Chapter 67
YOU HAVE NOreason to protect anyone,” said Decker.
He was sitting in an interrogation room at police headquarters with Lassiter on one side of him and Kemper and Jamison on the other.
Across from them was Alice Martin sitting very primly in her seat. She didn’t answer.
“We checked the big game freezerin your basement,” said Decker. “The one presumably your husband used to store his venison in. But you didn’t just keep deer meat in there. Whoever put Beatty and Smith in there wasn’t all that careful. Their DNA has been recovered by the DEA.” He glanced meaningfully at Kemper. “And that particular federal agency is out for blood. So, I say again, you have no reason to protect anyone.”
She lifted her gaze to his. “How can you possibly know that?”
“Convince me otherwise.”
She smoothed out her long skirt and rested her hands in her lap.
“I have children and grandchildren, and soon I’ll have great-grandchildren. I have to think of them.”
“How did you even get mixed up with something like this?” asked Lassiter.
“I outlived whatlittle money I had a long time ago. I’m eighty-eight and in reasonably good health. Once you’ve reached this age, your odds of living another ten years or so are pretty good. I did not wish to do so in abject poverty. I’m tired of never going anywhere. Of never having anything.”
“Your kids couldn’t help?”
“My children are barely making ends meet themselves. I have Social Securityand that’s it. And even here that does not go a long way.”
“Lots of people have only Social Security, and they don’t join a drug cartel to earn more money,” pointed out Kemper.
“I did not join a drug cartel!” she said sharply.
“Then why don’t you tell us what youdiddo,” said Lassiter.
“I merely looked the other way,” she said, her gaze perhaps symbolicallyaverted from them. “When things began to happen on our street.”
“What sorts of things?” asked Decker.
“When certain equipment was brought into the house where those men were found and in the one next to it. When unsavory types started coming and going at all hours.”
“They were pill presses,” said Decker. “And they picked this street because it only had three peopleliving on it and one of them was blind.”
“And one of them was also in on it,” added Lassiter. “Fred Ross. Was he the one who approached you and asked you to look the other way?”
Martin nodded. “That’s why they picked this street. Like you said, Dan was blind. Fred was just a horrible person. And I…”Her voice trailed off. “If I hadn’t gone along they would have just killedme. What was I supposed to do?”
“Call the cops?” said Jamison.
“The cops?” she scoffed. “Fred told me that half the force is in on it.”
“That’s bullshit!” exclaimed Lassiter. “You could have come to me, Alice. I would have done something about it.”
“What did they offer you?” Decker asked.
“Compensation.”
“How much?”
“Two thousanddollars a week. In cash. And I really had to do nothing. Just…look the other way.”
Jamison said, “No, you let them put bodies in your freezer.”