Justice Delayed (Memphis Cold Case #1)(58)

“Who was the DA eighteen years ago?”

“Frank Olsen, our present governor. I stopped by the courthouse and found the transcript of the trial.”

“That means we need ironclad proof.” Even Eric couldn’t help him without it.

“If you definitely tie Lacey’s death to Stephanie’s murder, it would help. Where do you stand there?”

“It’s moving. The medical examiner ruled it homicide late today after scrapings under her fingernails revealed traces of skin.”

“We have such a short time frame that unless you come up with new evidence, I’m afraid it will come down to executive clemency, and we have two strikes against us there.”

“Two? What besides the governor being the DA on the case?”

“He’s not fond of me. Do you know anyone who could influence him?”

“Olsen and my brother went to college together. I did call him when the issue of the letter came up. He said basically the same thing the DA said—the letter wasn’t enough evidence of his innocence. If we get something solid, he’ll call the governor.”

“If we get something solid, we won’t need him or Laura.”

Surely there was someone else they could go to. They ate in silence until he said, “Have you remembered anything new from this morning?”

Maggie placed her knife and fork on the empty plate. “While I was writing the brief, I thought about the men who came around. Jared came by every day if he was in town. And Jimmy, of course—he was always hanging around.” Her eyebrows lowered. “There was this older man . . . he was probably only in his thirties, but I was nineteen then, so he seemed ancient. He came around a couple of times, looking for Stephanie. Gerald Caldwell. He was a private investigator.”

David put the name in his smartphone. “Do you know where he is now?”

“Yes. Office building down the street from me. Laura can tell you more about him. I think he’s on retainer with the city.”

His cell phone rang, and he glanced at the ID. “Excuse me a minute.” When she nodded, he stood and walked near the door to talk. “Raines.”

“I have the preliminary report on the impressions on the stationery.”

“What does it say?”

“Bottom line, Lacey Wilson wrote the letter saying Jimmy didn’t kill Stephanie,” Will said. “She claimed to have evidence to prove it and planned to explain everything if he’d allow her to visit him. It was too late when he received the letter. She was dead.”

“Do you have any idea what this evidence might be?”

“Not a clue, but there were other impressions on the stationery. One of them was a letter to Andi, again with a reference to her having evidence that will exonerate Jimmy.”

David pressed the phone closer to his ear. “Does Andi know what it is?”

“No, but I wonder if that’s what the intruder wanted Tuesday night. Andi thought she was being followed when she went to meet Lacey. If Lacey’s attacker found the letter to Andi, he may have followed her home.”

“Keep an eye on her.”

“Oh, I will, sir. And I plan to take a look around Stephanie Hollister’s studio where she was murdered.”

“You think you might find something there?”

“It’s possible. No one has been in the studio since right after the murder. I doubt that George Barnes went to much trouble searching it after Jimmy confessed.”

“Keep me updated,” David said.

“There’s one more thing,” Will said. “Walter Simmons called. Jillian went to see Jimmy today, and she had to give an address. He’s supposed to call me back with it. At any rate, I’m driving to Nashville first thing in the morning to talk with the warden about Larry Ray Johnson. I’d like to know his history and if anything else has ever come up missing where he’s suspect.”

“Good idea. Let me know what you find out.” He hung up and hurried back to his table. “Sorry about that, but it was about the letter Jimmy received. We now have proof Lacey Wilson wrote it and that it said basically what he indicated—that she had proof of his innocence.”

“And she’s dead, and no one has a clue what proof she was talking about.”

The anguish in her voice echoed what David felt. Somehow, somewhere, there was evidence of Jimmy’s innocence. But time was running out.

She rubbed the back of her neck. “Do you know anyone on the parole board?”

“I did once, but his appointment ended. Another thing Will said—Jillian went to see Jimmy today. Will is driving to Nashville tomorrow to talk to his cousin.”

She looked thoughtful. “I wonder if he’d mind if I rode to the prison with him. I could meet him in Jackson.”

“I’m sure he’d be glad for you to. I’ll give you his cell number, and you can call him.” He glanced at her empty plate. “Dessert?”

She hesitated. “I’d love to have one of their brownies with ice cream and caramel, but I better pass.”

He motioned to the waitress. “We’d like your brownie to split. That way,” he said, turning to Maggie, “it won’t be so many calories.”

“You are a man after my own heart, but you get the bigger half.”