Steven Havill - Statute of Limitations

“Actually, what difference does it make where we stopped?” Todd said, a little petulance creeping into his voice. “We haven’t done anything wrong.”

“I don’t suppose it makes any difference at all,” Estelle said. “I’m just trying to form an accurate picture in my mind of what happened here tonight.”

Willis sat down on the bed beside Stacie, and her hand slipped over to intertwine with his.

“Deming has a good many motels and such,” Estelle said. “I was wondering if you had tried any of them.”

“We stopped at three places,” Willis said. “Two motels and one B and B sort of place.”

“Deming’s only an hour or so out of Cruces,” Gastner said.

“Well, yes, it is,” Willis agreed.

“And these places that you tried…they all refused you?” Estelle asked.

Willis didn’t answer, but shrugged evasively.

“That’s interesting,” Estelle said. She looked around the room again at the couple’s possessions. “You’re headed for Tucson?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“You have enough money for gas?”

“I think so.”

Estelle regarded Willis for a long moment, and he blushed as if correctly reading the skepticism in her gaze.

“I mean, we were planning on just driving to Tucson, right? It’s not that far. We weren’t planning to stop. But then Stacie got to feeling…well, uncomfortable, and we thought we’d try to find a place to stop, and continue on tomorrow.” He tried an engaging grin. “Got money for gas, or motel. Not both.”

“I see,” Estelle said. “Well, Mr. Patel is a most gracious person.” Her eyes roamed the room, taking in the neat travel bag, the leather camera case, and the cell phone that rested on top of Stacie Hart’s beaded handbag. Through the open bathroom door, she could see a spread of bath accoutrements, including a curling iron that was plugged in beside the mirror.

“Are you planning to pay your bill here when you check out? Is that the deal?”

The room fell silent, and Estelle let the silence hang.

“Look,” Willis said. He glanced nervously at his girlfriend. “We haven’t done anything wrong. We didn’t use a fake credit card, or skip out without paying. The manager offered this room, and we accepted. That’s all there is to it. I’m sorry about the old guy down the way, but there wasn’t anything I could do about that. I called 911, like we’re supposed to. And I’ve answered all your questions.”

“Mr. Willis,” Estelle said, “I’ll be happy to put you in touch with Traveler’s Aid if you’re having trouble.” She had a momentary thought about how nice it would be to put Todd Willis under bright lights for a half-hour or so, but other matters weighed more heavily.

“That’s not necessary,” Willis replied.

“I didn’t think it was, sir. And to tell the truth, at the moment I don’t really care about your room scam.” She saw his eyes narrow a little at her choice of words. “I assume that you at least implied that you couldn’t pay when you inquired about a room?”

“Has someone complained?”

“Your evasion makes me curious.”

“I’m not evading anything. I just don’t have to explain…” Willis’s protest faded.

“Mr. Patel just offered you a room at no charge? You didn’t have to ask?”

“Well, no. Look, we haven’t done anything wrong.”

“I suppose that out of the charity of his heart, he saw your fiancée’s condition and offered lodging. Is that it?”

Willis grimaced and fixed his attention on the bedspread.

“There would be no reason for anyone to offer a complimentary lodging otherwise…although it is the Christmas season. And you made certain that Miss Hart’s condition was noticed, since in both occasions, she accompanied you to the check-in desk. That certainly wasn’t necessary, was it…with it being so unpleasant out and her condition being so uncomfortable.” Estelle paused, watching the flush play up Todd Willis’s cheeks.

“So there appears to be some misrepresentation there,” Estelle continued. “But more important, you saw a man collapse, obviously hurt or ill. You never approached to check on the condition of the victim?”

“No…I already told you that I didn’t.”

“Yet you called 911 to report an unattended death. That’s what the dispatcher reported.”

“I…”

“And you said the victim was an old man.”

“Well, obviously he was. Anyone could see that.”

“Really. I wonder about that when you say you observed the incident from nearly the length of the motel, in poor light.”

“In the rain,” Gastner added.

Stacie Hart groaned and pushed herself up straighter on the bed. “Just tell them, Todd,” she said.

The young man weighed that suggestion for a moment and then shrugged. “Okay, okay,” he said. “I did go up there. I saw that the guy was lying all scrunched up, half on and half off the curb. When I got to him, I could see that his eyes were glassy, and he was unreactive when I spoke to him. It looked like maybe he had some froth on his lips, and I couldn’t find any pulse at his neck. I could see then that he was an older guy.”

“And the other two men were gone by this time?”

“Yes. They drove away before I actually started walking over that way. I couldn’t tell if they’d assaulted the older guy or not. I didn’t see any blood, but that doesn’t mean anything. They drove away in a hurry, though, after he collapsed. So I ran up there, saw that there was a problem, and called 911 on my cell.”

“And then you just left him there?”

“I didn’t want to move him. I mean, we’re not supposed to do that, right? I thought that I’d get a blanket from the room, but by the time I even thought to do that, I could hear a siren coming.” Willis took a step back and settled on the corner of the bed. “I just stayed out of the way.”

“Goddamn commendable,” Gastner said.

“Well…” Willis said, and gave up with a shrug.

“Why not just duck into the office and ask for a blanket? Or tell them to call the cops?” Gastner asked.

Willis looked skeptical. “Did you talk to the desk girl?”

“Yes.”

“Well, then you know why I didn’t try and explain to her. Miss Like Vague . Besides, I thought about doing that, but when I went by, her back was turned to the door and I could see that she was on the telephone.”

“At any time, did you see either of the two men strike the victim before they left?”

“No.”

“Did you see any contact between the three of them at all?” Estelle glanced at her watch.

“No,” Willis said. “But they were out of my view on more than one occasion. Something could have happened while I was inside this room, or when I was going back and forth to the van…any number of opportunities.”

“Did you see what direction they drove after leaving the parking lot?”

“No. They went around the end of the building, and I couldn’t see them after that.”

“What do you do for a living, Mr. Willis?” Estelle asked. She glanced again at the travel bag and camera case.

“I’m a…a writer.”

“Ah. You’re on assignment now?”

Willis hesitated just enough that Estelle sensed his uneasiness. “Yeah, I guess. Sort of.”

“Interesting. Mr. Willis, it may be necessary for us to talk to you again. Is there a number where we can reach you in the next day or two?”

“We’re going to visit Stacie’s family in Tucson. That was our plan, anyway.”

“Are you all right with that?” Estelle said, turning to the girl.

“I’m fine.”

“You’re sure?”

The girl nodded.