The Color of Law_ A Novel - Mark Gimenez [125]
“Sergeant James,” Ray Burns said, “when you arrived at the McCall residence, did you notice anything out of the ordinary?”
“No, sir—except that the front gates were open.”
“What did you do?”
“I drove in, went up to the front door, and rang the doorbell several times. No one answered. I tried the door, but it was locked. So I walked around to the back of the house and found the back door open. I stepped inside the residence and called out, but no one answered.”
“What did you do then?”
“I commenced searching the residence, the ground floor first. Nothing was disturbed, and I found no one. I walked up the stairs to the second floor, started on the west wing. I found the body in a bedroom in the east wing.”
“What body was that?”
“White male, naked, gunshot wound to the head, lying on white carpet soaked in blood.”
“Was the body that of Clark McCall?”
“Yes, sir.”
“You knew that from having met Clark McCall on a prior occasion?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Did you check the body for vital signs?”
“No, sir.”
“Why not?”
“From the appearance of the body, there was no question that the victim was dead and had been for some time. I didn’t want to contaminate the evidence.”
“And was that in accordance with your police training?”
“Uh, well, no, sir. That was in accordance with O.J.’s trial. They accused those L.A. cops of contaminating the evidence. I wasn’t going there.”
“So what did you do?”
“I stepped out of the room and called headquarters, talked to the chief. He called in the Feds. The FBI.”
“Thank you, Sergeant James. No further questions.”
Scott stood and went to the podium.
“Sergeant James, why did your chief call in the FBI?”
“He figured they had jurisdiction.”
“Over a murder?”
“The victim was a federal official.”
“You knew that at the time, when you were standing in his bedroom door?”
“Well, no, sir, I didn’t know that. I guess the chief did.”
“But you knew who the victim was?”
“Yes, sir.”
“And how did you know Clark McCall?”
“Well, Clark McCall, he, uh, he had a history with us.”
“A record?”
“Yes, sir.”
“How long have you been with the Highland Park PD?”
“Twenty-three years this December.”
“And had you ever personally arrested Clark McCall?”
“Yes, sir.”
“On how many occasions?”
“Three that I recall.”
“For what?”
“Disturbing the peace.”
“What was he doing?”
“Drinking in public, when he was in high school.”
“Is that all?”
“Drugs.”
“Is that all?”
“One time he was standing naked in the SMU fountain.”
“Was he ever arrested for a sexual crime?”
“Not that I’m aware of, sir.”
“Was a complaint ever filed against Clark McCall alleging a sexual crime?”
“Not that I’m aware of.”
“So, bottom line, your chief called in the Feds because he knew the victim was the son of Senator McCall?”
“Yes, sir. And because we’d never worked a homicide in Highland Park.”
The next witness for the prosecution was the FBI agent first on the scene, Agent Paul Owen, fifty, ex-military with a soldier’s bearing and haircut.
“Agent Owen,” Ray Burns said, “you arrived at the McCall residence at what time?”
“Approximately two-thirty P.M.”
“And what did you do?”
“I entered the residence, which Highland Park PD had secured, and went upstairs to the crime scene. I observed the victim’s body lying on the floor. I commenced documenting the crime scene, and I called in the Evidence Response Team. They arrived at approximately three P.M.”
“You were in charge of the investigation?”
“Yes, sir.”
“And did you process the crime scene?”
“Yes, sir, we collected the evidence.”
“And what evidence did you collect?”
“We cut out the carpet under and surrounding the body to obtain blood samples. We collected hair next to the body, fingerprints, various pieces of clothing, personal effects, the sheets off the bed, drinking glasses, a .22-caliber bullet imbedded in the floor, a .22-caliber pistol, and the body.”
“And what did you do with this evidence?”
“The body went to the Dallas County medical