Chapter 8 #2
The door opens, and Sheriff Morris walks in, trailed by two deputies.
He’s a slightly overweight white man in his fifties who moves through the world with the expectation that people will do whatever he says because he’s the one saying it.
You can’t live in a small community like Kalomish as long as I have without encountering the sheriff.
He’s the sort who thinks being loud and cocksure are virtues.
I guess you don’t get elected to the position by being laid-back and easy-going.
The sheriff sits across from me, frowning when I don’t react to his entrance. “You his lawyer?”
Arthur, who stood to greet him, responds, “Yes, sir.” He then nods at the two deputies in the room. The man who escorted us looms in the doorway. The other deputy sets up a camera on a small tripod.
The egotistical sheriff personally questioning the suspect in the high-profile case while using deputies to outnumber and intimidate. I smirk at how stereotypical they are.
“I’ve seen you around, White. Always talking tough, but as soon as there’s a problem, you run back to daddy’s money to save you,” Sheriff Morris sneers.
I open my mouth to set him straight, but Arthur is faster.
“My client’s familial relationships are not under criminal investigation and therefore not germane to our presence here today.
If you summoned him purely to disparage his family, then we’ll be leaving.
If you have any actual questions about a criminal matter, then let’s proceed. ”
We both look at Mr. Kostas for a moment. Morris then looks at his deputy with the camera, who nods, and declares, “We’ll be recording this interview.” He states his and his deputies’ names for the record, and Mr. Kostas introduces both of us.
“Mr. White, where were you on the night of Saturday, May twenty-third?”
“I—” I begin, but Mr. Kostas puts his hand on my arm and responds.
“What is this regarding?”
“It’s regarding Mr. White’s location last Saturday night,” Morris responds curtly, scowling at Mr. Kostas.
“Mr. White has voluntarily traveled here to participate in this interview. So far, he has not been informed about the topic of the interview, nor have charges been leveled against him. I ask again, what is this interview regarding?”
Morris continues to stare at me, waiting for me to answer his question. When it becomes clear that I won’t, he returns his scowl to Mr. Kostas. “There was an incident of vandalism this weekend.”
“My client is not a teenage troublemaker. He is a hardworking, respected member of this community. Are you questioning everyone in town about the vandalism? Or do you have probable cause to suspect Mr. White?”
I’m glad this is being captured on video, given how frustrated Mr. Kostas is making the sheriff. I’m enjoying it, but I have enough sense to keep my face neutral.
“There was damage at a construction site on Bridal Mountain. Your client,” Morris says with disdain, “has been one of the most outspoken opponents of the owners of that site. He’s overtly stated his goal to make them leave Kalomish, and now he’s taken action against them.”
“Sheriff, nothing you’ve said indicates any wrongdoing by my client. You haven’t stated any links between him and this supposed vandalism, and you neglected to mention a single piece of evidence you have, much less how it implicates him.”
“He’s rallied opposition to every measure they’ve put before the city council, he’s supported the lawsuits challenging their developments, and my men have had to physically remove him from every town hall where Henley and Montank are brought up!”
“Good, I’m glad you agree with me. Mr. White assiduously follows the legal process in his activism, as is his right.
Since you’ve succinctly described how he consistently utilizes peaceful efforts in the variety of legal methods available to him, you must understand that suddenly committing acts of vandalism is completely out of character.
Clearly, my client should be your last suspect because he has a publicly demonstrated track record of adhering to the legal process and already has multiple avenues for expressing his opposition to these developers. ”
“What? No. I’ve informed you what this interview is about, so you tell me where you were on Saturday night.”
I turn to Mr. Kostas and ask, “How much do you charge an hour?”
Mr. Kostas looks at me with a predatory grin. “Enough to ensure the sheriff’s department won’t accidentally violate your rights in a rush to pin a high-profile case on a fall guy so the sheriff can show his constituents how swiftly he delivers justice.”
“That sounds dangerously like you’re accusing me of—”
“I haven’t accused you of anything. And since you haven’t accused my client of anything, and you have no evidence for any suspect, never mind Mr. White, we will be concluding this interview.”
“You just hold on. He hasn’t answered a single question, so this interview is not over.”
“You’re correct. He hasn’t answered your questions because he doesn’t need to. This is a fishing expedition, and we will not be participating. Unless you’re arresting him now, we’re leaving. Have a good day, gentlemen,” Mr. Kostas concludes as he rises to his feet.
I stand and smile at Morris. The desire to make a comment must be written on my face because Mr. Kostas presses on my back to get me moving. Right. Don’t poke the bear, I think as we’re escorted to the exit.
“Wow,” I say once we’re safely outside. “That was great. Thank you. I didn’t plan on playing along, but I figured I’d be dealing with them for hours.”
“Happy to help. You can thank your father for ensuring my firm sent me.”
I won’t be doing that, but I don’t bother saying so. “I appreciate you making that so much easier, Mr. Kostas. Now, if you don’t mind, I’m going to leave while the coast is clear.”
“Of course. The sheriff isn’t the type of person to drop this. He’ll keep looking at you for whatever happened at the construction site. You have my card for when they contact you again. Take care, Mr. White.”