Chapter 12
Betty was sitting in the living room when Ed walked in. She could tell that something was bothering him and she got up and followed him into the kitchen. Ed leaned against the counter for a minute before speaking. She watched his face waiting for him to speak.
Ed started telling her everything that he had learned. Several times she interrupted him to ask a question. At times she got a pleased look on her face, thinking that she might no longer be a suspect and then would get a worried look on her face as he continued telling her what he had learned. When he had finished telling her everything, she just looked at him without saying anything.
Finally she spoke, "I don't know whether I am still a suspect or not. What you told me doesn't sound right. Are you sure you have the story right?"
Ed grinned at her, "Thank You. We cops are trained to suspect even facts we know are true. I thought that I was just being a cop. Apparently, even you smell a rat."
Ed and Betty went over what he had told her and discussed every item, dissecting the item and trying to find fault with everything. Ed saw that they were getting nowhere. Ed excused himself and started drawing a bath. Many times, he had sat in a hot bath and pondered a tough case when he was on the force. Betty sat at the kitchen table. Ed told her that he would like to just sit and soak awhile.
Ed gathered his clothes from the bedroom and went into the bathroom. He took off his clothes and lowered himself into the hot water. The combination of the hot water and the solitude started Ed's mind going. He went over everything again and again in his head. He made a mental list of every question that he needed an answer to. He knew that he would need help to sort this through, but he knew that he had to stay away from the police station now. Ed felt the water getting too cold and finished washing. As he got out of the tub an idea struck him. He dried himself and got dressed and went into the kitchen.
"Betty, I have to have some help on this," Ed said as he walked into the kitchen. "Would you have any objection to me telling this story to a friend of mine that could help us? There's an investigative reporter that I used to help when I was on the force. He also helped me several times. He's a real straight shooter and I don't think he'll hurt us."
Betty told him that she would do whatever he said. She told him that she wanted this all to be over. Ed could tell that she was still unsure if she was still a suspect in the murder of George Bynum.
Ed grabbed the wall phone in the kitchen and dialed a number. After waiting Ed left a message to call him at home. About 10 minutes after Ed hung up the phone rang.
"Hello," Ed said, "Hy how would you like to win a Pulitzer Prize? I've got a great story for you. Can you come over my house right now?"
Ed received an answer and hung up. He turned to Betty and told her about Hy Symington and what he was planning.
"Betty, I'm going to have to show Hy the pictures and tell him everything," Ed told her, "Are you OK with that?"
Betty nodded her head. She dreaded having to see the pictures again, but she knew that Ed was trying to make sure that she could put this all behind her. She was learning to trust Ed's judgment.
At 38 years old, Hy Symington was one of the best and most feared investigative reporters in the country. He had broken several politicians' careers and was respected all over the country. Hardly a month went by that he did not receive an offer to go with a national news organization. Hy turned them all down. He felt that his familiarity with this town was too valuable to give up. He had been nominated twice for a Pulitzer, but the prize had eluded him so far. Hy was fearless and never let go of a story until it was complete. His publisher gave him free rein and his hours could best be described as irregular. When Hy submitted a story it was always published that day.
Hy pulled into the apartment parking lot and parked in a handicapped space. He reached under the seat and pulled out a handicap sticker that he hung on the rear view mirror. If anyone had bothered to look, they would have seen that the sticker was a color copy of someone's sticker. Hy climbed the stairs and approached the apartment door.
Ed heard the footsteps in the stairwell and opened the door, as Hy's hand was in the air ready to knock.
"How's it going gumshoe," Hy grinned, "Break any laws today?"
Ed smiled and ushered him into the apartment. Ed introduced him to Betty and asked him to sit at the kitchen table.
"Kitchen table, huh," Hy, laughed, "This must be serious or you would have me sitting on the couch."
Ed motioned for Betty to sit down next to him, "Hy, what I'm going to tell you have to keep under wraps for a while. If you can't do that, I can't go on."
Hy leaned back in his chair, "Ed you know I can't make any promises like that. I'm a newsman, let's see what you have and then we can decide what I can or cannot do."
