Chapter 40
STILWELL FOLLOWED BALLARD into the interview room, carrying a cardboard evidence box. He put it down on the left side of the table and they took the two seats across from Middleton.
“What the fuck is this?” Middleton said angrily. “I’ve been waiting here three fucking hours. You need to charge me or let me go, and I know you can’t charge me, because you don’t have shit. Stop playing games, take your loss, and go home.”
He jerked the chain that linked his handcuffs to an iron ring at the center of the table.
“Games?” Ballard said. “We’re not the ones playing games.
But we can talk about that after I take care of two pieces of business.
The first is to tell you that you are being recorded in this room.
Video and sound. The second is that I will give Sergeant Stilwell the honor of informing you of your constitutionally guaranteed rights. ”
Stilwell recited the Miranda advisement.
“Do you understand these rights as I have explained them to you?” he said after finishing.
“Oh, you’re really scaring me now,” Middleton said sarcastically, “with your rights and your mystery box. I hope there’s a sandwich for me in there because those bozos out at the trail took mine and I’m fucking starved.”
“Do you understand your rights as I have recited them?” Stilwell asked again.
“Yes, I understand my rights,” Middleton said. “Okay? I took Law Enforcement 101, you know. You’re just trying to scare me because you’ve got nothing. I’m supposed to be like ‘Oh, what’s in the box?’”
Ballard and Stilwell said nothing.
“You get the reference?” Middleton said. “Seven? Good movie. But it was about smart cops. You wouldn’t know anything about that.”
“You like serial-killer movies, Kent?” Ballard asked.
“Oh, you know the flick, then,” Middleton said. “Spacey was awesome. Is that what this is? We’re discussing serial-killer movies?”
“Mr. Middleton, you’re under arrest for the murder of Angela Metier,” Ballard said. “Now that you’ve heard your rights, do you wish to talk to us about it?”
Middleton threw his head back and laughed loudly, then leveled his eyes at Ballard. They were piercing with hate.
“You people are a fucking joke,” he said. “You think you can bluff me? No chance, lady. You’ve got nothing.”
“This is no bluff,” Ballard said. “We are offering you the opportunity to tell us how it happened. I’m sure it’s been a heavy burden to carry.”
Middleton shook his head like he was dealing with a child.
“Honey, you need to polish your act if you want to talk to me,” he said. “Because this is a joke. You’re a joke.”
Ballard looked at Stilwell and nodded. Then she looked back at Middleton.
“We found your stash,” she said. “It makes sense that you’d put it in a place you knew you could go back to. You know, to retrieve it. But that really wasn’t very smart.”
Stilwell opened the box. He reached in, took out a sealed plastic evidence bag containing a spiral-bound notebook, and placed it on the table.
He watched Middleton’s face as he registered what it was and understood that there had been no bluff.
They had indeed found the evidence he had hidden above the ceiling of the elevator.
For that fraction of a second, Stilwell saw recognition. It was the game-over look. But just as quickly, it was gone.
“What do you have there?” Middleton said, his bravado coming back. “A how-to manual on getting away with murder?”
“Close,” Ballard said. “More like how to get caught by describing and sketching your kills. I guess it might be hard to remember where all the bodies are buried when you feel like visiting your victims.”
She pointed at the notebook.
“What’s really great about this is we hadn’t been able to find anyone for the fifth key on the ring you left us. Now we have a map to her. Thanks for that. And as soon as we find her, we’ll add that charge. We are going to be adding a lot of charges, Kent.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Middleton said. “I’ve never seen that before and you can’t prove I have.”
“Well, we’ve got this thing now called touch DNA,” Ballard said. “And we’re going to get it off every page in that notebook. Every page.”
“So what? It’s not going to match me,” Middleton countered.
But the fight had gone out of his voice. He knew what his future was.
“Sure it won’t,” Ballard said. “You keep telling yourself that.”
Stilwell reached into the box and started taking out the other items. First a carton of nitrile gloves, the kind used by law enforcement.
“This is interesting,” Ballard said. “Sergeant Stilwell called your boss out on the island a few minutes ago. What’s his name, Stil?”
“Mick Dunaway.”
“Right, Mick Dunaway. Stil—er, Sergeant Stilwell called him up and asked what brand of gloves you have out there in the rangers’ supply closet.
And guess what—they’re True Blue too, the same brand we found in your stash.
Mick was very helpful. He said he’d do an inventory for us and see if he’s missing a box. ”
“Fuck you and fuck him,” Middleton said.
Stilwell next brought out a roll of duct tape, followed by a rubber-banded coil of snap ties. After that came the black hood and the ball gag, the handcuffs, the knife, the slipknot garrote, and, last, the folding tactical shovel. Each item had been separately sealed in plastic.
“That shovel is cool,” Ballard said. “Folds up and fits into a backpack. This is the most well-thought-out abduction-and-murder kit I’ve ever seen. I’m betting it gets written up in the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin. That’s big time.”
