David Baldacci: Hour Game

"And the crime he's accused of?" asked King.

"Burglary. There was a hidden cupboard in Remmy's closet where she kept jewelry, cash and other valuables. It was burglarized and the contents emptied. And there was also a secret cache in Bobby's closet that was broken into. About two hundred thousand dollars' worth, I understand, including, unfortunately, Remmy's wedding ring," said Harry. As he gazed through the file, he added, "And hell hath no fury like a woman shorn of her wedding ring."

"And they suspect Junior because he was doing work there?" asked Michelle.

"Well, a certain amount of evidence seems to pin him to the crime."

"Like what?" asked King.

Harry ticked the points off on his fingers. "The burglar accessed the house through a third-story window. The window was forced and a tool mark was left as well as a bit of metal from the tool that was matched to a crowbar owned by Junior. He also owns a ladder that would reach that window. In addition they found shards of glass in the cuffs of a pair of his pants. They can't definitively match the glass found to the window at the Battles', but it's similar. Both are tinted."

"You said he forced the window," said King. "Where'd the glass come from?"

"Part of the window broke when it was forced. I suppose the theory is, he got the shards when climbing through the opening. Next we have shoe prints found on the hardwood floor in Remmy's bedroom. They match a pair of boots found at Junior's. There was some building material found on the floor of Remmy's closet: drywall powder, cement, wood dust, the sort of thing Junior would have had on his shoes, considering the line of work he's in. There was also some soil found there that has been matched to the ground outside of Junior's home. Similar evidence was also found in Bobby's bedroom and closet."

"So they maintained separate sleeping quarters?" asked Michelle.

Harry raised a single thick eyebrow. "Knowledge that I'm sure Remmy would have preferred to keep private."

"Okay, that's all incriminating but still circumstantial," said King.

"Well, there's yet another piece of evidence. Or I suppose I should say two pieces. A glove print and a fingerprint that match Junior's."

"A glove print?" said Michelle.

"It was a leather glove," answered Harry, "and those have definitive lines and such just like a fingerprint, or so they tell me."

"But if he was wearing gloves, how did one of his prints show up?" asked King.

"Presumably, it had a hole in one of the fingers. And Junior owns such a glove."

King stared at Harry. "What's Junior's story?"

"Junior declares his innocence vigorously. He was working by himself until the early morning hours at a new house he's building for him and his family over in Albemarle County. He saw no one and no one saw him. So there goes any alibi. "

"When was the burglary discovered?" asked King.

"Remmy found it around five in the morning after she got home from the hospital. She was in her bedroom around eight the night before, and there were people in the house until around eleven or so. So the crime probably took place between, say, midnight and four."

"Clearly within the hours Junior says he was working alone on the house."

"And yet with all that," said Michelle, "you think he's innocent, don't you?"

Harry met her gaze. "I've represented people who were guilty before; that comes with the territory. As a judge I've seen the culpable go free and the innocent occasionally locked up, and I've usually been powerless to do anything about it. Now, with Junior my firm belief is that he didn't commit this crime for one simple reason: the poor fellow would no more know what to do with two hundred thousand dollars' worth of cash, bearer bonds and jewels than I would trying to row my way to an Olympic silver medal in women's fours and coxswain."

Michelle looked surprised because while in college she'd done that very thing.

"Yes, my dear," said Harry apologetically, "I researched you. I hope you don't mind." He patted her hand and continued. "Junior's being an incompetent thief is clearly established. Case in point: years ago he stole some truck batteries from a local auto repair shop, only he didn't bother to take them out of the bed of his truck when he went to that very same auto repair shop to have his truck worked on. That little blunder cost him six months in jail and demonstrates his lack of skill in the felony business."

"Well, maybe he's gotten better over the years," said King.

"He's doing the best he's ever done with his contracting business. His wife makes good money. They're building a new house in Albermarle. Why attempt a burglary at the Battles'?"

"Maybe with the new house they needed some extra cash. But if he didn't do it, someone is trying hard to implicate him. Why?" said King.

Harry was ready for that query. "He was working there, so he'd be suspected. The person could have gotten his tools, shoes, pants and gloves from the trailer home Junior and his family are living in now. It's in the middle of nowhere, and there's often no one there." He added, "Although the fingerprint is the most troubling. It would take an experienced person to forge that."

"What's his family like?" asked Michelle.

"Three children, the oldest around twelve. His wife is Lulu Oxley."

"Lulu Oxley?" repeated Michelle.

"She's the manager at a gentleman's club called the Aphrodisiac. Actually, she told me she now also owns a piece of the business."

"You're kidding," said Michelle. "The Aphrodisiac?"

"I've heard it's actually quite nice inside-you know, not just a sleazy bar with topless dancers." Harry added quickly, "Though I've never been there, of course."

"That's right," said King.

Michelle looked at him. "Please don't tell me you've been there."

He hesitated, looked uncomfortable and then said, "It was just one time. A bachelor's party for a friend."

"Uh-huh," said Michelle.

King sat forward. "Okay, maybe Junior didn't mastermind the thing, but what if someone else did? That person knew Junior had access to the Battles' mansion and enlists him to do it. The physical evidence is pretty damning, Harry."

Harry was not deterred. "There is evidence against him.. Too much, in fact!"

King didn't look convinced. "Okay, what do you want us to do?"

"Talk to Junior. Get his story. Visit the Battles."

"All right, suppose we check it all out and nothing pops?"

"Then I'll talk to Junior. If he still maintains his innocence, I really have no choice but to move forward. However, if the commonwealth offers a reasonable plea deal, well, I'll have to address it with Junior. He's been in jail before; he has no desire to return."

He handed King a file with all the particulars. They shook on it, and Harry turned to Michelle and took her hand. "And I have to say that finally meeting this charming young woman was well worth any price you might charge."

"You're going to make me blush, Harry."

"I'll take that as quite a compliment."

As they left Harry and walked outside, Michelle said, "I love that man."

"Good, because meeting him may be the only positive thing that comes out of this." His cell phone rang. A minute later he clicked off. "That was Todd. Let's go," he said.

"Where to?" asked Michelle.

"A real fun place called the morgue."

THE PALE BLUE 1969 VW PUTTERED down one of the feeder roads leading to downtown Wrightsburg. The man driving was dressed in jeans and a white button-down shirt with loafers on his feet. He also wore a baseball cap pulled low over his forehead, and heavily tinted sunglasses covered his eyes. It was probably overkill, he knew. Most people were so self-absorbed they couldn't describe anything about anyone they'd seen in passing ten seconds before.