Read Online Death by Trial and Error (A Legal Suspense Short) by R. Barri Flowers - Free Book Online Page A

wondered if she was coming on to him,
then decided she was only being polite. "I promise I won't step on
any toes," he told her, though he wasn't sure it was a promise he
could keep.
    "I'll believe it when I see it," she
responded, before stepping aside.
    When he reached Ortega's office, Naku found
him sitting at his desk. The fifty-something lieutenant was medium
build with receding gray hair and blue eyes. He was talking on the
phone, clearly preoccupied. A few raps on the door got his
attention. He waved him in.
    Ortega cut his conversation short. "Guess Ms.
Higuchi took my advice," he said.
    "Yeah, she showed up at my office," Naku told
him.
    "Did you take the case?"
    "I did." He paused. "I have to admit, though,
I was a bit surprised that you sent her my way, considering it's
still an active police investigation."
    Ortega smiled. "Maybe I figured that since
Ms. Higuchi is beautiful, well-to-do, and divorced, she'd be right
up your alley, Naku."
    "She is," he conceded. "But, then again, we
are talking about her as a business client and not someone to take
to bed."
    "Who says the two can't go hand in hand?"
Ortega said, and grinned lasciviously. "Have a seat." He waited for
Naku to sit in one of two tattered chairs in front of the desk,
then got up and closed the door.
    Ortega sat back down. "You're right. The
Higuchi-Bordeau case is currently being investigated by the
department."
    Naku met his eyes. "So why have me run a
parallel investigation?" He assumed there was a valid reason other
than trying to enhance his love life.
    Ortega leaned forward. "Suzette
Higuchi-Bordeau is a friend of a friend's. I want this case solved
one way or the other. My detectives will do their best to bring the
killer to justice but, frankly, we're spread a bit thin and I don't
want to see this one dragged out. Since you're pretty good at what
you do, I figured that tackling it from a different angle might get
results a bit quicker."
    "I see," Naku said. It made sense to him, all
things considered. And he wasn't about to look a gift horse in the
mouth. "What have you got on the case so far?"
    "Not much, I'm afraid," Ortega said glumly.
"The slugs pulled out of the victim came from a .45 caliber
semi-automatic pistol. I'm guessing the firearm wasn't registered,
but we're trying to locate it. As far as identifying the killer,
surveillance cameras at the shopping center where the murder
occurred just show a grainy image of someone who appeared to be
running away from the scene of the crime, apparently wearing a
hoodie. We can't determine if it's a male or female. We're still
reviewing security cameras from nearby businesses to see if they
show anything useful."
    Naku leaned back in the chair. "What can you
tell me about the three men who were questioned about the
crime?"
    "They were acquaintances of Higuchi-Bordeau
and her criminal defense attorney husband, Patrick Bordeau. They
witnessed the shooting and have been cooperating with us.
Apparently, they followed Higuchi-Bordeau from her home to the
shopping center parking lot on Old Haleakala Highway. According to
them, she received a phone call from someone prior to going to meet
with the other victim, Tucker Matsumoto. The shooting took place
shortly after the men arrived and parked nearby."
    "Did the call come from Matsumoto?" Naku
asked.
    "Not according to Matsumoto. He claimed he
was just there picking up a few items from the shopping center when
he spotted her car."
    "Do you believe him?"
    "Not really," Ortega said. "But if he was
there for something illegal, he sure as hell isn't going to admit
to it. In any event, we traced the number to a burner phone."
    Figures , Naku thought. "So it's
possible both she and Matsumoto could have been set up."
    "Maybe," Ortega said. "Or maybe one or both
were simply at the wrong place at the wrong time."
    Naku rolled his eyes. "Yeah, right. Just like
the men who followed her there, but somehow managed to come out of
it unscathed."
    Ortega frowned. "I've