Page 57 of Dirty Weekend

“You can do that,” Jack said. “We can make it formal instead of informal. Those are your rights.” And then Jack started reading Joe his Miranda Rights.

“I don’t believe this,” Ada said, putting her arm around Joe. “This is wrong. You’re wrong.”

“We’ve also got a warrant to fingerprint everyone in the house,” Jack said. “There are so many prints in Steve’s office it’ll help us narrow it down.”

Joe laughed. “Don’t kid a kidder. You found prints on the weapon or somewhere and you’re trying to find out who they belong to. I’m happy to give my prints. Because I’m telling you I didn’t do it.”

Jack nodded and called for Riley to come in.

“If you didn’t do it, we’ll eliminate you and keep looking for the real killer,” Jack said. “It’s all part of the process.”

Joe let Riley take each of his fingers and press it against the ink pad before placing them on the white index card that was already labeled with Joe’s name and personal information.

“Can I wash my hands?” Joe asked Jack.

“In the kitchen sink,” Jack said.

And then Riley turned to do the same to Ada and she crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back in the chair.

“I don’t see why I have to do this,” she said. “I won’t do it. I want to speak to an attorney first.”

“That’s not how this works, Ada,” Jack told her. “We have a warrant for your fingerprints. And your son’s for that matter. We can either get them willingly from you now or we can take you in and do it formally at the police station.”

“Then you can do it formally,” she said, stubbornly.

“Ada,” Joe said sternly. “That’s enough. Just let them take your prints. You’ve got nothing to hide and you’re just delaying the officers’ investigation. They’re trying to find out who killed Steve.”

“They think it’s you,” she yelled at him.

“Well, it’s not. So I don’t care. Just give them your prints.”

Big tears welled in her eyes then, and a sob caught in her throat. She looked at Joe again and she said, “I can’t. I can’t let them take my prints.”

Joe came back to the table and sat down, but he never took his eyes off his wife. “Why can’t you, Ada?”

Another sob caught in her throat. “I didn’t mean to,” she said, grabbing on to Joe’s arm. “I was just going over to talk to him. To make him see reason.”

“Ada,” Joe said, appalled, scooting his chair back.

I was completely taken aback. And I could tell Jack was thrown off a bit too. This was not the outcome I’d expected when we came here.

“The best thing you can do is tell the truth,” Jack said. “I know it doesn’t seem like it. You want to protect yourself. But the truth always comes out. We do have prints. On the underside of Steve’s chair. You see the killer knew about things like blood spatter and blowback from a weapon. So they put Steve in the chair and pulled it toward them so they could position the gun in his hand and so the spray wouldn’t get all over them.”

She sobbed again and crossed her arms over her chest. And then she looked at Joe.

“He’s my baby,” she said. “Derek is my baby and Steve was going to ruin his entire future because he couldn’t let go. Endorsements, scholarships, a chance to go pro. All of those things gone because of Steve.”

“Steve was trying to help Derek,” Joe said, shaking his head. “I didn’t see that at first. It was too easy for anger to take over. But he was trying to help all those boys become better men. The worst thing to happen to that team and Derek was Archie Hill. We haven’t had control of Derek since that man came to town.”

“He’s our son,” she said forcefully. “And I would do anything for him.”

“That’s where we differ, Ada,” Joe said sadly. “I don’t know what to tell you. But you’ll never justify killing a man—a good man—for your son.”

Martinez came in with a pair of white shoes in a clear evidence bag. “Luminol picked up traces of blood in the treads and in the fabric of the laces.”

“Where’d you put the helmet, Ada?” Jack asked.

She stared at the shoes and then looked down at her lap. “Tossed it into the creek behind the house,” she said. “I was going to go down there and bury it, but there have been too many cops next door and the rain has been too bad. I was afraid I’d get stuck down there and have to call for help.”

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