“I’m Carol Lawrence. Call me Carol. Pleased to meet you Ruby, and Jasmine.”
“Likewise,”Jasmine said.
“I don’t know how much help I can be.”She stood at the door and rubbed the age spots on her hand.
“You might know more than you realize. Mind if we ask you some questions?”
“Not at all. It gets so quiet here at night. In some ways it’s nice. But it’s also nice to have visitors.”Her brow furrowed.“Although I should ask about the circumstances. I don’t know what happened over there. There are so many uniforms.”
“Jerald Combes was found dead. We want to figure out what happened.”
“Oh my, right next door. Do you think it’s safe for me to stay here? I forget to lock my door half the time. Being out in the middle of nowhere gives a person a sense of security—a false one, from the sounds of it.”
“We have no reason to think you’re in any danger. But if you’d feel better, by all means stay elsewhere until this is cleared up. Do you have somewhere else to stay?”
“Yes, an apartment in the city. It’s near my daughter and grandbabies.”
“Sounds like you’d be more comfortable there, Carol.”Ruby held up her PSC.“Do you mind if we record this?”
“Go on ahead.”
Ruby engaged the recorder with a few taps.“I notice you can’t see the Combes’cabin from the porch steps. May we come in?”
“Of course.”She fluttered her hands, moved back, and waved them in.“Where are my manners?”
“It’s a lot to process.”Ruby stepped inside, and motioned for Jasmine to join her. She set her PSC on a wrought-iron coffee table.“Carol, where were you this evening?”
“I was on this very porch.”
“Were you sitting?”
Carol pointed to a paisley loveseat.“I was curled up there, reading my book.”
“Do you mind?”Ruby gestured.
“No.”
Carol took a seat across from Ruby, and motioned for Jasmine to take the other chair.
“Thanks, Carol.”Jasmine said, and took a seat.
Ruby sat on the loveseat and drew up her legs.“Like this?”
“No, my feet were facing the other way.”
Ruby made the adjustment.
“Yes, like that.”
“When I turn my head, I can see out the screen,”Ruby said.“We’re facing the road. When it’s light out, can you see the traffic coming down this road?”
“Yes, we usually don’t get a lot. Not like tonight. I’m near the end of the road, you know.”
“Are you referring to the emergency respondents?”
“No, this was before the flashing lights started coming.”
“What did you see?”
“A car and a truck came barreling down the road at about six-thirty, I’d say.”She held up a slightly crooked finger and pointed toward the road.“It was still light out.”
“Are you familiar with Mr. and Mrs. Combes?”
“No, they keep to themselves. He uses the place much more than she does. He’s said hello, and asked me to let him know if he’s too loud. I had to go over there last weekend. There was quite the ruckus, but it quieted down quickly enough.”
“Would you recognize their vehicles?”
“Yes, I’ve seen that truck before. It’s his. I don’t know whose car that was. It might belong to Susan. I’ve seen a black sedan parked over there before, but never this car. Bright blue.”
“Did you see anything else?”
“About ten, fifteen minutes later this rattletrap comes puttering down the road. I remember thinking it was on its last legs. It made an awful racket.”
“How long were you on the porch?”
“Until late. It’s just me. Jeffrey passed on a couple months ago. They say it gets easier. I’m still waiting for that to happen.”
“I’m so sorry for your loss, Carol.”Jasmine reached over to lay her hand on Carol’s.
“Thank you for that.”She sighed and patted Jasmine’s hand.“I’ve fallen into a routine. Every Friday, I come here after work. After dinner, I head out here to read until I can’t see my book. I watch the fireflies dance and listen to the crickets until I’m falling asleep in my chair. You can’t get that kind of peace in the city. It makes me feel closer to Jeffrey when I’m here. We loved sitting on this porch together.”
“Sounds like you made wonderful memories with your husband,”Jasmine said.
“You’re nice to listen to an old lady ramble. I’m sorry. You have a mystery to solve, and here I am going on.”
