Fay's Six

Fay stoodin the observation room next to Walker while Lee paced behind them.

Randall sat in one of the metal chairs with his hands folded and resting on top of the table. He stared straight ahead, as if he knew people were on the other side.

Sparrow leaned against the wall by the door with a file tucked under her right arm. She sipped a coffee as if she didn’t have a care in the world.

“I can’t believe we’re going to wait around for this guy’s attorney to show up,” Lee muttered.

“That’s the law.” Fay didn’t like it any better than Lee, but she wasn’t surprised. Randall was on probation. He had become a person of interest in two missing persons cases and two murder cases. He’d be a fool not to lawyer up.

“It makes him look guilty.” Lee paused and pointed toward the two-way mirror. “I saw with my own two eyes what that asshole was about to do.”

“You got him here and Sparrow’s good at her job,” Walker said. “We need to let the system work for us.”

“We also need to play this smart.” Fay turned. “This is where we take all our direction from Sparrow. We can’t go rogue. Not unless I say so.”

Lee folded his arms across his chest. He widened his stance. It was definitely a show of aggression and annoyance. “Why are you calling the shots?”

“Because it’s her case,” Walker said.

She closed her eyes for a count of five before blinking and taking in a deep breath. The last thing she needed to do was get into it with Walker, but she didn’t need him speaking for her or fighting her battles. “That, and right now, it’s the chain of command. It’s that simple.”

“What if I see something like I did when Randall—”

She held out her hand, cutting Lee off. The man could be such a child at times. “I’m not going to dignify that with a response.” Lucky for her, the door to the interrogation room opened and in strolled a young woman dressed in a dark suit.

She carried a large black bag that she set on the table. “I’m Vera Hamilton. I’m Randall’s attorney.”

“Sparrow Oakley.” Sparrow set her coffee on the table and stretched out her arm. “Please. Have a seat.”

“Why exactly is my client here?” Vera asked.

Fay rested her hand on the phone that connected the two rooms. She was itching to get inside. It didn’t have anything to do with Sparrow. That young woman knew exactly what she was doing, and Fay had enormous faith that Sparrow would get the job done.

But Fay wanted to be close to the action. She wanted to do more than listen from the other side of a wall. She didn’t need to participate. However, this side of the mirror was more like watching a movie. It was two-dimensional and that wasn’t good enough.

“A couple reasons. One of which we have some questions we need him to answer regarding a couple missing persons—”

Vera interrupted. “Are we talking about Levi Jetson and Andy Knox? Because if we are, my client has established alibis on the days in question.”

Fay picked up the phone. It rang in the other room.

“What the fuck is she doing?” Lee asked under his breath.

She ignored him in part because she wasn’t sure if he was questioning her calling the interrogation room or Sparrow not going for the jugular.

“There are some holes.” Sparrow picked up the receiver. “Yes?”

“I’d like to sit in.”

“Feel free. But just you,” Sparrow said.

“Understood.” Fay gently set the phone down. “Don’t interrupt unless it’s absolutely necessary.” The words were meant more for Lee and not Walker. But she made sure she made eye contact with both men just to make a point. She slipped from the room and made a beeline for the interrogation room. Slowly, she pushed open the door. There wasn’t any place for her to sit, so she stood in the corner by the two-way, where she couldn’t be seen by Lee.

For some reason, that made her more comfortable.

“This is Fay Clayton. She’s a consultant for the sheriff’s office and she’s been working this case with me. She’ll be sitting in on the interview,” Sparrow said. “Now, there are some gaps in Randall’s alibi.” Sparrow pulled a piece of paper out of the folder and pushed it across the table. “Can anyone account for these times?”