The room fell silent. Slowly, Waterson nodded. Kent summoned someone from the PD’s office. Within an hour, everything was set into place.
The public defender was Gilda Rosen-thirtysomething, tall and dark, and dressed in a red power suit. She had Waterson sign on the dotted line. For turning state’s witness, he was spared the death penalty.
Waterson spoke in a monotone.
“I have known Azor Moses Sparks for many, many years and had always regarded him as a pillar of our community. A leader in his field of medicine, an active and forceful member of our church, a devoted father of six children, and a loving husband.”
He looked at the glass of water in front of him. Made no attempt to drink.
“When my wife…got sick, I looked to Azor for support both emotionally and medically. And he seemed generous with his help. Set up appointments for me with the best doctors, reviewed their opinions, informed us of our options, assured us both that everything was going to be all right.”
He sighed deeply.
“And we believed him. After all, he was one of the top physicians in this country. We believed him, all right.”
Waterson stared into his water glass.
“Even when my wife’s kidneys failed, he said everything was under control. He said not to worry.”
He looked up, tears in his eyes.
“He lied to me…everything was not all right. Nothing was under control!”
The room was silent.
Waterson said, “I know there’s only so much man can do. But why didn’t he just tell us that! Instead, he chose to represent himself as God…giving us false hope…lying to us day after day after day. Meanwhile, Ellen was deteriorating. She needed a transplant.”
He wiped his cheeks.
“Azor found a donor. But he didn’t do the surgery. Instead, he sent us to someone else who charged exorbitant fees. Sent our insurance rates sky-high. By the time the second surgery came around, our insurance company canceled on us.”
“They can do that?” Martinez asked.
“Oh yes, they can do that.” Waterson perked up, had found a sympathetic ear. “Enough to make your blood boil. You pay out premiums and then when they’ve had enough, they cancel on you.”
“Terrible,” Webster agreed.
“That doesn’t even begin to describe it, Detective,” Waterson said. “I was a desperate man. I begged Azor to do the surgery himself. Because I couldn’t afford another surgery without bankrupting myself. But he wouldn’t do it. He just refused to do it!”
Waterson growled with anger.
“He made excuses. Said it wasn’t his bailiwick. Said he had misgivings about operating on such a close friend.” The lawyer thumped his fist against the table. “Don’t you see? It was all a frameup because he knew he had failed.”
“Failed?” Webster asked.
“He knew from the beginning that she was going to die.”
“Mr. Waterson,” Kent said, “we all die-”
“He gave me hope only to let me down. He failed my wife. He failed me! When he was going to fail his own wife, it was just too much…the pain this man was spewing into the world.” Waterson wagged a finger. “Enough was enough.”
No one spoke for a moment.
“I was appalled when he told me he was of that persuasion. He told me he had never acted out, that he was leaving to sort out his feelings. But I didn’t believe him for a second.”
“Not a second, huh?” Webster said.
“Not a single second!” Waterson snapped back. “After what he did to my wife and me, Azor had zero credibility. Besides, one only had to look at whom he kept in his employ even after the man was shown to be a pervert. At that point, it was obvious why Azor remained loyal to such an abominable sinner.”
He stopped speaking.
Gilda said, “You may continue, Mr. Waterson.”
Waterson seemed suddenly deflated. “I just couldn’t let her down.”
Again, the room fell silent.
Kent said, “Who down?”
“Dolly.” Waterson looked up, eyes wet, nose red, lips trembling. “I have sinned. I’ve had adultery in my heart.”
Kent said, “You love her, don’t you?”
“I had always loved her from afar. Yet, for the sake of God, I kept my passions in check. Even after my wife died, I hid my true feelings. Almost an insurmountably difficult task. Because I saw her wither and suffer from emotional neglect day after day after day after day.”
His eyes moved downward.
“After Azor confessed his evilness to me, I knew I had to tell Dolly. Because she was a frail thing and had to be handled with utmost sensitivity. Something that Azor knew nothing about.”
“So you told her,” Martinez said.
Waterson nodded.
“Then what?”
“She cried to me…she cried to him. She begged him to reconsider. But just as God did to Pharaoh, Satan had hardened his heart. He turned obstinate, refused to hear her pleas. I mean, would it have been so hard for him to live out his life with her…at least for decency’s sake? That’s all we were trying to do. He could do whatever he wanted as long as he…kept quiet about it and stayed with her. I swear murder was never part of the plan.”
Webster said, “What was the plan, Mr. Waterson?”
“They were supposed to convince him not to leave her…and to keep his mouth shut.”
“Who are they?” Webster pressed.
“Stanislav, aka Sidewinder, Polinski and his group,” Waterson said. “He’ll tell you different. He’ll tell you I said vile things, told him to do vile things. But this isn’t so.”
“Who are Polinski’s accomplices?” Martinez asked.
“I never asked. I just told him to take care of it for me.”
“Take care of what?”
“Of Azor,” Waterson said. “Convince him to stay with her, to pray harder, to try to rid himself of these demons. And to make sure he kept it to himself. That was all I said!”
Gilda said, “Mr. Waterson, you know the deal has been cut. No matter what you say, things can’t get worse for you.”
Webster said, “Why don’t you level with us?”
“But I am-”
“You can hide behind your lies with us,” Kent broke in. “But you can’t lie to God. He knows what was in your heart.”
Martinez said, “Where did you know Polinski from?”
Waterson gulped down water. Again, he covered his face, then dropped his hand on the table. “Azor had me deliver some checks to him.” He paused. “To him and a man named Emmanuel Sanchez, aka Grease Pit. Checks for this Peoples for the Environment Freedoms Act that Azor was hepped up on. I never understood it. But I was his lawyer. He asked me to cut a check for him, I cut a check for him.”
“You delivered the check personally to Polinski?” Webster asked.
“Yes, either Polinski or Sanchez.” Waterson’s face had turned red. “Azor gave me a percentage for…cutting the checks and personal delivery.” The old lawyer bit his lip. “Pocket money. Like I was some errand boy.”
“It must have been more than pocket money,” Webster said. “For you to agree to do it.”
“It was…generous, I suppose.”
Webster stared at Waterson, his expression neutral. So much resentment that this man had built up in his mind and Azor never knew. No doubt he thought he was doing Waterson big favors.
He said, “Did you ever talk to Emmanuel Sanchez about taking care of Azor?”
Waterson shook his head. “No, I never spoke to him about the job. But I did deliver money to him afterward on Polinski’s orders.”
Sweat broke from his brow.
“I didn’t want Azor killed. Just scared. Scared enough to abandon his evil plans and heinous ways. Scared enough to keep his mouth shut. Scared enough to go back to God and ask His forgiveness for his wicked thoughts. They went crazy. Not me. That was not part of the deal!”
“But you still paid them off,” Martinez said.