turned his attention back to Ciccotelli who was studying each picture with singleminded focus. He’d left the pictures with her on the off chance they might break her down, but he hadn’t really thought they would. “I’m willing to admit she’s unlikely as a murderer, Murphy. But it’s possible she was shocked because we caught her.”
“You believe that?”
“No. I think she’s too smart for that. I think she’s too smart for all of this. But we have evidence that says otherwise and we just can’t ignore it. What’d the SA say?”
Calling States Attorney Patrick Hurst had been Murphy’s excuse for stepping out, but Aidan suspected it was just as much the need to escape Tess Ciccotelli’s hard stare. And to smoke half a pack of cigarettes.
“He was torn.” Murphy huffed a mirthless laugh. “Patrick knows her, too. He couldn’t believe any of this. He said he wants more of a motive. More proof a crime actually occurred.”
Aidan frowned. “A woman’s dead. Since when is that not a damn crime?”
The door behind them opened, letting in a breeze and the heady scent of expensive perfume, followed closely by a thirty-something woman in a professional navy suit. Her blond hair was swept into a neat twist and small diamonds twinkled in her ears. Her green eyes were hard, her mouth unsmiling, giving her an overall dour appearance. “Since nobody pushed the dead woman off that balcony, there’s no damn crime,” she said. “I’m Amy Miller, Dr. Ciccotelli’s attorney and I’m taking her out of here. Now.” Then she stopped and blinked at Murphy. “I know you.”
Murphy nodded once. “I’m Detective Murphy. This is my partner Detective Reagan. You and I met at the hospital last year, Miss Miller.”
Her eyes narrowed in speculation, then widened in recognition. “You sat by her bed.” Her head shook in disbelief. “You know her. How you could possibly believe she had anything to do with this? You should be ashamed. Why aren’t you out finding out who really pushed that woman to jump, because it sure as hell was not Tess Ciccotelli. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’d like to talk to my client.” She stared pointedly at the switch on the wall. “In private.”
Murphy flipped the switch to the speaker. “Why didn’t I think of that?” he muttered sarcastically. “Finding the real killer. Hell.”
Aidan watched as Miller perched on the corner of the table and Ciccotelli tapped her wristwatch, her brown eyes snapping mad. He turned to Murphy, wanting an explanation of how he’d come to sit next to Ciccotelli’s bed in the hospital, but his partner shook his head wearily.
28
Karen Rose
[Suspense 5]
You Can't Hide
“Not now. I’m going home to catch some sleep. Tomorrow we can check the safe-deposit box and poke around to see who wanted Cynthia Adams dead.”
Aidan stood another minute, watching Ciccotelli with her attorney. The Miller woman was talking, asking questions but Ciccotelli just pointed to the mirror. Miller threw an annoyed look over her shoulder and moved her body to block Aidan’s view. Of course a defense attorney would champion her client. No shock there, but it looked like Murphy’s involvement went a lot deeper than he was willing to say. Aidan wondered if they’d been romantically involved, Murphy and Ciccotelli. He’d never heard any stories about Murphy’s love life, no girlfriends, current or past. It was possible and the notion disturbed him. Murphy’s easy-going veneer hid a deep concern for the people, the dead he represented. Still waters ran deep, Aidan’s mother used to say. The right woman might find that depth… attractive.
Aidan clenched his teeth, watching as Ciccotelli gathered all the photos, tapping them into a neat stack. He pictured how all those curves would fill a man’s hands. His partner’s hands. He didn’t like the picture at all.
He watched as she gathered her things and came out of the room, her lawyer at her side. She
“You believe that?”
“No. I think she’s too smart for that. I think she’s too smart for all of this. But we have evidence that says otherwise and we just can’t ignore it. What’d the SA say?”
Calling States Attorney Patrick Hurst had been Murphy’s excuse for stepping out, but Aidan suspected it was just as much the need to escape Tess Ciccotelli’s hard stare. And to smoke half a pack of cigarettes.
“He was torn.” Murphy huffed a mirthless laugh. “Patrick knows her, too. He couldn’t believe any of this. He said he wants more of a motive. More proof a crime actually occurred.”
Aidan frowned. “A woman’s dead. Since when is that not a damn crime?”
The door behind them opened, letting in a breeze and the heady scent of expensive perfume, followed closely by a thirty-something woman in a professional navy suit. Her blond hair was swept into a neat twist and small diamonds twinkled in her ears. Her green eyes were hard, her mouth unsmiling, giving her an overall dour appearance. “Since nobody pushed the dead woman off that balcony, there’s no damn crime,” she said. “I’m Amy Miller, Dr. Ciccotelli’s attorney and I’m taking her out of here. Now.” Then she stopped and blinked at Murphy. “I know you.”
Murphy nodded once. “I’m Detective Murphy. This is my partner Detective Reagan. You and I met at the hospital last year, Miss Miller.”
Her eyes narrowed in speculation, then widened in recognition. “You sat by her bed.” Her head shook in disbelief. “You know her. How you could possibly believe she had anything to do with this? You should be ashamed. Why aren’t you out finding out who really pushed that woman to jump, because it sure as hell was not Tess Ciccotelli. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’d like to talk to my client.” She stared pointedly at the switch on the wall. “In private.”
Murphy flipped the switch to the speaker. “Why didn’t I think of that?” he muttered sarcastically. “Finding the real killer. Hell.”
Aidan watched as Miller perched on the corner of the table and Ciccotelli tapped her wristwatch, her brown eyes snapping mad. He turned to Murphy, wanting an explanation of how he’d come to sit next to Ciccotelli’s bed in the hospital, but his partner shook his head wearily.
28
Karen Rose
[Suspense 5]
You Can't Hide
“Not now. I’m going home to catch some sleep. Tomorrow we can check the safe-deposit box and poke around to see who wanted Cynthia Adams dead.”
Aidan stood another minute, watching Ciccotelli with her attorney. The Miller woman was talking, asking questions but Ciccotelli just pointed to the mirror. Miller threw an annoyed look over her shoulder and moved her body to block Aidan’s view. Of course a defense attorney would champion her client. No shock there, but it looked like Murphy’s involvement went a lot deeper than he was willing to say. Aidan wondered if they’d been romantically involved, Murphy and Ciccotelli. He’d never heard any stories about Murphy’s love life, no girlfriends, current or past. It was possible and the notion disturbed him. Murphy’s easy-going veneer hid a deep concern for the people, the dead he represented. Still waters ran deep, Aidan’s mother used to say. The right woman might find that depth… attractive.
Aidan clenched his teeth, watching as Ciccotelli gathered all the photos, tapping them into a neat stack. He pictured how all those curves would fill a man’s hands. His partner’s hands. He didn’t like the picture at all.
He watched as she gathered her things and came out of the room, her lawyer at her side. She
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