Murder in Buckhead, page 20
“Why? Shouldn’t I be?” My words came out a bit slurred and ended with a big burp.
“Okay, Boss. Time to get you home.”
CHAPTER 37
Thursday-Friday, April 18-19
Once again, I woke up with a fierce headache and a hangover in full force. But this time it had definitely been worth it. Slowly getting out of bed and standing up was a chore in itself. Even with the hangover my stomach was growling again, although I wondered if I ate anything if it would end up staying in my stomach. Coming out of the bedroom, I found Rudy clicking away on the keyboard.
“Rudy? Can you go get us some breakfast?”
“Boss, it’s past lunch time.”
“Huh. Well then, can you go get us some lunch?”
While Rudy was gone, I took a shower and started to feel half-way human again. After lunch, I made the decision to pay a visit to Liam with the idea of talking him out of the litigation. It was worth the chance.
Arriving at the Peachtree high-rise, I entered the lobby, relieved to find McAlester was not on duty. Strangely, the security desk seemed to be unmanned. Even the door man wasn’t around. Checking the mailboxes, I found Liam’s name and condo number, took the elevator up to the 5th floor, and knocked on his door. I stood to the side so that he couldn’t see me through the peep hole.
“Who is it?”
“Maintenance.”
Thinking he wouldn’t fall for my ruse; I was surprised when he opened the door. The look on his face said it all.
“You! Why in the hell are you here? I have nothing to talk to you about!”
As he was about to slam the door shut, I put my foot in the threshold to stop him.
“Look, Liam. Just hear me out. I have a proposal to offer you.”
He stared and didn’t say a word.
“Let’s be logical here. You know you’re not going to get much from this litigation. It’s always the lawyers who get rich from lawsuits. Why don’t we come to an agreement between us on an acceptable settlement and forget about the lawyers and the judge. Not that I care about winning or losing. My reasons are different. I don’t need the publicity this could possibly bring. So, my offer is $50,000.”
“Huh. $50,000? Well, Mr. PI, you think I care about your money? I don’t. I care about my reputation. I’ll see you in the judge’s chambers tomorrow afternoon.”
With that, he pushed my foot out of the way and slammed the door.
*****
Promptly at 1 pm on Friday afternoon, I met my lawyer, John Drumm, in front of the courthouse. He advised me we’d been assigned to a Judge Charmers who he knew of, but had never been in his courtroom, or argued a case before him.
As we approached the judge’s chambers, the door was opened by young clerk and we stepped into a comfortable office complete with large desk, chairs, and several bookcases. Liam and his lawyer had yet to arrive, nor had the judge. We were directed to take our seats in front of the desk.
At 1:09 pm Liam and his lawyer entered the chamber. Soon after, the judge entered through a side door with a rather unpleasant look on his face. He looked directly at Liam’s lawyer and addressed him.
“Counselor Granger. You and your client are nine minutes late. Care to explain why you kept me waiting?”
“My apologies, Your Honor. We were stuck in traffic.”
“I see. Well, since all parties are present, I suggest we begin. Any objections Counselor Drumm?”
“None, Your Honor.”
“Counselor Granger, you may begin.”
“Thank you, Your Honor.”
“Since my client’s lawsuit is straightforward and not complicated, we requested a bench hearing to save the court both time and money. My client is seeking damages in the amount of $500,000 to compensate for harassment and defamation of character at the hands of Private Investigator Jacques Ludefance of Santa Rosaria, Florida on three separate occasions on Saturday, March 30, 2019.”
“Duly noted. Please continue.”
“The harassment began on Saturday morning, March 30 when my client received a call from PI Ludefance who requested a meeting with him. When my client asked the nature of this meeting, PI Ludefance said he’d been hired to investigate the suicide of Casey Ray Olmsted. When my client asked what that had to do with him, PI Ludefance responded that he was clearing up a few loose ends. My client asked again what it had to do with him. PI Ludefance inferred there had been an altercation between my client and Casey Ray Olmsted and threatened that if he didn’t meet, he’d be dragged down to the police station.”
“And this meeting took place?”
