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Authors: Mary Higgins Clark, Alafair Burke
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job with the Brooklyn Public Defender’s office since graduation. “This is when it gets interesting.” She told him about Amanda’s will, leaving her trust fund to her fiancé. “Amanda’s mother considers him our number one suspect.”
“Are you worried that because he’s a criminal defense attorney he’ll take the fifth, so to speak, and not do the show?”
“Exactly. Plus his wife’s a lawyer, too. Her name’s Meghan White. She practices immigration law, not criminal defense, but still—”
“Even if he’s willing, you’re concerned that she’ll try to stop him.”
“Or have her own reasons to clam up. Because here’s the thing: Meghan was Amanda’s best friend. She was also there at the Grand Victoria, so she’s a potential suspect, too. Marrying your best friend’s fiancé fifteen months after she disappeared? Seems a little quick to me. I thought since you speak their language, maybe you could help convince them to do the show.”
“I’m told I can be very persuasive. But do we even know if they’re home?”
“I left a message on both their phones. Obviously they talked to each other and then Jeff called me back. It took a lot of persuading, but he gave the okay for us to come.”
Alex leaned toward her until their shoulders touched.
“Palm Beach sounds like a good place to shoot, don’t you think, Counselor?” she asked him.
“I couldn’t agree more.”
20
T he converted brownstone looked just as it had appeared when Laurie entered the address into Google Maps’ street-view function. It was a four-story walk-up. No doorman.
She pressed the buzzer for apartment B, marked “Hunter/White.” Though Amanda’s mother had referred to Meghan as “Mrs. Jeffrey Hunter,” Laurie knew Meghan had retained her maiden name. She had already rehearsed her introduction. She looked at Alex nervously as seconds passed in silence. He pressed the buzzer a second time.
“The intercom’s broken, Ms. Moran.” The voice came from the second floor above them. She recognized Jeff Hunter, his head out the window, from the LinkedIn profile picture Jerry had shown her. “Are you Alex Buckley?”
Laurie could see that Jeff was astonished.
“I just used your closing argument in the J. D. Martin case in a seminar for our new lawyers. Masterful stuff. Just masterful.”
Alex gave him a friendly wave. “That’s very flattering. Thank you.”
“Come on up.” He tossed out a key ring, which Alex caught in one hand. “Nice catch.”
As Alex unlocked the front door, Laurie said, “Did you see the way he looked at you? It’s like he’s a little kid and Derek Jeter just gave him an autograph.”
“That’s me: the Derek Jeter of law geeks.”
“See? I knew you’d come in handy.”
Jeff was waiting for them on the second floor, apartment door open. He was just about six feet tall with dark brown hair and intense hazel eyes.
“Come in please. I’m Jeff Hunter, by the way, but I guess you know that.” He shook Alex’s hand and then greeted Laurie.
To Laurie’s relief, Jeff seemed friendly enough as he invited them to sit in the living room. The apartment was small, but comfortable, with a mix of mission-style and contemporary furniture. From a quick scan of the framed photographs arrayed on the console table, she got a sense of Meghan’s appearance. Tall and thin, with long, curly black hair and sharp, angular facial features, she was the opposite of Amanda.
“Meghan isn’t home from work yet,” Jeff explained, “and it’s very possible she won’t be home for at least another hour.”
Laurie had been hoping to meet both of them, but on the other hand, she knew this might be her only shot to speak to Jeff alone.
“On the phone you mentioned that you’re familiar with the show,” she began. “Then you know our show isn’t about singling out any one person as a suspect. It’s about the ways that an unsolved crime can plague the lives of everyone around it. The
“Are you worried that because he’s a criminal defense attorney he’ll take the fifth, so to speak, and not do the show?”
“Exactly. Plus his wife’s a lawyer, too. Her name’s Meghan White. She practices immigration law, not criminal defense, but still—”
“Even if he’s willing, you’re concerned that she’ll try to stop him.”
“Or have her own reasons to clam up. Because here’s the thing: Meghan was Amanda’s best friend. She was also there at the Grand Victoria, so she’s a potential suspect, too. Marrying your best friend’s fiancé fifteen months after she disappeared? Seems a little quick to me. I thought since you speak their language, maybe you could help convince them to do the show.”
“I’m told I can be very persuasive. But do we even know if they’re home?”
“I left a message on both their phones. Obviously they talked to each other and then Jeff called me back. It took a lot of persuading, but he gave the okay for us to come.”
Alex leaned toward her until their shoulders touched.
“Palm Beach sounds like a good place to shoot, don’t you think, Counselor?” she asked him.
“I couldn’t agree more.”
20
T he converted brownstone looked just as it had appeared when Laurie entered the address into Google Maps’ street-view function. It was a four-story walk-up. No doorman.
She pressed the buzzer for apartment B, marked “Hunter/White.” Though Amanda’s mother had referred to Meghan as “Mrs. Jeffrey Hunter,” Laurie knew Meghan had retained her maiden name. She had already rehearsed her introduction. She looked at Alex nervously as seconds passed in silence. He pressed the buzzer a second time.
“The intercom’s broken, Ms. Moran.” The voice came from the second floor above them. She recognized Jeff Hunter, his head out the window, from the LinkedIn profile picture Jerry had shown her. “Are you Alex Buckley?”
Laurie could see that Jeff was astonished.
“I just used your closing argument in the J. D. Martin case in a seminar for our new lawyers. Masterful stuff. Just masterful.”
Alex gave him a friendly wave. “That’s very flattering. Thank you.”
“Come on up.” He tossed out a key ring, which Alex caught in one hand. “Nice catch.”
As Alex unlocked the front door, Laurie said, “Did you see the way he looked at you? It’s like he’s a little kid and Derek Jeter just gave him an autograph.”
“That’s me: the Derek Jeter of law geeks.”
“See? I knew you’d come in handy.”
Jeff was waiting for them on the second floor, apartment door open. He was just about six feet tall with dark brown hair and intense hazel eyes.
“Come in please. I’m Jeff Hunter, by the way, but I guess you know that.” He shook Alex’s hand and then greeted Laurie.
To Laurie’s relief, Jeff seemed friendly enough as he invited them to sit in the living room. The apartment was small, but comfortable, with a mix of mission-style and contemporary furniture. From a quick scan of the framed photographs arrayed on the console table, she got a sense of Meghan’s appearance. Tall and thin, with long, curly black hair and sharp, angular facial features, she was the opposite of Amanda.
“Meghan isn’t home from work yet,” Jeff explained, “and it’s very possible she won’t be home for at least another hour.”
Laurie had been hoping to meet both of them, but on the other hand, she knew this might be her only shot to speak to Jeff alone.
“On the phone you mentioned that you’re familiar with the show,” she began. “Then you know our show isn’t about singling out any one person as a suspect. It’s about the ways that an unsolved crime can plague the lives of everyone around it. The
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