Booktree.ng_Forgotten-Witness

clear that no assistance was needed, the body was covered
with a sheet to await the medical examiner’s van.
As if not to waste a good call, Josie Bates had been coaxed
into the back of the ambulance where a young paramedic knelt
down, took her blood pressure, and waved his finger in front
of her face. He spoke to her for a long while, stepped down,
and let Morgan in. Morgan talked to her another good long
while. His stomach hung over his pants and his cuffs were
pulled up so far Eugene could see that he didn’t have the sense
to wear black socks with black shoes. Josie Bates on the other
hand still looked as chic as she had at the hearing. Every now
and again she punctuated what she was saying by stabbing the
air or slicing through it to make her point. Eugene couldn’t
wait to hear what her point might be. He would get the report
the next day but at least now he had seen for himself that there
was nothing to worry about.
Eugene started his car just as the medical examiner’s van
arrived. He made a U-turn as they were taking out the
stretcher. He looked in his rearview mirror once more and saw
them cart the body away. He stepped on the gas, working out
in his mind exactly what he was going to say to Ambrose
Patriota. More importantly he imagined what Ambrose might
say to him. Whatever it was, Eugene knew he would sleep
well that night. He always did when a day wrapped itself up so
nicely and put itself away.
Still, just to be sure, he made one more call despite the fact
that it was too late for anyone to be in the office of public
information. The woman he was calling was excellent. She
would pick it up first thing in the a.m. and put the wheels in
motion.
“It’s Eugene,” he said, not bothering with a last name.
“Contact every media outlet that covered Patriota’s hearing
today. I want all pictures of Josie Bates culled from their
archives. Push the other witnesses. They were more
interesting. Also, any mention of – or pictures of – the man
who disrupted the last few minutes of the hearing need to go.
Any questions, call me.”