Page 98 of Precise Justice

“Stand in front of the door, please, Bob,” Melissa said to the uniformed cop.

Ten minutes later, while Lucy was going through Cynthia’s closet, Melissa was on her knees at Robbie’s bedside.

“What have we here,” Melissa said. While wearing surgical gloves, Melissa removed the object she found between the mattress and box spring and held it up for Lucy.

“Holy, shit,” Lucy said. “That looks like a three inch straight claw hammer.”

“It does, indeed,” Melissa agreed. She lifted the mattress up exposing the box spring. Then she placed the hammer back where she found it.

“What are those?” Lucy asked then looked over Melissa’s shoulder.

“Four diaries,” Melissa said. “Robbie has been making a record of everything.”

“Can we take them? They’re not specified on the warrant?” Lucy asked.

“We’re taking them. Let the lawyers fight about it,” Melissa said.

“Inevitable discovery,” Bob said.

Lucy and Melissa looked up at the cop by the door and Lucy said, “Yes, that’s right. We legitimately found them. Thanks for the reminder, Bob. Be sure to put this in your report.”

There was someone pounding on the door and yelling to get in. Cynthia Powell.

“Anything else?” Melissa asked.

Lucy went to Cynthia’s bed, lifted the mattress and found nothing. Melissa took several photos of the hammer and diaries where they were on the box spring. There was a one foot ruler in Cynthia’s desk. Melissa laid it next to the claws on the hammer and took several photos to show the length of them.

Bob was writing down notes while saying, “Sixteen inch, steel, straight claw hammer, three inch claws with a rubber grip handle. Four diaries.”

“I guess we’re done,” Lucy said.

The two women placed the hammer in a plastic bag and each of the diaries in separate, identical plastic bags. They would mark them back at their office.

On the way out, Cynthia, and several other students had gathered by now, cursed them as being Gestapo Nazis. When they got outside, Bob took a shot at Melissa by asking her for a date. Melissa politely lied and told him she was in a serious relationship.

“How come they don’t hit on me?” Lucy asked when they were back in their car.

“Could be the wedding ring you wear so they won’t,” Melissa said.

“Yeah, I should probably take it off. It’s been two years since the divorce.”

THIRTY-EIGHT

After the three cops finished their search of the dorm room, Cynthia immediately tried calling Robbie. She did not answer so Cynthia left the first of several frantic messages. It wasn’t until the next morning, the end of a sleepless night for Cynthia, that Robbie called back.

“Where are you? I’ve been calling…” Cynthia started to say.

“I stayed at my Dad’s place. Why, what’s wrong?” Robbie replied.

“The cops were here last night. They had a search warrant and went through our room. Two women detectives and a guy in a uniform. What the hell, Robbie?”

“Did they find anything? Did they take anything? I don’t know what they could’ve been looking for,” Robbie said.

“They made me stay in the hall. They wouldn’t let me in. I called my dad and he called a lawyer. They came here but the cops had already left.

“The lawyer read the search warrant and said it looks to be in order. I don’t know. What the hell is going on, Robbie?”

“I’m not sure,” Robbie said.