Free Bird
Chapter 29
by Bridgid
Days passed but Bud made no headway in finding the evidence to prove
Lonnie's innocence. He'd read the incident reports, questioned the woman with
the little girl and he grilled the responding officers to see if they'd left
anything out. There had to be something blaring, ready to bite him on the ass
but he couldn't find it. Lonnie didn't remember seeing McHale there and neither
did the other witness. The next obvious move was to return to the scene of the
crime and he took Lonnie with him.
"I want you to retrace your steps. Don't leave anything out. Got it?"
"Got it."
She did what he asked, told him about the pack of smokes and how she was
watching the woman with the stroller. She led him to the spot where she'd seen
the perp and started her pursuit.
"I called to him from right about here and he stopped taking pictures. I just
instinctively ran after him. I lost sight of him but I could hear him in the
woods for a bit. When I came out into the clearing he was gone."
"You cut your face pursuing him, right?"
"Yeah. When I lost him, I went back to check on the woman with the little girl
but she was already talking to two uniforms so I went home."
"The body was found in that patch of thick at the other side of the field but
there was a blood trail from the trees."
"I didn't go that far," she stated. "Bud, where is the victim's cell phone?
That's what he was using for a camera."
Bud flipped through the report. He checked the list of the victim's personal
property. "It's logged with his belongings. Why the fuck didn't you tell me this
before. Baby, I gotta take you home. You can't go down there with me but I
promise I'll call you if I find anything."
"I thought, I mean, I figured someone would have checked it." She understood why
she couldn't go. Being suspended meant she wouldn't be allowed anywhere near the
evidence room and aside from that she was feeling tired. Morning sickness was
plaguing her regularly over the past week on a daily basis. Though she tried to
hide it, Bud saw it. He could tell she was suffering and he'd be sure to mention
it to the doctor at her next appointment.
Lonnie was quiet and queasy on the ride back to the house. She trusted he'd
solve this case but there was still a "what if?" in the back of her head. Maybe
this wasn't the right time to ask him but her mouth worked quicker than her
mind.
"Bud, what if I do end up having to go to prison? Will you take our baby?"
What the hell did he know about babies? The dilemma delayed his answer for some
time but this was his kid, his flesh and blood. How could he let it end up in
foster care? No one knew the hell of that as well as he did. Somehow someway
he'd make sure it never happened. Aside from that he had to lift the worry from
her. He answered with a nod. "Dunno anything bout kids Lon, but you ain't going
to prison. I promise you that."
He got her home and she made a bee line for the can then she planted herself on
the sofa. He didn't really want to leave her alone but evidence doesn't always
remain intact in the property room. He called and left a message for Thomas to
check on her.
Walking into the evidence room was like entering a garage sale. Everything from
a sliding glass door, tires, and boxes of candy, narcotics and firearms to nuts
were cataloged, tagged and stored for reasons ranging from court evidence to
unclaimed property. Bud went through the doors and passed right by the man at
the desk.
"Hey, Detective. You need to sign in."
He stopped, turned around and scribbled his last name on the log.
"What're you looking for? Maybe I could help you find it," the attendant asked.
"I'll handle it." Without a further word he made his way back into the room to
find the items cataloged on the police report. Aisles of aluminum shelves were
filled with everything imaginable. In typical fashion, nothing was in any kind
of order and it was frustrating to try to locate the small box of belongings
that were on the dead man but Bud managed. He brought the box down to the floor
and emptied it one item at a time. A plastic bag containing his blood stained
clothes, another with a wallet and keys and the third one with the cell phone.
According to the report the only thing that was checked on the cell phone were
the numbers stored and dialed.
Bud didn't break the seals on the bags. He placed everything back into the box
and carried it up to the desk.
"Hey, pal. I need to know if Detective Gruber is on duty." He set the box on the
desk as he spoke to the attendant.
The officer checked the log and shook his head. "He's on at 1500 hours."
Bud looked at his watch. Fucking two and a half hours to go. "You got a contact
number for him?"
"Yeah. It's right here."
"Lemme use your phone." Bud turned the phone on the desk around and dialed the
number off the roster.
"Gruber, it's White I need a favor."
"What kind of favor?"
"I need you to come down to the evidence room right now, pal. I found something
missing from your report on the park homicide."
"Fuck me, White. You were on that scene. What the fuck is up?" He knew Bud was
removed from the case after Lonnie was charged and it made him wonder what the
hell was going on. He knew Bud couldn't unseal the evidence and keep it viable
for court.
"Like I said, it's a favor. There's a camera in this cell phone and I don't see
anything on the log about pictures. Both of us will have our balls in a sling
over this if we don't straighten it out. The fucker was taking pictures of a
kid."
"I thought he had a regular camera. We combed the scene for it. That's what the
witness said. I didn't notice no camera on the phone. How the fuck did we miss
it?"
