Chapter 5

Then again I am not a doctor. It has been my expierence that doctors do not expect anyone to question their actions. That seemed to the the case with Habib.

"Very well, if it is just a formality then come right over. I will be here most all afternoon. I am doing, as you say, paperwork." he said.

I drove the twenty miles to the neighboring town in half an hour. I found the hospital parking lot without any trouble. I was walking toward the building when my cell phone rang.

@@@ "Hello," I said after pushing about a half dozen keys.

"Mr. Barnes?" the voice asked.

"Yes," I answered.

"This is Sally Anne Russ. I spoke to mama and John Jr. They both agreed to meet with you. They wanted you to call their laywer before the meeting."

"No problem, give me his name and number." I demanded. I wasn't all that happy but I tried no to let it sneak into my voice. She reeled off a name and a phone number. I wrote it in my notebook. "I am in the middle of something right now Sally Ann. I will call him later on this afternoon." She agreed and rang off.

I found the morgue in the basement of the hospital. They always seemed to be in the basement. Habib's office was actually a desk surrounded by glass. I intoduced myself then began asking question. The first ones were harmless. I kind of got his medical background. It was the kind of questions I had heard in court many times. I didn't rush but finally had to begin the real questions.

"Doctor Habib, exactly what was it that made you change your mind about the knife wound to Mister Lester." I asked it without any sepcial emphasis.

He consulted his file before he answered. "It was pointed out to me that there could not have been a killer in the house. That it could not have happened as I assumed. I gave it some more thought and determined that it could have been self inflicted."

"As I understand in the original report, You said, "The angle of entry was downward. Suggesting a military style execution." What is it that made you think Lester stabbed himself. I mean what fact about the knifing was more consistant with self inflicted after you were told no one else was in the house."

He didn't much like that. "I just said that I thought it could have been self inflicted." he said shortly.

"No Doctor, what you said is that, "I am now of the opinion that John Lester committed suicide. I want to know and the D A is going to want to know, why you thought that three hours after the autopsy." I saw his look of surprise. "Yes doctor, there is going to be yet another investigation into this death." I looked but could tell he wasn't going to say anything else. "If I were you Doctor, I would tell someone the truth. It will look a lot better, than if I find out somewhere else."

I waited him out. I could see the wheels turning in his head. He went through several thoughts I could tell. He finally said, "I didn't do anything wrong. I didn't falsify reports or anything. I was just asked, if it could have been a self inflicted wound. I agreed that anything was possible. I was asked to write an ammendment to my report saying just that. I shouldn't have done it that way. The officer suggested that I write it as my opinion. I have to get along with these people. After all it could have been."

"What do you really think?" I asked.

"I don't know. It really could have gone either way."

"Thank you doctor. Now would you tell me who asked you to write that addendum."

He looked at me for a long time. I could see the question in his eye. He thought that someone else had already copped to it. "Why the chief of course. I would never have done it for anyone else."

I had him on tape. I could actually walk away from the sorry mess at that point. The only problem was that proof of a cover up didn't help me a damned bit. I needed to know if one of his family iced John Lester.

I called the police station from the parking lot. I spoke to the chief. "The cover up is beginning to unravel. I'll show you mine if you show me yours." I suggested.

"I got nothing to show. I doubt that you do either." she stated.

"Chief, I have a very interesting interview tape. I'll play it for you, if you tell me what is going on with the investigating officer."

"No deals. I'll get around to who ever you talked to soon enough." she said.

"Not before he get's his story lined up." I said. I was hoping I could convince her to cooperate.

"Let me think about it. Gvie me your number?" she demanded.

I read it off to her. We broke the connection immediately. I drove my car back to the motel. I planned to call the Lester's attourney from the motel phone. I was inside the city limits of southport when I was pulled over. I wasn't all that surprised. I am a lousy driver, also I figured some cop or other would want to talk to me.

"Sir," the forty pound over weight officer said, "Would you please step out of the car?" It sounds like a question, but I knew it was an order. I had one thing going for me. It was daylight and we were on a busy street.%%

I opened the door on the tiny Honda. "Sure, no problem." I waited for him to explain the stop. I had absolutely no intention of asking.

"Could I see your driver's license please?" he demanded.

I handed over my driver's license. He took a long look at it then said, "Would you get into my car please?"