“Yes, Your Honor. My client met with PI Ludefance at a Starbucks near Precinct 2 at 3 pm that same afternoon. The first question to my client was, ‘What was the nature of your fight with Mr. Olmsted?’ My client responded that it was old business. The next question was, ‘What kind of old business?’ My client responded without hesitation that he’d dated Blaire Olmsted briefly before she’d married Casey Ray Olmsted. PI Ludefance appeared unhappy with that answer and asked how my client had ended up living in the same high-rise as the Olmsteds. My client tried to explain that he’d been looking for a condo in the area and one happened to be for sale in this particular building that he felt was a good investment. At the time of his purchase, he was unaware that the Olmsteds lived there. PI Ludefance then proceeded to accuse Mr. Shanchezg of stalking Mrs. Olmsted.”
“Objection, Your Honor.”
“Counselor Drumm. In a bench hearing I prefer to hear both sides in their entirety without interruption. Please continue, Counselor Granger.
“Thank you, Your Honor.”
“My client went on to explain that when he discovered that Mrs. Olmsted lived in the same building, he made it a point to have a congenial talk with her. But, she must have misunderstood the intention of that conversation and told her husband. The next time my client saw Mrs. Olmsted, she was with Mr. Olmsted who told my client in no uncertain terms to ‘fuck off’ his wife. Back and forth the argument went. My client admits he did rough up Mr. Olmsted, but it was Mr. Olmsted who decked him and he wound up sprawled on the lobby floor. PI Ludefance then accused my client of being pleased that Mr. Olmsted had committed suicide, which couldn’t have been further from the truth.”
My lawyer was chomping at the bit, but refrained from saying anything.
“The next question PI Ludefance asked was where my client was the day of the suicide. Mr. Shanchezg explained that after work the previous Saturday night he hadn’t returned to his condo but had stayed with his girlfriend until Tuesday. Then, PI Ludefance asked my client where he worked, and he responded he worked at the Havana Club on Piedmont Road.
“When my client asked to know where PI Ludefance was going with this line of questioning, PI Ludefance said he was trying to eliminate my client from a possible suspect list. At that point, my client became alarmed that he was now being considered a suspect, but couldn’t understand how that was possible when Mr. Olmsted had committed suicide.
“The last of the conversation was the strangest part of all. PI Ludefance went into a tirade that at 1:27 pm on the day of the suicide, the building security tape showed a person leaving the back entrance wearing a beanie cap and high turtleneck royal blue sweater; the same sweater that my client was wearing during this meeting with PI Ludefance. PI Ludefance then threatened that if my client didn’t cooperate, the police would obtain a search warrant and search his condo looking for that particular sweater and take it in for evidence. At that point, my client ended the meeting and said he had nothing more to say either to PI Ludefance or to the police.”
“From what I see here in the lawsuit there was a second meeting?”
“Yes, Your Honor. PI Ludefance, along with a Detective Turner of the Atlanta Police Department, accosted, demeaned, threatened, and harassed my client at his place of work, the Havana Club, on the evening of Saturday, March 30. My client received a call from one of his associates by the name of Tiffany in the Bungalow, one of the private rooms. The two men she was entertaining wanted to speak to my client. When he asked who they were and what they wanted, my client was surprised when another voice came on the line and said, ‘Liam, this is Detective Turner from the Atlanta Police Department. We’d like to have a little talk with you.’ When my client declined to meet due to his work obligations, he was threatened with being taken down to the police station for the talk. Of course, he complied and arrived at the Bungalow within five minutes and asked Tiffany and Mona to leave the room. Insults began flying back and forth. When my client started to leave, Detective Turner threatened to drag him downtown to the police station. When things had settled down, it was the same line of questioning i.e., that of trying to eliminate suspects. My client responded emphatically that he did not kill anyone. When asked to give a handwriting sample, he refused, thinking it a ridiculous request. He was then bombarded with all the supposed evidence against him. He responded by saying, ‘This conversation ends right now. If you have anything more to ask, you’ll need to speak to my lawyer.’
“In addition to these three incidents, PI Ludefance came to my client’s home yesterday afternoon, knocked on his door, and offered him a proposal of $50,000 to drop the lawsuit. His response was, ‘Well, Mr. PI, you think I care about your money? I don’t. I care about my reputation. I’ll see you in the judge’s chambers tomorrow afternoon.’
“That concludes our evidence, Your, Honor.”
