Page 42 of Say Now
Tommy didn't answer the question, nor did Kent expect an answer.
"Let’s get down to the facts," Kent said."You were released from prison six months ago, Tommy.Is that correct?"
Tommy shrugged."Yeah, that sounds right."
"And just over two weeks ago, you didn't turn up for your check-in with your parole officer.Is that also correct?"Kent asked.
"Yeah, I didn't feel like seeing him."
"Then, you didn't turn up for another check-in with your parole officer, making it two missed meetings in a row.That’s when your parole officer got the cops involved, and a warrant was placed for your arrest.Parole violation, Tommy.You went big with the multiple homicides, but small with the parole violation.A little bit from both ends of the criminal spectrum."
Tommy sat with his arms folded, looking off to the side."I didn't kill anyone."
"Why didn't you go to your parole meetings, Tommy?"Kent asked.
Tommy shrugged again."I didn't feel like going."
"Mmm-hmm," Kent said."That does happen from time to time, and when it does, you go back to jail.You must have known that, though.You knew that when we caught up with you, you would go back to jail for parole violation."
Tommy shrugged and said nothing this time.
Alison was not sure if Kent noticed it, but there was some clear avoidance from Tommy.He was hiding something and didn’t want anyone to know that, trying to hide it behind his indifference.
"So, what were you doing, Tommy?"Kent asked."What were you doing for those two weeks?"
Tommy took a breath and then sighed."Not a lot.Hanging out.Trying to make some money so I could feed myself."
"Yeah, sure, I get that," Kent said."You’re just trying to grift and make a living in the world.All part of your plan to go straight, right?To make your brother proud."
Tommy tensed, and Alison thought he would leap at Kent again, but he held himself back this time.The mention of his brother was an easy way to get a rise out of him, and the more she studied Tommy, the more convinced she became that he knew something about Arturo, that his brother had told him things before he died.Whatever it was he was hiding, he hid it a lot better than he hid his anger.
When Tommy didn't react or say anything, Captain Kent continued.
"Where have you been in the last two weeks, Tommy?"Kent asked."We know you’ve been in your apartment for some of the time.Did you go and visit your mother?Stay with her?Were you staying with friends?Do you have a place where you can hide out?"
"I’ve been around," Tommy said.
Alison looked at the lawyer, then back at Tommy."If you give us something, Tommy, we can help you.You do understand how this looks, don't you?You’re facing murder charges, and you won't tell us where you’ve been over the last two weeks."
Tommy stared at Alison, not saying a word.Yet, his gaze told her there was a lot more to be unpacked.She held his gaze, trying to tell him that she wanted to help him.Perhaps he would be more open when she spoke to him with an FBI agent.If Tommy believed that someone in the force had his brother killed, he wouldn’t talk about that in front of a police captain.
"He knows exactly what he’s doing," Kent said."He knows he doesn’t have a leg to stand on.Here’s what I know.Two weeks ago, you went underground, Tommy.During that time, three doctors were killed.You knew them, didn't you?You posed as your brother to go up to Butte to ask about them.You might have fooled a drunk, but no one would ever believe a man like you could be him."
It was another antagonistic statement from Kent, and it was starting to feel almost personal.Tommy’s jaw was tight, his fists balled as he sat with his arm crossed, but he didn't move this time, not even slightly.
"Arturo told me about them," Tommy said."When he came to visit me in prison or at home when I was there, he told me about his cases, so yeah, I know about the three doctors because of that.He talked to me about all of his cases.And I didn't impersonate my brother.I know I’m not a good enough man to try to be him.I told him my name and asked the other doctor some questions, and he must have assumed I was a cop.He was out of it when I went up there."
"Was he your next victim?"Kent asked.
"I don't have any victims."
"No, he wasn’t, was he?Because he wasn’t one of the six on the wall."
"Why did you go up there, Tommy?"Alison asked."Why did you speak to Dr.Laurent?"
"I don't know," Tommy admitted."I thought I could maybe understand Arturo better.He spoke to me about a lot of things.He mentioned feeling bad for the doctors.He spoke to them all personally during his investigations, and he didn't blame them.He knew how tough it was to work in that job, and he knew it wasn’t their fault.He told me that it was cathartic to speak with them, and I guess I wanted to understand what my brother might have gone through.If you want the truth, I knew I wouldn’t get to speak with him again, and it felt like a way to be closer to him."
"You can cut the bull," Kent said."You can try to rewrite history all you want, but we all knew back then there were faults in the system.Your brother was a good man, but he wasn’t without his faults, too.You knew exactly what you were doing by going up there.You wanted as much information about them as you could get, didn't you?"
