“Good morning, Mr. Tobin,” she said rather frostily as she extended her hand. “I recognize Julian, but who is this other individual?”
In contrast to Julian, who was slender and muscled, Darryl was enormous and muscled, kind of like the Incredible Hulk. He and Julian stood as Danni approached them; Darryl towered over her as Jack introduced him.
“This is Darryl Kennedy, Julian’s roommate. He was at the bar on the night in question. I thought you might like to hear what he knows.”
Danni shook his hand, which was enormous, and turned her attention right back to Jack.
“It was so thoughtful of you to bring along a witness to corroborate your client’s testimony.”
Jack wanted to fire back a zinger of his own, but this wasn’t the time for repartee.
“I just thought it might be helpful. I have not personally talked to him.”
“Considering your reputation, that is hard to believe, Mr. Tobin. However, I will accept your words at face value.”
Jack didn’t respond. He wanted this to go smoothly.
Danni was an experienced interrogator. It didn’t take long for her to get both Julian’s and Darryl’s entire stories. She covered all the bases, except for the call from the Miami lawyer, and Jack noticed that she studied the faces of both young men as she listened to their answers.
“Well, what do you think?” he asked when she was done.
“I don’t think anything. Your client’s story completely contradicts that of the complainant. I’ve got to gather the facts and put the pieces together.”
“Speaking of the pieces, you were going to give me some information today.”
Danni reached into her shirt pocket and retrieved a piece of paper which she handed to him. “Remember, if you find anything, you’re going to bring it to me.”
“As fast as I can,” Jack said, smiling.
He called Henry on the way to the parking lot and read him the name and the date of birth of the woman who had made the charge against Julian.
“The rumor is that she’s from Miami.”
“Good because I’m here. I drove home this morning to pick up some clothes. I’ll call you back as soon as I know something.”
Henry’s knowledge of criminals, since he’d been one himself, gave him an innate ability that normal detectives or investigators did not have to find things out on the street. His time as an investigator for Exoneration had helped him hone those skills and learn the more conventional techniques as well. He had Sandra Davis’s address and criminal record literally minutes after hanging up the phone with Jack.
“She’s clean except for an arrest for prostitution ten years ago,” he told Jack.
“She’s thirty now so that means she was twenty when she got arrested. What do you make of that?” Jack asked.
“I don’t know, Jack. She may have been in trouble back then and picked herself up. But it does give this whole rape claim of hers a fishy smell.”
“It sure does. Why is a thirty-year-old woman hitting on a twenty-one-year-old kid?”
“I’m not sure but I’ll find out. I’m heading over to her neighborhood now. She lives in Liberty City. I’m very familiar with the place. I’ll just hang around and see what I can pick up.”
“Keep me posted.”
Jack knew it wouldn’t take long, maybe a game of pool or a beer or two, but Henry would have the skinny on Sandra Davis in a matter of hours.
He dropped the boys off at their apartment and stopped at The Swamp to have another cup of coffee with Ron.
“How’s the investigation going?” Ron asked.
“Terrific. Detective Jansen and I are going to work together to get to the bottom of everything.”
“Really?”
“No, but at least we’re sharing information.”
“So she is at least cooperating with you on the investigation?”
“Somewhat. Her witness has problems and I think she knows it. She’s letting me do the dirty work.”
“You mean Henry is doing the dirty work?”
“Exactly. There’s nobody better.”
Henry called about three hours later.
“I met this druggie. He lives in the same apartment complex as our girl, Sandra. I guess they’re friends. He says she told him the rape story was bogus.”
“Will he talk to the police?”
“Probably, if somebody makes it worth his time.”
“I’ll let you handle that part. I’ve got to tell the detective about this. She’ll probably want to interview this guy.”
“Tell her she needs to come to Miami because this dude is not leaving the place where he gets his dope for any amount of money.”
“I’ll tell her. I’ve got a phone number I need you to look up. Some guy called Julian, said