Page 46 of Under Fire

After ending the call with Shep, Locke knew, as always, he’d been given a lot of food for thought.

Tomorrow was Saturday, and he had no idea what Hollis planned for the weekend. However, he doubted she would come here to work. She had done a lot this week and deserved the time off. His mind was made up. Later today, he would call and ask her to go to Orin’s party with him, and he felt good about doing so. If she turned him down, at least he had asked. Still, he hoped she would agree.

CHAPTER 18

“Thanks for agreeing to see me, Mrs. Farrell,” Hollis said, as the older woman led her to a sunroom in the back that had a stunning waterfront view. She knew this gated community on the bay, known for its deep-water canal frontage, was a luxurious, exclusive South Tampa enclave for the rich and famous.

“I hope you know that my brother and sister-in-law would not have. Lucky for you, they stepped out for a moment. However, I expect them back at any time.”

After taking the seat the woman offered, Hollis said, “Detectives Connors and Tomlin warned me they wouldn’t be accommodating since I’m working for Karl Halifax’s defense.”

“No, they wouldn’t be.”

“Then why are you?”

The woman sat across from her and actually smiled at the question. “Because I did something they simply refused to do.”

“Which is?”

“Got to know Karl. I met him just like they did. However, instead of immediately disliking him, I found him handsome and charming. A little rough around the edges, but I’m convinced those rough edges are what appealed to Nyla and drew my niece to him. However, Walter and Darlene refused to give him a chance. If they had, they would have seen what I saw.”

“And what did you see?”

“Two people who truly love each other.”

Hollis would admit she saw that, too. Anyone who was around them for any period of time would. It wasn’t only there when they looked at each other; it was there when they talked or did something simple like holding hands.

“Were you here that day your brother and sister-in-law tracked Nyla’s call?”

Hollis saw the irritation in the woman’s face. “No, I was in New York, but Walter had told me what he planned to do if Nyla unblocked their calls. I warned them it was not a good idea. However, they were so certain that Karl had poisoned Nyla’s mind against them, and he had sent her into hiding after the shooting to keep her away from them, and they would track her call, regardless of what I thought.”

“But you don’t think that’s the reason Karl sent her into hiding?”

“No, I believe he was trying to protect her, but you’ll never convince Walter and Darlene of that. They tracked her call anyway and nearly got Nyla killed. Instead of blaming themselves, they again blamed Karl.”

Katherine Farrell paused. “You need to understand my brother and sister-in-law. They love their daughter very much and understandably only want the best for her. To them, that means marrying a man without blemish and whose family’s name is as stellar as theirs. What they fail to realize and accept is that it is not their decision to make. It’s Nyla’s, and she chose Karl.”

“When did you arrive in Tampa?”

The older woman paused and then said, “After midnight, the day those people attacked the house where Nyla was staying. Walter and Darlene called, highly emotional, and told me what they did, and there was a chance Nyla was dead. I packed immediately and came here. I arrived to find them both on the verge of total mental collapse, and I didn’t help matters by saying it was their fault by telling those detectives Nyla’s location.”

“They told only Detectives Connors and Tomlin, and no one else?”

“I assume they are the only ones. I understand they reached Detective Tomlin first. The other detective wasn’t in the office.”

Hollis nodded. Detective Connors had been with her at the time, and she knew when he got Tomlin’s call. Had Tomlin mentioned it to anyone else? Had someone in the squad room overheard his phone conversation with the Rokers? One or both detectives’ phones might even have been bugged.

Detectives Connors and Tomlin had to be wondering those same things. That made her even more curious why people were convinced the people who tried killing Nyla, without having absolute proof Karl was with her, were Barcos’ men?

“Do you know if anyone else was here with your brother and sister-in-law at the time they placed the call to Detective Tomlin, who might have overheard?”

“The housekeeping staff was here since they live on premises. Walter was excited about being able to track Nyla’s whereabouts. I’m sure at the time he hadn’t cared who might have overheard. And before you ask, I didn’t mention it to anyone. When I got their call, I was alone, having dinner at home in New York.”

Hollis nodded. “There is the possibility that the phones here were bugged.”

“I imagine there is that possibility, but Detectives Connors and Tomlin had their people come in to check the day after I arrived. I would think they would have discovered it if they were.”

She would think so too, especially since the authorities would want to know who else, besides them, was privy to that phone call. “Do you have the names of the housekeeping staff? I want to ─”