As we left Cheryl Taylor’s office, Sequoyah was standing by the door. “What happened?” She asked.
“There was a shooting,” Laura said. “Do me a favor and don’t let anyone in.”
Laura led Tom, Kate, and Sergeant O’Malley into the conference room.
“Please play your taped interview with Cheryl Taylor.”
Kate put the iPhone on the table and turned on the recording. When I reheard the gun shot, I flinched.
“Excellent interview, Marshal Swift,” O’Malley said. “And you were convinced that you had no other choice other than to shoot Cheryl Taylor?”
“She pointed her gun at Tom. I thought she was going to shoot, so I shot first.”
Laura studied Kate’s face and smiled. “You were angry.”
“Yes, I was. Cheryl had admitted her intent to kill Tom, and me as collateral damage, and now she was pointing a gun at Tom.” Kate growled.
“Remind me never to get on your bad side,” Laura said.
We all sat in silence. Finally, Laura said, “This is how it how it all ends, with a bang and a shitload of paperwork.”
“Paraphrasing T.S. Eliot,” Kate said with a smile.
“My favorite poet,” Laura answered.
O’Malley shook his head.
Laura got up and summoned Sequoyah. “We’re going to be here for a while. Would you have the kitchen bring us some food and coffee? Thanks.” She closed the door.
O’Malley and Sanchez interviewed Tom while Kate, a peace officer, wrote a narrative of the shooting on an official Monterey County Sheriff’s Department form.
“Were you surprised to find that Cheryl Taylor was the perpetrator?” O’Malley asked.
“Surprised isn’t a strong enough word,” Tom said. “I’d known her a long time. When Fiona was alive, we’d been friends.” Tom shook his head. “The Cheryl we talked to this evening was someone I’d never encountered before.”
“What do you think happened to her?” Laura asked.
Tom rubbed his hand on his forehead. “Obviously, Cheryl was really pissed off at Malcolm for stealing money from Sartori. Maybe after she accidentally killed him, something snapped, and it became easier for her to kill again.”
“She tried to kill you,” Laura said.
“Yes. But Kate never told me that. I guess the two of you knew.” Tom wiped his hand over his forehead. “On the one hand, it made sense, because I was the only one around here who could link her to Hal Chesterton and his drug research. On the other hand, we were friends. It was very cold.”
“To say the least.”
“So, you believe that Kate Swift was justified in shooting Cheryl Taylor,” O’Malley asked.
“Absolutely. When Cheryl brought out her gun, I believed she was going to shoot both of us.”
O’Malley and Sanchez had Tom leave the room and then Kate entered. Kate read the narrative she had written and then signed it. Sanchez and O’Malley signed as witnesses. “We’ll need you to come to Salinas tomorrow for more interviews,” Laura said.
“That’s what I expected,” Kate replied.
Laura put her iPhone on the table and hit record. “This is Detective Laura Sanchez interviewing US Marshal Kate Swift. Also present is Detective Sergeant Dan O’Malley. We have read her statement regarding the shooting. A few additional questions: Marshal Swift, did you consider warning Cheryl Taylor?”
“No. She surprised us with a handgun. I believed I was dealing with a perpetrator who had already killed three persons. I thought there was a high probability that she was going to shoot Tom Scott. Considering this, I felt I had no choice but to shoot her.”
“Marshal Swift, have you ever shot anyone before?”
“No.”
“Marshal Swift, have you ever used your gun in the line of duty?”
“Not as a US Marshal. As a Fresno police officer, I fired my weapon twice. Once during a large gang fight, I fired my weapon in the air to distract the combatants. Once during a car chase, I fired at the vehicle being driven by a perpetrator who had abducted a young woman.”
“In the second instance, did you hit anything?”
“In that instance, I hit the car tire and the car spun out of control into a field.”
“You’re a good shot.”
“In my father’s terms, I am an above average shot, but not a marksman.”
“In this instance, you were holding a gun in your lap when Cheryl Taylor threatened you. Why was that?” Laura asked.
“I knew that I was dealing with an assailant who had tried to kill me and Tom Scott. I prepared myself for the worst by holding my Glock 22 in my hand, out of her sight.”
“Beneath the table surface?”
“Beneath the surface so Cheryl would not see it.”
“When she pulled out her weapon, you shot through the table and hit her in the forehead.”
“Yes.”
“That sounds like expert shooting.”
“I suppose. I didn’t think, I reacted.”
“To repeat,” Laura said. “You shot Cheryl Taylor because you believed that you had no choice?”
“That’s correct. I felt that to protect the life of Tom Scott I was justified using deadly force.”
Laura looked at Dan O’Malley. “Any further questions?”
O’Malley leaned forward. “Have you informed the US Marshal’s office of this event?”
“I will after we finish this interview.”
“What do you expect their actions to be?”
“I will be placed on further administrative leave. I will arrange for this interview to be forwarded to the San Francisco office. When I return to San Francisco, I will go into the Marshal’s office and be interviewed. Then I will fill out many, many forms.”
O’Malley grunted and leaned back.
Laura waited a moment. “I am concluding the interview with Marshal Kate Swift.” Laura noted the date and time and turned off the recorder. “Thanks, Kate. You can go now. We’ll see you tomorrow.”