchy. It was just a group of teenage boys who looked up to and followed the lead of one individual. Steve predicted the harassment at the school would decrease with Rico dead because their leader was gone. I guess I'll have to go back to the school and talk to them again, see if they remember anything else."
"So we can pretty much rule out a power struggle as a motive. The usual motives for murder are power, money, greed, love, jealousy, revenge. I think we can rule out money and greed too."
"Revenge is obvious. Tucker was tired of being bullied by Rico and his friends."
"Sounds good, but remember you and Doctor Sloan discovered that Tucker could've wiped the blood on himself because it was smeared rather than splattered. And fingerprint analysis of the hammer indicates Tucker's prints were the only ones on the murder weapon. A dozen or more students had access to and used that hammer every day. Why wipe off all those extra prints just to end up leaving yours on it?"
"You wouldn't. If you were leaving the murder weapon behind, you'd be sure to either leave all the prints on it to make it harder for the cops or wipe it completely clean."
"Unless Tucker didn't have a chance to wipe it off before he was discovered."
"Amanda, are you trying to prove Tucker guilty or innocent?" Jesse complained.
"No, no, that's okay," Cheryl said. "We have to consider every possibility, but with the extra prints wiped off, I'm beginning to think somebody planned the murder. They purposely picked up that hammer to kill Rico and wiped it clean. Tucker just happened to be the poor schmuck who stumbled across the body and, being the dimwit he is, picked up the murder weapon putting his prints on it." Cheryl reached into her pocket and pulled out a small packet. Ripping it open, she shook the two extra strength pain relievers it contained into her hand and washed them down with the last swallow of her cold coffee. "And don't forget we have a sighting of the Baxter jalopy on the school campus the day of the murder," she finished.
"If we continue to follow Mark's theory, then Tucker is trying to protect someone."
"But who?"
"Donald and Cletus are the obvious choices, but Donald was at work. I checked, remember?"
"What about a girlfriend?" Jesse asked.
"Tucker didn't have one that we know of."
"Ahh, but he did," Amanda said. "That's what I wanted to tell you. When I was at the school yesterday, I was in the girls' restroom. It can be a wonderful source of information especially if people don't think anyone will overhear them. The murder and Tucker's arrest still seem to be hot topics of conversation. Apparently another girl, Sandy, was pretty upset about Tucker's arrest. Even missed a couple of days of school after the murder because of some mystery illness. After a few more discreet inquiries, I learned that this Sandy and Tucker had been seen together a lot in the weeks leading up to the murder, but it was only at school. They never went anywhere else together."
"Did you find out why?"
"It seems Tucker told Sandy that Grandpa didn't approve of his having a girlfriend."
"Hmmm." Cheryl mulled over the new information. "It's all interesting, but what would be her motive for killing Rico? I'd think her likely target would've been Grandpa so she and Tucker could go public."
"Maybe she and Rico used to date and he broke it off. Maybe Rico bullied her too and she got tired of it. Maybe - "
"Whoa!" Amanda interrupted Jesse before he could get too carried away. "Those are all possibilities, but I still think if Tucker is protecting anyone it's Cletus. He knew Rico was bullying his grandson. He'd want to protect Tucker and has a long history of violence."
"I almost hope Cletus is our murderer. As far as I'm concerned, a judge won't be able to punish him enough for what he put Steve through." Cheryl heaved her empty cup into a nearby trash bin. "Steve should've finished the old bastard off."
Jesse and Amanda were stunned by Cheryl's harsh tone. They'd never heard the detective speak like that before. "What are you talking about?" asked Jesse.
"You mean you don't know?"
"Know what?" Amanda asked, impatiently.
"Steve is the reason Cletus is in the hospital. I took Donald's statement last night while his father was in surgery. He told me that when he and Doctor Sloan got to the clearing, they found Steve pummeling Cletus. Doctor Sloan had to pull Steve off of him. Donald thinks if they'd gotten there even a couple of minutes later that Steve would've beaten Cletus to death."
Sloans' Deck
Amanda and Jesse were still reeling from Cheryl's revelation an hour later as they stood silently in Cletus' room waiting for the detective to begin questioning the hospitalized man. After returning to Community General, they had reviewed Cletus' chart only then learning the true extent of his injuries when he'd been admitted the night before. Amanda was more concerned than ever for the mental health of her dear friend. As a police officer, Steve had been forced to shoot and kill before. The experience always left him shaken, but he'd been able to come to terms with it by recognizing it was sometimes a necessary part of his job. Amanda had never known Steve to use such extreme force before. She wondered again at what horrors had taken place during those few days that would've driven Steve to beat an unarmed man nearly to death.
