Page 33 of The Devil's Advocate

She broke off, drew a napkin from her sleeve and dabbed at her eyes with it.

‘I went to Skylar’s funeral. That man, Mr. Korn, stood beside Skylar’s parents the whole time. He was whispering to them, and looking at me. Esther Edwards came over after the service. Everyone looking at me. And you know what she did? She spat in my face.Rightin my face. Lord, I was so upset. My son didn’t kill that girl. I knew it then, I know it now. Aw, I don’t blame Esther. She was in pain. I think about what Mr. Korn said, and I remember the look on Esther’s face that day. And I know, I’m gonna feel that pain too, when they take Andy away.’

‘We’ll do our best to make sure that doesn’t happen,’ I said.

Bloch opened her jacket and drew out the report from Doctor Farnesworth, the pathologist selected by Cody Warren, and placed it in her lap. It was a not-so-subtle hint that I had to get specific information, and we didn’t have a lot of time to go softly.

‘Did Andy ever wear a ring with a star-shaped pattern on it?’ I asked.

‘No, Andy never wore rings. I bought him one, once. For his sixteenth birthday. Got it in the pawn shop on Eighth Street. It had two black stones in it. He wore it one day, then said it made his fingers itchy.’

‘Could he have had a button, or a badge or something with a star on it?’

‘No, Andy’s clothes were all plain. What kind of star?’

Bloch turned over a few pages in the report, held it up for me. While we didn’t have photographs, there was a good description of the wound.

‘A five-pointed star,’ I said.

Patricia blessed herself, said, ‘Ain’t that something to do with devil worship? Andy would never have anything to do with something like that.’

Bloch nodded, satisfied, and let me go on to something else.

‘After Andy was arrested, when did you first get to visit with him?’ I asked.

‘It was in the county jail. He told me he had to tell the sheriff he hurt Skylar or they wouldn’t let him out. They told him to sign a piece of paper and then they would let him see me so I could take him home.’

I’d heard of cops leaning on young, frightened suspects. This was not the first time it had happened, and it wouldn’t be the last. There was no videotape or audio of Andy’s interrogation. The recorder wasn’t working, apparently. All we had to go by was the sheriff’s word over Andy’s that Andy signed the confession of his own free will.

‘Andy would have told them anything to get home, Mr. Flynn. He trusted the police. He wasn’t smart, not that way. My poor boy, please tell me there’s something you can do to help.’

‘I’ll do my very best, Patricia. Look, there are no guarantees in a trial. I’ll do all I can to get Andy an acquittal. I promise you. Just one more thing for now, when did you last see Cody Warren?’

‘He came by Quickies, maybe a week ago, said he had found something that could prove Andy was innocent. He didn’t tell me what it was, he just said he had to find out a couple more things. I’m worried about him, too. No one’s seen him for days. Do you think … ?’

‘Do I think something has happened to Cody? Yeah, I do.’

She said, ‘I think you’re right. And I wouldn’t be surprised if the law is behind it. That Sheriff Lomax. He used to be good man. Everyone in the town respected him, and he was good to the poor. Fair, you know. Then this DA came, Korn. And the sheriff’s wife got sick. Mrs. Lomax worked in the charity store on Main Street. She was kind. A quiet woman, but you could tell she wanted to help people. The sheriff changed after she got sick. He whupped Andy. When I saw him that day, he was all beat up. My poor son.’

‘He’ll pay for that,’ said Bloch.

‘Don’t go messing with the sheriff,’ said Patricia.

Bloch leaned forward said, ‘After what you’ve told us tonight, I’m coming for him and Korn.’

‘You need to be careful. They’re dangerous men.’

‘That doesn’t scare me,’ said Bloch.

‘How come?’

‘Because I’m a dangerous woman.’

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

THE PASTOR

Esther Edwards walked on shaky legs to the kitchen table, coffee slewing over the sides of the cups in her hands. Drops splashed on the dirty tile floor of her kitchen, but she couldn’t help it. More spilled with each step. It looked as though those cups weighed twenty pounds. As she set them on the table she mouthed an apology, said it was the meds the doc had given her that made her tremble so. The Pastor nodded, placed his big hand on hers and felt the shakes coursing through her.