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Chapter 86
I didn’t knowwhat to do with myself after I called Detective Holly. I was nervous. This was the break in the case I’d been waiting for, but the Baltimore cops weren’t going to care as much about Emily Parker’s homicide as I did. What if they didn’t let me into the initial interview? They might just ask a few preliminary questions and book Rhea Wellmy-Steinberg on the Michelle Luna homicide. Then Rhea would never talk about Emily.
I had bet the entire Emily Parker case on this roll of the dice. I knew the Baltimore homicide detectives were already pushing it to get a warrant based solely on DNA evidence. It would pass initial appearance and maybe a few evidentiary hearings, but I doubted it was enough to get a conviction. There were too many ways to explain the DNA on the earring. The explanations wouldn’t necessarily be believable, but they only had to convince one person on a jury.
I ran down my task list. It was pretty short. I called Emily’s mother to arrange collecting Emily’s personal effects the next day. Her desk was not at headquarters on Pennsylvania Avenue but in the DC field office where Bobby worked. We would meet there.
Then I called Dave Swinson over at the Metropolitan Police’s Special Investigations unit just to give him a heads-up.
Swinson chuckled and said, “That’s one hell of a job. But I already knew the Baltimore cops—or as we call them, the minor league—were coming to make the arrest. They called our homicide team to make sure someone was available to help them. Special Investigations hears about all of that.”
“I may have to call you if I get frozen out of the interview.”
“You think there’s a chance in hell a suspect like Rhea Wellmy-Steinberg is going to say anything? Doesn’t she have a law degree from NYU or someplace like that?”
“Yeah, Columbia. She hasn’t practiced in a few years and isn’t a current member of the bar.”
Detective Swinson said, “I’m saying, despite the hippie artist demeanor, she’s probably pretty sharp.”
“Lawyers are generally good when they’re dealing with clients. You can never tell how someone under stress will react. That’s why I want to be in that first interview. I need to ask her about Emily Parker while she’s still in shock.”
Detective Swinson hadn’t calmed me down. All I could do was wait.
It was late morning when Detective Holly called me to say they were in DC and intended to make the arrest. I managed to convince them to talk to me first. I raced over to a city office where the Baltimore cops and the DC homicide unit were meeting. From the front of the conference room, Detective Holly gave me a quick wave as I slipped in behind assembled law enforcement.
Of course a lot of detectives were involved in a case that would be a national news event. Though there was agreement that the arrest needed to happen right away, the location was up for debate. Someone suggested going to her house. Someone else argued for alerting Justice Steinberg.
I was happy to see Detective Holly speak up. “We’ve got to conduct an interview as soon as we confront her. We have to rely on the element of surprise. We can’t let her surrender and have time to get her story straight with a lawyer.”
As the group discussed potential ideas, I slipped over to Detective Holly.
I said, “I have a pretty good idea where Rhea is right now.”
“Great. Where is she?”
I gave her my best evil smile. “All it will cost you is a seat at the interview table.”
I could tell Detective Holly was impressed with my negotiating skills.
