21st Birthday by Patterson, James (ebook reader screen .TXT) 📕

has not produced a single witness to support this theory of ‘the other dude.’

“They can’t.

“Only one person known to the prosecution had a motive to murder Tara and Lorrie Burke and Melissa Fogarty in the space of one single week. He’s sitting right over there with his head down on the table.

“For reasons only the defendant truly understands, Lucas Burke did it. For the sake of his victims, and to keep this man where he cannot harm anyone else, please find him guilty of three murders in the first degree.”

CHAPTER 105

JOE AND JULIE were waiting for me at the airport’s passenger pickup zone, along with Martha. The gang was all here.

Julie hugged me around the waist until I got her into her car seat, Martha circled my legs, and Joe squeezed me with his big man arms and opened the passenger door for me.

I was dying to catch up with everyone, and to be absolutely honest, I wanted to tell Joe everything that happened in Vegas since he’d left there singing as he went down the escalator.

My phone played a little tune, and when I looked at the caller ID, I had to take the call.

“Chief Belinky?”

“Sergeant. I’m glad I was able to reach you.”

What was wrong? Had Burke escaped? Shot someone else? Died?

“You just caught me,” I said. “What’s up, chief?”

“Evan Burke is in the ICU. Turns out he has some kind of lung infection. His immune system is down.”

I motioned to Joe, ‘Just a sec,’ hoping the chief would just get to it. And then he did.

“Burke wants to see you. He has something to tell you —”

“He’s a lying liar, and dangerous as the devil. ADA Yuki Castellano still wants to depose him.”

“About that,” the chief said. “Without knowing what Burke is going to say, and without his having requested a lawyer, it’s too soon to bring in the DA’s office, even with the trial of Lucas Burke ongoing.”

As I took it all in, the chief continued.

“I’ll make sure there’s no way he can hurt you.”

I didn’t want to see Evan Burke again. I didn’t feel safe, and yet the bastard was so compelling. Even while wounded and sick. Even with a dead woman’s blood on his hands and his son charged with murder. I’d never met anyone like him, and I’d really had enough of him.

I could have used Alvarez’s take, but she’d already headed back to the squad room.

I said, “I have to run this past my lieutenant, my chief, and my husband.”

“I haven’t cleared it with your husband, but your chief, your lieutenant, and your task force all want you to meet with this piece of crap.”

“I’ll call you back, okay?”

“Sergeant,” the chief said. “It’ll be short and easy. Plane. Cruiser to the hospital. Talk until you’re done, then back to McCarran. Say yes so I can line up my ducks.”

I’m a cop and a chief of police was asking me, as good as pleading with me, to talk to the shooter I’d seen commit murder.

“Geez.”

“Close enough,” said Chief Belinky. “I checked the flights and there’s one that’ll get you here by five. A car will be waiting to pick you up.”

I couldn’t think of a good enough reason to turn him down and maybe, maybe I could help.

“Yes. Yes. Okay.”

Belinky gave me the flight info. I hung up and told Joe the news. He backed Belinky.

“Linds. This could be your Ted Bundy moment. When you come home tomorrow, Bugs, Martha, and I will be here to meet you.”

My family walked me back into the terminal. I showed Julie the huge metallic lights hanging from the ceiling. We bought her a T-shirt in the gift shop and a pink hoodie for Mrs. Rose. We consumed a fully loaded pizza in the food court, and then Joe and Julie waved good-bye to me at the check-in line.

I flew back to Las Vegas, wondering what the hell Evan Burke wanted to tell me. He was a magnetic character, but I didn’t trust him at all.

CHAPTER 106

CHIEF BELINKY WAS WAITING inside the entrance to Sunrise Medical Center. He was in his fifties, wearing a blue suit, red tie, about five eleven with salt-and-pepper hair.

He came toward me and shook my hand with both of his.

“Thanks for coming, sergeant. I think you’ll be glad you did.”

I doubted that.

Belinky said, “Burke is cuffed to a bed in the ICU. He’s doped up, on antibiotics, apparently his lungs are full of goop, but I still don’t trust him.”

He went on.

“I promised to protect you, and we’ve taken the following precautions. The stall has a glass wall. We can see everything and there’s a camera overhead. Here’s your mic. That’ll record whatever he tells you.”

“Excellent.”

I clipped it to my lapel.

We took an elevator up a couple of flights and followed the arrows to the intensive care unit. Belinky continued to brief me.

“Officers are stationed outside the door. Keep it ajar when you go in. His good arm and ankles are cuffed. His right arm is unrestrained, but it’s in a sling and you can see his hand. I’ve promised everyone with a shield in the state of California that you’re walking out of that room unharmed.”

“Thanks, chief.”

“Now, this guy has not lawyered up and I would say he has no expectation of privacy, right?”

“Right. People are coming in and out of his room. It’s a hospital.”

“Good. We agree.”

We were in the ICU ward and Burke’s stall was visible because of the two beefy cops standing on either side of the doorway.

“Ready or not,” I said.

I said hello to the two officers and took a moment to observe Burke through the glass. He was lying flat in the bed with his eyes closed, blanket up to his chin, his bandaged wing cradled against his body. I entered the stall, leaving the door open a crack.

Pulling a