Ring of Silence by Mark Zubro

Author:Mark Zubro [Zubro, Mark]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: gay mystery
Publisher: MLR Press
Published: 2017-05-05T16:00:00+00:00

Friday 12:45 P.M.

At the last second, just as the elevator doors were closing, a fist was shoved between the doors, which instantly reopened. A short, scrawny man scuttled in. He wore a white, short sleeve shirt, red bowtie, and black pants. They were the only three in the elevator. When the doors shut, he said, “I’m Ronald Cannon, Randy Carruthers’s lawyer.”

Turner said, “We shouldn’t be talking to you. You shouldn’t be talking to us.”

“Oh, I think you’ll want to hear what I have to say. Besides all that don’t-talk-to-anybody-on-either-side? That’s all bullshit. That’s all to save their jobs, and has nothing to do with legal or illegal.”

Turner assumed the guy was lying. He was also willing to play out a string to see if the guy could turn it into rope and hang himself or his client. It was a dangerous game to play.

Turner caught Fenwick looking at him out of the corner of his eye. They both gave the slightest of nods to each other.

Cannon pointed at Turner. “We’re going to release it that you’re a gay cop.”

“So what?” Fenwick asked.

“Ah, but we’re not going to call a press conference. We’re going to whisper it to a few bigoted, but sympathetic reporters. See, we want it to look like a secret. We don’t care if it is or not.”

“There are protections in this city and this state,” Fenwick said.

“We don’t care. We don’t want your job. Not right away, or that’s not a specific goal. The idea is to discredit you. And you’re right, being gay doesn’t discredit people in the eyes of the law, not in Illinois, but we don’t care about the law. We care about public perception and how we can turn it against you. There will be enough homophobes to ease off at least some of the pressure.”

“How do you live with yourself at night?” Fenwick asked.

“I’m giving my client the best possible defense.”

“Do you think that’s what this is about, a defense?”

“If it works, I don’t care.”

Fenwick said, “I don’t like you.”

“Not an issue for me.” They reached the ground floor. The doors opened, and they walked out. The lawyer followed them to their car. Upon arrival there, the lawyer asked, “Have you heard from the city’s law department?”

“What do we have to do with them?” Fenwick asked.

“They’re the ones who represent you. They’re fighting with each other about what to do about this case.” When Fenwick began to speak, he held up his hand. “And the Independent Police Review Board is split about what to do about you two.” The lawyer leaned toward them. “You do know the video isn’t clear. We’ve got an affidavit from a cop who says the kid had a gun or was going for a gun. Cops are threatening to sue both you guys. Word is damage was done to Carruthers, and you refused to treat him.”

Fenwick snorted, “He refused transport to the hospital or an offer to have a doctor examine him. Refused on scene.”

The lawyer said, “We’ll find out what’s true.

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