“You have nothing to apologize for, Carol,”Ruby said.“We want to hear what’s on your mind. Did anything else disturb your peace and quiet?”
“Yes. The truck came roaring past here.”
“What time?”
“It was starting to get dark by then. About seven, I’d say.”
“Anything else?”
“I was heading in to make tea when the truck drove by. I made myself a pretty little tray, and carried it out here. I was just finishing my cookies when the truck came back down the road.”
“Did you see the truck leave again that night?”
“No, but a car flew past just as I was taking my tray into the house. And the rattletrap was right behind it.”
“Was it dark out by then?”
“Yes. I don’t move as fast as I used to. No reason to.”
“How could you tell what kind of vehicles they were?”
“I figured it was two cars from the headlights, I guess. And that rattletrap—Christ Almighty, I’d place that noise anywhere. Wake the dead. I bet my dear Jeffrey heard it.”
“Could other vehicles have come down this road while you were inside?”
“Not likely. We’re up closer to the road than I wanted to be. I told Jeffrey we should’ve built further off. That man didn’t listen. He drove me crazy half the time.”She swallowed hard.“I’d give anything to have him back telling me I’m a stubborn old woman. I’d tell him he’d turned into a grump of a geezer. We brought out the worst in each other, and the best.”
“Sounds like your match.”Jasmine said simply.
“I miss that man something terrible.”
“It means what you had is worth missing. It’s natural to feel sorrow along with joy. It’s important to feel both.”
“You’re pretty wise for a young thing.”
“You’re pretty sharp for a stubborn old woman.”
Carol laughed and squeezed Jasmine’s hand.“Thank you, dear. I needed that.”
“Carol, did you stay inside after you brought your tray in?”Ruby asked.
“No. I came back out here.”
“I know it was dark, but did any sounds, any scents stand out to you?”
“Now that you mention it, I smelled smoke coming from the woods.”
“Is it unusual to have fires in this area?”
“No. People have always enjoyed circling around a good bonfire. It brought me back to my girlhood. My parents loved to take us camping. We’d take out marshmallows, graham crackers, chocolate, and make s’mores.”
“Ah, the real deal.”
“Now they have that Soy More treat. I don’t care for it.”
“I don’t either,”Ruby said.“But the group that goes wild for the glowing green goop loves soy.”Ruby glanced over at Jasmine.
Carol missed the exchange.“There’s nothing like a golden marshmallow straight from the fire and chocolate sandwiched between crisp sweet crackers. It was one of the best parts of summer. We’d take turns gathering more wood for the fire. That’s what I smelled. Burning wood.”
“Do you remember sensing anything else?”
“I was drifting off when a car came down the road.”
“Could you tell anything about it?”
“Yes, I recognized it by the sound. I’ve seen a car over at the Combes cabin with Jerald’s truck. A black sedan. It sounded like a small jet rocketing down the road—almost as
loud as that bike that came by here a short while before you came knocking.”
“What happened after you saw that car?”
“The flashing lights started coming. Once they set up those spotlights I could see I was right. The black sedan was parked over there, and Jerald’s truck.”
“How did you see the Combes’driveway?”
“I peeked out the kitchen window.”
“Do you know who the driver of the sedan was?”
“No. Jerald would answer the door whenever I went over there. You know, to complain about the noise. He’d walk outside and talk to me on the steps. Then he’d go back inside and things would quiet down. He had a charming way about him.”
“Did you like him?”
“Oh no, I’ve never trusted a charmer. I learned that the hard way with the man I dated before my Jeffrey. I had a heck of a time shaking him loose.”
“Thank you, Carol. I’ll give you my card in case you think of anything else. You’ve been superbly helpful.”She rose and gestured for Jasmine to do the same.
“Oh, I’m glad. These seem like such little things to remember. Would you like a Soy More for the road?”
“No, thanks,”Ruby said before Jasmine could speak.“It doesn’t contain any of my food groups.”