"I don't think so officer." I looked at this name tag. "Officer Jefferson, I am conducting an investigation involving police conduct. I don't think I want to get into the car with a police officer under those circumstances."

He thought about it a minute, then said. "I guess you got a point Mr. Barnes. Tell you what, why don't you follow me to the Waffle House. I am about ready for a break. We can have a cup of coffee and talk."

I had to think about it, but not for long. "Sure but I am going to have to make a call on the way. I want to let my lawyer know where I am going to be," I informed him.

He actually laughted. "Don't trust cops much do you?"

"Used to be one." I answered.

"'nough said," he explained as he got into this car.

I followed the police car way out of town. He stopped at the chain breakfast restaurant on the highway. I let him enter first. I followed a moment or so later. The waitress was already at the booth. In her hand she carried two cups of coffee. I sat across from the policeman.

"Where were you a cop?" He asked.

"Atlanta." I answered. I kept it short. I still didn't know the reason for the conversation.

"You get that in the line?" he motioned with his coffee cup to my face.

"Accident," I said.

"Insurance work pay good?" he asked.

"Not nearly enough." I had finally tired of the talk. "So officer Jefferson, what exactly is it that I can do for you."

"Nothing for me. I would like to help a friend though." he said.

"Which friend are we talking about?" I asked.

"Adkins," he said simply.

"Does Adkins need help?" I asked.

"Depends," he admitted.

"On what?" I asked.

"Who you really are." he answered.

"I am who you think I am." It wouldn't hurt to be as mysterious as he was.

"I thing you are SBI or a fed." he said without a smile.

"Sorry, they don't hire the handicapped." I said with a smile. This one was a colder one than my 'make friends' smile.

"Why the hell would an insurance company care wether Ed fucked up or not?" he asked.

"They don't really give a hoot in hell about your friend. The company doesn't want it to get out that murder for the insurance money is acceptable. It might cause they claim rate to go up."

"What if the victim is an asshole. Somebody that needs killing." he said.

"If that is the case, the killer shouldn't file for the insurance. It is really bad form." I said.

"Got me there. It does look bad. Ed wasn't thinking about the insurance when he botched the investigation."

"I can believe that. Tell me why he did it." Jefferson didn't really make a move to talk. "Look you and I both know this conversation isn't going to wind up in court. If anything, I might have to use it to pry information from the chief. If you give me the information I need, nobody has to know."

He thought about it a minute, then said. "What if somebody told you Ed went to the house and listened to the witness stories. What if Ed concluded that the old man was doing his teenaged daughter. What if Ed decided, fuck it the old man needed killing. What would you say then." he asked.

"I would ask if Ed knew for sure the old was doing the girl. I would ask him how he knew. I would ask him, if he knew who did the old man and how he knew. If it wasn't one of the beneficiaries I would try to close this bitch and go home. I would have to be really convinced. I don't think Ed could do that." I said.

"If you guys take the heat off, this might go away." the cop replied.

"Why are the chief's nuts in a wringer?" I asked.

"Word is he made a couple of calls to help Ed." he said.

"He made the calls, but I'm not sure who it was to help." I said. The officer gave me a look of respect.

"I suppose you can prove that?" he said.

"Oh yeah," I said.

"What we got to do to get you to leave us alone?" he asked.

"Everybody tell me the truth, or kill me." I said looking hard at Jefferson.

"Then it's tell you the truth. I don't like Ed enough to go into the joint. I got one wife I don't need another named Leroy." he said. He wasn't laughing and neither was I.

I left him to pay for the coffee. I drove immediately to the motel. I had a fist full of messages. I began to return them. I started with the lawyer for the family Lester.

"We arranged for a meeting the next day. Everyone would be in his office. I found his plan to interview them all together unacceptable. He threatened to call the insurance commissioner. I suggested that he make the call, then call me back. It was a tug of war but we finally comprimised. He could hold the meeting in his office but I would speak to them one at a time.

The meetings were to begin at ten the next morning. I had no idea who would be first and I didn't care. I awoke in time for breakfast long before the meeting. When I returned to the motel to kill time till the meeting, I found a note on my door. I was to call Officer Adkins on his cell phone. He would come to see me.

