Murder in Plain Sight
“Something’s wrong. What is it? Something to do with the case?”
    The concern in his voice cut through her reserve. She hadn’t intended to tell him, but the urge to accept that concern was too strong.
    “While I was in your office, someone let the airout of my tires.” That wasn’t correct. “Actually, whoever it was slashed my tires. And left me a nasty little note.”
    “That can’t be.” Leo’s voice was sharp with disbelief.
    She stiffened. “I assure you, that’s what happened.”
    “I’m so sorry. Jessica, I didn’t mean I thought you were lying. I’m just…” He shook his head, and she realized his face had lost whatever color it had. “I’m stunned. That’s so out of character for people around here. Or at least it used to be.”
    His obvious distress touched her. She wanted to say something to ease the situation, but the door rattled. She turned toward it to see Thomas brought in…and to see the relief that flooded his face at the sight of Leo Frost.
    The boy didn’t speak until the door closed behind the guards. Then he leaned across the table. “You came. Denke.”
    “You’re welcome.” Leo gave him a reassuring smile. “I told you I’d come back. Are they treating you all right?”
    A trace of anxiety touched the older man’s voice. Jessica understood. Thomas seemed ill-prepared to mix in with the general population of the jail.
    “Ja.” He plucked at the front of the jumpsuit. “I would like to have my own clothes, but the other lawyer said that I could not.”
    “Ms. Langdon is right about that.” Leo leaned toward the boy. “Thomas, I explained that you would have another lawyer to take care of you. You can trust Ms. Langdon. You have to tell her everything.”
    Thomas’s glance touched her face and then slid away. “Ja. I understand.”
    Jessica understood, too. Thomas would take Leo’s word for it, because he had faith in Leo.
    “Good.” Leo started to rise. “I’ll leave you two together then.”
    “Don’t go.” It was an anguished cry, and Thomas grasped the older man’s hand, earning a sharp rap on the glass from the guard outside.
    “Thomas, Ms. Langdon is your attorney now. You need to talk to her.” Leo’s voice was deep with sympathy.
    Thomas nodded, but he looked miserable. Not exactly a ringing endorsement of her, was it?
    She managed a smile. “Leo, if you don’t mind staying…” She left it open, with a faint, apologetic thought for Henderson, Dawes and Henderson. Mr. Henderson would not approve.
    Leo hesitated for a moment. Then he nodded and sat down, and the tension in the small room eased.
    Jessica took a deep breath, feeling as if some barrier had been surmounted. Now, maybe, she could get to work on the case. She took a pad from her briefcase.
    “Thomas, I…we…have to ask you some questions about what happened the night Cherry died. Just try to answer as fully as you can. Okay?”
    He nodded, blue eyes filled with apprehension.
    “All right, then.” She started with some easy questions—who had planned the party where he’d met Cherry that night, where was it, how had he learned about it.
    Thomas answered readily enough, sometimes groping for a word. She reminded herself again that English, according to Trey, wasn’t his first language.
    She made notes, sure that all this ground would have been gone over by the police. Still, they could have missed something, convinced as they were that their murderer had been lying there at the crime scene, waiting for them.
    “You’re doing fine, Thomas. Now, I want youto write down the names of the people who were at that party.” She pushed the pad and pen over to him.
    “They were mostly Englisch,” Thomas said, taking the pen. “I don’t know all the names.”
    “Non-Amish, he means,” Leo said. “Just put down the names you remember.”
    Thomas nodded, beginning to print on the yellow pad. Mostly first names, she realized. It would take some work to track down everyone who’d

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