Chapter 22
The family meeting rooms on the trauma floor were all occupied, so Beau Lee found a small empty chapel.
Rocky went to sit with Hollis while Beau Lee and Finn listened to Rory Caruthers for fifteen minutes as he recounted the night Hollis was shot.
It was difficult for them to hear the details, particularly as Rory described Hollis’s cries and pleas for the officers to release him.
“We were only providing backup,” Rory said, reiterating his role in the shooting. “Johnson and I didn’t have the full picture. Only what was broadcasted over the radio. It seemed like a routine call. Nothing out of the ordinary—but nothing about it was routine.”
“Why didn’t you go to your superiors with this?” Finn asked.
“I’m a rookie. It would’ve been my word against two officers—one a veteran, and the other with far more arrests under his belt than me. Who do you think the department would believe? They’ve already got their minds made up about this case.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s only rumored, but when some of the guys heard about Hollis, they celebrated,” Rory said. “I don’t know much about his time with the CPD, but he must’ve made plenty of enemies.”
“The lawsuit…” Finn said. “Those guys are still salty about that.”
“Rory, are you saying Hollis might’ve been targeted because he complained to IA and tried to sue CPD?” Beau Lee asked.
“All I’m saying is, a good number of people in the department aren’t shedding tears over it.”
“Is there any chance the first officers on the scene, Dunham and Rossi, knew the vehicle belonged to Hollis?”
“Hard to say, but from what I could tell, it looked random.”
“Tell me about the wallet,” Beau Lee said. “You suggested Dunham removed it before the ambulance and field supervisors arrived?”
“That’s right. Dunham had told us to start securing the scene, and as I was walking away, I think I saw him take it off Hollis.”
Finn looked like he wanted to slug Rory. Beau Lee could sense it and knew that if Finn’s temper got the better of him, they could lose a critical witness. “I know it’s hard coming forward like this,” Beau Lee said. “It takes courage.”
“Courage my ass,” Finn said, glaring at Rory. “You were there at the scene. Why didn’t you stop it?”
“Everything happened so fast. I was trusting my partner,” Rory said.
Finn scoffed. “Trusting him to go along with the cover-up.”
“Look, man, I have two years on the job. It was the first time I’d ever pulled my firearm with intent to use it, but had I known what we were stumbling into—”
“Let’s stay on topic, Officer Caruthers,” Beau Lee said. “All I want to know is if you’re willing to go on record.”
“It’ll be the end of my career.”
“A guy like you, I’m sure you’d land on your feet,” Finn said.
“I’ve given up so much to wear this badge.”
“There are other agencies you can work for,” Finn said. “Plenty of departments need good, honest cops. If you think you still are after all this—”
“Let’s keep Hollis in mind here,” Beau Lee said. “Caruthers, you could do some good in helping us get justice for Hollis.”
“I want to help. You have to know, this isn’t what I set out to become,” Rory said. “My parents warned me about joining the CPD. They told me I didn’t know what I was getting myself into. They wanted me to get my MBA. Can you believe that? Go into finance and take over the family business one day.”
“Doesn’t sound too bad, kid,” Finn said. “I know cops who didn’t have a pot to piss in before the department.”
“You don’t understand. It’s never been about a paycheck for me.”
“Take it from me. This job takes more than it gives. So if it’s not the paycheck, what the hell is it?”
“I know it sounds cliché, but I wanted to help people. Before I applied for CPD, I thought I was going to be a firefighter, but I washed out of training.”
“What happened?” Beau Lee asked.
“Couldn’t handle the damn ladder,” Rory said. “Weak shoulders. So I hit the gym, took up boxing, and joined the CPD. For a while, it was great, but lately—”
“Enough,” Finn said, tired of Rory’s sob story.
Rory glanced at Finn and continued: “The job’s still great, but it’s filled with too many of the wrong kind of people.”
“We need to determine the logical move,” Beau Lee said. “We can go into the prosecutors’ office. You can tell them exactly what you told us—”
“What if they don’t believe me?” Rory asked.
Beau Lee rubbed his chin as he pondered.
It was a rookie’s word against seasoned veterans.
Not ideal. In a trial, it would come down to Rory’s credibility.
Would a jury believe him? A guy with a couple of years of experience versus three hard-nosed veteran street cops?
Then Beau Lee remembered: “Hollis’s wallet,” he said.
“It was missing from the scene. Any chance it may be in Jack’s possession? ”
“Jack says he planted the wallet back in the vehicle,” Rory said.
“Are you sure about that?”
“Yeah, that was the last thing he said during our argument before his partner took a swing at me.”
“I’ve known men like Jack,” Finn said. “Psychos with badges. They get off on the power dynamics. Hurting people and getting away with it. I’d say there’s an eighty percent chance Jack has Hollis’s wallet.”
“Peculiar question, friend?” Beau Lee asked.
“Because he’d be proud of it. Imagine the ego trip he’d be on if he shot a Black cop and got away with it. He’d want to keep a memento, something to remind himself of what he did.”
“And be stupid enough to keep evidence around?”
