Split Second

Jorst looked at him coolly. "I'd say whoever told you that was seriously mistaken. But then again, if it's true, I can't control other people using my name in conversation, can I?"

"Fair enough. Do you believe that Arnold Ramsey acted alone?"

"Until I'm presented with credible evidence to the contrary."

"By all accounts he wasn't a violent man, yet he performed the most violent act of all, murder."

Jorst shrugged. "Who knows what beats deeply within the hearts of people?"

"That's true. And Arnold Ramsey was involved in some serious protests in his youth. Perhaps one of which led to someone's violent death."

Jorst looked at him sharply. "What are you talking about?"

King had revealed that piece of information solely to gauge Jorst's reaction to it. "One more thing. Did you drive separately or with Arnold Ramsey to the Fairmount Hotel on the morning he killed Ritter?"

To his credit Jorst didn't show any reaction. His features were impassive. "You're saying I was at the Fairmount that morning?"

King stared right at the man. "You're saying you weren't?"

He thought about this for a moment. "All right, I was there. With hundreds of other people. So what?"

"So what? Along with dating Regina Ramsey, that's a pretty significant detail you forgot to mention."

"Why should I have? I did nothing wrong. And in answer to your question, I drove separately."

"And you must have run out of the place the very second after Ramsey fired, or else you wouldn't have had time to pick up Regina and go and tell Kate in the middle of algebra."

Jorst looked stonily at them; however, several beads of perspirationhad appeared on his broad forehead. "There were lots of people running all over the place. I was as terrified as anyone else. I saw what happened. And I didn't want Regina and Kate finding out on the news. So I drove as fast as I could to tell them myself. I thought I was being considerate. And I don't appreciate how you seem to be drawing a negative conclusion from what I thought was a selfless act."

King drew very close to the man. "Why did you go to the hotel that morning? Did you have a beef with Ritter too?"

"No, of course not."

"So why, then?" persisted King.

"He was a presidential candidate. We don't get many of those down here. I wanted to see for myself. It's my field, after all."

"What if I say that's complete bullshit?" said King.

"I don't owe you an explanation," Jorst shot back.

King shrugged. "You're right. We'll send the FBI and the Secret Service down, and you can tell them. You have a phone we can use?"

"Wait a minute, just wait a minute." King and Michelle looked at him expectantly. "All right, all right," Jorst said quickly. He swallowed nervously, looking back and forth at them. "Look, I was worried about Arnold. He'd been so enraged about Ritter. I was afraid he might do something dumb. Please believe me that never for one second did I think that his plan was to kill the man. I never knew he had a gun until he fired it. I swear."

"Go on," said King.

"He didn't know I was there. I followed him over. The night before, he told me he'd be attending the event. I stayed in the back. The crowd was so big that he never noticed me. He stayed far away from Ritter, and I started thinking that I'd just overreacted. I thought about leaving. I moved toward the door. Unbeknownst to me, it was right about then that he started moving toward Ritter. I turned back once, when I was right at the door. Just in time to see Arnold pull his gun and fire. I saw Ritter fall, and then I saw you fire and kill Arnold. And then the whole place exploded. And I was running as fast as Icould. I was able to get out so quickly because I was already by the door. I remember almost running over one of the hotel maids who was standing by the door too."

Michelle and King looked at each other: Loretta Baldwin.

Jorst continued, his face now ashen. "I couldn't believe that it had happened. It all seemed like a nightmare. I ran to my car and drove off as fast as I could. I wasn't the only one. Lots of people were fleeing that scene."

"You never told the police this?"

"What was there to tell? I was there, saw what happened and fled, just like hundreds of other people. It's not like the authorities needed my testimony or anything."

"And you went and got Regina and told her. Why?"

"Why! For God's sakes, her husband had just shot a presidential candidate. And then been killed himself. I had to tell her. Can't you understand that?"

King pulled the photo he'd taken from the upstairs bedroom out of his pocket and handed it to Jorst. Jorst accepted it with shaky hands and looked down at the smiling face of Regina Ramsey.

"I guess I can, particularly if you were in love with her back then too," said King quietly.

54

So what do you think?" asked Michelle as they were driving off. "He might have been telling the truth. And maybe he thought he'd be the first on the scene to comfort the poor widow. Capitalize on his friend's death at the same time he's playing Good Samaritan."