59
“Run that by me again?” Detective Kowalski raised an eyebrow. “Did you actually hear McKenna say to Novak that he’d lost the prototype and that’s why he had to die?”
“Yes, I saw and heard the whole thing.” Julia sickened at the memory.
“McKenna shot him in front of the other men, and I think they were too afraid to say anything. Then McKenna told Laird to finish loading the truck and Dave to take the truck away. That’s why I thought the U-Haul was going to Valley Forge, but I was wrong.
With the size of the operation they had, they must have been delivering guns elsewhere.
” Julia still regretted the mistake. “Let me ask you, did you find Novak’s body? ”
“Yes.”
“How?”
Detective Kowalski hesitated. “Given the circumstances, I’ll share some of the details. It goes without saying that you cannot divulge this information to the press.”
“Of course I won’t,” Julia said quickly. The media thronged in front of the hospital, and she’d also noticed hospital personnel walking past her room and peeking curiously through the glass.
“We did find Novak’s body. We learned that the farm belongs to McKenna under an alias.
We found blood in the dirt and followed it to where they buried the body.
McKenna and the others didn’t cover their tracks very well.
We think your appearance threw a monkey wrench into their plan.
When they discovered you, they went after you and never went back to the scene.
” Detective Kowalski’s expression softened.
“You caught a tiger by the tail when you started asking questions. We frown on civilians getting involved in investigations. They can be stepping into a hornets’ nest, like here.
I’m glad it ended safely. Thanks for the assist. In other words, you did good, but don’t do it again. ”
Detective Brennan eyed Julia, with concern. “I’m glad you survived it, and Courtney, too.”
“Thanks.” Julia felt touched but couldn’t begin to process her emotions now. “So now can you charge McKenna with Novak’s murder?”
“That will be up to the lawyers, but I think so.”
“I should mention that I’d met Novak, one time before. I was in college at Notre Dame, and he came up to me and Courtney at the library. He said he was from the Philly area, too. He told me his name was Matt Winger but it was an alias. Pat Novak could be, too.”
Detective Kowalski made a note. “Did you have a relationship with him?”
“No, not at all, thanks to Courtney. I only remember his name because he ended up assaulting another girl at school. The campus and South Bend police were looking for him, but I don’t know if they found him or what happened. But you should look into that, too.”
“Anything else?” Detective Kowalski made another note.
“What about the fact that there must’ve been somebody else in the pickup on the day Novak killed Kay?
Novak was driving, but somebody could’ve been in the passenger seat with Kay’s basket of found objects.
I’m guessing it was maybe one of the other militia members, Laird or Dave, or maybe another friend of Novak’s, if Novak didn’t want the others to know he’d lost the coin.
I don’t think it was McKenna. He wouldn’t have shown his face at Kay’s farm, given that he was officially a fugitive. ”
“That will be part of the investigation.” Detective Kowalski looked up from his notes. “I wonder how Novak knew that Kay found the coin. Can you enlighten me?”
“Yes, I don’t know for sure, but it wouldn’t be hard for him to find out.
Kay and Samuel were at the clean-up together, and I think he was with her when she found the coin, so she could have mentioned it to him or anyone, or he could have.
She ran errands that day, getting groceries, and she could have mentioned it to a cashier or someone who could have mentioned it to someone else who had a link with the militia.
It’s a small town, and everybody knows everybody else.
” Julia thought a minute. “I remember McKenna said the coin had today’s date and the American flag, so it didn’t look obviously incriminating, but if Kay or anybody else started asking questions, it could have thwarted the plot.
I heard him say they couldn’t risk anything that would jeopardize the attack. ”
“We’ll run that down,” Kowalski said, writing away.
“And I don’t think Samuel’s death was a suicide. I think Novak killed Samuel after he killed Kay because Samuel knew about the coin. Samuel could have even had a picture of it in his camera. We didn’t see his camera in his place.”
“We’ll look for it.” Detective Kowalski pursed his lips.
“So can you charge McKenna with Samuel’s murder?”
“In my humble opinion, it might be hard to charge him with conspiracy in Samuel’s murder or Shoemaker’s murder because McKenna isn’t talking. The lawyers might be able to flip him or somebody else, then make a deal, but that’s above my pay grade.”
