Unsympathetic Victims: A Legal Thriller (Ashley Montgomery Book 1)

by Laura Snider

  Tom shook his head. “No. We slept in the same bed, but not together.”

  Relief flushed through Ashley, but it was short lived. “We kissed.” She remembered his hands tangled in her hair. It had been good. Better than good. But forbidden.

  Tom nodded. He did not have the same ethical obligations as Ashley. His job was not controlled by an office of professional regulation. So long as his relationships did not affect his work, nobody cared who he went around kissing. That was not the case with Ashley. A relationship with Tom was borderline unethical. She was already dealing with Petrovsky’s ethics complaint. She did not need another.

  “This,” she gestured from Tom to herself, “can’t happen again.”

  Tom met Ashley’s gaze. His typically open expression contorted with confusion. “You’re saying last night was a mistake.”

  Ashley opened her mouth to answer, then closed it again. She could feel him studying her. But she needed to think. Her initial reaction was to say that no, it was not a mistake. Because how could anything with this gorgeous man be wrong? He was generous and obviously into her. Despite her lack of popularity.

  “I get it.” Tom turned away, mistaking her silence for affirmation.

  Maybe it’s better this way, Ashley thought. She had not lied. She just had not corrected him when he’d made the wrong assumption. She nodded, said nothing, and rose from the bed.

  “Where are you going?”

  “I need to let the dogs out,” she said.

  He planted his feet on the ground and covered his face with his hands.

  Ashley wanted to reach out to him. To explain herself. But the words caught in her throat.

  “Just go,” Tom said. “I’ll get my shoes and be out of here in a minute.”

  Ashley left the room, forcing herself not to look back. Finn and Princess sat in the hallway. Finn wagged his tail and padded his feet on the floor in excitement. Princess rose. Without a tail, her entire back end wiggled with joy.

  “Hey, you two,” Ashley whispered. She crouched down and placed an arm around each dog. “Sorry you were demoted to the hallway.” She swallowed back tears. Despite what she encouraged Tom to believe, turning away from him had been hard. The closeness they shared the night before was far deeper than anything she had known in a very long time. “I promise it won’t happen again.” She nuzzled her face in Finn’s fur, then turned to kiss Princess on the top of her head.

  Ashley gained strength from the dogs’ uncomplicated love. They leaned into her, soaking up her guilt and loss, silent promises that they would be there for her until the day they died. When she was ready, she stood. “Do you two need out?”

  Princess spun in three quick circles, and Finn issued a short, throaty whine.

  “All right. I get it.” Ashley looked over the balcony and saw that Katie was gone. Her gut twisted. Has Katie changed her mind about me? Alcohol had a way of forging relationships that were often followed by regret the next morning. Ashley sighed. She deserved it. Considering that she had done the same thing to Tom.

  She made her way down the stairs and let the dogs out the front door. They raced into the snow. She moved to the window to watch them. They both did their business, but Finn finished first. He trotted toward Princess and dove at her the moment she rose from her squat. The two dogs barked excitedly, rolling in the snow, happy and playful.

  She fought a sudden pang of jealousy. Her dogs were each other’s yin and yang. They fit together. Ashley wondered if she would ever find a match for herself as perfect as that which she had created when she adopted those two lovely creatures.

  She turned away from the window and glanced at the grandfather clock in the hallway. It was 7:00 a.m. Shit, she thought. She had forgotten about the dogs at the animal shelter. She had not missed a single morning walking them in two years. They had been her companions all that time, and she had let them down the moment she thought she had found new friends. I’m a terrible person. She would have to make up for it in the afternoon.

  Sighing, she made her way to the kitchen to brew some coffee. The kitchen was a wide room with cabinets lining two of the four walls. A circular farm table sat in the middle, covered by a checkered tablecloth. Before her mother’s death, Ashley had pushed her mom to redecorate. Her mother resisted, and Ashley kept to her wishes, even now, two years after her death.

  She noticed that something rested on the kitchen counter. It had not been there the night before. It was a note, written on the paper Ashley used for grocery lists. She picked it up.

