What You See (34 page)

“It’s not important. We need to be concerned with what’s
happening here, and what we’re going to do about it. We’ve been given fifteen
minutes, and then the police are coming in to question you. We need to get our
stories straight.”

Jack walked up to my bed.

“Listen carefully,” he began. “When the police start to
question you, don’t say anything until I give you the go-ahead. You have a
right to have an attorney present during questioning.”

“I though you handled real estate. What do you know about
criminal law? How can you help me?”

“Jesse, where have you been?” Jack was stunned. “My first
case was real estate. I’ve come a long way since those days. Criminal law is my
field of expertise now. Trust me. I’m not going to let anything happen to you.
Let’s get right down to the nitty-gritty. Tell me everything.”

I spent the next fifteen minutes allotted to me, telling them
everything I could think of, beginning with the moment I left Billy, until my
escape to freedom. “As you can see,” I said at the end of my statement, “I know
where the body is buried.”

“Do you think Rose had anything to do with it?” Billy asked.

“No, she didn’t,” I replied. “She had no idea what was going
on until the last minute, but by then it was too late. She was in their grips
just like I was. You saw what happened to her. They tried to kill her and she
was their flesh and blood. Can you imagine that?”

“Actually,” Cole said as he walked into the room smiling that
intoxicating smile of his. “Rose Hudgins just so happens to be the biological
daughter of Chase Teale—the father of Rita Hudgins. The story gets uglier.
Rita’s brother, Perry Teale, who was supposed to have killed his wife and taken
his own life, was Jay’s father. Jay was adopted. There was a lot of bad blood
there. But for right now, all I want to know is how you’re doing?” He walked
over and planted a kiss on my forehead.

“I could be better. I’m still living thanks to my family.” I
looked around the room and saw their proud, smiling faces. They had come
through for me!

“Well, actually...” Billy started to say, when the police
walked in.

Detective Hargrove introduced himself and the two detectives
who came in behind him to the group in my room. Two uniformed officers
accompanied them.

“If you’re up to it now, Ms. Watson, we’d like to ask you a
few questions,” he said. “If the rest of you would please wait in the hall,
this won’t take long.”

Everyone left the room, except Jack. “I’m Jesse’s brother,
Jack Watson.” He reached out his hand to the detective. “I’m also her
attorney.”

“Nice to meet you,” responded the detective as he shook
Jack’s hand. Then he got right down to business. Turning to me he said, “Before
we get started, Officer Downey is going to read you your rights.”

“I think we have a neighbor named
Downey
. Maybe you’re related,” I said. Why
did I say that? This was not the time for chitchat. It didn’t matter because
Officer Downey was not interested.

“Do you understand these rights that I have just read to
you?” the officer asked, and then stepped back.

“Yes, I do.”

“Ms. Watson,” Detective Hargrove asked, “were you aware there
was a restraining order on you when you trespassed on the Hudgins’ property?”

“Don’t answer that,” Jack ordered.

“It’s okay. I want to,” I replied. “I wasn’t trespassing. I
was invited.”

“Who invited you?”

“Jay Hudgins.”

The detectives looked back and forth at each other, and then
Detective Hargrove spoke again. “Why don’t you tell us your side of the story?”
Officer Downey walked closer to my bed and began taking notes.

Jack leaned over and whispered in my ear, “Be very careful
what you say. I’ll be right here to stop you if you get into dangerous
territory.”

I smiled at Jack and nodded my head in acknowledgment. I told
them my story. “I went to talk to Tom Dorey at the gas station where he works,
and Jay was there with him. I talked to both boys and tried to convince them to
come clean. Jay got scared. He led me to believe his father had killed Helen
Carrolton and that he’d show me where she was buried, if I’d help him out of
this mess. I agreed to do what I could. He told me to meet him at the end of
his road after it got dark, and to come alone. I did, but he wasn’t there like
he promised. Then I heard the bulldozer start up. I sneaked through the woods
and found them digging a hole. I knew exactly what they had planned for me, so
I took off running back to my car.”

“Is that when you sustained your injuries?” one of them asked.

“Most of them,” I continued. “When I got into my car, Rita
was sitting in the front seat waiting for me. She had a gun. She confessed to
killing Helen Carrolton, and said something about a girl named Sunny, and one
named Lisa. I managed to get away from her and fled back into the woods. Then
Rose found me. After I told her what I knew, she tried to help me get away.
When we got back to my car, Jay was there. The next thing I knew, I came to,
and Rose and I were in my car, buried in the ground.”

“That’s a pretty amazing story,” Detective Hargrove said.

“It’s the truth, every last word,” I responded. “Just ask
Rose!”

He ignored my demand. “Did either one of them tell you where
Helen Carrolton was buried?”

“Not in so many words,” I answered. “But I know where she
is.”

“Where might that be?” another officer asked, speaking for
the first time since he had walked into the room.

“I’m not too good with directions, but I can show you.”

“Just try to explain to us the best you can, and we’ll take
it from there,” Officer Downey stated.

Not on your life, buddy. I did the work and I wanted to be
there when she was found. I needed closure, and that was the only way I was
going to get it.

Fortunately, the doctor walked in and said, “I’m sorry, but
your time is up. My patient needs her rest if we’re going to be able to release
her in the morning. I’m sure your questions can wait until then.”

After a mumbled discussion with his men, Detective Hargrove
turned to me and said, “We’ll be back in the morning. We’ll post a couple of
officers outside your door. Officially, you’re under arrest for trespassing.”

“What about the Hudgins? Have they been arrested?” I asked
before they had a chance to leave.

“No formal charges have been filed yet, but we have them in
custody. They’re being interrogated at the moment.”

The doctor ushered them out and then came over to me.
“Everything seems to be normal with your tests, so you should be able to leave
in the morning. Try to get some rest.”

