“That’s why we have a judicial system. If I’m wrong, you go free and can sue me. But if I’m right, you’re done.”
That’s when he tried to wiggle free and run.
I had to catch him hard by the elbow, then swing him onto a bench a few feet away.
Finally the fight went out of him. He sighed and started to cry. Through the tears, he said, “I need help, man. I don’t even know who I am no more.”
“I’ll be sure to tell Mrs. Evans that.”
“Who?”
“The woman whose daughter and granddaughter you shot. The nurse. Do you remember her? I’ve seen a lot of murders, but this is one where I just have to ask you: why? It made no sense to me.”
He sat there staring straight ahead into the park, deep in thought. Finally he turned his head to look at me and said, “She had access to pills.”
I said, “Excuse me?”
Tight said, “She was the nurse in charge of securing the painkillers ’n’ such. I thought she could load me up. She didn’t like the idea of doing something like that.”
“So you killed her and her daughter?”
He hung his head and said, “I don’t remember it so clearly. I don’t remember nothin’ so clearly. And I don’t really care. I don’t care if you shoot me right here, take me to jail, or let me go. Nothin’ matters no more.”
“It may not matter to you, but it matters a lot to the Evans family. And they’re going to be happy to see you behind bars.”
“Good. Make those people happy for a few minutes, seein’ me behind bars.”
“I’m sure that’s what everyone will say about you. That he just wanted to make the world a better place.”
I walked him through the park in handcuffs. I called Terri Hernandez and told her to meet me in front of the Manhattan North Homicide building. I wanted to dump this mope and get on with my real life.
There were ten kids at home waiting to see me.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Lieutenant Luke Miller, NYPD, for his patience and diligence in answering questions and making sure the NYPD’s reputation remains positive.
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