  Ashley,

  There was a work emergency.

  Didn’t want to wake you.

  Thanks for the wine.

  – Katie –

  The technical portion of Ashley’s brain whirred, dissecting the meaning behind Katie’s words. Katie had written a note. She had not left shrouded in regret. But she also had not said “last night was fun,” or “let’s do it again.” And what was this “work emergency”? Katie’s work emergencies usually landed on Ashley’s desk the following day.

  Just then Ashley realized that Finn’s and Princess’s barking had gone from playful to fierce. She moved toward the window in time to see several cars speeding down the drive. Two police cruisers followed by two SUVs, unmarked but without a doubt law enforcement.

  What could this be about? Her heart raced. She had always told her clients, “If there’s more than one, you’re in trouble.”

  She watched them stop in front of her house, parking in a single-file line. She was in trouble. Ashley pulled her coat over her shoulders and took a deep breath. She opened the door and stepped out into the bitter cold.

  “Ashley Montgomery,” the officer in the front police cruiser shouted.

  She recognized the officer. He had retrieved the stuffed dog with the threatening letter the day before. He was young. New to the force, but he had already made an impression. And not in a good way. He was the dick that had been sitting outside of Keisha’s apartment building, harassing her neighbors. Officer John Jackie. Keisha complained about him every morning when Ashley came to the animal shelter.

  Officer Jackie remained in his car and spoke to Ashley through his window, which was rolled halfway down. Finn and Princess snarled just outside, their teeth bared and hackles raised. Officer Jackie could not get out. Ashley would have laughed if the situation had not been so dire.

  Ashley snapped her fingers at the dogs. They stopped barking and trotted toward her. Finn stopped to her right and Princess to her left. Both were close enough for her to reach out and pet their heads. They turned, faced the line of police cars, and sat.

  Law enforcement officers exited from each vehicle. Two police officers and four sheriff’s deputies. Ashley scanned their faces. She did not see Chief Carmichael, George Thomanson, or Katie Mickey. Her stomach churned at the thought of Katie. So, this was the work emergency. Ashley shook her head. She had been naïve to believe Katie wanted to be her friend. She should not have let her guard down. She should not have allowed herself to even pretend at happiness.

  Ashley could have wallowed in self-pity. She could have broken down in tears. But she did not. Something inside her heart snapped. And she felt nothing. Not rage. Not sadness. A switch flipped, replacing all emotion with the steely armor of sarcasm that she had always worn.

  “Hello, gentlemen,” Ashley said, forcing an ironic smile to twitch into the corners of her mouth. “What can I do for you?”

  Officer Jackie approached her, a smirk playing upon his lips. He kept his head held high, arrogant. “Ashley Montgomery,” he said. “You are under arrest for the murders of Arnold Von Reich and Victor Petrovsky.”

  Ashley’s eyebrows rose. Petrovsky was dead? That was news. Ashley had not killed either Petrovsky or Von Reich, but the State was trying to pin it on her. The question was, why? Was the intention to hold her in jail until trial, try a flimsy case for an ultimate acquittal, then release her to become the vigilante killer’s next victim?

  “You
have the right to remain silent.”

  Ashley nodded. That, I can do, she thought.

  “Anything you say can be used against you in a court of law.”

  Say or do, you fucking moron, she thought. Anything I say or do can be used against me. Not that she was going to remind him. Mistakes worked to a defendant’s advantage. Which was what she was now. A defendant.

  “You have the right to an attorney.”

  No shit, dickwad. She would feel better about that right if she was not the only criminal defense attorney in town worth a damn.

  “If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you. Do you understand the rights I have read to you?”

  Ashley smiled sweetly. “Sure do.”

  “With these rights in mind, do you want to speak with me?”

  Ashley laughed. A deep, guttural cackle that was part mirth and part hysteria. Because no, in no circumstance would she want to speak with this asshat.

  “I don’t see anything funny about this, Ms. Montgomery,” Officer Jackie said as he handcuffed her and placed her in the back of his cruiser.

  Neither do I, Ashley thought but did not say.

