The Last Mile (2016), David Baldacci: summary

“His memory was perfect, but it did not mean that answer always there.  If someone told him a lie, he would remembered it clearly, not knowing that it was false until he could compare it with other facts that would, hopefully, demonstrate the inconsistency of statement.”  (p.328)

At first scene Roy Mars was a victim, then the character grows to be a bad guy, but at the end of story, people will thank him. Amos Decker has just lost his wife, daughter and brother in law, someone has killed them. But he has a conscious to safe an innocent man who spent his half life in prison. Melvin Mars, a con who almost touches the last mile (the thirty feet aisle before death row), had a good news. A death row convict in Alabama has confessed that he was the murderer of the Marses. 

A wrongly convicted in double murder with unique perspective which draws us to a labyrinth of prediction. Not only this detective book is really unpredictable, but also has a brilliant plot. I absolutely agree with the author that the memory works selectively. Character young Melvin Mars only has a good memory about his father back then twenty years ago, all bad memories about his father have been blocked. When he grows up, he is too shocked to find out that his father is a monster. The book contains 590 pages, and  published by Pan Books, 2016.

The Last Mile (2016), David Baldacci: summary 

He had been convicted over twenty years ago of killing his parents. All of his appeals had been denied and the state of Texas was ready to take the man’s life as punishment for his crime. Mars, a former college All-American, Heisman Trophy finalist, and to NFL prospect, was currently still behind bars as he waited the results of the ensuing investigation verified.  

But if that investigation verified the confession, reported the announcer, then Melvin Mars could go free, after two decade behind bars. Melvin Mars was a star running back at University of Texas. The Longhorns had played Decker’s team, the Buckeyes of Ohio State, on the last week of the regular season in a nationally televised game.

The last mile, they called it. Yet it was not a mile. It was actually only thirty feet which good investigate because most of guys collapsed before they got there. A prisoner in Alabama had confessed to the crime and had allegedly offered up details that only the real killer could have known.  White guy, in his seventies, Montgomery, was army vet with a lengthy criminal.

The Team

Special Agent Bogart was well into his forties, tall and fit with dark hair attractively mingled with silver. Childless, he was also separated from his wife and in the process of divorcing. Behind him was Alex Jamison. She was tall and pretty, with brown hair, and her expressive eyes lit up when she saw Decker.  Another girl was in team, she was on her late thirties. She was a psycho – and sociopaths. Lisa Davenport would be able to analyze for the personalities and tendencies of people at the center of the investigation. There was another FBI agent, Todd Milligan. He was in his mid-thirties and a good field agent who competed for a slot in a team.

ViCAP --- Violent Criminal Apprehension Program-- gave them a space in their facility to use. ViCAP is really a central database that other law enforcement agencies, both state and federal, used to investigate cases in their jurisdictions. 

Amos Decker

Decker was thinking about him. Marsh’s team had made life miserable that afternoon or Decker’s team. The large man worked with FBI, but he was not an agent.

Mary Oliver was in her mid-thirties, with auburn hair cut short and square glasses over her sparkling green eyes. Her angular, pretty face was sprinkled with freckles.

Roy and Lucinda Mars

Roy was white, with strong figure, and even in the blurry photo his penetrating eyes were readily apparent. Lucinda was black and remarkably beautiful, with bountiful hair that fell to her shoulders. Her face was crinkled into an infectious smile. Roy worked in pawnshop and his wife made money on the side sewing clothes and teaching Spanish and cleaning up for people.

The murders had taken place on April second. The bodies were found in an upstairs bedroom. Both had been shot gunned, their face obliterated, and then their bodies set on fire. The house stood by itself well off the road. They lived in rural Texas. There had been no one around to hear them die. The bodies were found by fireman responding to 911 call.

Folks around there knew the Marses. They knew Marses because of his talents on the gridiron. He had been a high school football legend in Texas and had continued that fame in college as a Longhorn.

His story had been relatively simple. He had been visiting a friend. He had left the friend’s place with the intention of driving home. He had a car trouble, however, and stopped for the night at the only motel that stretch of road. He had known nothing about his parents’ murder until the police knocked on his door.

Mars had initially had been a suspect. He had gone into seclusion even as rewards offered for any information about the crime. It was only an hour-and forty- minute drive to his home, kill his parents, and then drive back and check the motel. The motel clerk testified that Mars seemed disheveled and upset. He also testified that the clothes Mars had on appeared stained with something. The clothes he described Mars as wearing were not the ones he had on when the police showed up. The other troublesome fact was that the shotgun belonged To Mars. He used it for hunting, thus his prints were on the weapon. And the gasoline used to ignite the Marses bodies had come from their garage. Lastly, blood matching Lucinda Mars’s had been found in the car. It was pretty damning forensically.

