Presumption of Innocence (David Brunelle Legal Thriller Series Book 1)
Page 18
Brunelle stiffened at the voice, then relaxed slightly as she passed him and knelt next to the corpse. He knew she was right. "Yeah," he offered. "Sorry about that. Been busy."
She turned and smiled at him. Her smile held warmth, but other thoughts too. "Of course you have. Me too."
She returned to her examination of the murder victim. She wore a long raincoat that covered her curves, but the hood was pushed back, leaving her black hair and soft face exposed to the rain. He supposed her knees were getting wet and cold from the rain-drenched cobblestones. He remembered the last time they'd really talked and he regretted not having called her since then. Their last case together had ended badly. Or at least, it had almost ended badly, and he'd been reluctant to draw Kat, or her daughter, into danger again. He knew he'd been distant for the right reasons; he just didn't know if she knew it.
"A-hem," Chen cleared his throat. Then he took Brunelle by the elbow. "Why don't we step over here and discuss next steps."
Brunelle looked up sharply, then nodded. He allowed Chen to lead him toward the street. "Right. Next steps. What are the next steps?"
"The next steps are you stepping away from her while she does her job," Chen said. "I thought you two were an item or something, but it sure doesn't seem like it now."
Brunelle shrugged. "I think maybe we were going to be, but I haven't followed up. I don't like what happened on the Karpati case. I don't want to let that happen again."
Chen looked over his shoulder at Anderson. She had pulled on her latex gloves and was palpating the corpse's neck. "I'm pretty sure she can take care of herself."
Brunelle looked too. He sighed. "Yeah, I know."
"Maybe this has more to do with you," Chen started, but before he could say more, Anderson stood up and stepped over to them.
"No mysteries here," she announced as she pulled her gloves off. "Two stab wounds. One to the stomach, ruptured his small intestine. That would have been survivable, with prompt medical intervention, but the second one was directly to his heart. I'll need to do a full autopsy to determine where exactly it struck, but he was dead as soon as the blade went in."
"Sounds intentional," Brunelle replied.
"Maybe even premeditated," Anderson answered. "Murder one?"
Brunelle allowed a grin. "That's what we'll charge. Just don't let Larry on the stand. He thinks it's justifiable."
Anderson cocked her head at the detective. The motion sent rain drops cascading off her thick hair. Brunelle wished he hadn't noticed, and pretended the sight didn't send his heart racing.
"Justifiable?" she asked.
Chen shrugged. "Community service killing. Guy was a child molester."
Anderson frowned. She looked back at the body. "Did I say murder? I meant suicide. Obvious suicide."
Brunelle shook his head and laughed. "Great. Lead detective says it's justified and the M.E. says it's suicide. No way I get a conviction now."
"Lighten up," Chen slapped his back. "You need a defendant first anyway. Hopefully one that's even worse that ol' George there."
Just then a patrol officer hurried over to them. "We located the suspect," she announced. "Down on Alaska Way. Still had the blood on his hands. They're taking him to the precinct right now."
Chen turned to Brunelle. "You coming to watch the interrogation?"
"Wouldn't miss it for the world," he answered, both relieved and saddened to have an excuse to escape from Kat.
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…to read the rest, get your copy of Tribal Court today!
Other David Brunelle Legal Thrillers
NOVELS
Tribal Court
(David Brunelle Legal Thriller #2)
A man is murdered in Seattle's Pioneer Square. The killer is caught just blocks away, blood still on his hands. When it's discovered that both killer and victim belong to the same Native American tribe, the tribe asserts jurisdiction and homicide D.A. Dave Brunelle has to prosecute the case in their Tribal Court. It's bad enough when the defense attorney claims the killing was justified under the ancient custom of 'blood revenge.' It gets worse when blood revenge turns into a blood feud. The bodies start piling up and it looks like Brunelle may be next. Can he stay alive long enough to win the case?
By Reason of Insanity
(David Brunelle Legal Thriller #3)
Sometimes the easiest cases are the hardest. The defendant absolutely, positively murdered her own mother. She is also absolutely, positively mentally ill. Homicide prosecutor David Brunelle is tasked with holding her responsible despite the best efforts of her defense team, which includes a psychologist who's convinced she's innocent. As the case proceeds, the pressures mount and Brunelle begins to question his own sanity. Will Brunelle crack the case, or will the case crack him?
A Prosecutor for the Defense
(David Brunelle Legal Thriller #4)
Seattle homicide D.A. David Brunelle has spent his entire career prosecuting criminals. But when his girlfriend, medical examiner Kat Anderson, asks him to go to California to defend her ex-husband on a murder charge, he just can’t say no to her. Brunelle has to fight not only his prosecutorial instincts, but also a smooth-talking D.A., an unhelpful detective, and--worst of all--a client who won’t give him a straight answer. As the evidence piles up and the case unfolds, Brunelle waits for the other shoe to drop, but this time the shoe is on the other foot.
Substantial Risk
(David Brunelle Legal Thriller #5)
A sex club. A dead “submissive.” A “dominant” in custody.
Homicide D.A. Dave Brunelle barely understands the terms. How can he ever hope to understand the bondage subculture well enough to hold a killer responsible for the apparently accidental death of his own girlfriend? Brunelle embarks on a voyage of discovery, both of himself and of things he never even knew existed. In so doing, however, he risks losing not only his case, but everything—and everyone—dear to him.
SHORT STORIES
(available exclusively for Amazon Kindle)
Case Theory
District attorney David Brunelle has a problem: a woman and her child have been murdered, a killer is in custody, but something doesn't add up. Namely, the bullets. Either the cops botched the crime scene, or there's more going on than Brunelle knows. He'll need to figure it out quick, before the defense attorney walks a murderer out the door.
Beyond A Reasonable Doubt
A woman is brutally murdered, and it's district attorney David Brunelle's job to put the killer away. The defendant fled barefoot, abandoning her shoes in the pool of blood under the victim. It looks like an open-and-shut case, but Brunelle should know better. If he doesn't figure out the truth—and fast—it's his blood that might be spilled next.
About the Author
Stephen Penner is an attorney, author, and artist from Seattle. He writes a variety of fiction, including thrillers, mysteries, and children’s books.
His other works include the Maggie Devereaux paranormal mystery series, starting with Scottish Rite. He also wrote and illustrated the children’s books Katie Carpenter, Fourth Grade Genius and Professor Barrister’s Dinosaur Mysteries.
For more information, please visit www.stephenpenner.com.
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