Murder Deja Vu

breakfast. When he raised his head, Payton said, “Go on.”
    “Now I’m not sure if he was dead or not. I only know from that time on, Minette thought he owned me. And I haven’t had a sober night’s sleep since.” He focused on Payton. “After I left his house that night, my hands shook so I could barely hold on to the steering wheel. When I got home, I was as sick as I’d ever been. I drove the car one more time, then parked it in the garage. It’s still there, dusty and probably needing a good tune-up, nearing antique status. I keep renewing my license, paying the taxes and registration, but I’ve never been able to get past turning the key in the ignition, which I do when I remember. You’d think that would have been enough to stop me drinking, but it had the opposite effect.”
    “So you’ve confined yourself to Regal Falls.”
    “Hard to admit, but yes, with a drinking problem and three ex-wives who drove. If I had it to do over again, I’d go to the police and tell them what happened. But the longer I didn’t, the harder it was to do. And with no news of a hit and run, I kept telling myself it didn’t happen. When I’m drunk, I actually believe it, or at least I can’t remember it.”
    “If Minette knowingly concealed the crime—if there was one—he’s just as guilty.”
    “He’d say it was privileged information.”
    “Privilege doesn’t apply to communications between an attorney and a client that further a crime. Minette’s slick. I’m sure he covered his ass, but what he did was illegal. He could and should be disbarred. But it’s your word against his.”
    “I know. So now what?”
    “I want everything you have on Minette.”
    “This is a small town, Jim. The people who grow up here know one another. School friends stay friends, even if they move away.”
    “You’re going to have to relinquish your leverage, Harris.”
    “It’ll open a Pandora’s box. Aside from releasing my hold on Minette, I’d be getting someone else involved. Something I hoped I’d never have to do.”
    “I’ll try to use the information without involving that person. But if I have to, I will.”
    “I know, I know.” He nodded and went into a long pause. “Robert raped a woman, a friend. The woman, who shall remain nameless, came to me to ask what she should do. She was bruised and traumatized but more afraid if she made the rape public against someone like Robert, people would say she asked for it or that it had been consensual. Either way, a lose/lose situation for her.”
    Payton nodded. “It’s a hard call to prove rape, and even harder against a so-called upstanding citizen like Minette. And this was years ago, I assume, while he was still married to Dana.”
    “Yes, during the time Dana began figuring out who she’d married and I realized who I’d sold my soul to. The woman gave me the whole story, along with photographs and a signed affidavit. She still didn’t want to go public, but she said I could use it to keep Robert in line. If I found out he did it again and the second woman would come forward, she would too. Safety in numbers, I guess. I showed a copy to Robert and swore I’d release it if he gave her or anyone else trouble. He believed me. It would have tarnished what he thought of as his good name and ruined any chance of him running for higher office.”
    “What happened to the woman?” Payton asked.
    “She moved away without leaving a forwarding address. I know where she is. She didn’t want to be anywhere near Robert and didn’t trust him not to exact revenge. Robert labeled it extortion, which it was in an emotional sense. My friend’s rape story leveled the playing field with Robert, and I used it to refuse to write certain stories.”
    “What kind of stories?”
    “Those that either smeared a political opponent or a defense witness. I never wrote anything that wasn’t true and I never embellished. When I didn’t write what he wanted, he threatened to expose the accident. I threatened to reveal my friend’s letter.”
    “What he asked you to do was an offense in itself.”
    “Don’t you think I know that? I should have reported him, but I was protecting my own ass. I’m not proud of that. Makes me as unethical as Robert, which is another reason I can’t sleep.”
    Payton blew out a long breath. “So the two of you really have been playing Russian roulette.”
    “Yes. I have more on Robert. A telephone recording from about ten years ago. The