Chapter 24
Stan Turner
Stan was in his office at the computer working on a contract when Jodie rushed in. He didn’t notice her until she spoke.
“Stan,” Jodie said urgently.
Stan looked up. “Oh, hi, Jodie. What’s wrong?”
“Brandon and I met with Evelyn Sanders at lunch today.”
“Oh, did you learn anything?”
“Yes, we took her to Emilio’s and she got very upset. She told us everything that happened. Although she didn’t see him do it, Chris Hunt definitely had the opportunity to lace the cheese with rat poison.”
“Good. That’s just what we needed.”
“Unfortunately, Hunt must have found out Evelyn met with us because Carl just called and said they found her body in her back yard at about 3:30 p.m. today. She was hit over the head with a blunt object as she was getting into her car. Her roommate found the body when she came home from work. She was DOA at Presbyterian Hospital.”
“Oh, jeeze. I’m so sorry. I know you two had become friends. . . . Wow. I can’t believe Hunt would kill his own girlfriend.”
“I feel like it’s all my fault. He probably followed us to the restaurant and knew immediately what we were up to.”
“It’s not your fault. Let me call Detective Besch and see if he knows anything.”
Stan dialed a number and waited. After the second ring Besch picked up.
“Besch here.”
“Detective. This is Stan Turner.”
“Oh, hi Stan. What’s going on?”
“Have you heard about the murder of Evelyn Sanders?”
“Yeah. I heard something about it. I wasn’t assigned the case.”
“Well, she was Chris Hunt’s girlfriend and apparently he found out today that Jodie was talking to her about the murders at Emilio’s. We think he followed her there and figured out she was cooperating with us.”
“Wow. So, you think Chris Hunt killed her?”
“It’s just a theory, but I can’t imagine anyone else wanting her dead.”
“Okay. I’ll alert the detectives assigned to the case and let you know what develops.”
“Thanks. Talk to you later.”
Stan hung up and shook his head. “He’s going to check into it and get back to us. When you go home tonight be sure Brandon doesn’t leave you until Carl gets there. I don’t want you alone one minute until this trial is over.”
“No chance. I’m really scared.”
“I’m going to get Paula some security too. They may come after her as well.”
The intercom buzzed and Maria announced that Agent Lot was on the line.
“Agent Lot. Did you hear what happened?”
“Yes. I was on my way over to question her when it happened. It was a pretty grisly scene. Someone cracked her skull open and she bled out in a few minutes, I’m sure.”
“Do you think Chris Hunt did it?”
“I don’t know. We’ve got an APB out on him. Hopefully we’ll get him in custody pretty soon and can find out.”
“I don’t know how he thinks he’s going to get away with killing her.”
“Well, he knows we have the burden on proof and I’m sure he was careful not to leave any evidence.”
“I suppose.”
“You guys need to beef up your security. It seems Wilkinson will do anything to escape prosecution.”
“Brandon is staying close to Jodie and I’m going to arrange security on Paula starting tomorrow morning. I’ll alert Bart and make sure he’s going to be home tonight.”
“You may want some security yourself,” Agent Lot noted.
“Nah. I doubt anybody would come after me. I’m not lead counsel on the case. I’m going to start carrying my .38, though.”
“Do you know how to use it?”
“Oh, yeah. I got lessons from Detective Besch.”
“Good. Just don’t shoot yourself in the foot.”
Stan laughed. “That would probably be my luck.”
Stan hung up the phone and told Jodie to go find Brandon so he could arrange for security for Paula. When she had left he called Rebekah at home.
“Hey, babe. How are you feeling?”
“Fine. When are you coming home?”
“Soon. But I may be a little late. One of our witnesses was murdered this afternoon.”
“Oh, my God! Who was it?”
Stan told her the story.
“Anyway, be sure all the doors and windows are locked and if you see anybody loitering around the house, call 9-1-1.”
“Do you think they’d come here?”
“I don’t know. But it’s better to be safe than sorry.”
“Okay. I’ll lock everything up and keep an eye out.”
“See you soon.”
Stan hung up and suddenly wished they had a dog. They’d always had one when the kids were growing up but when their last dog, Midnight, died they hadn’t replaced her. Part of the reason was that Rebekah wasn’t a dog lover. She didn’t like the hair they left around or the messes they made on the carpeting. Stan and the kids had loved dogs so she put up with them, but now that the kids were grown Stan hadn’t insisted they have one.
The intercom buzzed and Maria advised Stan that Detective Besch was back on the line.
“Detective.”
“Hey, Stan. They took Chris Hunt into custody a few minutes ago.”
“Really? That’s good news.”
“He denies knowing anything about the murder.”
“Well, that’s expected. Does he have an alibi?”
“No. He says he was on his way home from the office when she was killed.”
“Are you going to charge him?”
“That’s up in the air right now. We’re hoping to find some evidence to tie him to the murder in the next 24 hours, but if we don’t find it, we’ll have to cut him loose.”
“Is there anything we can do to help?”
“Yes, we need Jodie and Brandon to come down to the station tomorrow and tell us everything that Evelyn told them yesterday.”
“Sure. Not a problem. I’ll send them over there first thing—say 10:00 a.m.”
