Executioner's Song, The - Norman Mailer [122]
Wootton was sitting on the desk in the detectives' room at the Provo Police Station, wearing his boots and Levi's, and not looking very official, when Gilmore was brought in. The prisoner looked pretty messed up. His left arm was bandaged in a cast and his hair was unruly. His Vandyke goatee looked wild. He was glaring. Seemed pissed off about the whole deal.
Gilmore acted particularly angry that he had chains on his feet. It made Wootton glad there were a number of cops around. Chains and all, he would not have wanted to be alone in that room with Gilmore.
Just so soon as Wootton learned that the only man Gilmore would talk to was Gerald Nielsen, he took the Lieutenant aside and told him what strategy to use to calm Gilmore down, get him into a befriending type of thing, be sure to advise him of all his rights. Also make sure he was not under the influence of alcohol, knew where he was, what he was doing. Most important, don't put pressure on him.
Wootton was taking care not to get into a dialogue with Gilmore. Such a conversation could easily become evidence, and then he might have to get up on the stand. Since he was going to prosecute the case, he didn't wish to be in Court wearing a second hat. So he listened through a speaker to the conversation Nielsen conducted in another room.
3
July 1, 1976 5:00 a.m.
GILMORE What am I being held for?
NIELSEN I don't know except I suspect armed robbery. I'm almost sure that's what it is.
GILMORE What robbery?
NIELSEN The one here in Provo tonight at the motel, and the one last night in Orem at the service station.
GILMORE You know, I can account for last night real well, and I can account for tonight . . .
NIELSEN Not too well, Gary.
GLMORE Yes I can . . . I went and had some work done on my truck down at Penney's. You'll see the receipts in the glove box, and I did some drinking. The truck kept stopping so I took it down here . . . and told them, "Listen, I'll leave my truck here and I'll pick it up in the morning and go to work and go down here and rent a room." I walked in and this guy had a gun on this guy. I grabbed it and he tried to shoot me in the head, and I pushed the gun up, and it got me in the hand. By that time, we was about outside, so I just went back down and got my truck and went out to Pleasant Grove . . .
NIELSEN That's your story?
GILMORE That's the truth.
NIELSEN I don't believe it, Gary, I really don't believe that, and I know that you know that I don't . . .
GILMORE I'm just telling you what happened . . .
NIELSEN You know that story doesn't convince me, okay? I can't understand why those people got shot. Why did you shoot them, Gary? That's what I'm wondering.
GILMORE I didn't shoot anybody.
NIELSEN I think you did, Gary. That's the only thing I can't understand.
GILMORE Listen, last night I was with that girl all night.
NIELSEN What girl?
GILMORE April Baker.
NIELSEN April Baker? Where's she from, how can I get in touch with her?
GILMORE She lives in Pleasant Grove. She was with me every minute. Her mother will tell you that I went over there and picked her up pretty early in my truck. See, I was going with her big sister, you know, who used to live out in Spanish Fork and we busted up, I went over to show them my truck and April said, "Take me down here to get something for my brother," and I said, "Do you want to drive around and drink some beer?" and she said, "Yeah." She don't get along with her mother. She said, "Okay," so we drove around and drank some beer, smoked some weed, and I said, "Let's get a motel. I have to work in the morning." She said, "Go out here to American Fork." Well, I couldn't find one, so I ended up coming back to . . .
NIELSEN