Page 53 of Dead Air
LEAH:Perhaps most significant is what Detective Lawson's statement doesn't mention at all—her personal relationship withMonica Landry. Multiple sources within the department confirm the partners were more than colleagues.
SPD SOURCE (voice disguised):Everyone knew they were together. Not officially, of course. Department policy prohibits romantic relationships between partners. But they weren't exactly subtle. Arrived together, left together. Weekend trips. You do the math.
LEAH:This relationship adds critical context to the events leading up to that night. According to colleagues, the tension between Detectives Landry and Lawson in those final weeks wasn't just professional—it was personal.
FORMER COLLEAGUE (voice disguised):They had some kind of falling out. Monica started working odd hours, avoiding Lawson. Lawson started drinking more, staying late at the Driftwood. Whatever happened between them wasn't just about the Rafferty case.
[Music becomes more pointed]
LEAH:This brings us to the fundamental question: why did Detective Lawson omit these critical details from her official statement? Why exclude her relationship with Monica? Why not mention her activities before arriving at the warehouse?
LEAH:I put these questions directly to forensic psychologist Dr. Natalie Kim:
DR. KIM:Omissions in witness statements typically serve two purposes: self-protection or protection of others. When witnesses exclude potentially incriminating details, it's often to distance themselves from culpability or to shield someone else from scrutiny.
LEAH:When asked specifically about Detective Lawson's statement:
DR. KIM:Without speaking to her directly, I can only observe that the omissions create a specific narrative—one that minimizes her involvement and emotional connection to thevictim while maximizing the randomness of the attack. Whether this was conscious deception or trauma-induced memory distortion would require direct assessment.
[Brief pause]
LEAH:Yet her actions in the five years since Monica's death tell quite a story. Detective Lawson received multiple disciplinary citations for unauthorized investigation into her partner's case. She was temporarily suspended for accessing sealed files related to the Rafferty investigation. Her personnel record shows increasing isolation, confrontational behavior with supervisors, and documented alcohol issues during work hours.
LEAH:These are not the actions of someone at peace with the official narrative. They suggest someone haunted by knowledge they can't reconcile with what they've told the world.
[Music softens]
LEAH:Tomorrow, I'm meeting with Rachel Banks, Monica Landry's sister, who has agreed to share previously undisclosed personal documents that may shed light on Monica's state of mind in those final weeks.
LEAH:In our next episode, we'll examine Ray Hutchinson's confession, recorded just days before his death in what police have ruled a suicide. His account contradicts everything we thought we knew about Monica Landry's murder and who orchestrated it.
[Music builds]
LEAH:This is Dead Air. The truth doesn't stay buried forever.
[Theme music plays out]
chapter
twenty
Claire's beachhouse stood three rows back from the shoreline on Tybee Island. Weathered cedar siding blended with neighboring vacation properties. Palm trees swayed along the gravel driveway where Lawson parked after a circuitous drive from Savannah.
The security keypad accepted the code without issue. Inside, the house smelled of disuse and air freshener. Hardwood floors gleamed beneath area rugs. Coastal-themed artwork decorated walls painted in neutral blues and tans. Generic enough to serve as a vacation rental but tasteful enough to reflect Claire's sensibilities.
Lawson dropped her bag beside the couch and conducted a thorough sweep. Bedrooms clear. Bathrooms empty. Kitchen untouched since the cleaning service last visited. No surveillance devices hiding in light fixtures or air vents. No signs of intrusion.
Windows offered views of neighboring houses but provided sufficient privacy with drawn blinds. The rear deck faced a small garden rather than the beach, offering concealed outdoor space.
She unpacked methodically. Clothes in the guest bedroom dresser. Laptop on the kitchen counter. Monica's journal secured in the nightstand drawer. In the quiet routine ofunpacking, the reality of what had been stolen from her finally set in.
Blackwell possessed her most intimate memories now. By tomorrow morning, millions of podcast listeners would hear about her relationship with Monica. Evidence she'd denied for five years, now exposed for public consumption.
The kitchen cabinets revealed basic supplies—canned goods, pasta, coffee. The refrigerator stood empty except for condiments. She knew she should drive to town for groceries. Should establish security protocols. Should contact Parks about Hutchinson's murder investigation.
Instead, she found herself studying the drink cart in the living room. Crystal decanters containing amber liquid. Polished glasses arranged in neat rows. Five months sober suddenly felt like an arbitrary achievement compared to the immediate need for chemical oblivion.
She opened the nearest decanter and sniffed. Bourbon. Top shelf, from the smoothness wafting toward her. Her hand trembled slightly as she poured two fingers into a tumbler. The liquid caught the afternoon sunlight streaming through windows, transforming ordinary alcohol into liquid gold.