“That will work. Thanks, Stan.”
Stan hung up and a few moments’ later Brandon and Jodie came into his office.
“I’ve arranged for someone to be with Paula from now on until the trial. His name is Joel Christy. He’s an ex-Army sniper. She’ll be safe with him.”
Stan nodded. “Okay. . . . Oh, Detective Besch needs you two to go over to his office tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. to give them a statement on your interview of Evelyn Sanders.”
“Okay,” Jodie said. “I still can’t believe Evelyn is dead. This has been such a horrible day.”
“Yes, it has,” Stan agreed. “It’s nearly five. I doubt if any of us are going to feel like doing any more work tonight. We should all just go home and get some rest.”
“Alright. I’ll see you tomorrow,” Jodie said and left with Brandon.
After Jodie and Brandon had left Stan started looking through his phone messages. When he came across a message from Mack Taylor, the insurance adjuster handling Ram’s insurance claim he dialed the number.
“Mack Taylor.”
“Ah. This is Stan Turner returning your call.”
“Oh. Thanks for getting back to me. I just wanted to give you a heads up.”
“A heads up about what?” Stan asked, not liking Taylor’s tone.
“We’ve just sent out a letter to Ram advising him that the company is denying the claim.”
“Denying it on what grounds?”
“There is a terrorism clause in the policy. If the loss is caused by an intentional act of terrorism it is not a covered event.”
“What? You’ve got to be kidding me!”
“There’s also the issue as to whether Mr. Bakira set the fire.”
“That’s ridiculous. He had just completed a Chapter 11, his financial troubles were over.”
“
Not necessarily. Statistically speaking there still was a strong likelihood the store would fail.”
“I don’t buy that.”
“The good news is the company is refunding your premiums.”
“Oh, thanks a lot.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Well, tell the judge that after I sue your ass,” Stan said and slammed down the phone.
Stan went into the file room and found Ram’s file. He dug inside and pulled out a copy of the policy. Sure enough there was a terrorism exception.
...excluding acts of terror, war, including undeclared or civil war" and "warlike action by a military force, including action in hindering or defending against an actual or expected attack, by any government, sovereign, or other authority using military personnel or other agents...
Stan read and reread the clause and finally decided it didn’t apply and the insurance company was just using it to stall payment of the claim. The attack on Ram’s store was by an individual and not a political organization. It wasn’t a terrorist act but the act of a common criminal. The fact that he used a Molotov Cocktail was the only thing that made it resemble a terrorist act, but it clearly wasn’t. He decided he had no choice but to file suit immediately.
When he got home Rebekah was curled up on the sofa watching the evening news. He went over and sat down next to her. She cuddled up to him.
“I didn’t make supper. I didn’t feel like it after you called.”
“That’s okay. We can go out or order something to be delivered.”
“We should stay home if there are lunatics out there who might kill us.”
Stan laughed. “I don’t think we’re in danger. Killing the lawyers trying a murder case is pretty rare. It wouldn’t accomplish anything anyway. The defendant would just find a new lawyer.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“But just in case I’m going to keep my .38 loaded and handy. Now that we don’t have children around I don’t have to worry about any of them finding it and shooting someone.”
“Oh, don’t tell me that,” Rebekah moaned. “You sure you know how to use that thing?”
“Yeah. Besch taught me.”
Rebekah rolled her eyes. “Well, I hope we don’t have to find out.”
Stan laughed. “Me too.”
The next day Stan started work on Ram’s lawsuit against Meridian Global Insurance Company. The suit was for breach of contract, violation of the prompt payment of claims act, violation of the Deceptive Trade Practices Act and Fraud. The breach of contract action was simply the failure of MGIC to pay the claim. Stan asserted that the loss was a covered peril and the claim should have been promptly paid. This remedy only allowed Ram to recover what the policy should have paid plus attorney’s fees. Under the Prompt Payment of Claims Act, Stan asserted that the excuse that was given for non-payment was frivolous and designed only to hamper and delay Ram from collecting his claim. If successful under this act Ram would be entitled to the additional damages of 18% interest from the date the claim should have been paid. Under the DTPA and Fraud claims Stan asserted that when MGIC issued the insurance policy to Ram it never intended to honor it and therefore had acted fraudulently in selling him the policy. If he could prove this he could ask for punitive damages of at least two times actual damages.
Stan filed the action in the District Court in Dallas County and asked for the $500,000 face value of the policy, plus punitive damages of $1,000,000 and attorney’s fees. After the suit was served on MGIC it had until the first Monday after 21 days to answer. When the answer came in 17 days later it was a simple general denial from one of the largest law firms in Dallas. Stan knew this was a typical response to a lawsuit but it still annoyed him that the insurance company was so cavalier about the claim, so he immediately began crafting some discovery that would get the company’s attention.
He started with requesting over one hundred admissions of fact that he knew the company would have trouble denying. Then he sent a set of Request for Production that would require them to produce thousands of documents many of which would be highly confidential and sensitive. He knew they would object to almost everything he requested, so he had his motion to compel ready to file the moment they answered the discovery or missed the 30 day response deadline. He hoped this would be enough to get their attention and start a dialogue toward settlement, but he wasn’t going to hold his breath.