Middleton just shook his head and looked down at the table.
“Reality got your tongue, Kent?” Ballard said. “You sure you don’t want to tell us about how you used the garrote? I’m guessing you’re the type who liked to choke them out, bring them back, choke them out again. Over and over till they begged you to end it. Was that your sick program?”
Middleton lunged at Ballard, but the chain went taut and he hit the table face-first. Ballard didn’t even flinch. She’d been expecting it.
Middleton slid back into his seat. Blood ran down his face from his broken nose.
“I want a fucking lawyer!” he yelled.
“Sure, we’ll get you a phone,” Ballard said. “Make it a good one.”
“And a goddamn doctor!”
“We’ll get an EMT to take a look at you. We want you healthy for what’s ahead. And pretty for the cameras. There are going to be a lot of cameras.”
Ballard stood up. Stilwell did as well and started putting the evidence bags back in the box.
“I want you to remember this, Kent,” Ballard said. “It was a woman who took you down.”
“Just fuck off,” Middleton said.
Ballard headed to the door. Stilwell finished packing the box and folded the top closed. He stared at Middleton as he picked it up to go.
“What are you looking at, motherfucker?” Middleton said.
“Nothing,” Stilwell said. “I’m looking at nothing.”
Outside the room, Laffont and Masser were at a desk where they had been watching the video feed from the interview.
There were a few Foothill Division detectives standing behind them who had been watching as well.
One of them clapped as Ballard approached.
She nodded her thanks. Stilwell put the evidence box down on the desk.
“Can one of you go to the firehouse next door and get an EMT to come take a look at him?” she asked. “Somebody’s gotta stuff some cotton up his nose.”
“I’ll go,” Laffont said, heading out.
“After we get him fixed up we’ll bring him downtown and book him,” Ballard said. “Then I want to take the evidence directly to the lab. Hopefully Darcy will fast-track the DNA.”
“You’ve got a lab go-to?” Stilwell asked.
Ballard turned to Stilwell.
“We do,” she said. “Darcy Troy. You know her?”
“No,” Stilwell said. “Catalina cases always go to the end of the line.”
“Speaking of Catalina, when do you head back?”
“If you don’t need me for anything more here, I think I’ll go now.”
“Actually, we need you over there.”
Stilwell nodded. “Bird Park?” he asked.
“Right,” Ballard said. “I’d like to seal the apartment and put the girlfriend in a hotel room.”
“Thursday nights are busy at the Nickel,” Stilwell said. “Means she’ll be working tonight. I heard there are a couple rooms behind the bar for seasonal staff. I can probably get her into one of those if they’re open.”
“Good,” Ballard said. “We’ll get a search warrant tomorrow. We’ll also need to interview her.”
“I’ll write the warrant tonight so we can hit up a judge first thing,” Masser said.
“You want me to do any of it?” Stilwell asked. “The search or the interview? Or will you be coming over?”
“Let’s see in the morning,” Ballard said. “But if you can seal the apartment and handle the girlfriend tonight, that would be great.”
“Consider it done,” Stilwell said.
“Then I’ll walk you out,” Ballard said.
Stilwell held his hand out to Masser. They shook, and Stilwell asked him to tell Laffont he said goodbye as well.
Stilwell and Ballard walked out the back door of the station into the lot where Stilwell had parked the Bronco at five that morning.
“Now I just gotta hope I don’t need a jump,” he said.
“I’m sure we can get you a jump if you need it,” Ballard said. “When’s the last boat over?”
“I think it’s at eight. I’ll make it.”
“Look, Stil, I need to tell you something. You heard me tell Middleton it was a girl who took him down, but that was just to bust his balls and get inside his head. I know it was you. We’re here because of you.
You found him. And when this hits the media, as I’m sure it will, I’ll make sure you get the credit you deserve. ”
“Don’t worry about that. You could probably use the credit more than me. A story like this might get you more volunteers.”
“That would be nice. I wouldn’t have to lean on Paul and Tom so much.”
“Paul and Tom—there was a little friction between us, but they’re good guys. They do good work.”
“You do too. I’d even say you’re a wasted talent out there on that little island, but man, you’ve got a lot of shit going down on Catalina.”
“Small island, big crime, as they say.”
Ballard nodded as they came to the Bronco.
“You know,” she said, “I was thinking about the ironwood tree where we found Angela.”
“And?” Stilwell prompted.
“I’m always going to think of you when I see that tree. Ironwood. I hope we cross paths again, Stil.”
“Yeah, me too, Renée.”
Stilwell shook her hand and got into the Bronco. She waited while he buckled up and turned the key. The engine came to life. He gave Ballard a thumbs-up. She gave a short wave in return.
“Aloha, e ku?u hoaloha,” she said.
Stilwell smiled.
“Goodbye, my friend,” he said back.
He closed the door and watched Ballard walk back into the station.