"Do you think Steve will get in trouble for beating Cletus?" Amanda whispered to Jesse.
Jesse frowned. He hadn't considered that possibility. He'd been too busy considering the emotional ramifications his friend might suffer when confronted with the consequences of his actions. Never mind that Cletus was expected to make a full recovery. Steve had sworn to protect human life and he took that oath very seriously. He was not the type of man who engaged in gratuitous violence.
"I don't know," he whispered back. "He was acting in self-defense."
"Do you understand these rights as I've explained them to you?" Cheryl's voice reminded them why they were in the room.
"Sure. Where's my boy?"
"Donald's already been arrested and taken to county lock-up which is where you'll be going as soon as your doctor says you're well enough to be moved." Cheryl's voice was cold.
"Will we git to see Tuck?"
"That's not for me to decide. It'll be up to the judge." Cheryl opened her small notebook and took her pen from her pocket. "Tell me, did you know Rico Alonso?"
"Nope."
"But you knew who he was?"
"Damn straight, I did. Him and Tuck was always gittin' into it at school. Him and his so called friends was always pickin' on Tuck."
"Did you know Tucker threatened Rico?"
"Got hisself 'spended 'cuz of it." Cletus almost sounded proud. "Tuck was jist stickin' up for hisself."
"Did you know Tucker had a girlfriend?"
"Damn fool boy."
"I'll take that as a yes."
"Sure I knew. Tried to talk 'im outta it too. Them teachers thought Tuck needed some extra help with his studies so she was helpin' 'im after school. Then she started fillin' his head with all these fancy ideas about college." Cletus snorted. "That's for them prissy boys. His pa and me are managin' to scratch out a decent livin' and I 'spect 'im to do the same."
Amanda and Jesse exchanged a glance. If Tucker didn't get away from Cletus' influence, the cycle of violence and poverty would continue into the next generation. They just hoped it wasn't too late for him already.
"I tol' Tuck to stop listenin' to that gal. Women, they jist talk too much and don't make no sense most the time. The best kinda woman knows when to shut her yap and how to satisfy a man's needs. Ain't I right, boy?" Cletus asked Jesse, leering first at Amanda then Cheryl. "No good ever come from bringin' a woman in yer house 'cept for her birthin' babies."
With effort, Cheryl ignored his derogatory comments toward women. "Were you at South Gate Senior High School the day Rico was murdered?"
"I was lookin' for Tuck."
"Why?"
"'Cuz I was still tryin' to talk 'im outta havin' a girlfriend."
"Did you see Tucker that day?"
"Nope, never found 'im."
"And if I ask Tucker if he saw you at school the day of the murder he'll say the same thing? That he never saw you?"
"Yep."
After a few more questions it became apparent Cheryl would get nothing more from the cantankerous old man. Flipping her notebook shut, she walked around to the other side of the bed. Without a word, she picked up Cletus' arm and snapped one end of a pair of handcuffs around his wrist. She attached the other end to the metal bed rail with a satisfying click. Cletus howled in outrage.
"What you done do that fer?"
"I didn't want you getting any ideas that you might be able to slip out of here. Just so you know, there's a police officer standing outside your door. If you so much as breathe wrong, he's got orders to shoot first and ask questions later. I'll be back when you're ready to be moved to jail."
Cheryl stalked from the room. Jesse and Amanda hurried down the hall to catch up with her. She finally slowed her paced as she neared a visitor's waiting room. Seeing that it was empty, she went inside.
"What a disgusting man!" Cheryl burst out, clenching and unclenching her fists. "I just wanted to- " she stopped and took a deep breath. "Forget it, he's not worth wasting my breath on."
"Cheryl, I'm sorry, but I just have to ask. What you said earlier, about wishing Steve had finished Cletus off. Did you really mean that?"
The detective studied the carpet for a long, silent moment. "No," she said, finally. "That comment was out of line. Steve would hate that I said it. He's an honorable man and for him to act like he did is so out of character." Cheryl looked up at the doctors. "I'd appreciate it if we could keep my outburst just between the three of us."
"Of course. Jesse and I know you've been under a great deal of stress with the case and Steve being kidnapped. I'm amazed you're still functioning. We can forget your momentary lapse of judgment."
"Thank you. I don't know how Doctor Sloan treated that man while they were waiting for the helicopter to arrive. It must've taken a lot out of him."