After he was arrested, the police announced their theory. With NFL draft coming up and Mars expected to sign a huge contract, it had come down to money. His parents wanted more of it than Mars was willing to share. So to get rid of the problem, Mars had planned and executed their murders. He had visited his friend to establish an alibi, gone home, killed them, and driven to the motel. Lucinda and Roy Mars had been killed by their only child, Melvin.

The house looked lost among a wasteland of overgrown bushes and fat-canopied trees. They went to parent’s bedroom where Roy and Lucinda were found. They had driven to the house where Ellen Tanner had hooked up with Melvin Mars that night. It was small, old, and set off by itself. Then they had driven back to the motel. And about forty minutes from the hotel to the Marses’s house. Ellen Tanner was no longer in the area. The team from FBI had met Melvin then they went to the crime scene.

Bogart read off the faded letters someone had written on the side wall of closet. “AC+RB”. A faded picture of a young Melvin Mars in high school football uniform. It was hanging on the all. On the small shelf were more old photos of Mars at various ages.

The cops could not tell who made the 911 call about the fire. The report said Lucinda had Stage Four glioblastoma, terminal brain cancer.

Decker and the rest of the team had made the trip on a commercial jet. Montgomery was the only one who choose the electric chair over the lethal injection. The Vietcong drooped the chemical weapons on their heads. Since then he got headaches. He tried to get on with his life. He got married, but it was no good. The pain never stopped, he took matter into his own by neglecting the doc’s prescriptions. He started thinking the drugs from people. He was a total druggie, he left his wife. He lost the job and the house. He just started drifting across the country. He was hungry, but could not buy a food. He drove past the pawnshop. He shot the Marses and burnt the house.

Charles Montgomery in Alabama Prison

He was already in his fifties and married a younger woman than him. Regina was twenty years younger. He started robbing banks, selling the drugs. Then he killed a state trooper.  It has sent him to death row. He had been married eighteen years and he had a boy.

They drove directly to Regina Montgomery’s house, was only about twenty minutes from prison. Regina lived in one of a line of old duplex that looked about a few rusted nails and a few more termite bites falling down. Regina was of medium height, thin, and her hair was more white than brown. She looked nervously at each of them before her gaze on Bogart, who produced his FBI shield at the front door. She worked at the grocery store and have a second job at the McDonalds down the road.

Tommy Montgomery had just finished his classes that day. He was on the football team. Tommy was a good-looking kid, taller than his father. He got a scholarship’s offer. But his mother had told him, they would be moving away from there after he graduated. Then settled down wherever he went to college. Regina would to buy a place and not have to work. The team was suspicious on Regina’s money. 

Mars did not know about his mother’s brain cancer. The court proceeding was held the next day. There were a few newspeople gathered outside the courtroom, all wanting a piece of Mars and his story. Since Mars was no longer a prisoner, he could travel without a guard. They all were heading to Alabama prison. He had never been a plane in a long time. Jamison gave him a smart phone. The journalists had recognized Mars and had tried to interview him, but Bogart had flashed his badge and quickly put a stop to that.

The gurney had been removed or the chamber and electric chair had been brought out of storage. The curtains were opened so that Montgomery could see in to the visitor room. The warden read the death warrant out loud. An electrode tore away from his leg as he thrashed. Smoke started to rise off his head. There was a scream and they looked over in time to see Regina Montgomery faint.

Decker and the team needed to find out where the money came from. Decker rose, pulled the curtain aside, lifted up the boxes stacked there, set them on the floor. They were very expensive stuff on the floor. The explosion had hit the house, Regina was dead. Someone just blew up her house. Decker came to a conclusion, Charles Montgomery did not kill the Marses. Someone had paid Montgomery. The Hermes purse, the two boxes from Chanel, three boxes from Neiman Marcus, two from Bergdorf.

The news was on, and the top story was the execution of Charles Montgomery, followed by death of his wife when her home had exploded. They framed Melvin, and put him to the prison. Then they paid off the Montgomery and a false confession to get him out.

Melvin’s attorney had filed a request with the state for compensation for him. He got twenty-five grand for twenty years. They came back to Mars’s house. Davenport hypnotized him that brought his mind wandered back to the last time he was in the house.  He saw his parents were arguing, his mother started to cry. It was a bookshelf. The Three Little Pigs, the book that his dad would read to him when he as a little, was the only book on the shelf he discovered. 