  All this and Ashley had not even had a cup of coffee. It was still sitting on the counter, probably cold by now. What a wonderful start to the day. She supposed she should chalk it up to karma. She’d had a good night. Now the world would come crashing down around her. Touché, she thought. One point to fate, zero to Ashley Montgomery.

  18

  Katie

  December 12th – 10:00 a.m.

  Katie slammed her fist down on Elizabeth Clement’s desk. The intensity of the blow caused a row of carefully arranged books to tumble over and fall to the floor with a thud.

  Elizabeth seemed unfazed. She sat primly, her fingers laced together.

  The prosecutor’s calmness enraged Katie further. It was so much like Katie’s mother. A cool backhand that stung worse than any real blow. “This is wrong!”

  George’s eyes grew wide. They had discussed their approach before they had entered Elizabeth’s office. He had said, “You catch more bees with honey than vinegar,” and Katie had agreed. But that all went out the window when she saw Elizabeth’s smug face.

  The prosecutor had known Officer Jackie was on his way out to Ashley’s house to make the arrest. Elizabeth had called Katie into the police station so that she wouldn’t be there when the rookie and a task force of equally inexperienced officers apprehended Ashley.

  Elizabeth did not flinch at Katie’s outburst. Her expression remained cold and unperturbed. Much as Ashley’s had during Petrovsky’s sentencing hearing. Back when Katie had loathed everything about the defense attorney. Now that dense dislike had moved away from Ashley and repositioned itself over Elizabeth.

  “It’s not wrong. It was inevitable,” Elizabeth said with a shrug.

  “I was with her last night. When she supposedly murdered Petrovsky.” Katie’s nostrils flared. “And you arrested her for it without even asking me! I would have told you. I would have told you that you had the wrong person.”

  “By her,” Elizabeth said coolly, “I assume you mean Ashley Montgomery.”

  “Yes, I fucking mean Ashley. Who the hell else would I mean?”

  “What Katie is saying,” George interjected, “is that we were handling the Petrovsky and Von Reich murder cases. We don’t understand why you would have Officer Jackie usurp our investigation. Why did you have him draft the complaints? You should have come to us.”

  A complaint was a document filed with the court. It was what led to the magistrate issuing an arrest warrant. George was sticking to the facts, trying to steer the meeting back on track. The goal was to get Elizabeth to retract the warrants. Release Ashley. And somewhere along the way, the train had jumped the rails.

  Elizabeth flipped her wrist and studied her watch. It was an intentional move. One that indicated she did not have time for them. “Two reasons. One,” she held up her index finger, “I am the lead law enforcement officer in this county, and I can do whatever I want so long as it keeps Brine safe. And two,” she held up a second finger, “Officer Jackie is the one who had the information that led to Ashley’s arrest.”

  “And how, exactly, did that information come to you? Because Chief Carmichael didn’t know anything about the warrant or Officer Jackie’s involvement. I asked him already,” Katie shouted.

  George placed a warning hand on Katie’s shoulder. He was trying to calm Katie’s temper, act as the peacekeeper, but Katie was not inclined to listen. Elizabeth had gone behind their backs and had a rookie cop take the reins of their investigation. Diplomacy was off the table.

  “I want to know what evidence you have to support Ashley’s arrest. Because we had jack shit. We were making progress, but we were nowhere near an arrest,” Katie said.

  Elizabeth smirked and slid a document across the desk. George leaned over as Katie picked it up. They both began to read.

  Affidavit

  STATE OF IOWA, BRINE COUNTY

  I, the undersigned, being duly sworn, state that all facts contained in this Complaint and Affidavit, known by me or told to me by other reliable persons form the basis for my belief that the defendant committed this crime.

  State all facts and persons relied upon supporting elements of alleged crime

  The Defendant, Ashley Montgomery, did knowingly commit the crime of Murder in the First Degree upon the person of Arnold Von Reich. The reporting party, Erica Elsberry, has known the Defendant almost all her life.

