The Posture of Innocence, day 13.5

In the "Knee" freewrite, Captain Lee gets his warrants ... and in this one, the true murderer of John Soames gets snatched up in a manner that gives another take on that freewrite!

To get totally caught up on The Posture of Innocence, here are the prologue, day 1, day 2, day 3, day 3.5, day 4, day 4.5, day 5, day 5.5, day 6, day 7, and day 7.5, day 8, day 9, day 9.5, day 10, day 10.5, day 11, day 11.5, day 12, day 12.5, and day 13!

Officer Joe Cadbury had to be taken alive, and it was as well that Commissioner Scott had driven the point home to Captain Lee, who then had to drive it home to Lieutenant Anderson, who was waiting for his commander to return while holding car keys in one hand and a rifle in another. Captain Lee smiled, but gently shook his head.

“Lieutenant, if we were to do it the way we both feel it,” he said, “the rifle would be ideal.”

Passionate Lieutenant Anderson instantly calmed down from a wrath he didn't even know was moving him.

“I hear from Lieutenant Lightfoot and several other officers that you play excellent golf. Go get your golf clubs, and I will change clothes, and then we will go … .”

Officer Joe Cadbury loved golf, and was at the Loft Winds Golf Course, his favorite afternoon spot to shoot the breeze – 70 years old and aging well, because completely without a conscience to trouble him. He had developed a golf game worthy of a tour on the Senior PGA, and delighted in showing off for friends and passers-by also at the course.

Loft Winds was a private course; you had to know somebody to get in there … or, you had to be from the right families in Virginia. Officer Cadbury had done a lot of favors for somebodies … he had mixed feelings upon approaching the hole of a fellow golfer who was just born with the face of Robert E. Lee, and so had no problem getting in anywhere. The gentleman – for surely he was, in those fine threads he had on – was so obviously a Lee in appearance that one would expect his game to be half-divine.

But it wasn't. The younger man was apparently still picking up the game, and was in need of expert mentorship … .

“That's not the right club for what you are trying to do, young man,” said Officer Cadbury.

The young man looked up with a smile … oh, yes, Lee in his sunshine years … stunningly handsome and inviting and open.

“Well, that's what I saw on YouTube,” he said.

“I'm on the local Senior PGA – if you want to get good, you'll listen to me. I'm Mr. Joseph Cadbury, board member for Loft Winds.”

“Oh, very glad to meet you, Mr. Cadbury. My name is Mr. Henry Fitzhugh Lee, and I work at your old place of employment--.”

The two men were by that time shaking hands, and just as easily, the younger man slipped on those handcuffs –.

“ – As police captain, under which authority I'm here to arrest you for the murder of John Soames.”

Officer Cadbury blinked, snarled, and prepared to charge the captain –.

“FORE!”

Officer Cadbury turned in shock, and then crumpled, hit in the knee by Lieutenant Anderson's very best driver on his very best swing.

“Excellent form, Lieutenant,” Captain Lee cried as their quarry writhed on the ground, screaming in pain. “Lovely swing, I must say.”

Then, with a shared smile, they yanked Officer Cadbury up and led him off the golf course, limping badly, in handcuffs, still crying out from the pain as he was read his rights, on the walk of shame that would be his last public appearance outside the courtroom. Time elapsed from getting the commissioner's go-ahead: one hour, 25 minutes.

“I knew he could do it,” the commissioner said when he got the call. “Ms. Thornton, start making the calls for that press conference!”

“Captain Lee … is he …?”

Commissioner Scott paused for just a second … he knew his secretary, in the midst of all the betrayals and changes, had wrapped her sweet heart around Captain Lee. He sympathized with her, although he personally thought the worst thing in the world for Ms. Thornton would be if an officer like Captain Lee actually became interested in her. Her life would daily be terror, for the danger he worked in, and the danger in him that threatened others.

“He's fine – they got Cadbury at the golf club, no trouble.”

“Thank God!”

Now that, Commissioner Scott couldn't argue with.

“They're going to book Cadbury here – have the press get on out here to catch the perp walk.”

“On it!”

Sure enough, to Officer Cadbury's horror, the press was present to watch him to go the last mile of the way, to go up the stairs carried by the the strong arms of a captain and lieutenant who were not going to write his crimes off. They stayed impassive as the cameras flashed, but their suspect just felt all the hope draining from his body. That was before the interrogation happened. But it was bad enough.

Day 14 is up!