Mars was hopeless. He was a black ex-con, half the people still think he had killed his parents. They visited the bank. He had an account there when he was in high school. The man in his early forties recognized Melvin. They went to school together. The assistant branch manager read the through the account history. Lucinda and Roy had account, but it was closed twenty years ago. But they had a box. The former branch manager knew it well but he was transferred in rom El Paso three years ago.

His mother was dying from brain cancer and no one told him. He found out his dad kept a safe deposit box loaded with who knows that. Montgomery was dead without confessing in court, Melvin’s case, his sentence was reinstated. The judge refocused on Decker’s statement that represented FBI with the state’s approval. The court officers unshackled Mars. The team now head for the Mars’s doctor, all the team including Melvin stayed at a motel. Everybody was shock to find out Davenport was missing.

The nurse remember well the Marses. She had never seen a man who loved his wife mere than Roy did Lucinda. The nurse never knew Lucinda had the brain cancer, it was not diagnosed there. The team hardly found the doctor, the young doctor was the grandson of the Marses’s doctor. Dr. Lewis Sr. He had obviously stayed in a nursing house, he lost his memory. He got dementia. The team only found couple words from him. A maxillary second premolar.

The dental records for the Marses from Fisher’s office matched with the dental records taken from the bodies at the crime scene. Later they found it was not Lucinda and Mars’s bodies. Mellissa Dwod did the filing record fors Dr. Fisher twenty years ago. She had the manually filing system at that time. She admitted Lucinda was their patient, they found his body in woods. It had been disfigured by some wild animals. His name was Dan Reardon. He was a white big man in his fifties. His wife had died and they had no kids.

Melvin had no any family heirlooms. Decker slept, he awoke for only one reason. The room was dark, but his focus was on the knife. It was pressed against his left jugular. The man was angry, the knife still harder. Roy Mars had warned him to stay away from the case and send Mellow away. It struck the side of his head. He was lying in hospital’s bed when he opened his eyes. He got a concussion.

The Church Bombing Back in 1968

In Charles Montgomery’s first arrest in 1960s, part of the bail record had long since been lost including who had posted the bail. But in the records of second arrest, Decker found the name of person posting bail. Nathan Ryan. On February 1968, fifteen members of an African-American Church, including the pastor and four young girls performing in the youth choirs, had perished in bombing. At the next morning Charles had had bail posted for his gun possession and drunk and disorderly charges.

Decker hit Google. It was an obituary of Nathan Bedford Ryan of Cain, Mississippi. He had been a local politician for thirty seven years, rising to assistant mayor. Nathan worked in mayor’s office. The mayor was Thurman Huey. Thurman had two good friends.  The folks called them The Three Musketeers.

Cain High School was smack in the center of the town. There was a young woman in slacks and a sweeter greeted them. It was a photo of three young men in football uniforms. Thurman Huey, Danny Eastland, and Roger McClellan.

Danny Eastland had done well for himself. He was a founder and CEO of a government defense contractor. Roger McClellan was the current police chief in Cain, Mississippi. Roy Mars had the evidence that the Three Musketeers was involved in the church bombing. The team headed to Roger’s office. Roger tried to act surprised, but he knew Roy was alive. Decker got nothing from him, but there were lots of picture of him with Huey.

A man voice called Mellow at the parking lot. Melvin mars froze at the name. Roy Mars was there. Mars was angry at his father. He had framed him as killer and had spent half his life behind the bars. Roy told him everything. He had shot his dying wife, he set the fire, and switched his dental records. Roy thought jail was the safest place or him after all. After ESPN thing, Melvin was famous. Another fact was Roy was not his father. Roy saw his mother was pregnant when he rescued her. A prick who rapped his mother over and over was killed by Roy. Melvin entire life as bullshit. He told everything he heard from Roy to Decker.

Decker felt like he knew the truth. He just had no way to prove it. Mars was a killer too, he had practically confessed to Melvin that he was involved in the bombings. He had killed Regina. Decker and the team had been recalled Washington for the kidnap Davenport. They did not demand any ransom. Mary Oliver was back in Texas working on Melvin’s legal claims.

The three musketeers were all accounted for. They were on Danny’s private plane. The tree men were in their seventies now. They had been superstars in Cain, the three best known citizens to emerge from the small town. Eastland, the mega-capitalist. Huey, the uber-politician. McClellan, the perennial cop. Thurman Huey was a widower, his wife of forty years having lost a long battle with the breast cancer the past summer. He was currently being consoled by his four children and grandchildren. Yet his deceased wife could not be replaced. He felt lost without her.