“What are those, dear?”
“Caffeine and sugar.”
“With a diet like that it’s a marvel you’re so skinny.”
“I prefer svelte.”
“I couldn’t agree more,”Jasmine crossed her arms and leaned back with a satisfied smirk.
“What should I tell the police if they make their way over?”
“The truth,”Ruby said simply, and handed Carol her business card.
Carol picked her reading glasses up from the coffee table and adjusted them on her face. After peering at the card, she said,“The new face of criminal defense in person on my porch.”She tapped Ruby’s card on her thigh, beaming.“I thought you looked familiar. My granddaughter is a puny thing, kind of like you. Seven years old, and she wants to grow up and be the boss of her own law firm. She practices by bossing her little sister around. Her mother and I are happy she has women like you as her role models.”
“I don’t know about being a role model.”
“She’s being modest, Carol. I know I look up to her. Give us a call. I’m sure Ruby would love to show your granddaughter around. Have her sit at her desk. Play lady lawyer for the day.”
“What a marvelous idea! I’ll call my daughter first thing in the morning.”
Carol stayed on the steps and waved until they were out of sight.
“Thanks a lot, Jazz.”
“All I wanted was a Soy More. Would it have been so hard to accept her offer? I would have eaten yours, or offered it to Justin. With a body like his, he must appreciate health food.”
“You have a knack for payback with a smile. Let’s go talk to the driver of the black sedan.”
“Who?”
“Mr. Stuart Johnston, Kaye County Attorney. Have you met him?”
“No.”
“You’re in for a treat. If you were a reporter, he’d flash you his thousand-volt smile. He’ll likely charm you anyway, since you’re a woman. Me, he’s not too fond of. I think he forgot my gender, and I prefer it this way.”
Ruby and Jasmine approached Stuart.
“I heard it’s your buddy in there,”Ruby said.“I’m sorry for your loss, Stu.”
“Thank you, Ruby.”He turned toward Jasmine.“I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure.”
“Jasmine Sinclair, I’m Ruby’s intern.”
“I see.”He shifted his gaze back to Ruby.“Jerry’s wife must have lawyered up.”
“Yes, Susan Combes hired me.”
“Trying to get her off, are you?”
“Trying to figure out what happened,”Ruby countered.“Sounds like you’re trying to do the same.”
“I know what happened—saw it with my own eyes.”
“You witnessed a murder?”
“No, but I was on the phone with Jerry. Your killer client was tailing him. She’d picked a fight at home and followed him all the way to the cabin. He thought he could reason with her. I told him he couldn’t argue with crazy. It wouldn’t end well.”Stuart became more animated as he fell into the cadence of his story.“He tells me he’s going to talk to her, calm her down. And the next thing I know I’m pulling in as his wife is pulling out.”
“Of the driveway?”
“Yes, of the driveway.”
“How did you know it was her?”
“I recognized her blue car, her face. She had this wild look in her eyes, and a kitchen knife in her right hand. She’s good for this, Ruby,”he finished by shaking his fist.
“You noticed a lot, Stu, for just thinking you were dropping in to hang out with your buddy.”
“I’m a very observant man.”
“And I’m a very observant woman. Nice to see we have some common ground, Stu. I know we had our differences when I worked at Kaye—”
“That’s an understatement.”
“Yes, it is. But we both want to figure out what happened, don’t we?”
“I already know what happened.”
“Okay then, let me put it this way. My team is seeking the truth. I wouldn’t want any personal feelings to hinder this search. The system is designed to dispense justice. It can only do that if we both play by the rules. Can I count on you to play by the rules, Stu?”
He puffed out his chest.“Ask any of the boys here. I’ve given them clear instructions to follow protocol perfectly.”
“I’m aware of that order, and the one to have all evidence sent to your office as it’s collected and tested. It’d sure show good faith if you forwarded what’s collected to my office by Monday morning. Technology makes it so easy to expedite and disclose discovery, doesn’t it? We’re all working around the clock on this so I think that’s reasonable, don’t you? After all, your office managed to push through formal charges at an astounding rate.”
