I went to him, touched his arm. “I’m sorry, Newman, but if the friend and the cook corroborate Jocelyn’s story, then no judge is going to give another extension on the execution.”
He looked at me with anguish in his eyes. “But did Bobby do it? Does he deserve to die?”
“If he was delusional, then he may not remember killing his father.”
“Which means when I shoot him, he’ll beg for his life, and he will believe that he’s innocent and I’m killing him for nothing.”
“I’m sorry, Newman,” I said. It seemed so inadequate, but sometimes it’s the best you have to offer.
He started to cry then, and though it was against all the male rules of cop life I hugged him, and because it was Newman, he hugged me back. I held him in the parking lot while he curled all that six feet plus of police officer around me and wept. He cried his grief out now, so maybe, just maybe, he could do his job later.
46
WHEN NEWMAN CALMED down a little, Edward tried to take over from me. Newman didn’t hug him like he had me. Maybe it was a guy thing or a girl thing? Edward tried to get him thinking about calling the cook and the friend who was Jocelyn’s alibi, and seeing if we could set up an interview ASAP. I thought it was interesting that Jocelyn had told only the one girlfriend, Marcy, about Bobby molesting her. Why not tell both? We’d find out. But in the end Newman asked me if I could catch a ride back to the sheriff’s office with Ted and Otto.
“I may drop by the house and check on Haley, but I won’t be long.”
“Sure, Newman, whatever you need.”
He nodd
ed, managed a weak smile, then went for his Jeep. Edward ushered Olaf and me toward his SUV.
“Who is Haley?” Olaf asked.
“His fiancée,” I said.
Olaf scowled so hard his sunglasses couldn’t hide it. “Women make a man weak.”
“I’m not sure he’s really going home,” I said.
“He wanted some time to himself,” Edward said.
“Why did he not simply say that?”
“Pride,” I said.
“Everyone in the car,” Edward said, “in case he just goes straight back to the sheriff’s office.”
“I would respect Newman more if he hadn’t used the woman in his life as an excuse,” Olaf said as he opened the driver’s-side back door. He was going to sit behind Edward, just as I’d asked him to do on the drive over. It was nice that he just did it without my having to debate with him about it. He really was trying his best not to piss me off this time.
I got my seat belt fastened, and Edward had even started the engine, before Olaf said, “I think you are weakening Newman.”
I turned in the seat so I could look at him. It really was easier to talk with him sitting catty-corner from me. “Weakening? What are you talking about?”
“Some men will show emotion and weakness around women that they would never show around men. Newman needs to be strong, not weak right now.”
“I agree with that last part, but not the first part.”
“You’re a woman. You do not understand the effect you can have on men.”
Edward started backing out of the parking spot.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked. My tone was a little angry.
Olaf scowled at me. “It means exactly what I said.”
“That’s not an answer,” I said.