Page 8 of The Best Lawyer
“I don’t have the full police report yet. Eric is also trying to find out what he can behind the scenes.”
“I want to know exactly what this maid says she saw,” Jeanie said.
“So do I,” I said.
Miranda went over to the desk and opened Jeanie’s laptop. She clicked through to a local news app. The story had already broken. There were news vans outside Tom Loomis’s home. The reporter on screen looked shaken. Miranda had tuned into Tom Loomis’s station. Their longtime sportscaster, he’d recently been promoted to morning anchor.
“Details are still sketchy,” the young reporter said, her lip quivering. “But we’ve just received word that an arrest has already been made. Kathlyn Loomis, Tom’s wife of two years, is being held in connection with the killing. This is all breaking news. We’ll share details as we have them. For now, I’ll turn this back to you …”
The camera flashed to the anchor at the desk, Roxanne Rhodes. She, too, looked rattled. Tom himself might have been sitting at the desk beside her today. “Zoe?” she said to the reporter. “There appears to be some movement at the frontdoor behind you. It’s opening. Can you tell us what’s happening?”
The camera went back to Zoe’s live feed outside Tom and Katy’s house. The front door had indeed opened. A few seconds later, we watched as a stretcher emerged, carrying Tom Loomis in a body bag. Both Roxane Rhodes and Zoe went silent. Someone in the studio let out a gasp. Miranda reached over and closed Jeanie’s laptop.
“The local media is going to condemn her already,” Jeanie said. “Tom is one of their own. I don’t see how Katy can even get a fair trial in this town.”
“Not everybody liked him,” Miranda offered. “I’m not saying the man deserved what happened to him. Heavens. Not at all. No one does. I’m just saying, you watch. There will be plenty of armchair detectives and lawyers on this one. It’s inevitable.”
My phone rang again. This time, it was Eric. I prayed he had good news for me.
“What’s up?” I answered. “I’ve got you on speaker. Jeanie and Miranda are here.”
“Ladies,” Eric said. “Cass, I’m back at the house. I’ve got a few more details.”
“What’s going on?” I asked. “I don’t know if you heard. Katy’s set for her first hearing Monday late morning.”
“Yeah,” Eric said. “She’ll have a long weekend in jail. But that’s not why I’m calling. Cass, you better get back down to the station. You’re closer than I am so you can get there faster. But I need you to promise me you won’t lose your mind.”
“Eric?” I said.
“Joe turned up,” he said. “Apparently he marched right into the station, demanding to see Katy. I’m not sure who tipped him off as to what’s going on. Naturally, they’re not going to let him talk to Katy. But he agreed to sit for an interview with Detective DePaul. He’s with her now.”
My blood heated. “He’s talking to the detective. Right now? By himself?”
I wanted to kill him. Joe knew better than to rush headlong into something like this without talking to me. Lord knew what he’d say. Without even realizing it, he could make things far worse for Katy. But even more dire than that, he could make things go terribly for himself.
I didn’t bother to say goodbye. I was on my feet. Miranda was one step ahead of me. As I stormed back toward the front door, she tossed me my car keys.
Chapter 4
“Where is he?”
It felt like déjà vu as I stood in the hallway outside the interview room. Deputy Laura Norris came toward me.
“Who are we talking about?”
“My brother,” I said. “You know exactly who I’m talking about.”
“Calm down, Cass,” she said, which only served to raise my blood pressure. To her credit Laura Norris saw the look in my eyes.
“Detective DePaul is just finishing up, I think,” she said. “I’ll go check.”
“She’s talking to him? Right now?”
I didn’t wait for Norris to tell me where. I barged through the door beside me. Joe sat at the table, leaning casually back in his chair with his arms crossed in front of him. Detective DePaul had just stood up and had a pad of paper tucked under her arm. I could see the top page was covered in her cursive writing.
“Joe, we’re leaving,” I said.
“Good timing,” Detective DePaul said. “We’ve finished for today.”
