Page 110 of The First Gentleman

CHAPTER 106

Rockingham County Courthouse, New Hampshire

I ’m late to court, but thanks to last night’s Court TV preview, I recognize the witness for the prosecution on the stand: Detective Herman Fleming.

Since I missed Bastinelli’s questioning, I’m not entirely sure how he’s connected to the case.

I’m about to find out.

Throughout the trial, I’ve been jotting down capsule descriptions of people I’ll need to describe in the book.

For Fleming, I scrawl, Brown hair, thick as a teenager’s but gray at the temples.

Brown suit.

I put down my pen and look up.

Herman Fleming is about to meet Tess Hardy.

“Good afternoon, Detective.”

“Good afternoon, Counselor.”

“So, to confirm what we heard in your testimony with Mr. Bastinelli, you were not part of the Suzanne Bonanno missing person investigation seventeen years ago, correct?”

“That’s right. I was a patrolman in Seabrook then.”

“And now you’re retired. No longer active in law enforcement.”

“Correct. I’m a contractor.”

“In your testimony with Mr. Bastinelli, you indicated that you did have knowledge of a jurisdictional dispute regarding the case at that time, true?”

“Yes. It was much discussed in local law enforcement circles.”

“What was the nature of that dispute?”

“The victim was in the process of moving between residences. She had legally changed her address from Seabrook, New Hampshire, to Boston, Massachusetts, but hadn’t physically moved. It wasn’t entirely clear where she officially lived. So Boston PD and Seabrook pushed the case back and forth until it was determined that the victim was still a resident of Seabrook. We ended up catching the case.”

“Sounds like a bit of a mess.”

“It was, yeah.”

“Now, Detective, you’re aware that most of the original case files are no longer available, is that right? Based on your knowledge and experience, can you offer an opinion as to where those files went?”

“Objection!” Bastinelli says.

“Calls for speculation.”

“Sustained,” says Dow.

Hardy smiles. “All right. Let’s take a different tack. Who was the lead detective once the jurisdiction finally got sorted out?”

“That would be Detective Isaac Collins, ma’am. Seabrook PD.”

“And where is Detective Collins now?”

“Deceased, ma’am.”

“Do you happen to know if Detective Collins interviewed my client, Cole Wright, in the days following Suzanne Bonanno’s disappearance?”

“He did, yes.”

“And how do you know that?”

“I was—I am —a big Patriots fan. So was Collins. Probably bigger than me. And Cole Wright was, you know, on the Pats back then, which was a huge deal. And so I asked Collins about him after the interview.”

“And what did Collins tell you?”

“Said Wright was pleasant, cooperative, friendly.”

“Did you and Detective Collins discuss the substance of the interview?”

“No. Collins was about to write up his report.”

“Did you ever read that report?”

“No, I did not.”

“And now that report is missing, along with all the other paperwork connected with the initial investigation apparently.”

“Objection!” Bastinelli calls out.

“Counsel is testifying.”

“Sustained,” says Dow.

“Ms. Hardy, please, ask the questions, don’t answer them.”

Hardy doesn’t even react to the scolding.

“Detective Fleming, did Cole Wright request a lawyer before talking to Detective Collins?”

“Objection, Your Honor!” Bastinelli is on his feet.

“Hearsay!”

Dow pauses for a second.

“Sustained.”

“All right, then, Detective. Let me ask you this: Based on your personal knowledge of the case, was Cole Wright detained after his interview?”

“No.”

“Was he arrested?”

“No.”

“Was he charged?”

“No.”

“And was he allowed to travel to the clinic in Los Angeles, California, for treatment for the knee injury he sustained while playing professional football?”

“Yes.”

“And what did Detective Collins personally say about Cole Wright with regard to this investigation?”

“Collins said he didn’t like him.”

I can see the jurors are confused.

But I’m not.

And neither is Hardy.

“Can you explain that, Detective?”

“Yeah. Okay. It’s like cop slang. When he said he didn’t like him, he meant he didn’t think he was a suspect. He thought he was clean.”

From Hardy’s smug expression, I know what’s coming next.

“No further questions.”