McClellan had had a temper from very young age. Eastland had had his intelligence people look into it, without telling them. Aaron Callahan, a.k.a. Roy Mars was still alive and he had the proof. Eastland ran an intelligence firm. They had gone after him when they saw on ESPN. They hardly to believe that a racist man like Callahan has married a colored. 

McClellan was cagey. The guy had his plan. Decker and the team had searched his house. Roy had the evidence, it was in the safety deposit. Decker was found a photo of Roger and Mary Oliver. She said nothing, but Mary led them to Davenport.

Roger screamed on Oliver. He rushed to hostage. Davenport was thinner, pale, and her voice hoarse from disuse. There was a bruise on her cheek and a cut on her forehead. Agent Bogart was there and pointed his at him. Roger tried to attack Bogart but Milligan pulled his weapon. Decker looked at McClellan’s body, blood from his head pooling around him.

Davenport was in a hospital where she would stay overnight to be checked out thoroughly. McClellan was dead. Without him they had no evidence they needed, Oliver could not tie anything to Huey and Eastland. Roy was going to show up, because they played the rules. Decker and Melvin walked to at the address Roy had given them, arriving there a minute before midnight.

Aaron Callahan and the Key

He admitted he was Aaron Callahan, and Roxanne Barrett was the real name of his wife. The three musketeers were the young punks who thought they were invulnerable. They came from money, Aaron just wanted the money. In South in fifties and sixties, it was like the Middle East. He was good with putting stuff together, fixing things. He started making little pipe bombs in high school. Then he moved to the bigger stuff. They got him the materials and paid him with loading money. Charles Montgomery ran the interference. Chuck did the drunk driving act so they could have reason to leave the church.

Callahan did safe cracking a few scams, a bit of burglary, an armed robbery to fund Regina. But she went on shopping spree. The man with Lucinda was Reardon, a pedophile and a murder. He blew his head, nobody bothered to look, but he probably had half a dozen kids buried out at his old place. Roy had stolen the evidence from Huey Sr.’s safe. Every time he looked at Melvin he saw the rapist who hurt the only person he had ever really loved. Melvin’s father was too rich and too well protected. His men almost killed Roy, they gave him a permanent injury on his face. He was still alive down in Colombia living the good life. 

Roy marched out when he saw three men raced forward. The packs Semtex around his waist were rigged to a trigger. Roy Mars hit the trigger. The house they had been in had partially collapsed when Roy detonated the bomb wrapped around him. They now were at the hotel in Tuscaloosa. Decker eased something from his coat pocket. Roy had accidentally slipped a wallet in to his pocket. They found a library card. Roy had reserved a book the Three Little Pigs. It is a classic for kids. Kids will get scared when the Big Bad Wolf comes into the story.

There was something in the book’s spine. Roy probably put that glue stuff on the key and slid it down into the spine. They marched to the Bank of Tuscaloosa, the key had indeed been issued by the bank. They opened the box and stared down at the contents. It was a photograph, a DVD, a map, and some pieces of paper with writing on them. The Bid Bad Wolf had finally gotten to the pigs. Roy Mars had his own way to send both Eastland and Huey to the death penalty.

*****

April 3, 2018

Sekapur Sirih

Karya David Baldacci dikategorikan sebagai salah satu novel bandara, memang tidaklah tertampikkan, selain penyampaiannya tergolong ringan sehingga dapat dinikmati berbagai kalangan. Pembacanya terlarut dalam plot yang cerdas dan tentu saja dalam lautan kalimat yang elegan.

Kisah detectif dalam memecahkan kasus unik, seorang anak telah direkayasa dalam pembunuhan orang tuanya. Berbagai tokoh hadir mengaduk pikiran dan perasaan terhanyut dalam cerita ini. Melvin Mars akan menghadapai hukuman mati, sementara Amos Decker, baru saja dalam duka. Anak dan istri dan iparnya ditemukan terbunuh, namun nalurinya sebagai pekerja FBI tetap ingin bekerja dan menolong Melvin yang tidak bersalah. Pengejaran bukti dan saksi lewat tim yang tidak sedikit akhirnya mampu membeberkan pelaku aslinya.