“What about Alex?” Julia asked, her gut wrenching. “He died trying to get to Courtney. His death was caused by whoever was trying to kill Courtney. Is there anything new in that investigation? And is the cellmate a part of that?”
“It’s part of the same investigation. We will see it through. You can’t expect results this fast. This is a comprehensive investigation with a lot of moving parts.”
“Now you have to let Courtney go, don’t you? I told you I heard Novak say that he killed that ‘Black bitch.’ That’s proof that Novak killed Kay and Courtney is innocent.”
“Sorry, it’s not procedure to release her yet.”
Bennie leaned forward over her laptop, interjecting, “Why the hell not? Courtney should be released immediately. Julia’s testimony proves that Novak killed Kay.
You have no basis to hold my client another minute.
Now we know that anything can happen to her inside that prison.
Besides, I don’t want to wait until the case gets caught in a jurisdictional clusterfuck.
You’re not going to keep this case, the feds are.
ATF, the FBI, and the Joint Terrorism Task Force will be all over it, if they’re not already.
They’ll charge first, given that it’s high profile and took place on federal property. ”
Detective Kowalski scowled. “Until then, your client is in state custody, and we have procedures. I told the same thing to her husband, who’s at the prison raising holy hell.
We’ll finalize Julia’s statement, then get approvals up the chain.
It will take a day or two until your client can be released. ”
“No, not acceptable,” Bennie shot back. “You have a big problem, Detective, and I’m about to make it bigger. You’re estimating your downside risk right now.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Julia’s statement proves police corruption with respect to Glushenko and others on the Buckley force. I’m not sure how high up the conspiracy goes, but if you don’t release Courtney right now, I’m going to file suit not only against Glushenko and the Buckley police, but against you both.”
“Us?” Detective Kowalski scoffed. “For what?”
“For being co-conspirators.”
Detective Brennan paled. “Are you serious? We’re not dirty.”
“How do I know that?” Bennie’s sharp blue eyes fixed on them. “Are you involved? Or just covering it up? Have you arrested Glushenko? Interviewed him? How about other members of the Buckley force?”
“That’s police business,” Detective Kowalski shot back. “It’s confidential.”
“Why? You just admitted we’re entitled to the information, and we are.
You wouldn’t know any of this but for Julia.
She risked her life and discovered an illegal gun manufacturing operation that funded a white supremacist organization and put God knows how many ghost guns on the street.
” Bennie spoke with authority, yet her manner remained cool.
“Valley Forge could’ve been the site of one of the biggest attacks of domestic terrorism in this country.
Julia prevented it. Courtney helped with the legwork until she got framed for murder and was almost killed herself.
You didn’t protect her in prison. Why?” Bennie folded her arms. “So, are you going to make me go to the feds to get my client released? Where are they?”
Detective Kowalski’s expression hardened. “I’m not at liberty to divulge that.”
“Or are you just unwilling to? Funny, you were willing to charge Courtney with murder on evidence so meager it wouldn’t have survived a preliminary hearing. Now you have proof of her absolute innocence, yet she’s still in prison. If you ask me, that’s highly suggestive of complicity.”
“We’re not complicit,” Detective Kowalski spat out.
“Tell it to the judge. Better yet, tell it to the jury. Your inaction will damn you in court, believe me, I try official corruption cases for a living. The scope of any conspiracy is a fact question, which means it gets to the jury. You’ll be in litigation for the foreseeable future.
With me.” Bennie glowered. “And if anything happens to Courtney while she’s still behind bars, I’ll file suit against you both in your personal capacity.
That means you pay damages out of your own pockets. ”
Detective Kowalski reddened. “But these things take time and—”
“Keep up. I can prepare the complaint and file it tonight, electronically. Or not. Your choice.” Bennie cocked her head. “What’s it going to be, gentlemen?”
Detective Kowalski blinked.
Detective Brennan turned to him. “Let’s make a call, boss.”
“Thank you.” Bennie closed her laptop. “Let’s go get Courtney, shall we?”
Julia sat up, excited. “I’m coming, too. I feel fine.”
Gianluca smiled indulgently. “We should ask the doctor first. It’s his decision.”
Julia snorted. “Good luck with that.”