Read Online The Best Defense by Kate Wilhelm - Free Book Online Page A

wordlessly poured coffee before sitting down to read the newspaper. Every fact was followed by an explanation or opinion that was cruel, malicious, dangerous, and wrong. She, Barbara, had gone to see Paula Kennerman; the article added that her purpose had been to stop a confession that was in the works. She had objected to the doctor and his treatment the paper said she was insistent on bringing in her own private psychiatrist, who would declare Baby Killer Kennerman insane. Judge Paltz had made the only reference to his friendship with her father and a fishing expedition; the paper said she had used old loyalties and affection to wheedle out of the judge (who might be senile or at the very least was said to have an eye for a pretty face) a three-day period during which Baby Killer Kennerman’s court-appointed attorney could not speak with her. Time enough, it went on, for her sister, on orders from Holloway, to talk her out of confessing.
    “Good God,” she said when she finished the article.
    “There’s more,” Prank said.
    “Back page.”
    She turned the paper over and saw her own face, a picture taken a year or more ago. Over it was the question who is barbara holloway? She scanned the rest of the page swiftly, her stomach churning.
    “A member of the law firm Bixby, Holloway … Dropped out of sight a number of years ago. Doing what? Organizing legal counsel for her ‘sisters’? … Sowed so much confusion and doubt an alleged murderess had charges dismissed, but only after two innocent men died in a meaningless and avoidable accident…. Who is she?
    Single, never married, her father calls her Bobby, engaged in a man’s profession, chooses to wear male clothing, no makeup.
    “Nuff said? One last item: She seems to believe no woman is capable of committing any crime more horrendous than marrying a man.”
    “Who is this?” Barbara cried furiously as she yanked the paper open, searching for the masthead. She stopped at a picture of William Spassero, looking like a high school football star. His headline: rising public defender
    OUTSMARTED BY FEMALE SHARK.
    “With leSS than two years as public defender, where he was making a name for himself, William Spassero finally met the most predatory creature God saw fit to put on earth—a female shark hungry for blood. And he lost….”
    There, the masthead. Publisher, Richard Dodgson; editor, Richard Dodgson; circulation, Kay Dodgson … The two of them apparently did it all. She frowned at the name, but could not recall where she had heard it recently.
    “Judge Paltz is senile or a womanizer, Spassero is a wimp, and I’m a shark,” she said finally. The words fell flat.
    “And don’t forget the defendant,” Prank said.
    “She’s a baby killer.” He left the door and sat down at the table opposite her.
    “You going to tell me anything?”
    “Sure,” she said.
    “Everything.” She did so, succinctly.
    “A blue sweater,” he said in disbelief.
    “All this over a damn blue sweater? For God’s sake, buy the woman a sweater and get out of it!”
    “I’ll see if I can get an appointment to see Judge Paltz,” she said, nudging the paper away from her.
    “That’s the dumbest thing you could do. What would you say? You didn’t talk, and Bill Spassero must be guilty? Lewis knows damn well it was one of you.
    Write him a letter and hand-deliver it to his secretary.
    No accusations, just express your dismay and include a firm statement that you talked to no one. That’s all.”
    After a moment, she nodded. He knew Lewis Paltz, knew how he would react to all this, what he must be thinking. And Spassero would be there making his own case. Why did he do it? she asked herself again, and got no further than before with an answer.
    “Thanks, Dad, that’s what I’ll do. I’m really sorry the firm got dragged in like this.”
    He made a dismissive gesture.
    “Look, Bobby, we want someone to handle that copyright case. It’s right up your alley, you