Kejadiannya dua puluh tahun tentu Melvin sudah jauh dari peradaban teknologi, Amos Decker menuntunnya dalam berselancar di Internet dan mengenalkan medsos, hal yang sangat baru baginya. Sepakat juga dengan penulis yang memahatkan kalimat menyentuh tentang ingatan. Ingatan bekerja secara selektif dan memilah kenangan indah di masa lalu. Tokoh Melvin bahkan sulit mengingat hal buruk tentang ayahnya kembali ke masa mudanya, dalam pikirannya: ayahnya adalah sosok ayah sempurna. Pada akhirnya, ia  terkaget dan sulit menerima kenyataan jati diri monster ayahnya yang nyata.

Buku yang dituliskan dalam 590 halaman ini diterbitkan pada tahun 2016 oleh Pan Books. Judul yang cukup unik, dan merupakan gambaran jarak yang tak satu pun dari terpidana mati mampu melaluinya dengan berdiri tegap, sebuah lorong hanya beberapa meter menuju hukuman mati.

Terjemahan dalam Bahasa Indonesia, The Last Mile (2016), David Baldacci

Melvin Mars telah dua puluh tahun mendekam di Penjara Texas, tak satu pun yang pernah mengunjunginya. Ia hidup sebatang kara. Saat ini ia menunggu makan terakhirnya, hanya beberapa puluhan jam sebelum hukuman mati. Hidangan terakhir telah dipesankan, namun kabar sukacita sampai di kantor penjara. Seseorang yang juga terpidana mati yang menunggu kursi listrik mengakui dialah pembunuh kedua orang tua Melvin.

Roy dan Lucinda Mars telah ditemukan tertembak dan terbakar di kamar, dan Melvin dituduh telah membunuh kedua orang tuanya. Anak ras campuran seperti dirinya, dengan mudah dituduh labil, ayahnya kulit putih, ibunya seorang kulit hitam. Mewarisi kulit ibunya, Melvin, pemuda berkulit hitam berprestasi di sekolahnya. Ia sudah terdaftar dalam NFL, bahkan telah menandatangani kontrak. Hampir semua orang di wilayahnya mengenal Melvin, bintang football (semacam permainan rugby) ternama. Dia terdaftar di Universitas Texas dengan masa depan yang cerah, orang tuanya sangat senang dengan prestasi anaknya, bahkan Roy dan Lucinda Mars telah diliput oleh ESPN, televisi olah-raga nasional kala itu.

Sebelum kejadian, Melvin sedang mengunjungi teman wanitanya Ellen Tanner, dan dalam perjalanan pulang mobilnya mogok. Terpaksa, ia menginap pada sebuah motel yang hanya berjarak empat puluh menit dari rumahnya. Tidak ingin menggangu kedua orang tuanya yang sudah tertidur lelap, ia memilih tidak menelepon dan menginap di motel. Polisi mengetuk kamarnya memberitahu kedua orang tuanya tewas terbakar dan hasil otopsi mengatakan keduanya tewas tertembak peluru sebelum dibakar.

Melvin tidak pernah pulang ke rumah semenjak itu, rumahnya sudah diberi pita kuning. Kesedihannya bertumpuk saat ia juga dituduh telah membunuh kedua orang tuanya. Kesaksian pegawai hotel membenarkan bahwa Melvin terlihat gelisah dan melihat pakaian yang ia kenakan setelah kejadian berubah dengan saat ia mendaftar kamar. Ditemukan bercak darah milik ibunya pada pakaian dan mobilnya.

Polisi dengan teorinya, memastikan, selain peluru yang ditemukan berasal dari senapan berburu milik Melvin, sidik jarinya melekat di sana, jarak motel yang hanya empat puluh menit dari rumahnya, memungkinkan ia kembali pulang ke motel setelah menembak mati orang tuanya dan membakar mereka. Setelah dua puluh tahun menjalani kehidupan penjara yang tidak mudah, beberapa jam lagi ia akan dihukum mati.

Seorang terpidana hukuman mati di Alabama mengaku bahwa ia adalah pelakunya, membatalkan eksekusi mati Melvin. Pengacaranya Mary Oliver pun menyampaikan hal gembira itu padanya. Amos Decker yang bekerja untuk FBI, mendapat surat tentang Melvin. Nuraninya tergerak memecahkan kasus itu. Amos dan Melvin pernah bertemu dalam sebuah pertandingan football saat mereka SMA. Amos juga seorang bintang football. Ia sendiri sedang dirundung duka, istri, putri, dan iparnya ditemukan tewas, seseorang telah membunuh mereka.

