Baltimore 03 - Did You Miss Me?

risk . . . and your golden boy brother blows it. So here you are. That’s gotta chafe.’
    George looked away.
    ‘Yours was the most dangerous part,’ Joseph went on. ‘You had to get the knife. If you made it, kudos. They might find a place for you in the workshop in prison.’ Joseph exaggerated a grimace. ‘Except they don’t let death row prisoners have jobs.’
    George’s gaze came back around in slow motion, stunned at first, then disbelieving. ‘I didn’t kill anybody.’
    Joseph shrugged again. ‘Reggie did.’
    Fear flashed in his eyes. Fear and guilt. ‘The deputy . . . ?’
    ‘He died,’ Joseph lied harshly.
    George wasn’t that stupid. And the boy seemed to have some thread of conscience. I can use that .
    ‘You brought Reggie the knife. Therefore you are as guilty as if you stabbed the deputy yourself.’
    George’s reaction was the polar opposite of Bill’s. There was no glee. No smug joy. Just cold-blooded fear. ‘But I didn’t kill anybody,’ he insisted desperately. ‘I didn’t.’
    Joseph thought of Isaac Zacharias and wanted to cause George great pain. He said nothing, though. Just watched as George thought through the possibilities.
    ‘I did not kill anyone. They can’t give me the death penalty for bringing the knife.’
    Joseph wondered if George even realized he’d just confessed. ‘See, this is what I meant by the dirty work, George. Reggie gets himself jailed for murdering that couple on the side of the road. He’s found guilty by the jury. He has nothing to lose. What’s one more once you’ve killed already?’ He paused a moment, letting the statement hover. ‘You, on the other hand, you didn’t kill the couple on the side of the road. Yet now, here you sit. Because they gave you the dirty work. “Bring me the knife, George. Create a disturbance in the courtroom, George. Help your brother escape, George. ” ’
    George sat silently, his massive chest moving up and down.
    ‘You might be right, George,’ Joseph said softly. ‘The jury might not give you the death penalty since you didn’t actually touch the deputy. But I can guarantee they’ll give you the death penalty for the murder of that DC cop.’
    George’s swollen eyes widened and his mouth dropped open. ‘Wh-what? No. No. No fucking way. I did not kill anyone. I really didn’t kill a cop.’
    Joseph took a photo of Zacharias’s body from his pocket and slid it down the table.
    George paled. ‘They cut off his head. Oh my God. I don’t know him. I swear it.’
    ‘I can believe that,’ Joseph said. ‘You didn’t know he was there. He surprised you in the alley. I can believe you’d never seen him before.’
    ‘What? That guy was not in the alley. I would have noticed that . ’
    ‘When were you in the alley, George?’ Joseph asked silkily.
    George realized he’d said too much.
    ‘CSU found the dead cop’s blood on the knife Reggie used in the courtroom. He was killed last night. With the knife you had possession of this morning.’
    ‘You’re lying,’ George said, his body starting to rock. ‘You’re lying.’
    ‘No, I’m not. I found the cop’s body this morning. Long before the verdict was read. You smuggled the knife into the courtroom. You had it last night. You killed Officer Zacharias. You slit his throat.’
    ‘No I didn’t! I didn’t have it last night! I just got it this morning. I swear . I never saw it before this morning and I wish I’d never seen it at all.’ Tears cut new streaks in the dirt on his cheeks. ‘Oh my God.’ George’s rocking grew more pronounced. ‘Son of a motherfucking bitch .’
    ‘You slit his throat, George. And then you did the dirty work you were sent to do. See, I believe you when you say you never saw Officer Zacharias before last night. You didn’t know he’d be there when you carried out the real reason you were sent to that alley. You killed the cop, then kidnapped those two college kids.’
    George scrambled to his feet. ‘No, I did not. I don’t even know what you’re talking about. Kidnapping? That’s crazy. You’re crazy.’
    ‘Sit down, George,’ Joseph barked.
    George sat, almost missing the chair because his legs were trembling so badly. ‘You’ve got to believe me.’
    Joseph was very conscious of the time. He needed to get Grayson something linking Richard Odum to the money so they could get a warrant. ‘Why should I?’
    ‘Because I didn’t do it!’ George cried.
    ‘The real killer did