Read Online Killing Her Softly by Beverly Barton - Free Book Online

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, sergeant?"
    "Yes, sir." The younger man all but clicked his heels before he turned and walked away, leaving Annabelle with Director Danley .
     
    Jim Norton rubbed the palm of his hand across his face as he studied Quinn Cortez. The Quinn Cortez. There had been a time when he'd been The Jimmy Norton, renowned UT running back and teammate of the even more renowned quarterback, Griffin Powell. Jim understood what it was like to have your reputation precede you and to often follow you around like a ghost from the past, a ghost from which you couldn't escape.
    He'd listened carefully to everything Cortez had said and he'd interpreted the way in which the man had responded to questions. He'd also studied his body language as he'd sat there, cool as a cucumber, for the past hour. Jim's gut instincts told him that Cortez didn't kill Lulu. First and foremost, the man had no motive. At least none they knew of. And secondly, Jim had been impressed with the way Cortez had dealt with Chad George's hostility and rudeness. His partner seemed damned and determined to make Cortez confess to the crime. Jim had come close to asking Chad to step outside a couple times before he crossed the line with his unprofessional interrogation. His reaction to Cortez wasn't the norm for Chad, who often acted on emotion rather than logic, but always conducted himself in a professional manner.
    Jim followed the rules, never broke them—not in a long time—and bent them only when absolutely necessary. Dealing with a lawyer as smart as Cortez put an extra burden on the Memphis police department and the bottom line with Jim was making sure neither he nor Chad did anything that even hinted of illegality.
    Been there. Done that. Wouldn't repeat that mistake.
    "Are we about through here?" Kendall Wells asked as she rose from her chair and snapped shut her briefcase.
    "Maybe," Chad said.
    "Yes, we're though," Jim corrected his partner. "And we want to thank Mr. Cortez for being so cooperative."
    "Then my client is free to go?"
    "Certainly."
    "Free to return to Houston?" she asked.
    Jim grunted. "At this point, I'd rather not make what I'm going to say official. . ."
    Ms. Wells sighed loudly. "He's free to walk out of the Criminal Justice Center, but not free to leave Memphis. Is that it?"
    "We don't have all the facts in this case. Not yet," Jim said. "Once we have the autopsy report and we've interviewed—"
    "I won't leave Memphis." Cortez stood. "I'll be available if you need anything else from me. But don't mistake my cooperation for acquiescence. If y'all don't find Lulu's killer in a big hurry, the public and the Vanderley family are going to bring a great deal of pressure down on Director Danley . I don't intend to stand idly by and do nothing until y'all arrest me for a murder I didn't commit."
    "What's the matter, Cortez? If you're so damn innocent, why are you afraid we'll pin the murder on you?" Chad came out