Amos Decker dan Agen Bogart dan beberapa nama lain tergabung dalam tim menangani kasus terpidana mati Melvin. Setelah menemui Melvin da pengacaranya, Amos dan tim tidak menemui simpul keterkaitan mereka dengan Montgomery, lelaki berkulit putih yang mengaku di penjara Alabama. Berkas kasus Melvin pun didalami kembali dan termasuk mengunjungi TKP, rumah Melvin yang tampak berkanopi rumput dan kosong.

Amos dan tim menyibak keganjilan. Pertama, catatan forensik menunjukkan bahwa Lucinda Mars mengidap kanker otak stadium empat. Penyidikan pun dilanjutkan ke Alabama, menemui Charles Montgomery. Lelaki tua berumur sekitar tujuh puluhan telah mengaku bersalah, ia adalah seorang veteran Vietnam. Bom kimia diledakkan persis di atas kepala Charles dan batalionnya, sejak itu pula ia menderita pusing kepala yang tidak berkesudahan.

Sepulang perang, ia memutuskan memulai hidup dengan menikah. Ternyata obat-obatan resep dari dokter seolah tidak mampu mengatasi sakit kepala yang dideritanya, ia pun mulai beralih ke narkoba. Hidupnya mulai liar, perlahan menjadi seorang pecandu berat. Meninggalkan pekerjaan, istri, dan rumah. Ia pun kerap berpindah-pindah, hingga suatu ketika melewati sebuah toko pegadaian di sebuah kota kecil.

Awalnya ia menyangka Roy Mars, ayah Melvin, adalah pemilik toko itu. Jawaban meremehkan diterimanya telah membuatnya tersinggung. Charles kelaparan dan kehabisan uang. Ia hendak menggadaikan sepucuk pistol tua. Pecandu itu pun mengikuti Roy pulang. Ia juga sempat mendengar Melvin ditangkap. Charles melanjutkan hidupnya dnegan menikahi Regina, wanita dua puluh lima tahun lebih muda darinya, dan kini mereka memiliki anak berusia enam belas tahun. Regina tinggal tidak jauh dari penjara. Decker dan tim pun mengunjunginya. Wanita berpenampilan urakan itu menyewa sebuah rumah dupleks tua. Ia sendiri bekerja di supermarket dan menjalani pekerjaan keduanya di McDonald. Anaknya tengah berlatih football saat Decker dan tim mendatangi rumahnya. Wanita itu terlihat cemas.

Kehadiran Decker dan tim di rumah kontrakannya yang sudah tua dan sederhana cukup mengagetkannya. Beberapa informasi didapat termasuk keberadaan anak satu-satunya bernama Tommy. Kursi listrik lebih dipilihya sebagai hukuman mati, sederatan kejahatan Charles Montgomery dan karir kriminalnya berakhir saat dia menembak mati seorang tentara. Tidak ada ekspresi mencuat, pada menit terakhirnya, hanyalah teriakan histeris Regina menggaduhkan ruangan.

Decker dan tim pun mendatangi kembali Regina menanyakan sumber keuangannya, tentu saja wanita yang baru saja menjanda mengamuk. Sebelumnya, putranya Tommy menjelaskan pada Amos, jika nanti setelah lulus SMA, ia dan ibunya akan pindah mengikutinya di kampus mana yang ia pilih. Ibunya tidak perlu lagi bersusah payah bekerja, dana asuransi disipakan ayahnya untuk keduanya.

Regina tidak dapat menjawab asal-muasal keuangannya, apalagi Decker mendapati beberapa kardus berisi tas-tas dan pakaian mewah. Hanya beberapa saat setelah meninggalkan rumah Regina, ledakan bom yang membakar rumah itu dan menewaskan Regina tidak terelakkan. Decker dan tim semakin yakin akan temuan baru, seseorang berkuasa telah membayar Montgomery untuk mengaku.

Mereka pun berspekulasi bahwa pasti orang besar dan berpengaruh dibalik semua ini. Amos pun mencurigai, orang tua Melvin mungkin saja dalam perlindungan saksi atau Roy Mars sendiri masih hidup dan terlibat. Amos menduga keras simpulannya, namun bukti pendukung sangat lemah.

Three Musketeers

Penyidikan kembali terkonsentrasi pada terpindana Montgomery, dari cataan kriminalnya ditemukan, ia pernah dijamin oleh seorang politisi besar pada kasusnya di tahun enam puluhan. Menurut Google, politisi besar itu sudah tiada, dan penyidikan bergeser ke sebuah kota kecil bernama Cain di Mississippi. Maraton penyidikan dan wawancara, ditemukan simpul yang mengejutkan, bahwa kebakaran gereja yang menewaskan puluhan anak, pendeta dan jemaat terkait dengan tiga pemuda yang kerap dijuluki Three Three Musketeers. Mars yang bernama asli Aaron Callahan tumbuh besar di Cain dan berangkat ke sekolah yang sama dengan ketiga pemuda yang berasal dari keluarga kaya dan terpandang.

