Scratchgravel Road (Josie Gray Mysteries #2)(94)

“The tape clearly shows you and Juan Santiago entering the pilot unit at the Feed Plant, Saturday night, July twenty-first at 10:43 P.M. Both you and Santiago are wearing full protective hazardous materials suits, as well as company work boots. After several minutes of discussion, you open a cabinet and remove a first-aid kit. You place it on the laboratory counter. You try and convince Mr. Santiago to use some of the ointment for the sores on his arms.”

Greene cut Josie off. “Is there audio on this tape?”

“No, but it’s obvious that—”

“No, ma’am, watching a security tape with no audio does not give you the ability to determine my client’s intent. Doesn’t work that way.”

Josie nodded and rephrased. “There was a discussion between the two men after the kit was placed on the counter. Mr. Santiago finally turned from the conversation and walked toward the door, as if leaving. At that time, Brent picked up a stool and slammed it into Santiago’s head, causing him to fall unconscious to the floor.”

Brent stared at his hands as Greene took notes on his laptop. Brent’s identity on the tape had not been confirmed, but his lack of protest just sealed it for Josie. She had no doubts now.

There was a knock on the door. Josie looked up and saw Officer Marta Cruz’s face in the window, beckoning Josie outside with a crooked finger.

Josie didn’t mind the interruption. She hoped his attorney would counsel Brent to make things easier on everyone and confess.

Josie excused herself, closed the door behind her, and found Marta in the hallway, her face animated.

“Sorry to interrupt, but I think you’ll want to hear this.”

“What’s up?”

“You might want to have a word with Leo Monaco. He just admitted driving the body and dumping it in the desert late Saturday night. He claims he’ll provide details only if you can assure him leniency,” Marta said.

“Nasty little bastard. Where is he?”

“Jail’s full up,” Marta said. “We’ve got him secured in the conference room.” She pointed to the room directly across the hallway. “A jailer’s sitting with him.”

Josie looked into the small square window and saw Leo sitting at a table by himself, the jailer sitting in a chair in the corner of the room reading a magazine.

“Where’s his attorney?” she asked.

Marta stood behind her and said, “Refused one. Said he could speak for himself. I got the refusal in writing. Score one for us.”

Josie walked into the conference room fuming. She could feel the pressure in her chest. “Are you serious?” she asked, skipping introductions.

Leo looked surprised to see her.

“You admit to dumping a dead body in the desert? And you want leniency?” Josie laughed, leaned a hip against the wall, and crossed her arms. “You are a piece of scum. Your life here in Artemis just ended. You have no girlfriend. Your job with Beacon? Gone. Your dream of a university position? Gone.”

She walked toward him, leaned in within six inches of his face. “You have no bargaining chips, Leo. You got this all backwards. You tell us everything you know. Beg for mercy. Then you hope like hell the judge decides not to give you the maximum.”

The jailer smirked, and Leo turned his head away from her. He tried to lean farther back in his chair, away from Josie, who was intentionally invading his space. He raised both hands in the air in a show of innocence.

“I had nothing to do with that guy’s death. I got a call from Brent Thyme. He just asked if I’d meet him at the plant. He said I could make some quick money if I came immediately. That’s what he said. Get here now.”

“To do what?”

“He wanted to know where he could hide something in the desert. Where no one would find it. I said I knew a place on Scratchgravel Road. I didn’t know I was picking up a body until it was too late.”

“You couldn’t walk away?” she asked. “Call the police and report a crime like any other person with a conscience would do?”

He looked confused for a moment. “No! He told me he’d kill me if I didn’t follow through. He’d already killed once. I figured he’d do it again.”

Josie didn’t believe that but let it go. “Did he tell you he killed the man?”

Leo averted his eyes. “No. He didn’t say anything, other than he wanted it dumped that night. I didn’t ask questions. He paid me to do a job. That’s it.”

“How much?” she asked.

He looked confused. “How much what?”

“How much did he pay you?”

He stared at her, thinking.

“He didn’t pay you,” she said. “He gave you a key to Santiago’s apartment. Told you to go inside, collect the money box with the dead man’s cash in it.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Josie smiled. “Yes, you do. So does your girlfriend. She found the house keys in your desk drawer.” His expression changed from shock to anger in a matter of seconds. Josie preferred the anger. An angry suspect mouthed off information instead of trying to hide it.

“Brent just told me the money was in this apartment, in the bottom of a closet. He gave me the keys and said I needed to dump the body and get the money the same night. That’s the honest to god’s truth. That’s all there was to it.”