Blood in the Water(85)
“How’s she doing?” Agent Hawthorne nodded to Brady.
“As well as can be expected. What can I do for you?” Jane sat at the breakfast bar, unwilling to invite him further into her home.
“Like I said, I’m here to talk. Most folks call me Thorne. May I call you Jane?” He pulled up a stool beside her.
“No, I prefer formality in these types of situations.”
“I see the rumors are true.”
“Which rumors?”
“You are a hard ass.” He lifted his cup in salute.
She deliberately glanced at the clock on the wall.
“Why were you in True Love?”
“You came here to learn about my travel habits?”
“Are you going to answer every question with a question?”
“Maybe.”
“Fine, let me get right to it. What’s the nature of your relationship with Byron Beauregard? My sources say he’s sweet on you.”
“Which sources?”
“There you go again. See, I have this theory of how it all went down. Byron Beauregard helped you kill Oscar Valentine.”
He was trying to intimidate her.
“I think you’re bluffing. If you had enough to arrest me, we’d already be at your office, and I’d be in handcuffs. You don’t even have enough probable cause to haul me in for questioning, or you wouldn’t have shown up at my door with coffee.”
“I can’t prove it, but I can feel it in my gut.”
“Interesting, but my version of events is supported by the forensic evidence. My prints are on the gun and the bullets.”
“Because you planted them?”
“No, because I loaded it and shot him myself when he showed up at my door, threatening my niece’s life and my own.”
“And have you ever fired a gun before?”
“My father gave me lessons a long time ago, and whenever I became aware of Mr. Valentine’s untoward feelings for me, I asked Mr. Beauregard if he would show me how to use the weapon, in case I needed protection.” It rolled off the tip of her tongue easily.
“What a lucky shot you made.”
“Not really. I shot him at close range. If you look at the autopsy report, you’ll find a big gaping hole in his chest.”
“You told the police Valentine was obsessed with you.”
She nodded. “He confessed to having feelings for me. Why are you really here, agent?”
“And we’re back to Byron Beauregard.” He smiled. “Actually, any member of the Dixie Mafia will do, but I’d love to bring in a big fish.”
“You must be with the brand new organized crime task force.” She’d heard rumors the feds had opened up a new branch in the state.
“Yes, we set up shop in Abilene. And you can assist me in making my case, if you agree to be my confidential informant. In exchange for your cooperation, I’ll keep you from being charged with murder.”
Jane was reeling, but she kept her cool.
“Mr. Beauregard is my client, and all of our conversations are privileged.”
“Not if you two colluded together to kill someone else.”
“This was a simple case of self-defense. When the police searched Valentine’s cabin, they found proof—pictures of the women he slaughtered.”
It was ironic. She’d wanted to turn those over to the authorities in the first place. At least his victims’ families had gotten closure.
“Yeah, I ain’t cryin’ over his death. The bastard deserved to go down, but this ain’t the Wild West no more. Criminals should be brought to justice through legal means.”
“I agree. Valentine should’ve had his day in court. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen that way.”
“Because you murdered him.”
She’d learned early on in her legal career to never look weak or unprepared in front of the opposition—always be ready with a rebuttal.
Jane sneered with courtroom cockiness. “As a professional, I’d say this doesn’t look good.”
“For you? I agree.”
“No, for you. Look at the optics. I’m a lawyer with no criminal record. Valentine is a rapist, kidnapper, and serial killer. The FBI bungled his case and ended up looking like fools in front of the national media. Since I was lead counsel, an astute lawyer would argue the FBI is harassing me because of the public humiliation I inflicted on the agency.”
He was speechless.
“One more thing, my father is a federal judge, and my legal counsel.” Jane grabbed a business card from her briefcase and tossed it at him. “If you’d like to speak with me again, contact Jedidiah Hunter and show up here with a warrant.” Jane stood and placed her hands on her hips. “Now if you don’t mind, I’m going to finish my breakfast in peace. You can see yourself out.”