Finn and Rory looked at each other and nodded. Not since they’d met had they felt as though they shared common ground, until now. They both knew Jack’s type: arrogant and sloppy.
“Jack thinks he’s sharper than everyone else, but he’s far from it. I bet he’s gotten away with doing this kind of shit for so long. I can tell he’s comfortable,” Rory said.
“A guy like Dunham is more criminal than a cop,” Finn said.
“Then I’m afraid that’s what we’re dealing with,” Beau Lee said. “A criminal with a badge. But we have to dot every i. Finn, we need you and Capes to go to the impound lot and see if the wallet’s in the SUV.”
“Not sure how we’ll pull this off, but we’ll figure it out,” Finn responded.
“I get the sense that Jack’s arrogance is his weakness,” Rory added. “But there’s more you should know.”
“Okay,” Beau Lee said.
“Jack said the ballistics report will show that Hollis fired his gun, but I know now that he didn’t. I couldn’t find any casings at the scene from his weapon the night of the incident.”
“Does he have an in with ballistics?”
“I’m not sure. All I know is that I fucked up. The adrenaline was pumping, and I was trusting my partner. I saw Hollis’s hand move, so I shot my gun, too. But that video made it clear to me—Hollis never had that gun in his hand. He may have been reaching for it, but he never got a hand on it.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yeah.”
“So the ballistics report is bullshit,” said Beau Lee. “Will you testify that Hollis didn’t fire?”
“Yes,” declared Rory.
“That’s fodder for our case, but we’ll need more,” Beau Lee said, nodding with confidence.
“I’m going to try to help, but I can’t go to prison. I have a family.”
Beau Lee tried to be sympathetic, but remorse doesn’t undo what was done, and justice must be served. “You’ll need to work out a deal with the prosecutor. Immunity in exchange for cooperating against your fellow officers,” Beau Lee said. “That’s your best way to stay out of prison.”
“It’s time to lawyer up,” Finn said. “I hope you’ve squirreled away a small fortune, ’cause you’re going to need it.”
Beau Lee rolled his eyes, annoyed by Finn’s flippancy. “I know some good attorneys in the area who are well-versed in handling predicaments like yours. You may want to start putting things in place now.”
Rory rubbed the nape of his neck. “My God, could things get any worse?”
Finn sneered. “You could be lying in a hospital bed with multiple gunshot wounds.”
“Right…sorry,” Rory said. “Didn’t mean for it to come off that way.”
“We just need you to keep getting information from Dunham and Rossi,” Beau Lee said. “We don’t have any time to waste.”
“I can try.”
“Once we confirm whether the wallet’s in Hollis’s SUV, we’ll notify you immediately.”
Rocky entered the chapel unable to contain her excitement. “Sorry to interrupt,” she said, “but it’s Hollis. His eyes are open. He’s awake!”
“What?” Beau Lee asked.
“He’s conscious, Mr. Cooper. It’s a miracle!”
“Thank God he pulled through,” Beau Lee said.
“The nurses are still checking his vitals, but they said he’s alert and responsive.” Rocky looked at Rory. “I’m sorry. I didn’t catch your name earlier.”
Beau Lee feared that telling the truth about Rory would send Rocky into a tailspin.
“Just an officer from my division,” Finn said, the lie rolling off his tongue—he clearly sensed the same thing. “He came by to check on things.”
“Oh, really? That’s so sweet of you,” Rocky said to Rory.
“I’m glad someone else from Metra decided to show up.
Hollis has been an exemplary officer, and more officers should remember that.
” She headed toward the door, then looked back as the men stood, unmoving.
“Well, what are you waiting for? Let’s go see him! ”
“We’ll be there in a second, Rocky,” Finn said. “We’re just finishing something up.”
“Okay,” she said, “but don’t wait too long. I know he’ll want to see your faces.” She quickly walked out.
“He’s alive,” Rory said. “I mean, that’s great—that’s great news!”
“It took everything in me not to tell her you were one of the assholes that shot him,” Finn said. “Rocky is a good woman who loves her husband dearly, and you nearly took that away from her.”
“It’s time for you to go, Rory,” Beau Lee said. “Get us the information we need, and maybe we can help you.”
Rory tucked his head. “Understood. I’ll get you what you need. But please know: I really am sorry,” he said before leaving the chapel.
“Can you believe that damn kid?” Finn asked. “The nerve of him showing up here.”
“He’s trying to help.”
“Please, he’s trying to save his own ass, that’s what.”
“Forgiveness is hard,” Beau Lee said. “But worth it in the end.”
Finn looked at the large cross on the wall. “I’m Catholic. We know all about forgiveness, but I don’t think I’ve got it in me.”
“I know where you’re coming from. You’ll get no judgment from me, but I’ve seen what hate and anger can do to a person. I promise you that the cost is too high.”
“I’m envious you can turn the other cheek. Maybe I’ll see things differently one day, but today ain’t it.”
“I have faith that that may change in time.” Beau Lee pulled out his phone and dialed Capes.
“Rise and shine, Capes. There’s been some developments. Meet me at the courthouse. We need to get the lawsuit filed as soon as possible.”