recorded the young manâs statement, how he hadnât been in Jeanfreauâs for a year. As he was ending the statement, Savary casually asked, âOld man Hudsonââthatâs what Lamont called himââwhat did he mean when he touched his chin?â
âHuh?â
âWhen he touched his chin. Was that a signal?â
Lamont laughed. âThatâs no signal. Band-Aid on his chin kept cominâ off, the old fool.â
âWhen was this?â
âNo time in particular. I just seen him do that.â
Lamont added nothing else of value. Didnât seem overly concerned about the matter. Only added, âI need your name.â
Savary passed him a business card.
âI wanna give it to the judge on this cocaine case. Show him I cooperate with the police.â
Â
Savary went to the morgue early the next morning, caught pathologist Dr. Jess Gomez before the man started on his first autopsy.
âGo back down to the record room,â Dr. Gomez said. âSee the investigator. I usually put everything in my notes. Only put whatâs pertinent in the autopsy report, but my notes are more detailed.â Savary found it an hour later. Jack Hudson had a clear Band-Aid on his chin on the day he was murdered.
âAll this may be enough for an arrest warrant,â Jodie said as Savary typed out a search warrant on his computer. âItâll sure be enough for a search warrant.â
The right honorable Judge Marcus Summer of Criminal District Court agreed and signed the search warrant for Oris Lamontâs shotgun single house, a block off Felicity Street at the corner of Magnolia and Melpomene. The house smelled of burned cabbage and creaked heavily as the detectives and uniformed officers came through the front door. The place seemed to rock beneath their weight.
Lamontâs mama wasnât happy with all the police in her house and being forced to remain in the living room with her five-year-old daughter, who wore a pink dress and hugged a stuffed Sponge Bob doll.
Savary found a Milky Way wrapper under Orisâs bed, as well as two Baby Ruth wrappers and an Almond Joy wrapper. He also found a Ruger nine-millimeter with six rounds left in a ten-round magazine under a loose floorboard beneath Oris Lamontâs single bed. His mama never saw the gun before. He looked at the little girl and those big eyes stared at the semiautomatic.
âIs this your gun?â Savary asked the child.
âThat Oris gun.â
Her mother pulled her away from the detective and glared at him.
âYouâre violating our rights, questioning a baby.â
Savary gave the woman a cold smile.
A crowd had gathered outside, kept back by two Sixth District patrol officers. Savary spotted a familiar face and went over to Reverend Milton, who moved toward him.
âLet him through.â
The reverend looked Savary in the eye, but only for a moment. He shook his head. âI figured the longer you worked on the case, the more likely youâd figure it out.â
âYou knew about Oris? That he had a gun. That he did it.â
âEverybody knew, âcept yâall.â The reverend looked over at Orisâs mother, now standing on the front stoop with her little girl.
âCan I go talk with her?â
Savary nodded. âWeâre leaving.â
Reverend Milton grabbed his elbow, looked him in the eye again. âI didnât see it happen. I mean, I didnât know for sure, âcept everyone said it and Oris asked me not to talk to the police. He acted real casual-like. You know what I mean.â
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A crime lab technician took the Ruger to the lab for firearms examination to check if it matched the spent casing found at the crime scene and the bullet removed from Jack Hudsonâs brain at the autopsy. Savary went back to Jeanfreauâs and checked the candy bars. The Milky Way wrapper found under Orisâs bed matched the lot