Page 43 of Fish in a Barrel
Annette nodded emphatically. “That officer there—Officer Goslar, I believe—told me the police would be in touch, but they weren’t. The next thing I heard, the suspect had been apprehended, and I was told I didn’t need to worry. There were enough witnesses at the park to identify him.” She swallowed and looked at Ezekiel Halliday. “I’m sorry, Zee. I didn’t realize it was you. I didn’t know your last name or make the connection with the first one. I never would have let them arrest you if I’d known.”
Ezekiel made a sound—probably “It’s okay” from his wired jaw—and she held her hand to her mouth.
“They should be ashamed, those officers. Just ashamed. How could they!”
Brentwood banged his gavel. “Please keep your remarks limited to answers to the prosecution,” he snapped.
Annette narrowed her eyes. “Fine, Your Honor.”
Brentwood retreated a little, looking almost like a startled turkey. “You will mind your tone.”
Annette Frazier’s mouth was open, and for a moment Jackson was afraid for her. The judge wouldjailher for contempt if she said what she was obviously thinking of saying, and then Arizona stepped up, retrieving her pen as she spoke.
“Ms. Frazier, are you saying you never identified the suspect?”
“No, ma’am. The first person to interview me after the initial attack was the PI for the defense. He showed me Zee’s picture, and I said, ‘That’s Zee—he wouldn’t hurt a fly and couldn’t if he wanted to,’ and then he showed me Cody Gabriel’s picture and I said, ‘That’s him! Why didn’t they gethim?’ That was last night.” She frowned and opened her mouth to say something else, but Arizona held up her hand, almost desperately.
“You’re absolutely certain it couldn’t have been anybody else?”
“Absolutely. Just like I know that Officer Goslar was the one speaking to him before he went into the bathroom for so long, and Officer McMurphy was the one who was taking aim at Paul and his dog.”
“No more questions, Your Honor,” Arizona said, stepping back.
“You may step down,” the judge instructed gruffly. Annette Frazier gave him a long look before she did as she was told, but she eventually left the stand.
“Your Honor,” Ellery said, “I move that, given this new evidence, the charges against my client be dropped—”
“Prosecution has no problem with that,” Arizona said hurriedly.
“Denied,” the judge ordered. “Call your next witness, Mr. Cramer.”
On the other side of the aisle, Jackson heard Goslar and McMurphy’s harsh, angry tones, and then Arizona’s absolutely furious reply, every word distinct. “Because the more people he calls up there, the more you guys look like the assclowns you are!”
Ellery kept his face impassive, and Jackson was incredibly impressed. And also suddenly suspicious of the judge. On an ordinary day, Arizona’s witnesses and Arizona herself could have been thrown in jail for contempt for making that much noise. “The defense calls Cody Gabriel.”
Gabriel rose and made his way toward the end of the row, and Jackson and North stood to let him out. Jackson squeezed his shoulder as he passed, and to his surprise, so did North. Cody gave them both a “here goes nothing” smile, and walked up to the stand to testify.
Ellery watched impassively for a moment as Gabriel stood to be sworn in, his hand shaking visibly on the Bible as he did so. As soon as Cody sat, Ellery opened his mouth, closed it, took a deep breath, and started again.
“Would you like a glass of water, Mr. Gabriel?”
“That’s not necessary, sir,” Cody said soberly, his voice firming up a little.
“Let us know if you do. I understand you had a rough night.”
“I had a rough month,” Cody said, his mouth twisting sardonically, “but I appreciate your kindness.”
“Very well—let’s begin. You are listed as a witness for the prosecution. Were you aware of this?”
Cody snorted. “No, sir, I was not.”
“But youwereat the park that day.”
“Yes, sir.”
“In what capacity?”
“I work narcotics and vice, sir, for Sac PD. I was there to see if a new batch of fentanyl was being sold. A lot of folks have been overdosing on it, and it scares people.”