“Thank you, Counselor Granger. I suggest we take a fifteen-minute break before hearing from Counselor Drumm.”
CHAPTER 38
It was after 2:20 pm when we reconvened in the judge’s chambers.
“Before proceeding, I do have a question. During Counselor Granger’s statements I heard the name of Detective Turner mentioned several times. Why is he not here today?”
“Your Honor, Detective Turner was severely injured during the break-in and the shooting death of Mrs. Blaire Olmsted. The detective was just released from the hospital and is resting at home.”
“Thank you, Counselor Drumm. Are you ready to proceed?”
“Yes, Your Honor. My client, Mr. Jacques Ludefance who is a licensed private investigator from Santa Rosaria, Florida, was hired by Mrs. Scarlet Olmsted to investigate the death of her son, Casey Ray Olmsted. Mrs. Olmsted did not believe that her son committed suicide. During his investigation, PI Ludefance teamed with Detective Turner who had been assigned lead detective on the case until it suddenly closed by Precinct 2 Commander Hugans of the Atlanta Police Department. During his investigation, PI Ludefance homed in on Mr. Shanchezg and did have three encounters with him on Saturday, March 30, 2019. These encounters differ from what Counselor Granger recounted.
“In the first encounter on the morning of March 30, my client called to speak with Mr. Shanchezg who wanted to know who was calling. My client gave his name and asked if they could meet. Mr. Shanchezg responded, ‘Not until you tell me what you’re after.’ My client said that he’d been hired to investigate the suicide of Casey Ray Olmsted. Mr. Shanchezg responded, ‘So? What’s that got to do with me?’ When my client said he was just trying to clear up a few loose ends, Mr. Shanchezg responded, ‘Loose ends? Look, Pal. A suicide is suicide. Can’t put any other twist on it.’ My client said, ‘The police always have suspicions and questions.’ Mr. Shanchezg responded, ‘You still didn’t answer my question. What’s this got to do with me?’ My client said, ‘There’s the pesky item of an altercation between you and Mr. Olmsted.’ Mr. Shanchezg responded, ‘That’s none of your business.’ My client said, ‘Actually, it is. If it’s police business, it’s my business. You can do this in a civilized way, or I can request you be brought to the police station to do it the nasty way. No avoiding it.’
“Mr. Shanchezg agreed to meet at a local Starbucks that afternoon. The meeting was short and heated. My client asked again, ‘What was the nature of your fight with Casey Ray Olmsted?’ Mr. Shanchezg responded, ‘Old business.’ My client asked what kind of old business and Mr. Shanchezg responded, ‘I dated Blaire briefly before she married that loser.’ My client then asked, ‘How’d you end up living in the same condominium building?’ Mr. Shanchezg responded, ‘Easy. Found out where she and dear old Casey Ray were living. Simple enough to buy a unit in the same building. There’s still several for sale.’ My client said he considered that stalking. Mr. Shanchezg responded, ‘Would you now. Well, it’s still a free country, Pal. So, back to the original question. I had a nice little talk with Blaire. She obviously told her husband. I suppose he got jealous. You know how husbands married to beautiful women are.’
“My client repeated what Mrs. Olmsted had told him in one of her interviews, ‘Blaire told me that you were drunk and made a pass at her.’ Mr. Shanchezg responded, ‘She said that? What a bitch. The actual conversation went something like this, ‘Hi Liam, long time no see.’ She was oozing all her feminine whiles, the smiles, the invitation, then the rejection. I thought maybe I could win her back. Next time I saw her, she was with her loser husband walking into the lobby as I was leaving. His face turned red as he told me in no uncertain terms to ‘fuck off’ his wife. Back and forth it went. I roughed him up a little, then he decked me. Next thing I know, I’m sprawled out on the lobby floor. When I heard he’d jumped, I was pleased. Now maybe there’s a possibility that Blaire and I can get back together. If nothing else, I’m there to comfort her.’
I looked over at Shanchezg’s face. It was beet red.