  This officer received a phone call from Elsberry on the non-emergency police line at 0100 hours on December 12th. Elsberry was the individual that discovered Von Reich’s body on December 10th. Elsberry reported to this officer that she saw the Defendant near the crime scene at the time of Von Reich’s death, but she hadn’t yet reported that information. She discovered Von Reich’s body at 0300 hours, but she’d been in that area at midnight as well.

  Elsberry stated that she spoke with the Defendant. She said the Defendant behaved oddly and had blood spatters on her shoes. She also knew the Defendant to carry a red BIC lighter. A red BIC lighter was found near Von Reich’s body.

  Jonathan Jackie, Jonathan Jackie #2109

  Katie caught George’s eye. The complaint was bullshit. Erica Elsberry had not reported any of that to them. They had both interviewed her shortly after she had found Von Reich’s body, and she hadn’t mentioned Ashley. She had claimed she stumbled upon the body while jogging. That was it. Apparently, she had changed her tune.

  Katie slid the Von Reich complaint back to Elizabeth and made a beckoning motion. “Where’s the other one?”

  Elizabeth produced the second complaint.

  Affidavit

  STATE OF IOWA, BRINE COUNTY

  I, the undersigned, being duly sworn, state that all facts contained in this Complaint and Affidavit, known by me or told to me by other reliable persons form the basis for my belief that the defendant committed this crime.

  State all facts and persons relied upon supporting elements of alleged crime

  The Defendant, Ashley Montgomery, did knowingly commit the crime of Murder in the First Degree upon the person of Victor Petrovsky, hereinafter referred to as “the victim.” The reporting party, Erica Elsberry, has known the Defendant all her life. Elsberry also knows Petrovsky due to a recent criminal case involving her son.

  This officer received a phone call from Elsberry on the non-emergency police line at 0100 hours on December 12th. Elsberry saw the Defendant leaving through the front door of the victim’s residence at 0030 hours. The Defendant was covered in a red liquid that Elsberry believed was blood. Patrol officers responded to the location and found the victim’s body. The medical examiner determined that the time of death was consistent with occurring at 0000 hours.

  Jonathan Jackie, Jonathan Jackie #2109

  “I don’t believe this,” Katie said, shaking her head.

  Elizabeth clasped her hands toget
her and leaned forward. “I know. It was hard for me to believe, too. But…” She shrugged as if to say, There it is.

  “No, you don’t understand,” Katie said. She crossed her arms and scowled. “I’m not saying that it’s hard for me to believe. I’m saying that I do not believe it. Erica has a vendetta against Ashley. That’s no secret. I mean, Jesus Christ, she organized an entire mob to attack Ashley after Petrovsky’s sentencing. If she truly saw these things, then why is she just reporting them now? Enough time has passed for Erica to concoct a story. And I was with Ashley last night. There’s no way she could have done it.”

  The question Katie did not ask was why Elizabeth trusted Erica’s statement at all. Erica was the far more likely suspect than Ashley. Erica had even stated that Petrovsky would “get his” in her victim impact speech. Erica had more than a few reasons to lie in those complaints.

  But that was not what was bothering Katie so much. What disturbed her was that Officer Jackie and Elizabeth had not followed the usual protocols. Officers were not supposed to arrest based on eyewitness testimony alone. They had to verify that the witness statement matched the other evidence before issuing complaints. But that step had been skipped. Why?

  “Were you awake at midnight?” Elizabeth asked. Her tone was patronizing.

  “No. But I would have noticed that Ashley had left. I was sleeping in the living room. She would have had to walk past me to get out the front door.”

  “Maybe she used a window.”

  “Not likely.”

  “Are you calling Erica a liar?”

  Katie leaned forward and caught Elizabeth’s eye. She held it for a long time. A challenge. She was tired of bowing down to Elizabeth’s bullshit. “Erica? I don’t know. Maybe. All I know is that somebody is lying, and I’m going to figure it out.”

  Elizabeth leaned back and threaded her fingers together. “No. You’re not. The Petrovsky and Von Reich investigations are over. These cases are solved. The murderer is in jail. There is no need to follow up on anything.”