Читать книгу BORDER JUSTICE - Aubrey Smith - Страница 15

At two o’clock there was a knock on her bedroom door. Her father opened the door and said, “Sierra, the sheriff’s here.” Having heard the two cars pull up in the drive, she was ready for the knock and not surprised when her father called her.

“I’m coming,” she said and prayed a little prayer as she opened the door to face her father and Sheriff Rey Garza. Somehow Rey didn’t look the same with a western hat pulled low on his head and a gun strapped around his waist. Somehow he didn’t look as friendly as he had last night at the park.

“Sierra,” he smiled and motioned her to sit down on the couch. When she did, he pulled up a chair and sat close to face her. “The first thing I’ve got to do is advise you of you constitutional rights. Now, I don’t think for a minute that you murdered that boy, but I want you to have all the protection the law gives you. Understand?”

“I understand.”

“You have the right to remain silent. You have the right to have an attorney. You have the right to have that attorney present while I question you. Sierra, you don’t have to talk with me. You don’t have to say a word. You can go back into your room any time you want. Understand?”

She nodded and he went on, “But, if you do talk with me, anything you say can be used against you in a court of law. Do you understand that?” Again she nodded and he continued. “Sierra, do you want to call an attorney?”

“No sir.”

“Do you want to talk with me about your relationship with the deceased? Randy.”

“I don’t mind. I didn’t shoot Randy.”

“I really believe you. I’m sure you didn’t murder Randy. How old are you Sierra?”

“Seventeen.”

“Good, if you were any younger, I’d have to take you before a magistrate before I could talk with you. That might open you and your family up for more gossip than there already is. Would you like for your mother and daddy to leave the room while we talk?”

“No, it’s okay. I want them here.” Her dad came and sat beside her on the couch. He was pale and drawn and didn’t say a word. She thought he looked scared and reached out and took his hand in hers. “Go on, Mr. Garza, ask whatever you want.” Her dad mumbled something about it was now Sheriff Garza.

“All right, Sierra, why don’t you tell me whatever you feel is important.”

“Where do you want me to begin?”

“At the beginning.”

“Well there’s not much to tell. Randy asked me to the prom. It was my first prom. Randy Howard was not my first choice for the prom, but, as it turned out, Leo Castro had asked Jill Harris instead. The Sounds of Music were playing at the dance. Mama helped me get dressed. Sandra let me borrow her gold necklace, the antique necklace that had belonged to our great grandmother.”

Sierra paused and Sheriff Garza said, “Go on.”

“Papa told me that I shouldn’t plan on staying out all night, said for us to be home by two A.M., not a second later. When Randy arrived, he had a purple orchid for me and then we left in his old blue pickup. Randy told me to open the glove box and when I asked him why he said, “Just open it and you’ll see.”

“What did you see?”

“There were two glasses in there and then he told me to take one of the glasses and hold it under a hose. When I placed a glass under the hose, Randy reached and pushed the windshield washer button and liquid squirted from the hose into the glass.

“What was the liquid?” Garza asked.

“It was sangria. We both drank a glass of the wine and then we went to the dance. After the dance, we rode around and…” Sierra hung her head, “We drank some more wine and I got a little drunk and then sick. It was almost daylight when we got home. Then I caught heck from Papa and Mama for being out all night. I know they knew I had been drinking. Then at school Randy told all the boys that we had slept together. I was so mad I hit him in the mouth and was expelled. I haven’t seen Randy since that day at lunch.”

“Well Sierra, I think most of that story is probably true, but one thing bothers me. Several people have come forward to say that they saw you arguing with Randy at the dance Sunday night. Sierra,” the Sheriff said, “let me tell you what I already know and then you fill in the gaps, okay?”

“Okay,” Sierra said as she scrunched down into the couch.

“I can accept most of what you’ve told me,” Garza said and moved a little closer. “The deputies have already talked with several people concerning your actions for the past few days. We know that you were with Randy at the prom and that you both had been drinking. We already knew about the wine in the windshield washer bottle because he’d bragged about that to several other boys.”

