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With Jonah's wide eyes piercing him, that was exactly what Miles felt like doing.
After having breakfast with Jonah, Miles called Sarah to apologize to her as well. Sarah interrupted before he had a chance to finish.
"Miles, you don't have to say you're sorry. After all that happened, it was pretty obvious that you needed to be alone. How are you feeling this morning?"
"I'm not sure. About the same, I guess."
"Are you going in to work?"
"I have to. Charlie called. He wants me to meet him in a little while."
"Will you call me later?"
"If I get the chance. I'll probably be pretty tied up today."
"With the investigation, you mean?"
When Miles didn't answer, Sarah twirled a few strands of hair. "Well, if you need to talk and can't reach me, I'll be at my mom's house."
"Okay."
Even after hanging up the phone, Sarah couldn't escape the feeling that something terrible was about to happen.
By nine in the morning, Charlie was working on his fourth cup of coffee and told Madge to keep them coming. He'd slept only a couple of hours and had made it back to the station before the sun had risen.
He'd been busy ever since. He'd met with Harvey, interviewed Otis in his cell, and spent some time with Thurman Jones. He'd also called in extra deputies to look for Sims Addison. So far, nothing.
He had, though, come to some decisions.
Miles arrived twenty minutes later and found Charlie waiting for him outside his office.
"You doing okay?" Charlie asked, thinking Miles looked no better than he did.
"Tough night."
"Tough day, too. Need some coffee?"
"Had plenty at the house."
He motioned over his shoulder. "C'mon in, then--we have to talk."
After Miles entered, Charlie closed the door behind him and Miles sat in the chair. Charlie leaned against the desk.
"Listen, before we begin," Miles started, "I guess you should know that I've been working on this since yesterday, and I think I might have some ideas--"
Charlie shook his head, not letting him finish. "Look, Miles, that's not why I wanted to see you. Right now, I need you to listen, okay?"
There was something in his expression that told Miles he wasn't going to like what he was about to hear, and he stiffened.
Charlie glanced at the tile floor, then back at Miles again.
"I'm not going to beat around the bush here. We've known each other too long for that." He paused.
"What is it?"
"I'm going to release Otis Timson today."
Miles's mouth opened, but before he said anything, Charlie raised his hands.
"Now before you think I'm jumping to conclusions, hear me out. I didn't have a choice, not based on the information that I have so far. Yesterday, after you left, I went up to visit with Earl Getlin."
He told Miles what Getlin had said.
"Then you have the proof you need," Miles shot back.
"Now hold on. Let me also say I think there are some serious questions about his possible testimony. From what I heard, Thurman Jones would eat him alive, and there's not a jury that would believe a word he said."
"So leave that up to the jury," Miles protested. "You can't just let him go."
"My hands are tied. Believe me, I stayed up all night, looking over the case. As it stands, we don't have enough to hold him. Especially now that Sims has flown the coop."
"What are you talking about?"
"Sims. I had deputies looking for him yesterday, last night, and this morning. After he left here, he just vanished. No one's been able to find him, and Harvey isn't willing to let any of this go on unless he can talk to Sims."
"For God's sake, Otis admitted it."
"I don't have a choice," Charlie said.
"He killed my wife." Miles spoke through clenched teeth.
Charlie hated the fact that he had to do this.
"This isn't just my decision. Right now, without Sims, we don't have a case and you know it. Harvey Wellman said there was no way that the DA's office would file charges as things stand now."
"Harvey's making you do this?"
"I spent the morning with him," Charlie answered, "and I also talked to him yesterday. Believe it when I say he's been more than fair. It's nothing personal--he's just doing his job."
"That's crap."
"Put yourself in his position, Miles."
"I don't want to put myself in his position. I want Otis charged with murder."
"I know you're upset--"
"I'm not upset, Charlie. I'm pissed off like you wouldn't believe."
"I know you are, but this isn't the end. You've got to understand that even if we let Otis go, that doesn't mean he won't be charged in the future. It just means that we don't have enough to hold him now. And you should also know the highway patrol is reopening the investigation. This isn't over yet."
Miles glared. "But until then, Otis is free to go."
"He'd be free on bail, anyway. Even if we did charge him with hit-and-run, he'd walk out of here. You know that."
"Then charge him with murder."
"Without Sims? Without other evidence? There's no way that would fly."
There were times when Miles despised the criminal justice system. His eyes darted around the room before settling on Charlie again.
"Did you talk to Otis?" he finally asked.
"Tried to this morning. His lawyer was there and advised him not to answer most of my questions. Didn't get any information that would help."
"Would it help if I tried to talk to him?"
Charlie shook his head. "There's no chance of that, Miles."
"Why not?"
"I can't allow that."
"Because it's about Missy?"
"No, because of the stunt you pulled yesterday."
"What are you talking
about?"
"You know exactly what I'm talking about."
Charlie stared at Miles, watching for his reaction. Miles seemed to have none, and Charlie got up from behind the desk.
"Let me be frank, okay? Even though Otis wouldn't answer any questions about Missy, he did volunteer information about your behavior yesterday. So now I'm going to ask you about it." He paused. "What happened in the car?"
Miles shifted in his chair. "I saw a raccoon in the road and had to hit the brakes."
"Do you think I'm stupid enough to believe that?"
Miles shrugged. "It's what happened."
"And if Otis tells me that you did it simply to hurt him?"
"Then he's lying."
Charlie leaned forward. "Is he also lying when he tells me that you pointed your gun at his head, even though he was on his knees with his hands up? And that you held it there?"
Miles squirmed uncomfortably. "I had to keep the situation under control," he said evasively.
"And you think that was the way to go?"
"Look, Charlie, no one was hurt."
"So in your mind, it was completely justified?"
"Yes."
"Well, Otis's lawyer didn't think so. And neither did Clyde. They're threatening to file a civil lawsuit against you."
"A lawsuit?"
"Sure--excessive force, intimidation, police brutality, the whole works. Thurman has some friends at the ACLU and they're thinking of joining the lawsuit as well."
"But nothing happened!"
"It doesn't matter, Miles. They have a right to file whatever they want. But you should know that they've also asked Harvey to file criminal charges."
"Criminal charges?"
"That's what they say."
"And let me guess--Harvey's going to go along with that, right?"
Charlie shook his head. "I know you and Harvey don't get along, but I've worked with Harvey for years and I think he's fair most of the time. He was pretty hot about the whole thing last night, but when we met this morning, he said he didn't think he was going to go forward with it--"
"So there's no problem, then," Miles interrupted.
"You didn't let me finish," Charlie said. He met Miles's gaze. "Even though he may not go forward, that's not set in stone. He knows how caught up you are in this, and even though he doesn't think you had the right to let Sims go or take it on yourself to arrest Otis, he knows you're human. He understands the way you felt, but that doesn't change the fact that you acted inappropriately, to say the least. And because of that, he told me that he thinks it would be best if you're placed on suspension--with pay, of course--until all this works itself out."
