Strong Alibi by K.C. Turner (electric book reader .txt) 📕

her hands in the air. Lydia thanked her for her time and looked at her with sympathy. “Hey, Liz, good luck today. We’re all thinking about you.”

With a half grin, she nodded her head and walked into the clerk’s office just outside the judge’s chambers. Feeling a little embarrassed yet again she thought, Does everyone know about this? Taking another deep breath, she attempted to concentrate on herself for a moment rather than a victim in distress. She needed a drink of water and a pill. The lobby seemed quiet enough, but her heels made an unwelcome echo on the marble floors. Reaching in her bag, she pulled out the prescription bottle. Looking at it curiously, she wondered when she could just toss them in the trash.

Popping a Valium in her mouth, she washed it down with ice-cold water from the fountain and pulled her phone from the front pocket of her bag. She already had a text from Martinez, ‘In the parking lot on the side, meet me out here when you’re done.’ She smiled and headed out to meet him.

As the handicap accessible door swung open upon her pressing the button, she saw Martinez standing next to his black Impala. He was dressed in a black T-shirt and dark jeans, the sun gleaming off of his badge, which was attached to his belt. He was a sight for tired, sore eyes. But it was surly a rough week for him as well. The little patch of hair under his bottom lip was blending with the remainder of his unshaven face and his grown out, military haircut. He smiled as she walked out the door and at that moment, it was all she could see. When she reached him, he wrapped his arms around her waist and greeted her, “Hola, bella.”

Looking up at him she responded with a greeting of her own. “Hola, guapo.”

His brown eyes shimmered with excitement. “Nice! Learning a little Spanish, are we?” She rolled her eyes flirtatiously. His expression became sober. “Are you ready for this?”

Pulling away from his embrace, she made her way to the passenger side of the vehicle and opened the door. “I am not ready for this. What I’m ready for is a warm bath and a nice glass of Chardonnay.” Though she was happy to see him, the reason for their meeting kicked her back to reality.

Realizing how stupid his question sounded after the fact, he quietly retreated to his position in the driver’s seat and started the engine. Elizabeth barely spoke during the entire trip to Mansfield and Martinez refused to force conversation. She stared out the window the entire time watching the curves of the white lines on the road sweetly embrace the rolling plains.

As they entered the Mansfield city limits, her heart began to race. It had only been an hour, but she felt as if the Valium she gulped down at the courthouse was wearing off, again. After a few more turns in the road, the prison was in view. Martinez took his eyes off the road for a moment and glanced at her. The tension grew the closer the vehicle came to the entrance. He reached over and grabbed her sweaty palm as a reassurance. She squeezed his hand, her eyes fixated on the barbed wire fence surrounding the compound while she practiced her breathing techniques.

Martinez flipped the turn signal and began to turn the vehicle onto the prison property. Elizabeth looked at the back of her eyelids and slowly took a deep breath, clinching his hand for dear life. “I don’t think I can do this.”

Pulling the vehicle off to the side, he placed it in park and turned to her. Peering into her eyes with the strength she was lacking, he promised, “I told you, I’m not leaving your side. He can’t hurt you anymore, Liz.”

With another deep breath she nodded her head, “Okay, let’s do it.”

Placing the car into drive, he continued on to the guard shack near the entrance where he was to meet Investigator McMurphy. He pulled up next to the window with his identification ready to give the gray haired guard. “How’s it going?”

The man’s eyes looked up over his wire-framed glasses while his hunting magazine rested on his belly and he replied in a gruff voice, “’Nother day ‘nother dollar.” He placed the magazine on his small desk, took a glance at Martinez’s ID, and searched for his list of visitors.

“We’re meeting Investigator McMurphy. Detective Angel Martinez and Elizabeth Strong.”

Searching the list through his bifocals, the man shook his head back and forth. “Sorry, Detective, I don’t have either of you.”

“I’m afraid you may be mistaken. Could you have another look?”

“Look, Detective, I’m sorry. I-do-not-have-you.”

Elizabeth and Martinez looked at each other with mutual shock. “Let’s just go back,” Elizabeth pleaded. “This is not a good sign.”

Martinez turned back to the guard who was eagerly waiting to get back to his daily reading material. “Hey, I know you’re just doing your job but this is extremely important. Investigator McMurphy is expecting us. Could you give him a ring and we can straighten this all out? Please?”

The guard looked at him again from beneath his glasses and pursed his lips. Without responding verbally, he picked up the phone, hit a number, and had a short conversation. “Go on through. Investigator McMurphy will meet you at the entrance to your left.”

“Thank you! Have a wonderful day, Sir.” He patted Elizabeth on the leg and found a parking spot past the guard shack. They exited the vehicle and walked towards McMurphy who was waiting for them at the door.

Martinez put out his right hand and gave a firm handshake as he spoke. “Investigator McMurphy, good to see you again. This is Elizabeth Strong.”

Elizabeth reached out to shake his hand as well. “Investigator, nice to meet you. Thank you for setting this up with Detective Martinez, I do appreciate it.”

“Detective, Miss Strong. I apologize but I’m confused as to why