Sierra thought she was about to cry. What else does he know? She wondered.

“We also know that you were not seen by anyone after you left the dance until sunrise the next morning. The station attendant told us that Randy came in about daylight. He also told us that you went to the restroom to straighten up your appearance and that Randy told him that you all had had sex.” Sierra sunk lower into the couch and fought back tears. She couldn’t look at the sheriff or her parents. “We’ve talked to several people at school, including Mr. Ramirez. In other words, we’ve confirmed that part of your story.”

Garza laid his hand on hers. His voice low and soft and she thought she might pass out. A single tear rolled down her cheek.

“Now about Sunday night, the victory rally at the West End Park. You and Randy were already the talk of town. Everyone knew what he was saying about you. And they knew about the fight at school. So when you were seen talking to him at the dance, several people noticed and remembered.” Garza paused, letting his words sink in. Then he continued, “They say you and Randy seemed to be arguing and that he grabbed you and you pushed him away and stormed off to the west, away from the dance and away from the park. They say Randy followed you. At least he went the same way you had gone. They also say Randy was drunk or that he’d been drinking quite a bit. Is this true so far?”

Sierra bit her lip and in a low, child-like, tiny voice she said, “Yes.”

“We also know that about an hour later it was dark and you came back to the park from the north. Some people saw you come out of the brush about a hundred yards from where Randy’s body was found. They say you looked like you had been in a fight and said your hair was a mess. It looked to them as if you had been crying. We know you went straight to the restroom and fixed your hair and washed your face. You talked to your sister and then went and talked with several of your school friends.”

Garza watched Sierra. He waited again for his words to have an effect and then he said, “Sierra tell me what happened during the time you walked away to the west and when you came back to the dance from the north.”

“I just walked, that’s all. I went over by the school, circled the football field and then back to the school and sat in the baseball dugouts for a while. I never saw Randy. I walked around the football field again, went two blocks and walked back to the highway and the park. It was getting dark and I tripped over a stick and fell, that’s why my hair was messed up. That’s all. I swear I never saw Randy while I was walking.”

Garza leaned back a little. “Sierra, I hope you’re telling me the truth. Do you remember seeing Mrs. Terry when you walked by her house?”

“Yes, I forgot. She was working out in her garden, watering something.”

“She seems to confirm your story and remembers seeing you walk by just at dusk. She’s sure you were alone and she said you looked like you’d lost your last friend. Mrs. Terry also said she’s positive she did not see anyone who looked like Randy come by. She was out in the garden until after dark. She did say she heard a car drive by just after nightfall with its lights off. Sierra, did you kill Randy Howard?”

“No. I swear. I’ve told you the truth. I didn’t shoot Randy. Why don’t you believe me?”

“I’d like to, Sierra, but you haven’t been exactly truthful, now have you?”

Sierra seemed to have stopped breathing. Garza thought how frail and scared she looked. Then he said, “I’ve known your father and mother all my life. I hope you are not involved in this. I hope you are telling the truth now. Is there anything else you want to tell me?”

Sierra looked at the floor and shook her head. Her heart stopped for half a second when Garza asked, “Would you be willing to take a polygraph test? You understand, a lie detector?”

“I guess. Do those things really work?”

“They work and, if you’re telling the truth, it’ll show it. We’re going to send the bloody rock to the Department of Safety’s Criminal Investigation Lab in Austin and let them see if they can find any fingerprints on it.”

Oh Lord in Heaven, have mercy on my soul. She wondered, How in God’s name did I get into this? Now I’m a murder suspect, hip-deep in lies and about to get caught by a lie detector and fingerprints. Sierra you were stupid to think you could get away with not telling them you hit Randy with that rock. Please dear God, let them catch whoever killed Randy before they arrest me for killing him.

“Sierra if you think of anything else you’ve forgotten to tell me, I want you to call me at the Rio County Sheriff’s Office, you hear?”

“Yes sir. I will.”

“Tony, as a friend, I think my advice is that you’d better get an attorney before she talks with anyone else.” Her father nodded and walked Garza outside to his car. Sierra went back to her room.