Phillips a deal: if Phillips helped them catch Laura Sumner’s killer, they would get the governor to commute his death sentence to life in prison. His only concern was that Phillips would make something up and send them on a wild-goose chase.
2
The room was as ascetic as the other prison interview rooms Aguero had been in: bare walls, a metal table bolted to the floor, and four chairs, also bolted to the floor.
“Good morning.” Aguero shook hands with the guard and sat across from Edward Phillips, whose eyes had been fixed on him from the moment he entered. The chair was cold, as was the table.
Aguero nodded to the guard, and he left the room.
“I’m Detective Carlos Aguero. I’m with the Austin Police Department.” Aguero opened his briefcase and took out a file folder and a digital voice recorder.
“What can I do for you?”
Phillips’s hands were cuffed and chained to his waist belt, and his legs were shackled to the table. He looked serene, but Aguero was willing to bet it was just a façade.
Aguero pressed the Record button on the recorder and said, “I’d like to inform you that this conversation is being recorded.”
“Okay.”
“Please state your name.”
“Edward Phillips.”
“Can you tell me why you’re in this prison?”
“I was convicted of murder.”
“You were sentenced to death, weren’t you?”
Phillips nodded. “Yes.”
“Would you like your death sentence to be commuted to life imprisonment with the possibility of parole?”
“That would be nice, I guess.”
“We could help you with that.”
“What do I have to do?”
Aguero opened the file folder, found a photo of Helen Hinton’s body, and put it on the table. “Do you recognize her?”
The picture, which had been taken at the crime scene, showed Helen lying on her back with her T-shirt pulled up to her neck, and you could see all the wounds inflicted by the killer. Phillips looked at the photo for a long moment and said, “Is it Helen Hinton?”
“Yes, that’s Helen Hinton. You stabbed her twice in the chest and cut open her stomach.”
Phillips shook his head. “I didn’t kill Helen Hinton. I’m innocent.”
“All right. I understand. I didn’t come here to get you to confess.” Aguero pulled a crime scene photo of Laura Sumner’s body from the folder and placed it beside Helen’s picture. “This is Laura Sumner. She was murdered in Austin last August. As you can see, there are two stab wounds in her chest, and her abdomen was cut open.”
“Yes, I can see that.”
“Her wounds are similar to those on Helen Hinton’s body.”
“Yes, they are.”
“Do you know why?”
“No.”
“Do you have any information about the murder of Laura Sumner?”
“No, I don’t.”
“Do you have any idea who might have killed her?”
“No.”
Aguero leaned forward and said, “Edward, if you help us catch Laura Sumner’s killer, we’ll get the governor to commute your death sentence.”
“Can you get him to pardon me?”
Phillips was bargaining. That was a good sign.
“I don’t know. I’ll have to discuss that with my boss. Do we have a deal?”
“I wish I could help you, but I have no idea who might have killed this woman.”
Phillips moved his legs, and the chain connecting his ankle shackles jingled softly.
“I think I know what your concern is,” Aguero said. “You’re afraid Laura’s killer will tell us something that you want to keep secret.”
“What are you talking about?”
“For example, he might say that you and he killed a bunch of people together.”
“I’ve never killed anyone.”
“If you help us catch this guy, nothing he says will be used against you. You’ll be granted immunity for all crimes exposed by him. It’s a great deal, Edward. This is the best chance you’ll ever have to save your life. You don’t seriously think your appeal will succeed, do you?”
“I’d be lying if I said I did. It’s a good deal, I agree. But the thing is,
2
The room was as ascetic as the other prison interview rooms Aguero had been in: bare walls, a metal table bolted to the floor, and four chairs, also bolted to the floor.
“Good morning.” Aguero shook hands with the guard and sat across from Edward Phillips, whose eyes had been fixed on him from the moment he entered. The chair was cold, as was the table.
Aguero nodded to the guard, and he left the room.
“I’m Detective Carlos Aguero. I’m with the Austin Police Department.” Aguero opened his briefcase and took out a file folder and a digital voice recorder.
“What can I do for you?”
Phillips’s hands were cuffed and chained to his waist belt, and his legs were shackled to the table. He looked serene, but Aguero was willing to bet it was just a façade.
Aguero pressed the Record button on the recorder and said, “I’d like to inform you that this conversation is being recorded.”
“Okay.”
“Please state your name.”
“Edward Phillips.”
“Can you tell me why you’re in this prison?”
“I was convicted of murder.”
“You were sentenced to death, weren’t you?”
Phillips nodded. “Yes.”
“Would you like your death sentence to be commuted to life imprisonment with the possibility of parole?”
“That would be nice, I guess.”
“We could help you with that.”
“What do I have to do?”
Aguero opened the file folder, found a photo of Helen Hinton’s body, and put it on the table. “Do you recognize her?”
The picture, which had been taken at the crime scene, showed Helen lying on her back with her T-shirt pulled up to her neck, and you could see all the wounds inflicted by the killer. Phillips looked at the photo for a long moment and said, “Is it Helen Hinton?”
“Yes, that’s Helen Hinton. You stabbed her twice in the chest and cut open her stomach.”
Phillips shook his head. “I didn’t kill Helen Hinton. I’m innocent.”
“All right. I understand. I didn’t come here to get you to confess.” Aguero pulled a crime scene photo of Laura Sumner’s body from the folder and placed it beside Helen’s picture. “This is Laura Sumner. She was murdered in Austin last August. As you can see, there are two stab wounds in her chest, and her abdomen was cut open.”
“Yes, I can see that.”
“Her wounds are similar to those on Helen Hinton’s body.”
“Yes, they are.”
“Do you know why?”
“No.”
“Do you have any information about the murder of Laura Sumner?”
“No, I don’t.”
“Do you have any idea who might have killed her?”
“No.”
Aguero leaned forward and said, “Edward, if you help us catch Laura Sumner’s killer, we’ll get the governor to commute your death sentence.”
“Can you get him to pardon me?”
Phillips was bargaining. That was a good sign.
“I don’t know. I’ll have to discuss that with my boss. Do we have a deal?”
“I wish I could help you, but I have no idea who might have killed this woman.”
Phillips moved his legs, and the chain connecting his ankle shackles jingled softly.
“I think I know what your concern is,” Aguero said. “You’re afraid Laura’s killer will tell us something that you want to keep secret.”
“What are you talking about?”
“For example, he might say that you and he killed a bunch of people together.”
“I’ve never killed anyone.”
“If you help us catch this guy, nothing he says will be used against you. You’ll be granted immunity for all crimes exposed by him. It’s a great deal, Edward. This is the best chance you’ll ever have to save your life. You don’t seriously think your appeal will succeed, do you?”
“I’d be lying if I said I did. It’s a good deal, I agree. But the thing is,
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