Kini ketiganya memasuki usia tujuh puluhan dan tergolong sukses dan panutan dari kota kecilnya. McClellan, Huey, and Eastland. Huey adalah putra dari politisi yang membayar jaminan Montgomery, ia juga kini politisi top di Washington. Eastland pengusaha sukses dan memiliki usaha bidang intelijen, dan McClellan adalah kepala polisi di Cain. Dari ketiganya, yang paling miskin adalah McClellan, dan kehidupan rumah tangganya berantakan. Selain bertempramen buruk sejak muda, ia juga dijadikan kedua temannya sebagai anjing penjaga rahasia masa lalu mereka.

Ketiga anak kaya itu sangat membenci kulit hitam, dan di bagian Selatan hal ini sangat biasa pada tahun enam puluhan. Kerusuhan, pembakaran, dan ketidakadilan terhadap kulit hitam. Roy sendiri gemar mengutak-atik elektronik dan membuat ia mempelajari membuat bom kecil hingga ledakan besar. Ia sangat membutuhkan uang, ketiga pemuda kaya telah menyiapkan semua material dan mengupahnya. Charles Montgomery dibayar berperan berpura-pura mabuk agar bisa masuk ke dalam gereja dan meletakkan bom itu.

Wawancara televisi Roy dan istrinya tentang karir NFL anak mereka, telah membangunkan ketiga orang itu. Mereka tidak tinggal diam, Roy pun tidak bodoh, ia melakukan tindakan preventif. Roy sendiri telah mencuri sebuah kotak memuat barang bukti pembakaran gereja dari kantor ayah Huey. Semenjak itu Roy adalah buron bagi ketiga orang tersebut.

Ketiganya juga heran melihat Roy yang menikahi wanita kulit hitam seperti Lucinda yang bernama asli Barret. Lucinda gadis hitam yang sangat menawan hingga menaklukkan hari Roy, gadis yang sangat disayanginya. Wanita itu fasih berbahasa Spanyol, dahulu tinggal di Amerika Latin, sebelum Roy menyelamatkan hidupnya dari pemerkosa yang menyiksanya. Dalam keadaan hamil, ia membawanya ke Texas dan baru mengetahui istri tercintanya menderita kanker otak stadium empat.

Roy sengaja membawa istrinya untuk diperiksa di rumah sakit kota lain, untuk menghindari orang kaya Colombia dan pengejaran Three Muskeeters, sehingga rekam medis keduanya sulit ditelusuri. Lelaki yang terbakar di kamar bukanlah Roy melainkan seorang pedofil dan pembunuh bernama Reardan. Ia terpaksa menembak mati istrinya, dan keduanya seolah mati. Roy merekayasa dan menjebak Melvin sebagai pelakunya. Ialah yang menanam bukti di mobil dan baju Melvin, dan sidik jari di senjata. Roy bahkan membayar wanita sebagai kekasih Melvin dan penjaga hotel agar Melvin sebagai pelakunya.

Melvin sangat marah dan sulit menerima perilaku moster ayahnya. Dalam ingatannya ayahnya adalah sosok penyayang hingga dia SMA, memang ia tidak pernah mengatakan rasa kasihnya pada Melvin. Tapi bagi Melvin itu ha biasa, ayahnya juga tidak pernah menjawab luka diwajahnya.

Seorang ayah yang menjebaknya dipenjara hingga separuh hidupnya dan nyaris dihukum mati. Ayahnya berkilah, penjara adalah tempat teraman baginya keluar dari pengejaran Three Muskeeters dam mafia Kolombia. Melvin sangat kecewa dan marah dengan pria yang dia anggap ayahnya selama ini, betapa tega membunuh ibunya. Dan sangat malu mendapati kenyataan pahit ayahnya seorang pembom gereja hitam, menikahi wanita hitam dan membunuh dengan tangannya sendiri; merekayasa Melvin ke penjara dengan tuntutan hukuman mati.

Lelaki tua itu sepertinya meneysali perbuatannya, Roy mengakui semuanya. Dialah yang membayar penjahat Montgomery dan terpaksa meledakkan istrinya Regina. Perempuan bodoh dan norak itu telah mengingkari kesepakatan dengan tampil belanjaan barang-barang mewah. Untuk mendanai Montgomery, Roy melakukan berbagai hal jahat, penipuan dan perampokan bank untuk membiayai Regina demi meyelamatkan nyawa Melvin dari hukuman mati. Bom yang diledakkan Roy juga hampir membunuh Amos dan tim.

