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Authors: Diana Dempsey
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network-news world as well.
Once he’d been dumped, though, he’d realized
that Joan had little going for her but money and fame and power,
none of which she’d earned and all of which she lorded over him and
everybody else who came into her orbit. There was little of
substance in the woman herself. At long last he figured out that he
had confused where she came from with what she was. It was a
mistake he vowed he wouldn’t repeat.
Milo was jolted back to the present by a
commotion among the reporters. Finally . A tall, graying man
Milo took to be the D.A. emerged from between the tall striated
columns that adorned the main Alisal Street side of the courthouse,
then moved swiftly down the few wide steps to the forest of
microphone stands the TV crews had long since set up.
Milo assessed Kip Penrose. He had the look of
an aging Ivy League oarsman, together with the swagger even
smalltime elected officials assumed. Milo couldn’t help but notice
that his coterie included a stunningly attractive brunette. He
nudged Rosenblum’s elbow. “Who’s that?”
He didn’t need to provide greater
clarification for his fellow reporter to know exactly who he meant.
“Alicia Maldonado. Really has her shit in gear.”
“You don’t say.” Milo watched as she halted
just behind Penrose’s right shoulder, her lovely face
impassive.
“She won this wild murder case a few years
back.” Rosenblum lowered his voice confidentially. “Guy’s wife dies
hanging on a clothesline and it gets ruled a suicide. But something
makes Maldonado think the husband did it. First trial she gets a
hung jury. But the second one she brings in this hotshot medical
expert and nails him.” Rosenblum looked impressed. “It was a huge
story out here. The guy confessed later from prison, in his own
suicide note.”
Rosenblum gave him a look like Hot shit,
huh? then moved off to join his cameraman. Milo positioned
himself beside Mac, watching the prosecutor called Alicia
Maldonado.
She was gorgeous, in a Mediterranean way he
didn’t usually go for. His standard female of choice was blond and
rail-thin, more ethereal than earthy. But this woman had something
Sophia Loren-esque about her, a hot-blooded, pent-up quality. What
with the long dark hair, sultry eyes, and full lips, she was a
fantasy made flesh. Milo had a devil of a time not staring.
Penrose began to speak. “I am Kip Penrose,”
he declared, then spelled out his name, a savvy aside for the
benefit of the reporters. Penrose had done this before, apparently.
“I am the district attorney here in Monterey County. To my right is
Deputy District Attorney Alicia Maldonado, to my left Department of
Justice criminalist Andrew Shikegawa, and to Andy’s left our
pathologist, Dr. Ben Niebaum. I will give a brief statement, then
be available, as will my colleagues, for your questions.”
Penrose read a statement that said what
they’d all expected to hear, since they’d all seen the arrow, or
the video of the arrow, on Saturday night: that based on the
physical evidence, a warrant had been issued for the arrest of John
David Stennis, who called himself Treebeard, for the murder of
Daniel Gaines, blah blah blah. Then it got more interesting.
“ ‘Late yesterday afternoon,’” Penrose read,
“ ‘a nationwide APB was issued for Treebeard. Law enforcement
officials have not yet located him so have been unable to serve the
warrant.’” He paused and looked directly into one of the TV camera
lenses, unfortunately not Mac’s. “We ask the public to contact
local law enforcement if they see anyone fitting Treebeard’s
description. And we warn the public that he is considered armed and
dangerous.”
Milo chuckled softly. Evidently Kip Penrose
thought those arrows might go shooting off in any direction at any
time.
“Questions?” Penrose invited, and the
shouting began.
“What physical evidence do you have that
links Treebeard to the murder?”
“Do you believe Treebeard is still
Once he’d been dumped, though, he’d realized
that Joan had little going for her but money and fame and power,
none of which she’d earned and all of which she lorded over him and
everybody else who came into her orbit. There was little of
substance in the woman herself. At long last he figured out that he
had confused where she came from with what she was. It was a
mistake he vowed he wouldn’t repeat.
Milo was jolted back to the present by a
commotion among the reporters. Finally . A tall, graying man
Milo took to be the D.A. emerged from between the tall striated
columns that adorned the main Alisal Street side of the courthouse,
then moved swiftly down the few wide steps to the forest of
microphone stands the TV crews had long since set up.
Milo assessed Kip Penrose. He had the look of
an aging Ivy League oarsman, together with the swagger even
smalltime elected officials assumed. Milo couldn’t help but notice
that his coterie included a stunningly attractive brunette. He
nudged Rosenblum’s elbow. “Who’s that?”
He didn’t need to provide greater
clarification for his fellow reporter to know exactly who he meant.
“Alicia Maldonado. Really has her shit in gear.”
“You don’t say.” Milo watched as she halted
just behind Penrose’s right shoulder, her lovely face
impassive.
“She won this wild murder case a few years
back.” Rosenblum lowered his voice confidentially. “Guy’s wife dies
hanging on a clothesline and it gets ruled a suicide. But something
makes Maldonado think the husband did it. First trial she gets a
hung jury. But the second one she brings in this hotshot medical
expert and nails him.” Rosenblum looked impressed. “It was a huge
story out here. The guy confessed later from prison, in his own
suicide note.”
Rosenblum gave him a look like Hot shit,
huh? then moved off to join his cameraman. Milo positioned
himself beside Mac, watching the prosecutor called Alicia
Maldonado.
She was gorgeous, in a Mediterranean way he
didn’t usually go for. His standard female of choice was blond and
rail-thin, more ethereal than earthy. But this woman had something
Sophia Loren-esque about her, a hot-blooded, pent-up quality. What
with the long dark hair, sultry eyes, and full lips, she was a
fantasy made flesh. Milo had a devil of a time not staring.
Penrose began to speak. “I am Kip Penrose,”
he declared, then spelled out his name, a savvy aside for the
benefit of the reporters. Penrose had done this before, apparently.
“I am the district attorney here in Monterey County. To my right is
Deputy District Attorney Alicia Maldonado, to my left Department of
Justice criminalist Andrew Shikegawa, and to Andy’s left our
pathologist, Dr. Ben Niebaum. I will give a brief statement, then
be available, as will my colleagues, for your questions.”
Penrose read a statement that said what
they’d all expected to hear, since they’d all seen the arrow, or
the video of the arrow, on Saturday night: that based on the
physical evidence, a warrant had been issued for the arrest of John
David Stennis, who called himself Treebeard, for the murder of
Daniel Gaines, blah blah blah. Then it got more interesting.
“ ‘Late yesterday afternoon,’” Penrose read,
“ ‘a nationwide APB was issued for Treebeard. Law enforcement
officials have not yet located him so have been unable to serve the
warrant.’” He paused and looked directly into one of the TV camera
lenses, unfortunately not Mac’s. “We ask the public to contact
local law enforcement if they see anyone fitting Treebeard’s
description. And we warn the public that he is considered armed and
dangerous.”
Milo chuckled softly. Evidently Kip Penrose
thought those arrows might go shooting off in any direction at any
time.
“Questions?” Penrose invited, and the
shouting began.
“What physical evidence do you have that
links Treebeard to the murder?”
“Do you believe Treebeard is still
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