“I’ll have discovery forwarded as soon as it’s received. You’ll be able to see for yourself that your client stands no chance. Short of blood on her hands, we couldn’t have a stronger case against her. Plead her out, and move on.”
“If she’s good for it, then she’ll have to be held accountable for her actions. You’ll understand I’m not going to take your word for it, of course.”
“Of course. You can see for yourself.”
“Can I expect to see any warrants in the discovery packet?”
“Yes.”
“For?”
“Here. Susan’s car. Her arrest.”
“I can assure you, Stu, that the protocol my team follows is quite different than law enforcement’s. Some would say more thorough.”She locked eyes with Stuart.“I know it’s your buddy in there. You don’t mind us going above and beyond, do you?”
“No, no, of course not. Anything to secure justice for Jerry.”
“I appreciate your cooperation, Stu. It’d sure help to have the star material witness in my office on Monday morning. You and I both know you don’t have to talk to me. But it might help move things along. I know you’re a busy guy, but surely you can spare some time for your buddy. What do you say?”
He considered a moment, and said,“Yes, certainly. Anything I can do for Jerry.”
“Excellent. Nine work for you? I’ll have my paralegal confirm with your office.”
He nodded, and said,“Excuse me, I can’t be around this tragedy any longer.”Stuart gave a perfunctory wave to Ruby, and said to her intern,“Nice to meet you, Julie.”
“Jasmine.”
“My apologies, Jasmine.”
“Not necessary, Mr. Johnston. I know you have a lot on your mind. I’m sorry about your friend.”
“Thank you for that.”He hustled up the hill.
“What did you think of him?”Ruby asked.
“Is he prone to getting names wrong?”
“No, it’s one of his special politician skills.”
“What happened at the office?”
“He asked me to tweak case law and facts to support the arguments he wanted to make. In no uncertain terms, I declined.”
“What happened?”
“He found a more malleable law clerk.”
“What’s he usually like?”
“Choreographed, charming, insincere.”
“He was flustered, but who wouldn’t be in his shoes? His buddy was murdered.”
“Yes, I’m aware. What would you expect from someone whose buddy was murdered?”
“A demand for special treatment, I guess.”
“And how might one feel toward the lawyer defending the person you’re convinced slaughtered your buddy in cold blood?”
“Angry.”
“What did you sense?”
“Hate. Animosity.”
“What appearance does he want to convey?”
“He’s playing nice. Cooperating.”
“He’s chosen an interesting time to dedicate himself to doing everything by the book. Well, Jazz, let’s keep moving. We have a long night ahead of us.”
Chapter 9
Ruby and Jasmine located Jimmy, who hefted a crate into the white van and stopped in the middle of grabbing another.“We’re getting ready to take off,”Jimmy said.“Good thing. I’m in enough hot water with the wife.”
“How much longer do we have the lights?”
“I’d say ten, twenty tops.”
“Mind if we do a walk-through?”
“No, we’re done. Packing equipment at this point, and—you know, the vic.”He cleared his throat and aimed his words toward Jasmine.“Brace yourself, kid. We’re transporting the deceased to the morgue, but I gotta tell you, what we left behind isn’t pretty.”
Jasmine swallowed hard, and said,“I’ll manage.”
He gave her an approving nod.
“Mind if we look around?”Ruby asked.“We’ll stay outside until you guys clear out.”
“It’s all yours,”he said, and hefted another crate.
Ruby led Jasmine across the lawn and stopped near the driveway. The yellow tape had been removed.
“Let’s play out the neighbor’s timeline,”Ruby said.“Carol Lawrence has no emotional attachment to this case. Thus, she’s our most credible witness. Notice the tire tracks?”
The Veiled Cage (Lady Lawyer Series Romantic Suspense Novels Book 1) Page 8
