Tuesday - 6/7
SALEM COURTHOUSE
Belle had gotten further along in Rafe’s testimony.
BELLE: One final question, throughout your investigation of these crimes, did you ever get any indication that Mr. Dale could have been collaborating with somebody else on this?
RAFE: There was no indication of that. Once we had all of the evidence gathered, it pointed directly to Charlie, and only to him.
BELLE: Thank you. No more questions, Your Honor.
FITZPATRICK: Thank you, Mrs. Brady. Defense?
Belle sat down as Charlie stood up.
CHARLIE: Officer Herandez, have you been a detective for long?
RAFE: Several years, yes.
CHARLIE: Were you or were you not once employed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation?
RAFE: I was, yes.
CHARLIE: And were you or were you not fired from the FBI?
RAFE: I was not. I resigned of my own volition, actually.
Charlie’s smug grin faltered slightly.
CHARLIE: Really?
RAFE: Really. I felt I could do more good in local law enforcement than in federal, and I resigned with a clean record.
CHARLIE: I see. My apologies, I must have had the wrong information.
He cleared his throat.
CHARLIE: Moving on, you said in your earlier testimony that, during your investigation, the only real evidence you had was grainy CCTV footage of me entering a room and then leaving it, is that correct?
RAFE: It’s an extremely oversimplified version of events, but yes, for most of the investigation, that is all we had.
CHARLIE: Would you care to expand on that?
RAFE: Once we received a copy of the CCTV footage from Salem University, it was, indeed, grainy. However, we had our tech team clean up the footage and after that, it was easy to identify you.
CHARLIE: Would it be accurate to say that the evidence was circumstantial, at best?
RAFE: I would say no, it isn’t.
CHARLIE: Could you expand on that?
RAFE: The CCTV footage showed you going to the scene of the crime shortly before we believe the crime took place and leaving shortly after. You are the only person to enter or exit that room during that time.
CHARLIE: You used the phrase “we believe the crime took place”, does that mean you don’t actually know?
RAFE: We don’t have it exactly down to the minute, but based on the condition of the victim when she was found, we have a very reliable estimate.
CHARLIE: So that’s not a yes, then?
FITZPATRICK: Mr. Dale, the witness has already answered the question.
CHARLIE: Nothing more, Your Honor.
Charlie sat down.
FITZPATRICK: Mrs. Brady, do you have a rebuttal?
BELLE: Not at this time, Your Honor.
FITZPATRICK: Very well. Officer Hernandez, thank you for your testimony, you may stand down.
Rafe got off the stand.
SALEM P.D.
SHAWN-D: Of course I didn’t! How could you think that?
ROMAN: I don’t like having to think it, but I have to do this by the book. Like I said, I have to look at anyone and everyone who has a motive. After what Maisy did to Claire, you do have motive. Believe me, you’re not the only person I’m gonna have to have a tough conversation with.
SHAWN-D: I didn’t do it. And I’m more than willing to do whatever it takes to make you believe that.
ROMAN: I’m glad to hear it. At the moment, all I need is for you to answer a couple questions for me. Here’s the first: where were you last night between 7:30 and 8 p.m.?
SHAWN-D: I was at home, getting ready for my twenty-year class reunion.
ROMAN: You got anyone who can vouch for that?
SHAWN-D: Two people. My wife and Mimi Lockhart.
ROMAN: And you were with one or both of them the whole time?
Shawn-D sighed.
SHAWN-D: There was a period of about ten minutes where I wasn’t. I stepped out of my bedroom for a few minutes, partly to give Belle and Mimi some time to get ready for the reunion, but also to make a phone call.
ROMAN: Who did you call?
SHAWN-D: Kevin Lambert. He was helping with set up for the reunion. I called to see if he could make sure to add a particular song that’s special to Belle and I to the playlist.
ROMAN: You got a number I can contact this Kevin Lambert at?
SHAWN-D: Absolutely.
Shawn-D wrote down a phone number and handed it to Roman.
SHAWN-D: After I finished my call, I walked into the living room just as Belle and Mimi were coming downstairs.
ROMAN: All right. I’ll look into this and let you know what I find out.
SHAWN-D: Thanks.
SALEM COURTHOUSE
After Rafe, Belle had put Officer Sutton on the stand, and he had gone over the details of the investigation into the murders. Much of his testimony was similar to Rafe’s.
FITZPATRICK: Mrs. Brady, your next witness.
Belle stood up.
BELLE: I call Joy Wesley to the stand.