"Speaking of Mark, I'd better go check on him and Steve. It seems like Mark should be starting to come around pretty soon. I don't want him to wake up alone if I can help it."
"My shift starts in 10 minutes," Amanda said, "or I'd come with you. Call me if you need anything, okay?"
"And I should be getting back to the precinct," Cheryl added. "After a quick report to Captain Newman, I'm going to head back to the school and re-interview Rico's friends. And I'll have to find this Sandy and see what she has to say."
"Good luck with Captain Newman."
"Facing him will be a walk in the park after listening to Cletus Baxter." Cheryl made a face. "I almost feel like I need a shower after talking to him."
"If there's anything else we can do, let us know."
"You've been a great help." Cheryl smiled at the doctors. "Now I know why Steve considers you an important part of his team."
Sloans' Deck
Jesse stepped off the elevator and walked down the hall toward the room Mark and Steve shared. As he rounded the corner, he could see the drug cart parked outside their door. Jesse called out a greeting to the nurse who was measuring out doses of medication for the patients on the floor.
"Oh Doctor Travis, I was just about to page you," he said.
"Is something wrong?"
"No, I think Doctor Sloan is starting to wake up. I thought you'd want to be here."
"What about Lieutenant Sloan?"
"His vitals are stable. He's still running a fever, but it has dropped a degree in the last hour. I think the antibiotics have kicked in now."
Jesse was pleased. Accepting the charts the nurse handed him, he entered the room taking a moment to let his eyes adjust to the dim light. A quick check of Steve's monitors confirmed what the nurse had told him. He was readjusting the drip on Steve's IV line when a soft moan from Mark's direction had him turning to the other bed.
"Mark?" Eyes flickered but did not open. "Mark, open your eyes for me."
With agonizing slowness, Mark's eyes drifted open. They closed again briefly before reopening and settling on Jesse. "Hey, it's good to see you awake," Jesse teased, softly.
"Wha - what - " Mark's throat was dry and his voice was hoarse.
"Wait a minute. Let me get you some water." Jesse poured a small amount of water in the plastic cup and held it steady while Mark took a few sips through the straw. "Better?" he asked when Mark had finished.
Mark nodded then winced as the motion intensified the throbbing in his head. Shifting slightly so he could get a better look at his surroundings, the movement reawakened all the aches and pains the falling rocks from Cletus' booby trap had caused.
"What - I don't remember - "
"That's not surprising. You took quite a knock to the head."
"How long have I been out?"
"Just overnight, about 12 or 13 hours. What's the last thing you remember?"
"Steve? Did - did I dream it? That we found him?"
"Nope, that wasn't a dream. He's right here, in the next bed." Jesse pointed to the other bed and its sleeping occupant.
Despite the pain it caused, Mark turned his head needing to assure himself that what Jesse said was true. He propped himself up on a shaky elbow drinking in the sight of his son and wishing he had the strength to go to him and touch him. Steve had a bandage on his shoulder and leg and his swollen and abraded ankle was elevated but to Mark he had never looked better. After wondering if he would ever see his son again, he could've looked at him forever but weakness forced him back against the pillows.
"Is he going to be okay?"
"He wasn't quite as bad off as Humpty Dumpty, but we managed to put him back together again. Everything should heal with time."
"Has he been awake?"
"I've been giving him a very mild sedative just to make sure he stays asleep long enough for his body to start healing. I'll stop it now and the next time you wake up he should be awake too. You know if I didn't take that precaution, he'd be sitting at your bedside which wouldn't do either one of you any good."
Mark smiled faintly recognizing the truth of Jesse's words. As he allowed himself to relax, memories of their ordeal began flickering through his brain like one of his old home movies. One particularly nasty scene made him gasp and his eyes flew open again.
"Mark?" Jesse questioned, concerned by the behavior.
"Jesse, Steve - he did something - he hurt - "
"Shh, Mark, I know. We know what happened." Jesse hastened to set his friend's mind at ease. "He's going to need you in the next few days so you have to get some rest so you can be there for him."
"He'll need all of us."
"And we'll be here," Jesse promised. "Amanda and I will do whatever we can to help him through this."
Reassured Steve would not be alone, Mark settled more comfortably against the pillows. Drowsiness began to come over him, and he suspected it had something to do with whatever it was that Jesse had injected into his IV line. Deciding it was worth the pain, Mark turned his head for one more look at his son. He was comforted by the fact that the last thing he saw before drifting back to sleep was Steve sleeping peacefully in the bed next to him.
