Can I get a copy of the file? he asked.
I can't give you copies of the correspondence, but I can give you everything else.
Vasquez could have pressured him for copies of the few letters in the file, but there was nothing in them of use. All of the letters of instruction were unsigned and written on a computer. He settled for the rest of the file.
Vasquez sat in the waiting room while Stoops's secretary brought the material down the hall to a copier. He was disappointed. He had counted on Stoops to link Cardoni to the land, but it looked as though Cardoni had covered his tracks. It probably didn't matter. There was overwhelming evidence against the surgeon. There were the items with his prints that had been found in the cabin and the videocassette that had been found in his house in Portland. Once the jury saw that videotape, Cardoni was dead. Still, Vasquez thought, it would have been nice to have another piece of evidence tying him to the killing ground.
Chapter 17
Seven years ago a white grocery clerk had mistakenly accused Herb Cross, an African-American, of robbing a convenience store. Cross hired Frank Jaffe to represent him. When Frank's investigator failed to find witnesses to support Cross's alibi, Frank's client took matters into his own hands and used his contacts to track down the real robber. Frank was so impressed that he offered his client a job.
I'll ask the questions, Cross instructed Amanda as they walked down the fifth-floor corridor of St. Francis Medical Center toward the conference room in the Department of Surgery where Justine Castle was waiting. You listen and take notes. If there's something you think I haven't covered, chime in when I' m through. Our object today is to get as much information as possible from Dr. Castle, so let her talk. And don't defend Cardoni, no matter what she says. We want to see how she feels and what she knows. We're not here to convert her to our cause.
Cross got no argument out of Amanda. She had never interviewed a witness before and was relieved that Herb would be doing the questioning.
The windowless conference room was narrow and stuffy, and the air was permeated by the faint smell of sweat. A flickering fluorescent light fixture hung above shelves of medical books and journals. Justine Castle was sitting on one side of a conference table sipping a cup of black coffee. She had been in surgery for a good part of the afternoon, and Amanda thought that she looked worn out. Her hair was swept back in a ponytail, and she was not wearing makeup.
I' m Herb Cross, Frank Jaffe's investigator. We spoke on the phone. This is Amanda Jaffe. She's an attorney with the firm.
We met at the Y, Amanda reminded Castle, who showed no sign of recognition. You were with Tony Fiori.
Oh, yes, Castle answered dismissively. Tony's high school friend.
The cold response surprised Amanda, but she did not show it.
I want to thank you for seeing us, Dr. Castle, Herb said.
I only agreed to see you to be polite, Mr. Cross. Nothing I say will help your client. Our divorce is not amicable, and I find Vincent repulsive.
Yet you married him, Cross said. You must have seen something good in him.
Justine smiled ruefully. Vincent can be charming when he's not coked up.
Amanda and Cross sat opposite Dr. Castle. Amanda took out a pad and prepared to take notes.
You've read the newspaper account of the murders in Milton County, Herb began. Had Dr. Cardoni ever said or done anything that made you suspect that he was killing these people?
Mr. Cross, if I had any idea that my husband had done something like that, I would have called the police immediately.
Do you think he's capable of this type of violence?
Vincent is a violent man, she answered without hesitation. I assume you know about my testimony in court.
You testified that he beat you and raped you.
It's not a far stretch from rape and assault to murder.
The murders in Milton County were not acts of passion, Cross said. They were well-thought-out acts of sadism.
Vincent is a sadist, Mr. Cross. The rape was very methodical. The beating was not administered in some sort of insane rage. Vincent looked very satisfied with himself when he was through.
Dr. Cardoni denies raping or beating you.
Of course he does. You don't expect him to admit it, do you?
Did you report the rape to the police or seek medical assistance?
Justine looked disgusted. You mean, can I prove Vincent raped me?
It's my job to check the facts in a case.
Let's not kid each other, Mr. Cross. It's your job to trick me into saying something that will help Vincent escape the punishment he deserves. But to answer your question, no, I did not report the rape or seek medical assistance. So it's Vincent's word against mine. That possibility does not intimidate me in the least.
Dr. Castle, did you know that your husband owned a home in Milton County?
The police asked me about that. If he does own that place, he never told me.
Your divorce lawyer never ran across a reference to it or property owned by Northwest Realty when you were trying to discover Dr. Cardoni's assets?
No.
Did you know Dr. Clifford Grant?
Justine's anger faded away and was replaced by a weary sadness.
Poor Clifford, she said. He was my attending until the administration started taking his responsibilities away from him. Not that I can blame them. He couldn't stop drinking. That's why his wife left, and that made him drink even more. Then there was that incident in surgery. He almost killed a four-year-old boy.
And yet I get the impression that you liked Dr. Grant.
Justine shrugged. He was going through his divorce while he was supervising me. We went out for dinner every now and then. He trusted me and unburdened himself on occasion.
She stopped talking, and her eyes grew distant. I can't help wondering if I' m responsible for his death.
Why would you say that?
Vincent and Clifford didn't become friendly until we were engaged. The papers say that they were harvesting organs for the black market. I wonder if Clifford would have trusted Vincent if I hadn't brought them together.
What can you tell us about the incident with Mary Sandowski? Cross asked.
I was there when he attacked her. The poor woman was speechless with fright. He had her by the arm and he was screaming at her.
Do you know why he was so angry?
Mary told me that Vincent screwed up during an operation and became furious with her when she tried to warn him. I' m certain she was right.
Why is that?
I saw Vincent's eyes. He was coked to the gills.
What's your husband's reputation among the other doctors at St. Francis?
I can't speak for them. If you want gossip, you might want to talk to Carleton Swindell, the hospital administrator. I do know that the Board of Medical Examiners is looking into several complaints of malpractice that are probably legitimate. If it was up to me I would never let him in an operating room. I think he's a drug addict and an incompetent.
He's also rich, isn't he?
Justine raised an eyebrow suspiciously. What if he is?
I don't want to offend you, Dr. Castle, but isn't it true that you' d come away from the divorce with a lot of property and money if your husband is convicted of murder?
Justine pushed away from the table and stood up.
Anything I take out of this marriage I've earned, believe me. And now I' m afraid that I have to end this interview. I've been working since early this morning and I need to get some rest.
What do you think? Amanda asked as they headed toward the elevator.
I think that Dr. Justine Castle is one pissed-off lady.