Read Online The Next Victim by Jonnie Jacobs - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jonnie Jacobs
Tags: Fiction, General, Suspense, Mystery & Detective, Women Sleuths, Suspense fiction, Crime, Murder, Pornography, Sex-Oriented Businesses
Ads: Link
innocent?
"He called me," Kali said after a moment.
"I know. You told the cops that." Sabrina plunked herself back down on the sofa and reached for her drink.
"Several times over the last few days. I was in the mountains where I couldn't pick up my messages." Not entirely true, she reminded herself. She'd received one message and ignored it. "When I finally reached him Tuesday night"--Kali's throat constricted at the memory of her own self-righteousness--"he said he needed my help."
Sabrina set her glass down with a loud clunk. "I thought you said you didn't talk to him, that he was busy or something."
"He was drunk." Kali paused. "I told him I'd call him in the morning."
"Oh, no." Sabrina started whimpering again. "How
could
you?"
"I didn't know he was going to die."
"Maybe if you'd taken the time to talk to him, he wouldn't have."
"What, I was going to stop him from drinking? From popping pills? It's not my fault he's dead." It really wasn't, she told herself. But guilt had a mind of its own.
Sabrina glared at her, then looked away. "Maybe not. But you never gave him a chance to tell his side of things. I'm sure he had an explanation for all that...that
evidence
the cops say they have. You owe him, Kali. You owe it to John to clear his name."
Kali felt the tug of something inside her. "What if he really did it?"
"He didn't."
"You don't know that, Sabrina. Not for sure."
She was silent for a moment. Her lower lip quivered. "Will you at least look into it?"
"There's nothing--"
"You're a lawyer. You know how to talk to cops and figure things out.
Please
?"
Kali would be in Tucson through the funeral anyway. That would give her time to get a better handle on things. She'd ask around, see what she could learn. Maybe she'd find some answers. If nothing else, she might be able to ease her own conscience.
"Okay," she agreed, "I'll look into it."
CHAPTER 8
The next morning, Kali pushed through the wide double doors of Logan Foods's corporate headquarters into a carpeted lobby. The rosy-cheeked receptionist smiled. "Good morning," she chirped. "How can I help you?"
Kali had played this scene through in her head during the drive in, trying to come up with a plan. Would Reed Logan talk to her? Did he blame John for his sister's death? She assumed word of John's accident had reached at least the higher levels in the corporation, but she couldn't be certain. She hadn't settled on an approach that covered every contingency, so she said simply, "I'm John O'Brien's sister."
The young receptionist's smile faded. "Oh." She looked momentarily confused, then stammered, "I'm sorry. We're all in a state of shock. It's very sad what happened."
"Thank you." Kali wasn't sure what response was called for, but "thank you" covered a lot of ground. "I'd like to see Reed Logan, please."
"Mr. Logan isn't in today."
So much for planning. She tried to think who else might be able to talk to her about her brother, but she knew nothing about his position there other than his title. "How about my brother's secretary, then?"
"I'm, uh...I'll see if she's available. Why don't you have a seat?"
Kali sat down in one of the upholstered chairs while the receptionist picked up the phone and carried on a brief and muted conversation. A few minutes later the door to the inner offices opened. It wasn't a woman who greeted her, however, but a slender, sun-scrubbed man in his early fifties. He had a narrow, serious face and a full head of reddish brown hair. Frameless bifocals perched low on his nose.
He offered a hand. "I'm A. J. Nash, general counsel for Logan Foods."
"Kali O'Brien."
"I hope you won't mind if I ask to see some ID. The press has been hounding us this past week, so we have to be careful."
Kali showed him her driver's license and Nash offered a nod of condolence. "I'm so sorry for your loss. John was a great guy."
He escorted her to his office, which was smaller and more spartan than she expected, leading her to believe
"He called me," Kali said after a moment.
"I know. You told the cops that." Sabrina plunked herself back down on the sofa and reached for her drink.
"Several times over the last few days. I was in the mountains where I couldn't pick up my messages." Not entirely true, she reminded herself. She'd received one message and ignored it. "When I finally reached him Tuesday night"--Kali's throat constricted at the memory of her own self-righteousness--"he said he needed my help."
Sabrina set her glass down with a loud clunk. "I thought you said you didn't talk to him, that he was busy or something."
"He was drunk." Kali paused. "I told him I'd call him in the morning."
"Oh, no." Sabrina started whimpering again. "How
could
you?"
"I didn't know he was going to die."
"Maybe if you'd taken the time to talk to him, he wouldn't have."
"What, I was going to stop him from drinking? From popping pills? It's not my fault he's dead." It really wasn't, she told herself. But guilt had a mind of its own.
Sabrina glared at her, then looked away. "Maybe not. But you never gave him a chance to tell his side of things. I'm sure he had an explanation for all that...that
evidence
the cops say they have. You owe him, Kali. You owe it to John to clear his name."
Kali felt the tug of something inside her. "What if he really did it?"
"He didn't."
"You don't know that, Sabrina. Not for sure."
She was silent for a moment. Her lower lip quivered. "Will you at least look into it?"
"There's nothing--"
"You're a lawyer. You know how to talk to cops and figure things out.
Please
?"
Kali would be in Tucson through the funeral anyway. That would give her time to get a better handle on things. She'd ask around, see what she could learn. Maybe she'd find some answers. If nothing else, she might be able to ease her own conscience.
"Okay," she agreed, "I'll look into it."
CHAPTER 8
The next morning, Kali pushed through the wide double doors of Logan Foods's corporate headquarters into a carpeted lobby. The rosy-cheeked receptionist smiled. "Good morning," she chirped. "How can I help you?"
Kali had played this scene through in her head during the drive in, trying to come up with a plan. Would Reed Logan talk to her? Did he blame John for his sister's death? She assumed word of John's accident had reached at least the higher levels in the corporation, but she couldn't be certain. She hadn't settled on an approach that covered every contingency, so she said simply, "I'm John O'Brien's sister."
The young receptionist's smile faded. "Oh." She looked momentarily confused, then stammered, "I'm sorry. We're all in a state of shock. It's very sad what happened."
"Thank you." Kali wasn't sure what response was called for, but "thank you" covered a lot of ground. "I'd like to see Reed Logan, please."
"Mr. Logan isn't in today."
So much for planning. She tried to think who else might be able to talk to her about her brother, but she knew nothing about his position there other than his title. "How about my brother's secretary, then?"
"I'm, uh...I'll see if she's available. Why don't you have a seat?"
Kali sat down in one of the upholstered chairs while the receptionist picked up the phone and carried on a brief and muted conversation. A few minutes later the door to the inner offices opened. It wasn't a woman who greeted her, however, but a slender, sun-scrubbed man in his early fifties. He had a narrow, serious face and a full head of reddish brown hair. Frameless bifocals perched low on his nose.
He offered a hand. "I'm A. J. Nash, general counsel for Logan Foods."
"Kali O'Brien."
"I hope you won't mind if I ask to see some ID. The press has been hounding us this past week, so we have to be careful."
Kali showed him her driver's license and Nash offered a nod of condolence. "I'm so sorry for your loss. John was a great guy."
He escorted her to his office, which was smaller and more spartan than she expected, leading her to believe
Similar Books
