The Devil's Right Hand - J. D. Rhoades [32]
“Back off, bitch,” Stacy snarled. “Police business.”
“Uh-huh,” the nurse said, standing with her hands on her hips. “I seen your kind of po-lice business. What’s the matter, a man got to be cuffed an’ in a hospital bed before you can take him on?”
“Well,” a deep voice said from the doorway. “This is an interesting scene.”
Scott McCaskill stood slightly inside the door. Despite the hour, the attorney was dressed as if he was entering a courtroom. He strode into the room, his eyes riveted on Stacy.
“Interrogating another prisoner, Stacy?” he said mildly. “I’m sure you’ve read him his rights first.”
“Don’t need to, Stacy said. “He’s not in custody.”
McCaskill gestured at the bed. “He’s handcuffed to the bed.”
“And this man was getting’ ready to hit my patient,” the nurse said.
McCaskill cocked an eyebrow. “Really,” he said. “So I think we can safely assume that anything my client has said will be inadmissible in court.” He gave Stacy a nod of the head that was almost a bow. “Thank you, Detective Stacy,” he said. “You always make a defense lawyer’s job so much easier.” Stacy looked like he was about to go for McCaskill, but Barnes stood up. “C’mon, Stace,” he said. His voice sounded tired. “Let’s let Mister McCaskill have a word with his client.” Stacy stepped back from the bed. He gave Keller a murderous glare. “This isn’t over, asshole,” he said. Keller opened his mouth to reply. McCaskill silenced him with a hand wave. The two detectives left.
McCaskill sat down. looked at the nurse. “I know you, I think.”
She smiled at him. “I reckon you do. I’m Robbie Duke’s Aunt Emma.”
McCaskill snapped his fingers. “Of course.” He stood up and shook her hand. “How is Robbie?”
Her smile broadened. “Graduates from Fayetteville State next semester,” she said. “We got you to thank for that. You hadn’t got him out of that trouble, things would have turned out real different. Once we got him away from those boys he was runnin’ with, he straightened right out.”
McCaskill shook his head. “No, he has you to thank for that. Tell him I asked after him, would you?”
“I surely will,” Emma said. She turned to Keller. “You need anything before I go?” Keller shook his head. She left.
McCaskill sat back down. “My daughter wants me to thank you.”
Keller thought for a moment. “I don’t think I know her.”
“You don’t,” McCaskill said. “But with all the work you and Angela are throwing my way, we’re going to be able to send her to Europe for her senior year.”
“Hilarious,” Keller said. He lay back against the pillows and closed his eyes.
McCaskill smiled. “Tell me what happened.”
Keller started to describe the traffic stop. McCaskill silenced him with a raised hand. “Start with the house,” he said. His tone was mild, but his eyes were sharp.
Keller took a deep breath. He didn’t know how much Angela might have told him. He decided to play it straight. “I had information that a bail jumper named Dewayne Puryear might be holed up there. Three guys got there before I did. One of them was a Latino, maybe a Mexican, I don’t know. The other two looked to be Indians. Lumbees. One of the Indians shot the first guy that answered the door. I think the one that got shot must have been Puryear’s cousin Leonard. They hang out together. When I yelled at them, the other Indian, the one standing beside the door, drew on me.” Keller paused. “I shot him.” He looked at McCaskill. “I didn’t have any choice.” McCaskill looked at him silently, without expression.
Keller stopped. It was an old trick shared by cops and lawyers, creating a silence that the person being interrogated felt obliged to fill. Keller took a deep breath. “Anyway, the other Indian guy apparently tried to shoot it out with Puryear. I guess DeWayne must have got lucky.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Puryear’s always been a small timer. He’s got no record of violence. The other guy, the shooter…well, I don’t know. There was something about him. He moved like a pro. DeWayne must have gotten lucky.”
McCaskill took a small notebook out of an inside pocket. He flipped it open. “They