"I missed it too, Gruber. Listen, Lonnie ... Detective Brannigan didn't pull
this one. I'm doing this on my own time but I got a break in the case. You know
I can't ..."
"Yeah, White. Sit tight. I'll be right there."
It's not like he was going to make small talk with the guy behind the desk. Bud
sat his ass down in a chair in the corner and waited. There's no way he'd fuck
this up, he had to dot all of the Is and cross all of the Ts. It took Gruber
forty five minutes to arrive and by then Bud's fingers were itching.
"Took you long enough!" Bud growled as Gruber came through the door.
"Shut up, White. I'm doing you a favor here."
Gruber signed in before he dug into the box. He pulled the cell phone out and
unsealed the bag. "This don't look like no camera phone to me." He turned it
every which way but loose then he was offered an interesting surprise. As one of
his thick fingers depressed a button on the side of the phone a flash went off
right in his face.
"Hey, that's one of those Rothco hidden camera phones," the guy behind the desk
spoke up. "I've been reading about them. You better be careful, Detective. I
understand they come with a stun gun built in too."
Gruber held the thing flat on his hand and turned to Bud.
"Don't point that fucking thing at me. How the hell do we get the pictures out
of it?"
Gruber shrugged. "Why don't we ask the whiz kind here?"
"You finger printed it already right?" the attendant asked.
Gruber scowled at him. "Yeah, we're not that lame. You know how to use this?"
The kid took the phone and pushed a button on the bottom of it. He jokingly made
a buzzing sound then laughed. "Gotcha!"
Bud cleared his throat and uttered the word "Asshole" before nudging his head to
urge the kid on. He plugged a USB cable into the laptop on his desk then
attached the phone to it. In no time dozens of thumbnails appeared on the
screen.
"Hey, there's some video on this. Look." He pointed to a particular thumbnail.
Fixing the mouse pointer on it he brought it up. It was a short video of the
little girl on the swing.
"Sick fuck," the kid huffed.
"Never mind that. Is there anything after it?" Bud asked
"Yes, there are more pictures and another video."
Gruber moved the kid aside and clicked on the next thumbnail. It was a longer
video but parts of it were distorted as if the owner of the phone were running
and stumbling."
"Slow it down, play it again," Bud asked as he leaned on the desk for a better
look.
Gruber replayed it frame by frame until Bud ordered, "Stop there, go back."
He went back a few frames and played through it again. There it was, clear as a
bell, McHale in a sideways shot that showed him brandishing a big fucking knife.
"Jesus Christ, White. We've got to get this to the DA's office."
"Now," Bud replied. He called Lonnie while they were on their way to the office
to present the evidence and he followed that with a call to Addley who would
meet them there to request the case be dismissed. It would take a few hours to
get it all sorted. The prosecuting attorney had to be notified and had to be in
attendance when the video was shown.
"This doesn't prove anything," the prosecutor shook her head.
Addly put a hand up to Bud because he knew the man would not refrain from
arguing.
"It most certainly does. McHale had the motive, a history of threats with this
victim and now we can positively place him on the scene. Madam prosecutor, I can
assure you that if you don't drop this case and you chose to bring it to trial
it will show up as a loss on your record. Isn't it better to throw in the towel
before you lose?"
She drug her feet. Prosecuting and winning against cops suited her office just
fine. The administration had made it a point to tell the general public that
they'd clean up the police force and they'd been doing a sterling job. Perhaps
Addly was correct though. The witch hunt would go on but this case wouldn't be a
part of it.
"I'll agree to drop the charges under one condition," the prosecutor stated.
"Name it," Addley shot back
"No press. I want this buried and buried deep."
Addley had to go for broke. "What about the Nordstrom case?"
"The autopsy report reads cause of death unknown. It'll stay that way."
"Detective Brannigan will be reinstated?" he asked.
Madam prosecutor didn't hesitate to answer. Bad press would cost future
elections. "Without a record and all paperwork will be pulled from her file as
per the union guidelines."
Addley looked at Bud and the man nodded slowly.
"You've got yourself a deal Madam Prosecutor. No press. We're not leaving
without the paperwork so let's get too it."
Bud didn't call Lonnie but he did let Thomas know. He wanted to walk in the door
and hand her the notarized papers stating she was free and clear of all charges.
It was near dark when he walked through the door of their home. He found her
sitting on the sofa in the dark with her knees pulled up to her chest. He walked
up to her and squatted down in front of her. Laying the paperwork on her lap,
Bud placed his hands on the outside of her thighs. He couldn't contain his
smile.
She picked them up and started to read. "I'm free? I'm exonerated, free and
reinstated?"
"Yeah baby, you're free but I got another set of papers that might make you feel
otherwise." He set a second document on her lap. It was the signed marriage
license they'd applied for before the shit hit the fan. "What are you doing
tomorrow morning?"