I called and he came immediately. I opened the door for him. Adkins was a spit and polish cop. He had done a stint in the corp no doubt. He was probably a few years older than me, but in much better shape. I figured if push came to shove, her would kick my ass all over the room.

"What can I do for you officer?" I asked.

"Jeff told me we needed to be straight with each other. He told me you didn't come to hang me."

"I came to find out what happened to Lester. I have no interest in how the investigation was handled. As far as I am concerned your motives and actions are between you and god. I am not going to judge you, but I do need to know what you did and why you did it." It was as close to a speech as I ever came.

"You ask and I will answer." Adkins said.

"I know you had a reason to tell the Lester woman to clean up. Was it to distroy the evidence?"

"Man. you don't beat around the bush. Yeah, I told her to clean the place up. She explained the sleeping arrangements to me. I got the impression the old man was doing his daughter. I didn't care who did it. That is if anyone did. You know he really might have killed himself."@@@

"How many suicides you work where the guy used a knife. Not a very efficient way to do it." I suggested.

"Yeah, I know that now. If somebody had shot him, it would have been easier to sell."

"I would say. What made you think the old man was doin the kid?" I asked.

"I don't know, her sleepin' in his room I guess. I don't know what, but there must have been more. I just got the feeling that his wife knew what was going on." he informed me.

"Did you ask her?"

"She wouldn't have told me the truth. Naw, I didn't ask," he replied.

"Your report says there was a trail of blood from his room to the kitchen. Could you tell where in his room he got it?"

"Not in the bed. The blood began at the foot of his little girl's bed. Big puddle there, then a few drops to the kitchen where I found him layiing in a bigger puddle."

"Any blood on the girls bed?" I asked.

"Yeah, on the very foot of it. Looked to me like he was standing there when he did it."

"If he did it." I said. I wasn't about to let him off the hook that easy.

"Yeah, that too."

"How did the dog look?" I asked.

"He looked like he wanted to take my arm off. The old woman had to lock him in her room."

"Did you search the house?"

"Everywhere but in her room. That big mother dog was in that room."

"Any strange cars at the house?"

"The son was there when I arrived. Nobody else."

"You mean to tell me the kid was already there?" I asked.

"Yeah, the old lady called him before she called me."

"Do you know how long he had been there?" I asked.

"Not really," he replied.

"Did you check the hood of his car?" I asked unbelievingly.

"Like I told you, I didn't care. I figured the old man got less than he desirved." Adkins said.

"I guess that is all for now. If I think of anything else, I will call." I said standing. I wanted to let him know the interview was over.

"I did a stupid thing, I know that now. You think they will arrest me?" he asked.

"I don't know Ed. They won't on anything you told me. I would be carefull what I said and to who I said it. I personally have a lousy memory." I shook his hand as he stood.

"I don't suppose either the mother or son had any blood on them?" I asked as he walked out the door.

"None, I couldn't have ignored that." He said as he left the room.

I felt like Ed had told me most of the truth. If any of it had sounded like excuses then I might have doubted him. The things he told me could get his ass jailed. He did it because he hoped I would leave town sooner. The sooner I left, the sooner they could bury this whole incident.

"Hello," I said into the phone. I almost didn't answer, since I was going to be late for the meeting with the family.

"EJ, it's me Edna. How is it going down there?" she asked.

"I am headed out to a meeting with the family right this minute. It was pretty much like we thought. There is a coverup going on down here. They fired the chief yesterday. It's getting pretty wierd. I don't think it will take much to wrap this up. The covers are coming off as we speak."

"I have a feeling you need help." she said.

"I'm doing fine." I said.

"I'm not talking about an investigator. I think you need someone to help you with that mass of paperwork you are accumulating.

"What?" I asked.

"I am going to leave here in an hour. I will be at the motel late this afternoon. Reserve me a room." I waited and she didn't speak for a few minutes. "I know you can handle it but we are in a hurry on this one. Don't worry about my vacation. I can take another one later. Besides these guys don't need a car."

Edna broke the connection. I had no idea what the hell was going on. I assumed that her husband was listening as she spoke. I would be glad to see her if she kept her nose out of the investigation.

The attourny proved to be a jerk named Skip. He looked and acted exactly like his name implied. God what a dork. The first interview was with the brother John Jr. I waited till he was seated. I looked at him for a few seconds without asking a question. When he looked nervous enough, I asked. "John which teen aged girl was your dad screwing."

