Read Online Amnesia by Beverly Barton - Free Book Online

with Mr. Cortez”—Chad glanced at his wristwatch—“right now, so allow me to escort you to the director’s office. He’s expecting you and can answer some of your questions. Then when Norton and I are free, we’ll be glad to do whatever we can for you.”
    Annabelle gave Quinn Cortez a sidelong glance. “Is Mr. Cortez a suspect?”
    Silence.
    Annabelle glanced back and forth from one man to the other. “Knowing if Mr. Cortez is a suspect falls under keeping me informed about anything and everything to do with Lulu’s murder.”
    Chad cleared his throat, then said hurriedly, “Mr. Cortez discovered the body. We will be questioning him again this morning, with his attorney present.”
    As if on cue, Kendall Wells stepped off the elevator directly behind them. “What have we here, a little informal powwow?” she said as she approached her client. “You’ve been behaving yourself, haven’t you, Quinn?”
    “Don’t I always?” he replied.
    His lawyer gave him a censoring glance, then zeroed in on the sergeant. “We’re here on time and ready for the interview. Let’s get this over with so Mr. Cortez can—”
    “We’ll be ready for y’all shortly,” Chad snapped his response, then turned to Annabelle, all smiles and concern. “Ms. Vanderley, if you’ll follow me, I’ll show you to Director Danley’s office.” He took her arm and tugged gently.
    Annabelle went with him, all the while fighting the urge to look back at Quinn Cortez.
    “Don’t make us cool our heels too long,” Ms. Wells called after them.
    Sergeant George mumbled under his breath. “I apologize for someone not meeting you outside and escorting you in.It’s unfortunate that you had to be subjected to meeting Quinn Cortez, especially this morning, so soon after…Well, I am sorry.”
    “Exactly who is Quinn Cortez and why did he think I should have heard of him?”
    Chad harrumphed. “The man’s an egomaniac. He thinks the whole world knows who he is because he’s a criminal defense lawyer who has gotten quite a few murderers off scot-free. He just won a big case over in Nashville. The Terry McBryar case.”
    “Oh, yes, I seem to recall hearing something about that trial on the news. Wasn’t McBryar’s lawyer some hotshot from Texas?” Annabelle gasped as she remembered what one newscaster had said about McBryar’s lawyer, whose name she’d forgotten.
    He not only has a reputation as a dangerously formidable opponent in the courtroom, but also as a real lady-killer in his personal life
.
    She wasn’t sure why that comment had stuck with her when she had forgotten the man’s name and had no memory of seeing him on the newscast. The words
dangerously formidable
and
lady-killer
repeated themselves again and again in Annabelle’s mind.
    “A far as I’m concerned, Cortez is scum,” Chad told her. “He’s an immoral moneygrubber. A real shyster.”
    “Are you saying you believe the man has no conscience? If that’s the case, then he’s capable of murder, isn’t he? Is that what you think—you think he killed Lulu?”
    Chad coughed, then cleared his throat. She glanced at him and noted a slight pink flush to his cheeks.
    “Here we are.” He paused in front of the closed door to the Director of Police’s office.
    She realized that Chad George had no intention of answering her question about Quinn Cortez. Why was that? Couldn’t he give her a simple yes or no response?
    “Director Danley, Ms. Annabelle Vanderley has arrived,” he announced through the closed door.
    A deep, gruff voice responded. “Don’t keep the lady waiting. Go get her and show her in. We’ve got enough trouble with the press as it is. The last thing we want—” When he opened the door and saw Annabelle standing at the sergeant’s side, the director quieted immediately. “Ms. Vanderley?”
    She nodded.
    “Please, come into my office.” Danley cast Chad a scurrilous glare. “Don’t you have somewhere to be right now,