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“I’m here to make it clear that my client is willing to cooperate in order to clear his name. He will sit for a private polygraph examination, the results of which I will have on your desk before the end of the week. And once your investigation is closed, we fully intend to press charges against this woman for preying on a minor and abusing her authority. This young man is a stellar athlete, straight-A student, and on his way to college to study engineering.”
“That doesn’t preclude someone from being a rapist.”
“Of course not. But what I’m telling you is I will not sit by and allow this young man to be tried in the court of public opinion. I understand you have to do your job and investigate the allegations. What I’m asking from you is that you keep this out of the media.”
“Ms. Walker—”
“I know how it works, Detective. I know you have people over there at theAtlanta Journal Constitution. But I also know a little bit about you. I know you to be an upstanding person in your community. I know you’ve mentored quite a few young men. And I know you understand how much someone like Bakari stands to lose if there’s even a hint of impropriety on his part. With a white woman. InGeorgia." She paused. "Give him his due process, but please, keep this close to the vest. Can you give me your word?”
Eiger sighed and tapped his thumbs together, never taking his eyes off Candace’s face. “Ms. Walker, Mr. Wilkins, I will do everything I can to keep this out of the media. You have my word.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Webbheldthephoneto his ear and watched the steam rise from his coffee mug. He was afraid to take a sip, worried that his mouth would be full when Randy got back on the line.
This was it. He had sat down at his desk that morning and read the message four times. “Lab called. Results are in.”
He’d been on hold for six minutes. He didn’t take it personally; the lab was understaffed, and he wasn’t the only detective hounding Randy for answers. But that didn’t make the wait any easier.
Their interview with Demetrius Branch had gone quite well once the young man decided to save himself. The fact that the Twelve kids were pushing so heavily—at their parents’ behest, he was sure—coupled with the fact that Mr. Branch freely offered up his DNA, already had Webb leaning away from him as the perpetrator. But then he shared what he saw that night, and Webb was almost certain Mr. Branch was innocent.
He’d seen headlights.
Ordinarily, headlights on a dark street are insignificant. Banal. But that particular street was a one way that ran along the back side of the clubhouse, and those particular headlights were shining the wrong way as the car made its way up toward the clubhouse instead of away from it. Mr. Branch couldn’t tell what kind of car it was, and didn’t think much of it at the time, but it was enough to raise Webb’s suspicions. When he checked a nearby surveillance camera and confirmed Mr. Branch’s story, alarm bells went off.
Mike Sills confirmed it in his interview. Demetrius was being used as a cover. For who, Mike didn’t know, but he insisted it wasn’t any of the kids. Webb got the feeling he was suggesting an outsider, but he wouldn’t say any more than that. Truth be told, he would have preferred a stranger. He found himself growing attached to these kids and worrying about their futures. They were too smart and had too much talent just to have it all go down the drain. It would be a total waste.
Ackerman criticized him for having a soft spot, but Webb didn’t care. White cops were always looking at young white suspects—the ones with potential, that is—and seeing their own kids. If the time came, Webb would have no problem snapping the cuffs on any of them, but he wouldn’t be happy about it.
He checked his watch and decided it was safe to take a sip. He filled his mouth with the hot, sweet liquid and savored it just for a second. And then—
“Vaughn?”
He swallowed so quickly he almost choked. “I’m here! I’m here.”
“You alright?”
“Yeah. What do you have?”
“With respect to your DNA submission, it is not a match to the sample found on the victim.”
Webb wasn’t sure how he felt about that. “What about CODIS?”
“No match in CODIS, either.”
“Ugh.”
“Sorry.”
Webb hung up and shook his head at Ackerman, who was waiting expectantly.
“So what now?” Ackerman said.
“We could call all, what, eleven of these guys back in here and ask them nicely to provide DNA.”
“That might work on some of them, but these Twelve kids will bring that lawyer. Guaranteed.”
“Trust me, that crossed my mind. I thought about pulling the gracious host trick, but Will would know to take any cups and water bottles with him when they leave.”
