Dead to Rights by Jack Patterson (fiction book recommendations .txt) 📕

she come in to get that license?” Kelly asked.

“On Wednesday afternoon, just a couple of days before she was murdered.”

“Did you ever share with others about the people who applied for a marriage license?” Cal asked.

Mrs. Hayward chuckled. “Hardly ever. By the time they get to me, it’s old news in Pickett County. There’s already either been an announcement in the paper or the woman’s makin’ her own pronouncement, if you know what I mean.”

Cal and Kelly laughed softly.

“I think I understand,” Cal said. “But what about in this case? This would’ve been different, right? Nobody really knew about Susannah’s intent to marry Mr. Thomas until the trial, did they?”

“No, that was the big bombshell in the trial, more than anything. The whole town talked about that excessively after it was over. They just couldn’t believe she’d do that to Isaiah after they dated for so long.”

“So, Mrs. Hayward, did you tell anyone about that before she died?”

She shook her head. “I don’t recollect it.”

“Not even your son?” Cal asked, pressing her.

Mrs. Hayward stood up.

“Mr. Murphy, I think it’s time you and your wife got goin’. It’s gettin’ late, and I still gotta finish gettin’ ready for work. Have a good day.” She stormed inside her house.

Herschel growled from the corner of the yard before the screen door slammed, bouncing several times against the frame before silence fell on the yard.

“Well, I think that went well, didn’t it?” Cal asked.

“Let’s get out of here before Mrs. Hayward returns,” Kelly said.

They hustled down the steps and to their car.

Cal buckled his seatbelt before turning the ignition.

“This story just got a whole lot more interesting, didn’t it?”

CHAPTER 20

SATISFIED THAT DRAKE’S LAWYER had failed to provide the football star with a competent defense, Cal wondered aloud if it was time to return to Seattle. With all the interviews they’d conducted and the photos Kelly had snapped, he was confident he could write a compelling story.

But this wasn’t just about an assignment for him; this was also about exonerating one of his childhood heroes. Cal quickly decided it wasn’t time to leave just yet.

“What did you think about Mrs. Hayward?” Cal asked.

“Based on her response, it’s hard to imagine Mrs. Hayward didn’t tell her son about the marriage license.”

“And if she did tell him—and she was messing around with him—then he’d have the good ole reason of jealousy to kill her.”

“But why not kill Thomas?” Kelly countered.

Cal shrugged. “I’m not sure, but maybe he realized he wasn’t going to have her no matter what and thought he could get away with it by pinning the murder on Drake.”

“That's a good theory,” Kelly said. “And that’s something a lawyer could make in a retrial that might be more than enough to cause reasonable doubt in the mind of most jurors. I know it’s making me doubt everything I’ve already thought about this case.”

As Cal turned back onto Main Street and headed toward Hank’s Pawnshop, his phone buzzed. It was Marsha Frost.

“I’m so glad you called, Marsha,” Cal said. “Have I got some news for you.”

“It’s probably nothing compared to the news I just received,” she said.

“I’m gonna put you on speaker so Kelly can hear, okay?”

“Okay.”

“All right. Fire away. What’s happening?”

“I just got a call from Keith Hurley. Name sound familiar to you?”

Cal thought for a moment. “Yes, isn’t that the eye witness in the case who said he saw Drake kill Susannah?”

“Bingo. That’s the one.”

“So, what did he say?”

“He said he made it up. It’s all a lie. Somebody told him they’d pay him a thousand bucks to say that he saw Drake kill her. He was just a kid and was out riding his bike around when it happened. He said he never saw anything but jumped at the opportunity to make some quick cash.”

“Whoa,” Cal said. “Did he know who it was?”

“Said he never saw the guy before, but he was a kid and it was a long time ago. He said it was dark, too, when the man approached him, and he could hardly see his face.”

“That changes everything.”

“Dang right, it does.” She paused. “So, what were you gonna tell me?”

“Does it matter now?”

Frost laughed. “Probably not. I’ve already contacted one judge, who’s supposed to call me back today. If he finds that compelling-enough evidence, he may order a retrial.”

“That’s great news,” Cal said. “What we found out isn’t quite as earth shaking, but it’ll help any retrials.”

“What’d you find?”

“So, from what we’ve gathered, Jordan Hayward was also lovers with Susannah Sloan. And Susannah applied for a marriage license with a man named Tanner Thomas just two days before her death. And guess who the clerk at the courthouse was who knew about the marriage license application?”

“Who? The suspense is killing me,” Frost said.

“None other than Heloise Hayward, Jordan’s mother. And she intimated to us that she told her son about Susannah’s intent to marry Mr. Thomas.”

“How did Drake’s lawyer miss all of this?”

“Your guess is as good as mine. Either way, it’s pretty damning as to the incompetency of Sullivan’s team running this trial.”

“That or either they were way out of their league in the Deep South.”

Cal nodded. “That could be it, too. No matter what, do you think that’s enough along with Hurley’s admission to get a new trial and possibly earn Drake an exoneration?”

“It should be enough . . . and it’s definitely enough for us to take the case.”

“Excellent!” Cal said. “That’s made this entire trip worth it.”

“I bet you have one compelling story, too,” Frost said.

“I do, but I’m not done yet.”

Cal hung up and pulled to a stop just outside Hank’s Pawn Shop. He dug into his pocket for a quarter to feed the meter and went inside with Kelly.

“You think Jordan’s gonna talk to us now?” Kelly asked in a whisper.

“We’ll soon find out.” Cal scanned the shop and didn’t see anyone inside.

“Hello?” he called.

Moments later, Hank plowed through the swinging double doors that led to the back.

“Can