Sedona Law 4 by Dave Daren (ready to read books TXT) 📕

seem that that would actually disprove his point. If a media controversy resulted in a death, then it would actually be a case for limited media.”

“Unless Iakova had some other way to spin it,” she said. “How is he spinning it now?”

“Right now,” AJ was on The Herald, “everything has been straightforward. There hasn’t been a sensational amount of spin.”

“Maybe we’re on the wrong track,” I said. “Maybe it’s not a collusion between Iakova and Malone at all. Maybe it’s not political, and it’s just a homicide.”

“No, I disagree,” Vicki said. “I think we’re onto something, there’s just too much coincidence. But, maybe we’re not looking in the right direction.”

“Wait,” AJ suddenly said as she skimmed the article. “This said there’s been another arrest made in connection with the night of the attack. Oh, my God.”

“What?” I asked, and Landon’s camera zoned in on her.

“Judith Klein has been arrested,” she said.

Chapter 8

Vicki and I arrived at the police station in the late afternoon. Now that Judith was vulnerable, we might be able to extract information from her. Vicki and I parked and walked the half a block from metered parking to the building.

“She doesn’t have to talk to us at all,” Vicki said. “But we at least need to find out who her lawyer is.”

The wind blew her hair in her face so she pulled it back, and her expression was purposeful and focused. She wore black dress jeans with smart black heels, a black-and-white striped button down with a brown blazer, and her steps on the concrete were sure and quick.

“Judith Klein?” I laughed. “You think that woman doesn’t want to talk? She will talk to a lamp post if you gave it to her. She’s right where we want her, right now, indignant and vulnerable. Give her a platform, and she will sing like a canary.”

“I hope you’re right,” Vicki said. “Otherwise we just drove out here for no reason.”

I winked. “I know I’m right. I’m always right.”

She laughed and shook her head. “No, delusional is what you are.”

“Is there a difference?” I said.

“Between delusional and right?” she replied.

“Truth is perception,” I said.

“You are so full of shit right now,” she laughed.

“Aren’t I always?” I asked.

“When you get in this mood--” she began.

“Mood?” I asked. “What mood is that?”

“I call it your Oscar Wilde mood,” she said. “Full of cynical bullshit. It means you don’t have enough to think about, so you invent bullshit to entertain yourself.”

“I invent bullshit?” I repeated.

“Totally,” she said. “Come on, ‘truth is perception?’ You’re just bored.”

I laughed because she was right. This case had a lot of moving parts, but none of them fit together like I wanted, and I was getting impatient with the whole thing. I needed some kind of smoking gun here, and the harder I looked, the more I just got unrelated pieces. I rubbed my face and sighed. I needed a break here.

“Oscar Wilde, huh?” I said. “You think I could pull off an eccentric top hat?”

“Oh, God,” she rolled her eyes and laughed.

We reached the front door to the police station and walked in. It was always so dark coming in from the outside. Bernice was on front desk duty and greeted me.

“Hello, Irving,” she said as she snacked on an apple. “Good to see you as always.”

“Hey, Bernice,” I said. “You remember Vicki.”

“Yeah,” she smiled. “How you doing, girl?”

“Great,” she said. “Thanks for the recommendation on the nail salon, by the way.”

“Did they hook you up?” she asked.

“They did,” Vicki showed her perfectly manicured pink tipped fingernails.

“I told you my girl, Mai, she knows her stuff,” Bernice said.

“She does,” Vicki smiled and nodded.

“What can we do for you guys?” Bernice asked.

“Judith Klein,” I said.

“Judith,” she whistled. “She’s in a heap of trouble.”

“Is that right?” I asked.

“Yep,” she said. “She’s been arrested for throwing paint backstage at the Ghoti performance.”

“Right,” I said. “There have been several witnesses to confirm it.”

“But,” she continued. “That’s not all. They think they might have it on her for the murder charge. Which will make your lives easier now that you’re defending Julianna.”

“It’s very possible,” I said. “That’s what we want to know, is what she knows, if anything at all.”

“She hasn’t been assigned legal counsel yet,” Bernice said. “She said she wants a public defender, but right now all we’ve got her on is a couple of misdemeanors.”

“Okay,” I said. “I just want to find out if she’ll talk to us.”

“Just wait a few,” she said and got on the phone, “We’ll get you back there.”

“What was that all about, you and her?” I asked Vicki as we sat down and waited.

Vicki shrugged. “She gave me a recommendation on a nail salon not long after we moved.”

“Good thinking,” I said. “Make friends with the cops, find a common interest.”

“No,” she said. “I really just needed a good nail salon.”

“You just randomly asked her about her nails?” I asked. “Why?”

“Ugh,” she said. “Henry, you really need to loosen up.”

“I’m not that uptight,” I said. “Why does everyone keep saying that?”

“Really?” she said. “Name one thing you do that’s not work related.”

I searched my head, and then I gave her a wink, and she laughed. “Other than that,” my girlfriend laughed.

“She’s ready for you,” Bernice called out.

Vicki and I looked up, and Bernice motioned us toward the interrogation room.

“I think you should do this one alone,” I told Vicki. “I think she would respond better to a female.”

“Got it,” she replied.

“Bernice,” I asked. “Could I watch from the other side of the mirror?”

“Officer Thomas, Mr. Irving wants to watch the interview from the other side,” she said. “Would