Читать книгу Silence is Golden - Grace Quincey - Страница 14

Chapter 8

The Inquisition

Dan drove to his office and parked his car out in the back lot. He needed the long walk to think this thing through. He realized he was probably the last person to talk with Arnie, but that was all client-attorney privileged communication. At least he could claim that even though he had not yet received a retainer. But he and Arnie were to meet the next day for more details and a retainer. What did the detectives think he was going to tell them? He went in the back way to the office. Tara was already in his private office, looking tense and upset.

“They’re pumping me and acting like you are guilty of something,” she said, “and I don’t know how to handle this.”

“Don’t worry, Tara, I didn’t do anything illegal, immoral, or fattening,” Dan said as he winked at her. “I’ll handle the detectives. Thanks, but just go on with your usual things, and everything will be okay.”

But when Tara went back to her office, Dan felt the apprehension began to surface once again. God, he wished he had a drink or something; this was beginning to read like a bad novel!

“Calm down,” he told himself, “and remember out of all bad things comes something good. This might be your ticket to the Capitol.”

And with that thought in mind, he asked Tara to send in the waiting detectives.

Either I rate or Arnie was more important than I figured, mused Dan to himself as three detectives entered his office, headed by Lt. Jerry Martin and followed by detectives Jim Cougar and Mark Simpson. Dan had met Lieutenant Martin a few times, both socially and through some of the cases he had tried, so Dan knew this inquisition would be, for both himself and the lieutenant, a little easier on one hand and a little more awkward on the other. After the cursory greetings and introductions were completed, Dan asked them to have a chair.

“Gentlemen, how can I be of help?” Dan asked. (Strategy, thought Dan. Always let them lay it on the table first. Don’t volunteer any information that might give them something they didn’t know about.)

“Dan, it looks like a contract was filled last night,” replied Lieutenant Martin, “and according to the information we have received, you were the last person to see him alive!”

“Wrong,” countered Dan, “whoever filled the contract was the last person to see him alive.”

“Who said it was a man that was killed?”

“You did, you said I was the last person to see him alive!”

“Well, of course,” said Lieutenant Martin after a slight pause, “but you know what I meant—the last person to see him alive before he was killed. I need to know, Dan, just what you were doing in a private booth at Luie’s last night with Arnie D’Arlo?”

With an inward start, Dan realized that until this moment he had not even known Arnie’s last name.

He also knew that the maître d’ had seen both Arnie and him in the booth, so there could be no denying that.

“Jerry,” Dan said to the lieutenant, “you know I can’t divulge what was said or done between an attorney and his client.”

“This is murder, Dan, out and out first-degree murder, and you have yourself smack dab in the middle of it. How do we know he was a client, Dan? You haven’t told anything that would lead us to believe that? You have got to do a little cooperating here, Dan. It sure is strange that he was killed immediately after talking with you. What did he unload on you, Dan? It also seems damn coincidental that immediately after your little talk with Arnie, our governor is found dead within that same time frame.”

Dan felt his blood boiling, and he fought to keep himself under control. The urge to hit the lieutenant was overpowering, and Dan began feeling an unwarranted and very unwelcome noose tightening around his neck.

The lieutenant continued his barrage on Dan.

“What did he unload on you, Dan? How do we know he was a client, Dan? You haven’t told anything that would lead us to believe that. Are you beginning to get the drift, Dan?”

“Yeah,” retorted Dan, “it sure seems to me you are accusing me of being in the middle of a conspiracy to kill the governor. If you really think that, then arrest me here and now, and let’s get on with it, because I just happen to know the best defense lawyer in town—me, myself, and I—that’s who, and I think you know how that trial is going to end!”

“You might consider getting a lawyer other than yourself,” countered the lieutenant. “You, of all people, must know the century-old adage that only a fool represents himself.”

Dan found himself in a trembling rage and turned his back to the detectives.

“We’ll be back in touch,” said the lieutenant.

“Aren’t you going to tell me not to leave town?” quipped Dan.

The detectives did not laugh.

After the detectives left, Dan sat trying to get himself under control. Just what were the detectives trying to tell him? Was he under suspicion, and if so, for what? Was the governor murdered, and if so, what made them think he was involved? He needed to know more about what was going on in that investigation.

Tara came in and was bursting with curiosity.

“What’s going on?” she asked.

“I don’t really know, Tara, but they are sure acting like I had something to do with the governor’s death,” Dan replied. “Have you heard any details about the governor’s death I might have missed?”

“Nothing but rumors,” she said, “something about an overdose of insulin or something. He was a diabetic, I think.”

“I guess I had better get some details,” he said, “if I am going to have to defend myself for murder.

And with that thought in mind, he started making calls, first to Jenene, who still didn’t answer.