Read Online Chicken Caccia-Killer (A Jordan McAllister Mystery) by Liz Lipperman - Free Book Online
Authors: Liz Lipperman
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conversation—away from all the chaos?”
“Good idea.” Alex turned his back on Kate to address the lawyer. “On behalf of my entire family, I want to say how much we appreciate your showing up and taking charge, Mr. Hamilton.”
“Call me Jeff.”
“Alex.” He held out his hand. “Let’s see if they’re finished with my mother. After I make sure she has transportation back to my place, Kate and I will come down to your room.”
“I’ll be waiting. Room 828.”
Slowly, the lawyer made his way back into the living room as Jordan peered through the patio door. It looked like the cops were winding things down, and most of the people they’d corralled earlier for questioning were already gone. The few that remained were gathering their belongings.
Kate still hadn’t lifted her head.
Alex’s voice softened. “Do you want me to find another lawyer, or are you comfortable with Hamilton?”
She sucked in a large gulp of air and looked up. “If he’s willing to represent me, I’d like to stay with him.”
Alex nodded. “He was impressive. I’ll give him that. We can ask him tonight about what it will take to retain him for the duration of this—”
“I know you think I had something to do with Marco’s death, Alex, but I swear I didn’t.” Kate pleaded with her eyes for him to believe her.
“Is he responsible for your black eye?”
She dipped her head. “He’d had too much to drink, and we argued. He reacted to something I said and came at me all macho-like. When I threw my drink in his face, he punched me and threw me onto the bed, pinning me down.” She steeled her shoulders before continuing, “For a few seconds I thought he was going to hit me again, but he didn’t. He just suddenly rolled off me. I’d never seen him that angry before and certainly never violent. I was stunned. He must have realized he’d crossed the line because he rushed out onto the patio without saying another word.”
“Did you follow him out there?
“I ran into the bathroom and locked the door. After several minutes, I decided he’d had enough time to calm down, and it was probably safe to come out. When I didn’t see him, I walked out onto the patio, but he wasn’t there, either.” She stopped to swallow before continuing, “That’s when I heard all the commotion from the hotel entrance and looked over the railing. When I saw his body on the ground and all the blood...” She paused when her voice cracked. “I panicked.”
“Was there anyone else in the room?”
She shook her head.
“What were you doing there in the first place?” Alex had switched from concerned brother into FBI agent mode, but he got choked up on the last question.
Kate took one look at his face and began to speak. “Marco called me when I was downstairs waiting for a cab. He begged me to listen to his side of the story. Like a fool, I wanted to believe there was no way our relationship had been built on a pack of lies—that he wasn’t the two-timing scum I knew in my heart that he was. I prayed there was a logical explanation, so I agreed to go up to his bedroom to hear him out.” She bit her tongue and looked up at the sky to keep the tears brimming in her eyes from rolling down her cheeks.
“When we got there, he tried to convince me he was in love with me, not Tina Calabrese. When he couldn’t, he swore he was only going to marry her to get Emilio off his back. He laughed, saying why else would he agree to make love to a woman he couldn’t even stand being in the same room with. He even tried to sweet talk me into climbing into bed with him—said there was no reason why we couldn’t continue our relationship the way we have for the past year. That’s when I lost it and tossed the drink in his face.”
“And is that when he threw you on the bed?”
“Yes.” Her voice was barely a whisper now as she reached up to touch her swollen right cheek. “Does it look bad?”
“Not as bad as the time you got
“Good idea.” Alex turned his back on Kate to address the lawyer. “On behalf of my entire family, I want to say how much we appreciate your showing up and taking charge, Mr. Hamilton.”
“Call me Jeff.”
“Alex.” He held out his hand. “Let’s see if they’re finished with my mother. After I make sure she has transportation back to my place, Kate and I will come down to your room.”
“I’ll be waiting. Room 828.”
Slowly, the lawyer made his way back into the living room as Jordan peered through the patio door. It looked like the cops were winding things down, and most of the people they’d corralled earlier for questioning were already gone. The few that remained were gathering their belongings.
Kate still hadn’t lifted her head.
Alex’s voice softened. “Do you want me to find another lawyer, or are you comfortable with Hamilton?”
She sucked in a large gulp of air and looked up. “If he’s willing to represent me, I’d like to stay with him.”
Alex nodded. “He was impressive. I’ll give him that. We can ask him tonight about what it will take to retain him for the duration of this—”
“I know you think I had something to do with Marco’s death, Alex, but I swear I didn’t.” Kate pleaded with her eyes for him to believe her.
“Is he responsible for your black eye?”
She dipped her head. “He’d had too much to drink, and we argued. He reacted to something I said and came at me all macho-like. When I threw my drink in his face, he punched me and threw me onto the bed, pinning me down.” She steeled her shoulders before continuing, “For a few seconds I thought he was going to hit me again, but he didn’t. He just suddenly rolled off me. I’d never seen him that angry before and certainly never violent. I was stunned. He must have realized he’d crossed the line because he rushed out onto the patio without saying another word.”
“Did you follow him out there?
“I ran into the bathroom and locked the door. After several minutes, I decided he’d had enough time to calm down, and it was probably safe to come out. When I didn’t see him, I walked out onto the patio, but he wasn’t there, either.” She stopped to swallow before continuing, “That’s when I heard all the commotion from the hotel entrance and looked over the railing. When I saw his body on the ground and all the blood...” She paused when her voice cracked. “I panicked.”
“Was there anyone else in the room?”
She shook her head.
“What were you doing there in the first place?” Alex had switched from concerned brother into FBI agent mode, but he got choked up on the last question.
Kate took one look at his face and began to speak. “Marco called me when I was downstairs waiting for a cab. He begged me to listen to his side of the story. Like a fool, I wanted to believe there was no way our relationship had been built on a pack of lies—that he wasn’t the two-timing scum I knew in my heart that he was. I prayed there was a logical explanation, so I agreed to go up to his bedroom to hear him out.” She bit her tongue and looked up at the sky to keep the tears brimming in her eyes from rolling down her cheeks.
“When we got there, he tried to convince me he was in love with me, not Tina Calabrese. When he couldn’t, he swore he was only going to marry her to get Emilio off his back. He laughed, saying why else would he agree to make love to a woman he couldn’t even stand being in the same room with. He even tried to sweet talk me into climbing into bed with him—said there was no reason why we couldn’t continue our relationship the way we have for the past year. That’s when I lost it and tossed the drink in his face.”
“And is that when he threw you on the bed?”
“Yes.” Her voice was barely a whisper now as she reached up to touch her swollen right cheek. “Does it look bad?”
“Not as bad as the time you got
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