Page 8 of Innocence

They followed Trak’s lead through the woods, glancing left, right, up, and then down. Searching for any possible clues of what had happened. He knelt, and the others stopped behind him.

“Blood. It’s dried, but she walked this way.”

Continuing to follow the narrow path, they found themselves suddenly in a clearing in the woods. There was a makeshift shelter from old pieces of plywood, plastic garbage bags, and bricks. Cans and bottles were strewn around the area, and evidence of a campfire was left behind.

“Call the police,” said Trak, pulling the loose plastic from the front of the shelter. “This is where the men held her.”

As the other three men peered inside, they saw the remnants of duct tape, ropes, and torn pieces of bed sheets. There was blood everywhere. Hanging on ropes on the wall were two knives, an axe, a hammer, and a baseball bat with blood on it.

Ian waited at the ballpark for the police to arrive and walked them to the shelter. The officers just stared at it, then back at the four men that they knew all too well.

“We were gonna get out here, Pierre,” said the older man, somewhat embarrassed.

“When was that gonna be, Cliff? When the rains came again and washed all the evidence away? You put an innocent man in jail despite the protests of three kids who saw it happen and who just finished their practice time with him. You didn’t even bother to walk through these woods.”

“Now, wait a minute. I sent a few boys in here.”

“You’re lying,” said Trak, walking toward the men. They all had the common sense to back up. “If you sent them, they didn’t go any further than a few feet. The evidence on that path is clear. Blood everywhere, and I’d bet my life that it’s that woman’s. If you look at all this evidence, you’re going to find the bat has Sterling’s blood on it. And if you get someone competent out here to gather the evidence, you’ll find DNA for a male or males that does not belong to Sterling.”

“Alright,” he said defeatedly. “Alright. We’ll get the crime lab team out here.”

Miller and the others were not about to allow them to handle this without them watching every move they made. At least the crime lab took it all seriously. They spent hours at the scene bagging evidence, collecting DNA, and ensuring everything was logged as it should have been.

“Any initial findings?” asked Ian.

“Nothing conclusive other than I can tell you there was more than one woman here at some point. Long hair fibers, healthy and in good condition. Three different shades of blonde, one red, and one black. I’ll bet my job that they’re all female, and we’ll find that they’re all dead.”

“Thanks. Let us know what you find, okay?”

“You know we will, Ian. You know, I couldn’t believe it when I saw the news. My own kids played ball out here with Sterling. Nicest man to walk the face of the earth. I’d planned to speak with him but got drawn into some cases yesterday. I’m glad you all are doing this for him.”

“You know he won’t be the same,” said Miller.

“Then that’s the real crime, isn’t it?” He walked away with his assistant, carrying bags of evidence. When Miller turned to see Ian and Nine, he looked for Trak.

“Where did Trak go?” he asked.

“He walked off in that direction,” said Nine, pointing to the trail that continued further into the woods. They followed, knowing that Trak had come this way. Thirty minutes later, they were on the other side of the woods, staring at an upscale lakeside community.

“Trak?”

“This is where they might live. The killers might live in this neighborhood. They’re sons, fathers, brothers to someone, and they’re killers.”

The four men stared at the massive homes on the lake. There were fifty-thousand-dollar vehicles parked in their driveways, massive swimming pools in their backyards, and boats and RVs under covers.

“Then we hunt them down and stop them,” said Nine. “That’s what we do.”

CHAPTER SIX

There was an extra person at dinner that night, someone that everyone was cheering for. Sterling sat quietly, listening to the others speak, and then saw his legal team walk in.

“Charges are dropped, Sterling,” smiled Kari.

“Dr-dropped?”

“Yep. The evidence the boys found today was overwhelming. The judge agreed there was no evidence to hold you or charge you with that girl’s murder. You’re a free man.”

“Am I?” he asked quietly. The others knew what he was asking and stared at him. “No man, especially a black man, that’s been accused of raping, beating, and killing a white girl will ever be free. No one will trust me with their kids again.”

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