Ed started telling Hy everything that had happened in the past few days, even telling him about the mix-up with the gang members in the diner. Hy remained quiet throughout Ed's talk and listened without taking any notes. After he had told Hy the entire story Ed pulled the laptop over in front of Hy and loaded the CD with the pictures on it. Ed told Hy that the woman in the photos was Betty and explained how she had been drugged. Hy asked several questions about the men in the photos. He was shocked when Ed told him who the men were.
Hy pushed the laptop away from him, "Open some windows, it stinks in here. I want this story. This is hot."
"Can you sit on this awhile, Hy?" Ed asked.
Hy took a deep breathe, "Well, what you have here is incomplete as hell. There is nothing I can do with this right now. There is a story here and I will go with it when I get all of the facts. I don't want to see or hear about the pictures anymore. Only the 3 of us know about them as far as I know, and I just forgot I ever saw them. I'd love to know what is going on here. Ed, this is the worst criminal investigation that I have ever seen. Now, what can you offer me? I'm sure that you are not giving me this story out of the goodness of your heart."
Ed nodded, "All I'm asking is for you to help when I ask you for help and to sit on this as long as you can. In return, I promise to tell you everything that I find out when I find it out. I'll hold nothing back. I'm sure that you see that I can be in a lot of trouble for what I've done so far."
Hy nodded. He sat for several minutes trying to figure out what the information Ed had given him meant. Hy knew in the back of his mind that this was Pulitzer material. He also knew that this story had to be done just right or it would blow up and be nothing but vapor.
"Oh, by the way," Ed said, "There is one thing I forgot. Look at this ring."
Ed pulled the laptop in front of Hy once more and brought up the picture with the man's hand. He pointed to the ring and looked at Hy.
"Do you recognize this ring?" Ed asked, handing Hy the magnifying glass.
Hy studied the fuzzy picture, "It looks familiar, but I can't say whether I have ever seen it or if it is just similar to one I've seen. It looks like a very large ring, so it should be hard to keep it out of sight."
"How about I go to Horizon tomorrow and ask if they have any comments about the murder," Hy asked, "Then I'll ask why Bynum had his pants off when he was killed. It might be fun to watch the reaction."
Ed thought for a minute before agreeing to Hy's plan. Ed looked at Betty and asked if she had any objections. She shook her head.
"Hy, let me fly this one by you and see what you think," Ed asked, "I'm toying with the idea of going back to Mrs. Bynum and telling her everything that I know and watch her reaction. I'm sure that she had nothing to do with her husband's death. Cop's instinct, I guess. Maybe I'll even see if she knows who owns the ring."
Hy thought for a minute before answering, "If you are really sure that she had nothing to do with this mess, I'd say try it. I'd hold back on the ring though. If she is involved, we wouldn't want to spook the guy that owns the ring.
Ed nodded his agreement. They continued going over the facts of the case that they knew right now and decided on several things that they had to find the answers to fast.
Hy stood up, "Do you have a pager and a cell phone."
Ed's pager and cell phone were in his bedroom office where they had been for the past 3 months. Ed got them and gave both numbers to Hy. Ed offered to fix dinner for the 3 of them, but Hy said that he was due at friends house and he would have to pass on the offer.
As Hy walked out of the apartment he said, "Charge that cell phone and put a new battery in your pager. I remember when you were a cop, your cell phone battery was always low."
Hy left and Betty grabbed 2 TV dinners out of the freezer and stuck them in the microwave. Ed and Betty ate the dinners and talked about the facts of the case. Betty said she was more confused now than she had been yesterday. Ed told her that he felt about the same.
Ed got up and threw his TV dinner plate in the trash. "I think that you ought to stay here and out of sight for a while," he told her, "I still am not sure that the police aren't looking for you. I'm going to talk to Mrs. Bynum again and see if I can get anything else out of her."
Betty looked at him, "Please be careful. I'm really getting afraid now. There is something big going on with this case and I can't figure out what it is."
Ed nodded and went to the door. He told her to make sure the door was locked. He told her to not open the door for anyone.