THEY MET UP with Jamison and Davenport in a private area adjacent to the motel lobby later that day. Decker filled them in on the meeting with Jerry Bivens at the bank.
Jamison said, “So even if the Marses weren’t in Witness Protection, it seems like they had some secrets.”
Davenport added, “The history that no one can uncover, not even the FBI.” She glanced at Mars. “Roy and Lucinda Mars are probably not even their real names.”
Decker said, “AC and RB. We found those initials written on the wall of their closet. Those might be their real initials.”
“Shit,” said Mars, shaking his head and looking away from them. He seemed like a man stumbling through a dream he’d had no hand in creating.
Decker said, “So they weren’t in Witness Protection, but they may have been on the run from someone.”
“Or some group,” amended Jamison. “Like the mob.”
“The mob!” barked Mars. “Okay, just stop right there. My parents were not in the damn mob, okay?”
Decker said sharply, “The fact is, Melvin, right now none of us knows what they were involved in, including you. But whatever it was, it was bad enough that they created new identities and moved to a little town in Texas to escape it.”
“And the safe deposit box contents might have something incriminating to whoever these people are,” said Jamison.
“But there’s no way for us to find out what was in the box,” added Davenport. “I mean, it was twenty years ago. And whoever killed your parents, Melvin, may have taken it.”
“Or not,” said Decker.
They all turned to him.
“Care to elaborate on that point?” asked Davenport.
“The one question that can’t be answered by any of this is, why would someone pay off the Montgomerys to get Melvin out of prison?” He glanced at them one by one.
“I give up,” said Mars finally. “Why?”
“They might if they didn’t find what was in the safe deposit box. And it’s still out there somewhere. And they may think you know where it is.”
“That’s quite a theory,” said Davenport.
“But if so, why wait all this time?” asked Jamison.
“It may be that once Melvin was scheduled to be executed they panicked, figuring this might be their last chance to retrieve it.”
Mars looked puzzled. “But Decker, no one’s tried to contact me. Or kidnap me and make me tell them what I know, which is zip.”
“They may plan to simply let us do what we’re doing, searching for it.”
“And rush in when we find it and, what, kill us all?” said Davenport skeptically.
“Perhaps,” said Decker. “Or perhaps not.”
“Well, I’m glad we cleared that up,” said Davenport, clearly frustrated.
“Investigations are not always simple,” retorted Jamison. “The case we worked in Burlington took a ninety-degree turn, but it took a ton of legwork and asking questions to get us there. And what seemed unimportant at first turned out to be critical.”
“Okay, but Decker, your theory is riddled with holes,” said Davenport.
“It is full of holes,” admitted Decker, drawing a surprised look from Davenport. “That’s why it’s only a theory. It may well be disproved later on. But we have to run down the possibility anyway.”
Mars looked at him nervously. “So you think someone may still try to come after me?”
Decker considered this. “If they’re following us, which they may very well be, they would know that we’re searching for answers too. If they saw us at the bank and deduced what we were doing, they also know we left the place empty-handed.”
“So they might simply let us keep going until we do find something,” said Mars slowly.
“Right.”
“They have long memories,” said Mars. “If this goes back before I was born, we’re talking over forty years ago.”
“Well, I have a long memory too,” said Decker.
“Amen to that,” replied Mars. He looked up and saw Mary Oliver walk into the lobby.
“Mary, over here,” he said, rising and motioning to Oliver, who was heading toward the front desk. She was wearing a beige pantsuit and a smile.
“You look happy about something,” prompted Davenport.
“The state of Texas has agreed to the maximum of twenty-five thousand dollars in compensation to you, Melvin.”
“Well, it’s something,” said Mars.
“And I’m filing suit against them for what happened to you in prison. To the tune of fifty million dollars.”
Mars stared dumbstruck at her. “Are you kidding me?” he finally said.
“Melvin, you almost died. This was a conspiracy that included guards who were representatives of the state’s correctional system. And I discovered that these same guards have had other lawsuits filed against them and no disciplinary action was ever taken against them. That constitutes, at the least, willful negligence on the part of the state.”
Decker said, “This was the strategy you mentioned before?”
She nodded. “Yes, it is.”
Decker looked at Mars. “Well, at least monetarily fifty mil will make up for your not being able to play in the NFL.”
Oliver added, “Look, I won’t blow smoke up your butt. It’s a long shot and there’s no guarantee, but I’m going to give it my best effort.”
Mars was speechless for a few moments. Then he hugged her. “Thank you, Mary. Thank you.”
They sat down and the others let Mars compose himself.
No one noticed the three state troopers and plainclothes detective heading their way until they were right on top of them.
Decker spotted them and said, “Can I help you, Officers?”
They ignored him and surrounded Mars. “Mr. Mars, please stand up,” said the plainclothes, after he flashed his badge and told them he was a homicide detective.
“What? Why?” said Mars.
“Please stand up,” said the man more firmly.
“What is this about?” said Oliver, who did stand. “I’m his lawyer.”
“And you’ll get a chance to talk to your client. Just not now. Please stand, Mr. Mars. Last time I’ll ask.”
Mars glanced at Decker, who nodded. Mars stood and automatically put his hands behind his back. The plainclothes motioned to an officer, who came forward and handcuffed him.
The plainclothes said, “You are under arrest in connection with the murders of Roy and Lucinda Mars.” Then he read Mars his Miranda rights.
“He was pardoned for that!” snapped an incredulous Oliver.
“His pardon has been revoked. That’s why we’re here.”
“They can’t do that!” said Oliver.
The plainclothes handed her a sheaf of papers. “The court order doing just that. Let’s go, Mr. Mars.”
As they led Mars away, Oliver called after him, “Melvin, I’ll see you at the station.” She then read down the first page of the document.
“What does it say?” asked Jamison as she rose.
Oliver’s face paled as she finished skimming. She shot a glance at Decker.
He sighed. “I didn’t believe they would do this,” he said quietly.
“Do what?” snapped Jamison.
“You knew?” demanded Oliver.
“I suspected.”
“Will someone please tell us what the hell is going on?” barked Davenport, who had risen and was standing next to Jamison.
Decker said, “Our investigation has shown that it’s entirely probable that the Montgomerys were paid off to lie about Charles Montgomery killing Roy and Lucinda. That confession was the only reason Melvin was released and pardoned.” He looked at Oliver. “Am I right?”
She nodded but said nothing.
“Oh my God,” said Jamison.
“That means—” began Davenport.
Decker interrupted, “That means that as far as the state of Texas is concerned Melvin killed his parents. Hence his pardon was revoked.”
“How did they find out what we discovered?” asked Jamison.
“Texas sent its own people to Alabama to investigate Montgomery,” replied Decker. “And we talked about our suspicions and findings with the Alabama authorities. They must have relayed that to the Texas folks.”
“But he had nothing to do with the Montgomerys lying about this,” said Jamison.
“That doesn’t matter legally in Melvin’s case,” said Oliver. “It’s as if nothing has changed now. No confession, the sentence is reinstated. The allocution Montgomery made is no good if he lied.”
Jamison turned, horrified, to look at Decker. “So our work has sent him back to prison and maybe to his death?”
Decker didn’t answer. He had pulled out his phone and was heading toward the motel exit where a minute before Mars had left on his way back to prison. As he watched Mars being driven off, he punched in a number. After two rings there was an answer.
“Agent Bogart, it’s Decker. I’ll understand if you tell me to go to hell, but I have a big favor to ask.”