Convenient Suspect by Tammy Mal

Author:Tammy Mal
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Chicago Review Press
Published: 2017-04-07T04:00:00+00:00

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Because Patty faced two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of kidnapping, bail was immediately denied and she was ordered to appear in court the next day to face extradition back to Pennsylvania.

That same day, she called Paul Kleman at the stable where she boarded her horses and told him what had happened. She was worried about her daughter, she said, and the animals, since she wouldn’t be there to care for them.

Kleman was shocked by Patty’s arrest but not surprised that her primary concern was for others. That was the type of person Paul knew Patty to be: kind, considerate, and caring. She sounded so scared and forlorn on the phone that after hanging up, Paul Kleman sat down and wept.

Despite what her mother had told her, when Patty appeared in court the next day, dressed in an orange jumpsuit, her wrists and ankles shackled, she surprised everyone by immediately waiving extradition.

Appearing with her attorney, Bill Fritts, Patty stood before the judge looking weary and defeated but ready to return to Pennsylvania and face the music.

“She’s very interested in appearing in court and being exonerated,” Fritts said. “Patty wants to prove her innocence.”

Her family knew she’d be taken back to Pennsylvania soon, and, afraid they’d miss her departure, they began arriving at the courthouse early the next morning. By 4:00 AM they had someone stationed at every door in the building, determined not to let the authorities sneak Patty out without them seeing.

They needn’t have worried. Patty was allowed a brief visit with them, and as she made her way down the courthouse hall, shackled and in tears, reporters snapped pictures of her.

Disappearing behind closed doors where her family waited, Patty clung tightly to Holly, reluctant to let her go. When Pat Chambers realized she’d forgotten to bring a picture of the little girl, Patty became even more upset. One of her jailers, troubled by what was happening, walked over and knelt down beside her.

“Do you remember me?” the man asked gently.

Patty shook her head, no, and the jailer smiled. “We met before, at the stables you manage.” Then, glancing away from her, he shook his head. “I cannot believe they are doing this to you,” he said softly. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

Patty told the man that she didn’t have a picture of her daughter, and the jailer immediately excused himself and left the room. He returned momentarily with a Polaroid camera and after snapping a photo of Holly, handed it over to a grateful Patty.

It was almost time to go, and Patty sobbed as she hugged her mother and step-pop, then broke down completely when she turned to Seth and Holly to say good-bye. Her family’s words of encouragement helped to compose her, however, and when she finally left the room, she was no longer crying but still blinking back tears.

That same afternoon, Davidson County sheriff Gerald Hege informed the press that the death of Patty’s first child, Charlie, was “being looked into.

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