Page 116 of Precise Justice

“There’s a nice word,” Carvelli replied. “Good choice. Let’s try hypothetically, do any of these pieces look familiar?”

“Hypothetically,” Rudy said again then pushed the photos of the necklace and tennis bracelet at them.

“Assuming some kids, black kids, teenagers, came in with some of this, hypothetically, I’d have to wonder where they got them. Again, hypothetically, if I asked them, they might say they were hanging out by the Speedway gas station on Chatsworth and University. And hypothetically they might have seen someone drive through, toss something in a dumpster out back, then drive away in a hurry.”

“And hypothetically, did they get a look at this person, man, woman, white, black, tall, short anything? What about the car? Anything?” Carvelli asked.

“Nope. Sorry. Too dark, or I’m sure they would, hypothetically have said,” Rudy answered.

“Where’s the jewelry now and don’t give me any of this hypothetically bullshit,” Lucas said.

“I wouldn’t know anything about that. Except, I can honestly say it is not here,” Rudy replied.

Lucas continued to stare at him while Rudy looked back at him. Finally, Lucas asked Carvelli, “Anything else?”

“You know these hypothetical teenagers?” Carvelli asked.

“How could I? It’s all very hypothetical,” Rudy said. “And just between us, never saw them before or since, hypothetically.”

Outside, Carvelli asked Lucas, “You think he was telling the truth?”

“As he knows it. Three black kids found a necklace, the watch and the tennis bracelet and sold them for what they could get. Rudy stiffed them but it was still the best payday of their lives. It’s believable because three kids going to Minneapolis and hitting the right house? Not a chance,” Lucas said.

“But why does a burglar dump the stuff and what happened to the rest of it?”

“Too hot to unload because of the homicide. That’s murder one, life without parole,” Lucas said.

“Yeah, could be. Especially if the perp or perps were pros.

“Well, thanks, John. I’ll tell Carolyn you were very helpful. I have to go see Marc, now.”

FORTY-FOUR

Dear Diary:March 10

We had what Marc called an omnibus (whatever that means) hearing today. Marc asked the judge to throw out the evidence as, I’m not sure what this means either, too prejudicial and with little probative value. He said the search warrant they used on my dorm was not specific enough to allow them to use the diaries they took. And the hammer has no physical evidence that it is the correct hammer.

The judge ruled against us. He said the hammer comes in and the jury can decide if it is sufficient evidence. The diaries come in because the prosecution claimed they contained statements by me that were against my interest and showed motive because I hate the people who were murdered. Marc told me he was not surprised andexpected it. The judge set the trial date for Monday, May 2.

It is all starting to sound so real. I have been charged with 5 murders and I can’t remember if I did it or not. I mean, it sounds so crazy. I couldn’t do something like that, could I? It’s a bad dream and I hope I wake up soon.

Maddy was about as frustrated as she ever gets. Between the two doctors, the surgeon, Walter Miller and the shrink, Phillip Friedman, there were over three hundred complaints and threatening letters. Most of them were petty problems, especially for Dr. Miller. The number one complaint about him was the pain post-op patients had to deal with. His surgical nurse warned Maddy about that. According to her they expect zero pain.

What was amazing about the letters was how many people signed them. There were over forty who threatened physical harm, even death and signed their real names to them or sent emails with their name on it.

Maddy’s phone buzzed in her coat pocket it. It was Marc probably checking in.

“Hi,” she answered.

“How is it going?” Marc asked.

“It’s not. I’m just leaving one now. A woman over eighty who, get this, threatened to, ahem, the nice way of putting it is, castrate Dr. Miller.”

Marc laughed while asking, “What did she really say?”

“Cut off his balls and shove them down his throat,” Maddy answered.

When Marc finished laughing, he said, “We should have done what you suggested. Stick to the serious ones first. Are you in your car?”