Chapter 128: The end of hostilities

"Couldn't you at least let me shower before we do this?" I asked it of the patrol Captain from the Georgia State Police.

"I called your friend at the GBI and he said to get the prelems all done, while they are in route from Atlanta. I'm sorry I know you are uncomfortable."

"Yeah, I'm wearing about a pint of someone else's blood. I would say that makes me uncomfortable." I agreed. It was time for the truth, but I didn't want anyone telling it until the GBI was on scene. There were just too many details to trip us up. I had put the call in to Jen, she should be on her way down. In the meantime I told everyone to ask for food and water otherwise to say nothing.

I fully expected that we would all spend a night in jail. As Martin and I had both said before, it would make great TV. The Georgia State Police didn't want to book us, so we sat around the station's lobby waiting for the GBI. If I had been booked me, I could have at least gotten a shower. I rally needed to get the blood off, it was freaking me out.

They kept Martin, Mike, Gwen and me in seperate areas of the building. I knew it was to prevent story matching and manufacturing. The GBI blew in around midnight. It took them another hour to catch up, before they could begin to question us. They began with me for some reason known only to them.

"So Ms. Stone, what exactly happened?" Marshal asked.

"You know most of it, but sure why not do it all again. We were posing as a criminal gang to get information on The Atwood brothers. We did that for our client so that they could be prosecuted and finally something would stick to them. We were employed by a lawyer in Aster, I gave the State Police her name."

"Yes, I have that, so go on," Marshal said.

"We arranged the meeting through the local chief of police, who is on the Atwood brothers payroll." I said. I waited to see if Marshal would advise me that the Chief was dead. He didn't, so I went on. The chief decided to cooperate and gave us a complete breakdown of the Atwood operation as he knew it to be. I had Mike send the information to your office in Atlanta. Did you get it?" I asked.

"I did, go on please," he said.

"When I arrived at the ball field, I was not armed. I had instructed the chief to inform Blain to also be unarmed. However Martin, aka the Irishman had posted himself on top of the concession stand with a sniper rifle. His job was to make sure Blain didn't murder me. When Blain arrived he walked across the field to me and position himself so that I was between the concession stand and him. Martin had no shot. He also informed me that his brother Thomas had killed Martin. Thomas Atwood, according to Blain Atwood had sent him a text message, saying that it was safe to come to the meet. He also informed him that I was unprotected.

Blain forced me to walk to the pitcher's mound, which also kept me between him and the concession stand. It didn't seem to matter since we both thought Martin was dead. He forced me to take my clothes off. Once I was nude and shivering, he force me to perform oral sex on him. He also told me that he would kill me, when he was ready to orgasm. It sounded a lot like Ted Bundy to tell the truth. I knelt which gave Martin a clear shot, but Martin hadn't heard the conversation between Blain and me. He didn't know that I was in imminent danger until Blain raised the pistol. It was at that time that he had a reasonably clear shot. He also knew that I was in imminent life threatening danger, so he killed Blain Atwood. And I for one am damn glad he did."

"So it is your statement that both Thomas and Blain Atwood died at the hands of Martin, aka The Irishman, and that both were justifiable homicides?" Marshal asked.

"That is indeed my statement." I said.

"It is also your statement that there is audio and video recordings the verify your statement?" Marshal asked again.

"It is, except that we were not filming when Thomas tried to kill Martin with a knife, I'm told." I said.

"So you can't really say how Thomas died," Marshal asked.

"No, but it's what Martin told me, when he ran to see if I was alive. I think they call that excited utterance. It might not hold up as a legal statement, but I think any Jury will understand it."

"What do you know about the man killed at the house you rented?" he asked.

"Again Martin told me that Mike killed one man with a shotgun and a second man ran away. That is all I know. I have no idea who they were, except that Blain told me he had sent the cook and one of his friends to kill Mike and Gwen. I think his plan was to have us all disappear and the chief of police would say we just moved on."

"You went to that meeting unarmed. You must have a lot of faith in this Irishman fellow?"

"Yes I do and it seems to be well placed." I said seriously.

"So I guess you can go home and take a shower now. I'm going to interview your friends and then I will send them on along."

"I didn't drive to the meet, could I get a ride home?" I asked. Sure but I have to keep your pistol.

"Damn Marshal, you have more of my weapons than I do." I said angrily.