Page 93 of False Evidence
The camera caught it all, and he gave an internal cheer as she landed the blow that allowed her to escape the officer’s hold.
“Good job, Muffin,” he said through a tight throat.
“You taught me that,” she whispered.
He nodded, remembering the hours they’d spent in the dojo he’d purchased after his sensei had passed. They’d made love after sparring more than once. He’d nearly proposed to her there before he caught himself and waited until they were someplace more romantic than a workout room with a rubber mat floor.
He was so thankful for all the terrible and wonderful moments that brought them together. If it hadn’t been for the threat Russ Spaulding posed, he never would have insisted on teaching her the self-defense moves that had saved her Monday night.
He was even grateful for the twisted, painful path that gave her Gemma, because if JT had married Lex at any point in their timeline, she would never have had a child. Gemma wouldn’t be here, demanding food, making jokes, and giving him drooly smiles.
JT would never know what it was like to fall in fierce love with a toddler.
On the screen, Lex dropped to her knees and touched the downed officer’s tool belt. She removed the Taser from the holster, then abruptly glanced up, looking down the road. She sprang to her feet, nothing in her hands but the hard disk and coat as she darted for the ditch and shrubs on the side of the road.
A moment after she left the frame, the scene lit up. Headlights bathed the unconscious cop in white light. Dark black fluid dripped from the side of his head where he’d been hit with the hard disk.
“At this point, Dr. Vargas has left the scene,” the newswoman said, “apparently because a car approached.”
The light cut out, returning the scene to the artificial light of night video. The car must have parked behind the cruiser, out of the frame, because it never crossed the screen.
A person walked along the road shoulder, on the other side of the cruiser, only visible as movement within the frame. When the person reached the gap between Lex’s car and the cruiser, they moved closer, revealing a head covered with a balaclava.
“Damn,” JT said. It appeared the new arrival was a man, but even that couldn’t be certain given the long coat that obscured their frame.
The person nudged Officer Williams with a boot. JT figured they didn’t bother to check for a pulse because that would require removing the dark gloves. The figure dropped to their knees, head bent over the officer’s face.
Looking for signs of breathing?
A gloved hand pulled Williams’s gun from the holster. The person stood and racked the slide, then pointed the barrel down toward the man on the pavement.
Without warning, the video ended.
The news anchor cleared her throat and said, “We will not air the rest of the video, but instead will state that the gun was fired at the unconscious officer. The shooter then searches the SUV and removes a box from the back. They then return to their vehicle and must’ve made a U-turn, as the third vehicle never passes before the camera. A few minutes later, Dr. Vargas returns, sees the dead officer, and leaves the scene on foot.”
On the screen, a still frame taken from the video fills the space next to the anchorwoman who had been narrating the video. Alexandra’s face is frozen with a shocked and terrified expression. “At this time, Maryland State Police have revised their APB for Dr. Vargas. She is wanted for questioning as a witness in the murder of Officer Williams. She remains a person of interest, but it is clear from the video that she did not fire the gun that killed him. If any of our viewers have information on the shooter, Dr. Vargas, or Officer Williams, please call or message this tip line.” She gave the number, which also appeared in the chyron, and added, “Messaging charges may apply.”
JT’s phone vibrated in his hand, and he glanced down to see a new text.
Lee
Merry Christmas, big brother.
JT’s throat squeezed. He had no doubt who’d leaked the video to the press. No way would the police have released it. He wouldn’t be surprised to learn Lee had tracked down the video before the cops knew it existed. In cities, cops were always looking at private security camera footage, but the odds had been so slim that cameras were on that rural road, they might not have even checked for it.
Lee’s specialty was finding signals in the air and isolating their source. Alexandra had called Erica the moment she was pulled over, so Lee had known exactly where and when to look.
JT
Thanks, Skippy.
Lee
Give Alexandra a hug from me.
Well shit, apparently, Lee knew exactly where Lex was now. But then, it was no longer an urgent secret. This video partially exonerated her.
Sure, the cops could believe she’d colluded in the officer’s murder with the shooter, but the evidence she was simply a victim was compelling.