“My client asked where Mr. Shanchezg was the day of the suicide. His answer does correspond with Counselor Dunham’s statement. Mr. Shanchezg then asked, ‘Where are you going with this interrogation?’ My client said, ‘Look, Liam. Like I said I’m trying to clear a few things up. I’m not here to accuse you. I’m trying to eliminate you from a possible suspect list.’ To which Mr. Shanchezg responded, ‘Now I’m a suspect? Just how did we get from a suicide to a suspect list? This is the weirdest damn suicide I’ve ever heard of.’ Then my client did recant the evidence against Mr. Shanchezg to which he responded, ‘End of conversation. I have nothing more to say to either you or the police. Try and bring me in and I’ll sue you.’”
“As to the third encounter on the night of Saturday, March 30 at the Havana Club, there are several points I would like to add. Yes, there were insults flying back and forth. In response, Mr. Shanchezg became enraged and threw a left punch at Detective Turner who side-stepped, avoiding a direct hit. When Mr. Shanchezg was asked to give a sample of his handwriting, he promptly crumpled the paper and threw it on the floor. Detective Turner then told Mr. Shanchezg, ‘Liam, you are the number one suspect on my list. You know why? Because you and Casey had an altercation in the lobby back in early February. Because your sweater matches the one on an unidentified person arriving at the back entrance of the condo building at 2:46 am on March 4 and leaving the condo building at 1:27 pm that afternoon. Because you’re stalking Blaire. But most of all, because your fingerprints are on a Starbucks cup found in the trash bin in Blaire’s kitchen, placing you in her condo.’ Mr. Shanchezg responded, ‘What? What Starbucks cup? Oh, wait. I know. Her loser husband had just left for some country with a weird name where he works every other month. I got Blaire a latte, her favorite, and gave it to her IN THE LOBBY! I’ve never stepped foot in her condo! This conversation ends right now. If you have anything more to ask, you’ll need to speak to my lawyer.’”
“In conclusion, Your Honor. My client was hired to investigate the strange death of Casey Ray Olmsted. As he delved further, all the evidence, although circumstantial, pointed directly at Liam Shanchezg. At no time was it the intention of my client to harass Mr. Shanchezg or defame his character. Mr. Shanchezg did that to himself. The irony in this entire situation is that due to very recent discoveries that have not yet been released to the public, Mr. Shanchezg is no longer a suspect of the Atlanta Police Depart or my client.”
“Thank you, Counselor Drumm. I would like to take the next half-hour to review this litigation and make my decision. Ah, let’s see. It’s now 3:30. We will reconvene promptly at 4 pm.”
A half-hour seemed like an eternity. $500,000 was on the line. A whole lot of money to me. I paced the hallway while my lawyer returned calls and seemed not to be rattled by anything. At a few minutes before 4, we reentered the judge’s chambers.
“Counselor Graham. Mr. Shanchezg. Counselor Drumm. Mr. Ludefance. I have carefully reviewed the statements of both sides and I have made my decision. Counselor Granger. Your client chose to sue a private citizen who was merely doing the job he was hired to do. Your client chose not to sue Detective Turner, which he had every right to do if he felt he’d been unjustly treated. In addition, your client took a swing at a sworn officer of the law. Detective Turner could have arrested your client on the spot. In conclusion, I find this to be a frivolous lawsuit with absolutely no merit. I find in favor of Mr. Ludefance. Case dismissed.”
I had to ask, so I stood up. “Your Honor? May I have permission to ask Mr. Shanchezg two questions?”
“Mr. Shanchezg?”
“What the hell? Uh…Excuse me, Your Honor. What questions, Ludefance?”
“You wore a royal blue turtleneck sweater. Blaire had a sweater the exact same style and color. Coincidence?”
Liam rolled his eyes. “Hardly. While we were dating, I found out she loved the color royal blue. So, I bought us matching sweaters. Never thought she’d wear it though—”
“Well, maybe, just maybe, she was setting you up, Liam.”
“Or, just maybe she really did care? So, you said there were two questions?”
“How did your process server find out where I was located?”
“Too bad, Ludefance. That is something I will never divulge.”
CHAPTER 39
Saturday, April 20
Waking up on Saturday morning, I was filled with dread on several different levels. The time had come to take the summation of my investigation to Scarlet and settle my account. That was my worst dread. But I also had no doubt that in the very near future, Senator Bartholomew Jeremie Olmsted would be arrested by the FBI. And with that would come national publicity which I didn’t want because it would only increase the number of my enemies.
