Read Online To Love and to Perish by Lisa Bork - Free Book Online Page A

now, but I still felt insecure. No wonder all my friends and relatives felt the same about their relationships—they actually had more reason than me.
    â€œYes. She’s building his defense.”
    â€œWhich is?”
    â€œFlimsy. Brennan’s word that he was reaching out to save Gleason, not pushing him, and the photograph itself.”
    â€œHow does that help Brennan? It’s part of the evidence against him.”
    â€œCatherine’s going to contend that the picture shows Brennan’s hand reaching out in a position like he was about to shake hands or grab something. She said if he was pushing Gleason his hand would have been in an upright ‘Halt’ or shoving angle.”
    I considered this notion. “Is that all she’s got?”
    â€œShe thinks it’s enough. She’s confident she can discredit the one female witness, and knowing Catherine, she can. Eyewitness reports are notorious for inaccuracy, and no other witnesses have come forward to say anything other than the crowd surged toward the street. She’s going to contend it’s simply unbelievable that no one else witnessed Brennan shove Gleason into the road with so many others close by. She doesn’t even think it will go to trial.”
    Catherine was good, but she might have to be Perry Mason to make that one work. “Did she say what the prosecutor contends?”
    â€œHe says Gleason held Brennan responsible for the death of his sister, that the two of them argued bitterly, and that Gleason threatened to kill Brennan. He said the eyewitness saw Brennan shove Gleason into the road, most likely in retaliation for that threat.”
    I wondered what a jury would think. Truthfully, with the way the story appeared on the news, if I hadn’t known Brennan, I might believe he had pushed Gleason. I certainly wouldn’t brush it off without wanting to hear all the testimony myself. Apparently, the judge agreed.
    â€œDid she say if Cory was at the hearing, by chance?”
    â€œThat’s why she called me. She needs us to throw a net over him. Brennan does not want him around, and he kept trying to speak to Brennan during the hearing. We have to keep an eye on Cory. He’s not taking the hint.”
    And that task apparently fell to me. Wonderful. “Does Catherine know why Brennan feels that way?”
    â€œIf she does, she didn’t tell me. She’s not repeating anything Brennan said except to keep Cory out of this.”
    A nasty thought wiggled its way into my head. Brennan liked to keep a low profile as to his sexual orientation. In fact, he once asked Catherine on a date, misleading her as to his intentions by omission. For years, I’d had no idea he preferred men, although I hadn’t known him well then. I’d thought he’d become more open of late, especially since he and Cory could be seen together frequently. Of course, I’d never seen them hold hands or exchange any sort of public affection. Maybe Brennan didn’t want to admit his relationship with Cory. If so, their relationship would be over quickly. Cory didn’t like being kept in the closet. He’d burst through that door a long time ago.
    â€œDarlin’, I got a call. Can you get the net out and use it on Cory?”
    Ray hung up before I could tell him that Cory wasn’t returning my calls. So I hit the speed dial button for Cory’s cell again—and went right to voicemail. Now he’d apparently turned his phone off altogether. I left an urgent message for him to call me immediately.
    When Ray and I went to bed that night, Cory still hadn’t called me back.
    _____
    Tuesday I left for work right after Danny got on the bus at 7:45 a.m. I visited the donut shop on the way, bought a newspaper from the machine in front of the store next door to it, and parked my Lexus around 8:10 a.m. behind Asdale Auto Imports, a cedar-shingled, white-trimmed building that stuck out like a