Finally, everyone left, except Billy. He was determined to
stay and make sure I wasn’t going to die.

“Billy, why don’t you go home and get some rest,” I asked.
“You look like you could use it.”

“I’m fine,” he replied. “We still have a few things to
discuss.”

“Forget it. I know what you want, and I’m not going to tell
you until you promise to let me go with you.”

Billy refused to make the promise to me that I demanded of
him. Instead, we talked about everything else until I finally dozed off. When I
woke up the next morning, I expected him to be gone, but instead, he was
sitting in a chair next to my bed, drinking coffee. It was
eight o’clock
. I tried to sit up, but the pain in
my head only got worse when I did. I slumped back onto my pillow.

“Rough night?” he asked.

“More like rough life,” I said through a haze. “Yuck, my
mouth tastes like garbage. I need a mint... or something for my breath.”

“Want some coffee?” Billy offered me his cup.

I took a sip, and spat. “Gross, it has sugar in it! You know
I don’t like sugar in my coffee!”

“Oh, that’s right, I forgot. I’ll go get you a fresh cup.
Just cream, right?” He left the room, passing the nurse who entered.

A few questions later, she handed me two pages of
instructions on how to take care of my wounds. Finally, she said the doctor had
signed my release form. I could leave anytime.

“What about Rose Hudgins?” I asked. “Has she been released,
too?”

“I’m not sure, but I can check for you if you want.”

“Please do,” I said.

She left the room as Billy walked back in carrying a cup of
coffee.

“Have you been sprung yet?” he asked, handing me the coffee.

Seconds later, Mom walked in with a small duffel bag in her
hand and said, “I thought you might need some fresh clothes.” She leaned over
and gave me a kiss and then looked at Billy. “I tried to call you last night
when we got home, but there was no answer. I figured you stayed here.”

“Somebody had to make sure she stayed in bed,” he said and
then laughed. He gave Mom a hug. “I’ll wait out in the hall while you help
Jesse get dressed.”

I was dressed and ready to go when the nurse came back in.
“Miss Hudgins was released ten minutes ago. Her grandfather took her home.”

I didn’t say anything. It was no longer any of my business.
Yet, I felt sorry for the girl. She was going to have a long road ahead of her
if she was going to recover from the emotional trauma she’d suffered at the
hands of her own family.

I walked out into the hall to find all the familiar faces
staring back at me—Billy, Cole, Jack, Dennis and the police detectives from
last night. Detective Hargrove came up to me first.

“We’ve arrested Rita Hudgins for the murder of Helen
Carrolton and we’re looking into the deaths of her brother and his wife, Sunny.
Lisa Wilson was the Lisa you told us about.”

“Is she dead, too?” I asked.

“No,” he replied. “She’s been institutionalized for the last
fifteen years in a place called Shady Retreat in
Charleston
,
South
Carolina
. We have two
detectives on their way there as we speak.” He stopped long enough to catch his
breath. “We got a confession out of Rita, but she says she doesn’t know where
Helen’s buried, and we can’t get anything out of Jay or his father. They refuse
to talk, and without a confession we’ll have to let them go. I have a search
warrant to search the property, but it would go faster if I could get your
help.”

“What do you mean?” I yelled. “They tried to kill me and
Rose, and you’re going to let them go free?”

“They’re claiming Rita did it,” Detective Willis spoke up.
“They both say they didn’t know anything about the attempt on your life.”

“That’s a lie!” I screamed. “Jay was the one who hit me in
the head with the shotgun, and I doubt very seriously Rita has the ability to
operate a backhoe. They’re lying! Rose can back me up.”

“Rose Hudgins has already confirmed what she could of your
story. If we can find the body, forensics will be able to piece it all
together,” replied Detective Hargrove. “I’m sure they left some kind of
evidence. You can’t dispose of a car and a body without leaving something. And
if the body is buried on their land, you can bet the bank on a guilty verdict.
I can assure you they won’t get out of this.”

“What about me?” I asked him.

“Immunity from prosecution of any and all charges concerning
this case,” Jack stepped forward and said.

The detective called his men to the side. After a brief conversation,
and a little head-scratching, he returned. Two of his detectives stood to each
side of him.

“Immunity it is,” he replied. “We’re even willing to forego
the charge of withholding evidence in the matter of the girl’s purse, if you
can lead us to the body.” He winked at me and smiled at Billy. “See, we’re not
as dumb as you might think.”

“If she can’t lead you to the body,” Jack jumped in. “What
then?”

“I’m afraid...” he started to respond.

Cole was next to step forward. “May I have a word with you,
Detective Hargrove?” They turned and walked over to the nurse’s station. Cole
kept poking his finger in the detective’s chest while they talked.

“What do you think is going on?” I whispered in Billy’s ear.

Jack slid over to us and said, “They’re working out a deal.
It appears the detective is being hard to get along with, but from the way it
looks to me, Cole has the upper hand. There’s something going on they’re not
telling us. They don’t reveal everything.”

“Like what?” I lowered my voice.

“It doesn’t matter,” Billy spoke in hushed tones.

Jack agreed, “As long as the two of you aren’t held
accountable for anything, who cares about the rest?”

“You have a point,” I said, glancing at Billy. “The only
thing I care about is saving our butts. Like I told that kid, jail isn’t a nice
place.”

After what seemed like a long, argumentative battle, Cole and
the detective walked back over to us.

“Complete immunity,” Detective Hargrove stated. “Here’s a
warning for you. Until the two of you get a badge pinned to your chest, I want
you to remember one thing... you’re not one of us. I don’t want to ever hear
about any of your improprieties again. If you want to be detectives, you’d
better obey the law. Do I make myself clear?”