Skip jumped to his feet. "What the hell are you saying Mr. Barnes. If these are the kinds of question you intend to ask, then I suggest we end this interview right now. I know a bluff when I hear one."

I stood, packed my briefcase and started for the door. "You can always answer to the police. I understand they are going to reopen the investigation. I don't think they pay their informants as well as I do. I am, like any good citizen, going to turn over my interviews to them. That is if you refuse to answer my questions. Good day gentlemen." I made it all the way to the reception room.

"Mr. Barnes," Skip said. "Come on back in." When I got closer he whispered. "Please take it a little easier on John."

I whispered my answer. "The cops aren't going to. All this shit may come out. Everybody wants this to be swept under the rug. I agree. I just have to know." He nodded.

"John, let's try this again. I know you and your dad had a hell of a fight before he died. The fight was about his screwing a teenaged girl. Who was the girl?"

"My sister," he said bursting into tears. I waited till her recovered.

"Is that why you killed him?" I asked.

"I didn't kill him. Mama called me from the house. She told me she found daddy on the kitchen floor. I think the shame of what he did finally got too much for him."

"John, I don't think you should say any more," Skip advised him. As a matter of fact maybe this would be a good time to take a break.

"Skip, we just got started." I complained.

"Could I see you outside," he motioned me into the hall. "Look Mr. Barnes, I can't let you accuse my client of murder." he was angry.

"Okay, Skip. We can do it this way. I will ask the questions without any comment. I will take down what they all say then draw my own conclusions. They will probably be wrong since I won't be able to clerify the answers. I know you don't need to know the truth but I do. You pick it counselor."

"Just don't make accusations. If you don't think you have a truthful answer just go about it without accussing my clients."

"Skip old boy, one of your clients is guilty of murder. You and I both know it. Which one and why I don't know and I hope you don't."

"Is that some kind of threat?" he asked.

"Why, does it sound like one. I don't know about you, but I couldn't sleep knowing I was helping a murderer escape justice."

"Sure you could Barnes. You don't give a rats ass who did it. You just want to clear this so you can collect your fee.

"That was the case before you pissed me off Skip. Now I am going to find out. You know why?"

"No why?" he asked.

"Because they killed him for the money. I control the reason they killed him. One or all of them conned the cop into covering for them, but I am not going to be conned."

"I think the interviews with the family are finished." Skip said.

"Tell that to those money hungry assholes, and you will probably not be representing them any longer."

"I'm going to call the insurance commissioner. You can't come in here accusing people of murder. Not to save the company a couple of bucks."

"I thought you were smarter than that Skip. I, like you, am an officer of the court. If I find out a fact pertinent to a criminal investigation, I am required by law to report it. The commissoner knows Great Northern has to pay. They are simply trying to make sure they don't pay off to a murderer. If you call them complaining that I am investigating this homicide your people are going to look even more guilty. Get a grip." I said. I was disgusted with them all.

"Get the hell out of here." he demanded.

"I'm going to tell you something else. Just as long as I have your attention. I'm not sure that the old man was doing the daughter. I think they made that up for the tight assed cop. I think they planned it and then almost got away with it. I am also going to prove it asshole." I whispered. I didn't particularly want anyone overhearing our conversation.

"Get out," he shouted.

Since John could hear us, I shouted back. "You are going to make sure nobody gets paid except you, aren't you counselor." That I threw in just for fun. "Tell them to line up for the polygraph, or no one is ever going to see a dime of the insurance. The cover up is gone. We will not pay off till this case is closed."

I tried to run it back through my head during the drive to my motel. I had either screwed up the insurance company's reputation or put a large bee in everyone's bonnet. I wanted to wait for Edna before I got any farther into the hole. I would have except that John drove into the parking lot not long after me.

"Mr. Barnes, could I talk to you please?" he asked. "Skip is really my mother's lawyer and he is an ass."

Since we agreed on at least one thing I allowed him into the motel room. "I understand that just fine. John let me warn you right now, Skip has just about fucked this up so bad that I am going to have to go to the cops. I am at the point where I am going to let the chips fall where they may." I paused while he digested that much. "You probably can figure out by now that I have a lot more information than the cops. They are more concerned about the cover up than the murder. I can prove without a doubt that you and your father had a violent arguement.