McClellan telah menculik salah satu anggota tim, Davenport, seorang psikolog yang menghipnotis Mars. Wanita itu tealh disekap berhari-hari hingga membuat Amos meminta bantuan FBI pusat. Amos dan tim menggeledah kediaman polisi Mcclellan, sederet foto dirinya dan dua anggota Musketeers lain terpampang pada dinding ruang kerjanya. Mereka sangat kaget menemukan pengacara Melvin berfoto bersama dengan polisi jahat itu. Pengacara Oliver tidak berkutik saat ditanyai hubungannya dengan McClellan. Wanita muda itu akhirnya berterus terang, dan menunjukkan keberadaan Davenport.

Tersandera berhari-hari membuat wanita muda itu tampak kumuh, lemah dan kurus. Ia sedang diekstrak oleh polisi jahat itu saat Agen Bogart dan Amos tiba di ruang penyekapan. McClellan melawan, tidak terelakkan seorang agen lapangan bernama Milligan terpaksa melepaskan tembakan demi meyelamatkan Agen Bogart. Kematian polisi itu menaruh kepercayaan Roy pada Decker, ia pun meminta bertemu.

Pengacara Oliver pun tidak ada kaitan dengan dua orang lainnya, seharusnya kesaksian McClellan dapat meringkus Eastland dan Huey, faktanya McClellan telah tewas. Roy akhirnya bertemu dengan Amos dan Melvin di tempat dia tentukan. Segala perbuatannya diakuinya, ia sangat yakin hukuman mati akan ditimpakan padanya untuk sederetan pembunuhan yang dilakukannya. Ia pun meledakkan dirinya, semuanya kisah tentang Roy Mars berakhir.  Dua anggota Three Musketeers selamat dan sekarang menjadi orang yang tidak tersentuh.

Saat situasi sudah mereda dan santai, Amos menemukan sebuah dompet dalam saku jaketnya. Kuat dugaan, secara tidak sengaja dompet Roy telah masuk ke dalam kantongnya. Sebuah kartu perpustakaan berada dalam dompet. Mereka pun mendatangi perpustakaan, dan mengambil buku yang sudah dipesan Roy sebelumnya. Sebuah buku bacaan untuk anak yang sering dibacakan Roy pada Melvin, bacaan sebelum tidur sewaktu ia masih anak-anak. Ceritanya agak menyeramkan tapi anak-anak menggemarinya.

Sesuatu menggelembung pada punggung buku bergambar itu, mereka mendapati sebuah kunci terbungkus melekat. Amos teringat kembali dengan kesaksian pada kepala cabang bank di Texas yang mengatakan bahwa Roy telah menutup rekeningnya dan mengambil safe deposit box-nya sebelum terjadi pembunuhan. Ia tidak pernah tahu isi kotaknya, petugas yang menanganinya juga telah lama dipindahkan, dan ia sendiri tergolong baru di sana.

Tidaklah banyak bank ditemukan di kota kecil itu, mereka langsung mendatangi sebuah bank terbesar di sana. Kepala cabang bank mengakui bahwa kunci itu dikeluarkan oleh bank tersebut dan membenarkan Roy adalah nasabah mereka. Safe deposit box, kotak penyimpanan dikeluarkan, setelah mendapat surat dari FBI dan pengadilan. Amos dan tim sangat kaget melihat isi dari kotak: sebuah DVD, peta, catatan, dan foto tiga pemuda. Setelah menyaksikan isi DVD dan dokumen lainnya, terjawablah sudah, politisi Huey dan pengusaha Eastland akan menjadi berita besar. Amos berterima kasih pada Roy Mars.

Melvin mendapat sejumlah uang sebagai kompensasi dari negara, baginya jumlah berapapun tidak akan pernah sebanding dengan dua puluh tahun yang terenggut dari separuh hidupnya, apalagi diujung hukuman mati. Amos dan Melvin kini menjadi sahabat, dan Melvin sendiri mendapat pekerjaan sebagai pelatih football. Nuraninya terpanggil dan bersimpati terhadap yatim piatu Tommy Montgomery, bagaimana pun Roy Mars telah membunuh Regina, ibu Tommy. Ia menjadi penanggung hidup remaja itu, sebagai bentuk penebusan kebebasannya dan kesalahan ayah tirinya.

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3 April 2018