Dead Wrong

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Book: Read Dead Wrong for Free Online
Authors: J. A. Jance
believe her body was ever found.”
    “They got a conviction with no body?” Jamie asked. “That’s pretty unusual.”
    Ted nodded. “There was enough blood found in Brad’s vehicle and on his body to make a pretty good case that she was dead. And with her pregnant, I guess feelings were running pretty high. Even without a body, the county attorney was prepared to go formurder one. Instead, Brad copped a plea to second degree. Like I told Sheriff Brady here, he accepted full responsibility for his actions. Based on good behavior, he probably should have been turned loose a long time before they finally let him go, but every time he came up for parole, his former mother-in-law was there at the hearing to speak in opposition.”
    “How long ago did Evans get out?”
    “Three or so years ago. When I first met him, I would have to say he was what they call a dry drunk—an alcoholic who wasn’t actively drinking but who hadn’t done anything about working on the underlying issues. I helped him get into the program. You know anything about the twelve steps?”
    Joanna and Jaime both shook their heads.
    “There are twelve steps to recovery. One of them involves making amends to all the people you may have harmed. Once Brad got into the program, he wrote a letter to his former mother-in-law, asking her forgiveness, but nothing changed her mind about him. She was at the last meeting before the parole board set him loose, and she was still adamantly opposed to their letting him out. Still, once he was on the outside, Brad stayed with AA, and he’s one of the ones who really worked his program. He was serious about it. That’s why I thought he’d be so good working with the guys in the Papago Unit as a kind of peer counselor. And he was.”
    “You have no idea where Brad’s former mother-in-law lives now?”
    “No,” Ted answered.
    “Do you have any idea about Brad’s friends or associates?”
    “Not really. I’m guessing the people he was closest to will be the ones he was working with at the prison, maybe some of theguards, but they wouldn’t know him nearly as well as the inmates he was counseling.”
    Jaime nodded. “We’ll get down there tomorrow and talk to them. It’s a start. Can you think of anything else?”
    Ted shook his head. “Pride’s a terrible thing,” he said bleakly.
    “Why do you say that?” Joanna asked.
    “Because when Brad went missing, I was convinced he had fallen off the wagon. I was terribly disappointed in him, mainly because I thought it would reflect badly on me. The first thing that went through my head when I saw him uptown in the morgue was that at least he wasn’t drunk. It makes me ashamed to think that idea even crossed my mind. What kind of person would think that way?”
    “Lots of them, Ted,” Joanna said. “Give yourself a break.” She turned to Jaime. “Can you think of anything else we need to ask?”
    “When was he last seen at work?” Jaime asked.
    “Tuesday. He had Wednesdays off.”
    “All right, then,” Jaime said. “That’s about it.”
    “I can go, then?” Ted asked.
    “Sure,” Joanna said with a smile. “Go home to Ginny. I’m sure she’s worried about you. If we need anything else, we know how to get hold of you.”
    Jaime waited until Ted Chapman had left the room. “So you win the prize, boss,” he said. “John Doe turns out to be an ex-con with alcohol problems. I believe you called that one right on the money.”
    “But we still don’t know who killed him,” Joanna returned.
    There was a light knock on the conference-room door. Maggie Mendoza came in carrying a computer printout. “This is what the Department of Corrections has on Mr. Evans,” she said.
    Joanna took the file. She hadn’t planned to look at it in any detail. Her intention was to glance at it briefly and then pass it over to Jaime so he could study it, but then a familiar name leaped off one of the pages: D. H. Lathrop! When Brad Evans was first picked up in

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