They were trapped.
12
Catherine listened to Reid’s lawyer make a compelling case for both dismissal of all charges and a low bail.
“Your honor,” Franklin Graves was saying, “the police rushed to judgment. My client explained why he entered the suite where, in the course of his job on the maintenance staff of Sapphire Shoals, he saw two guests lying on the floor who he thought were unconscious. He went to help, not to do harm.”
“Your honor,” Anson stood, “Mr. Reid had a laundry cart that he wheeled into the room. He had zip ties and duct tape on his person. Two FBI agents came in and caught him squatting over Agent Costa. As you are aware, three couples have been abducted from the resort over the last seven months, and all of them have been found dead. Detective Quinn perfectly fits the description of the three women who were abducted and murdered.”
Graves said, “If the police had evidence that my client killed anyone, they would have charged him with homicide. As it is, they are desperate and grasping at straws. My client has workedat the Shoals for nine months and has an exemplary employment record. In addition, he did not attempt to restrain anyone. The zip ties in his pocket are the same zip ties that are used in any number of tasks at the resort from wrapping wire to tagging equipment. Virtually every employee in his department has the exact same ties while working.”
The judge said, “We’re not litigating this case here. My job is to determine if there is probable cause to hold Mr. Reid. Mr. Anson, will you be charging Mr. Reid with homicide?”
“Detectives and my office are still investigating and—”
The judge hit his gavel. “Bail is set for $100,000 and I will see all parties back in my courtroom in one week, Monday, 9:00a.m., for a preliminary hearing. You will have your ducks in a row, Mr. Anson, or all charges will be dismissed. Understood?”
“Yes, your honor.”
“Court adjourned.” He banged the gavel.
Bianca swore under her breath. “We’re screwed.”
“We need to talk,” Catherine said quietly as she watched Reid. He whispered with his lawyer. Reid looked pleased. Not simply relieved, but pleased as if he expected the outcome but it was better than he thought.
He would run, she suspected. Graves’s claims that Reid wanted to clear his name notwithstanding, he had to know they weren’t going to stop looking for Matt and Kara. Anson was right not to charge him with homicide. Putting that in the charges would have started the clock. They would have to turn over evidence to the defense in discovery, and without anything of substance, the defense could easily have had the entire case dismissed.
Attempted kidnapping was enough for now; they could always add on charges as soon as they had hard physical evidence against Reid. When they arrested him for first-degree murder, they’d get his bail revoked.
Bianca followed Catherine out of the courtroom. Catherineturned to the detective and asked, “How long until he’s released?”
“Hour, take or leave.”
“The lawyer seems competent. Have you seen him in action?”
“No. John hasn’t even heard of him, and he knows most of the defense lawyers in northern Florida.”
Catherine wanted to know more about the lawyer because it seemed odd that Garrett Reid, who had lived in Florida for less than a year, had a specific lawyer to call when arrested for a serious felony.
“Someone needs to follow Reid,” Catherine said.
“My boss won’t authorize that,” Bianca said. “He’s already angry about how this entire thing went down, and is playing CYA with the DA and media right now.”
Catherine was afraid of that. “I’ll have my people do it, but we’re going to need to work together to build a case against him—and find my agents.”
“Unless you’re wrong,” Bianca said pointedly. “Maybe heisinnocent, and someone we haven’t even considered is the killer.”
Catherine tensed, expecting the reaction but still angry about it. “I’m not wrong,” she said. “He’s not innocent.”
“You were wrong about the partner.”
She nodded once.
It wouldn’t be the first time she was wrong. So wrong that she may have gotten her best friend killed.
Like she got her sister killed.
She pushed her grief back deep inside. If she started thinking about Beth now, if she started remembering the bastard who killed her—and how wrong Catherine had been about the profile—then she wouldn’t be able to do her job and she might as well go home, curl up into a ball, and cry.
