The Veiled Cage (Lady Lawyer Series Romantic Suspense Novels Book 1) (19 page)

“
No, but Jerry sure wanted you to think so. Have you ever wielded a weapon against him
?
”

“
No, no. Never
.
”

“
Yo
u’
ve never held up a knife and warned him to back off
?
”

“
No. I just kept hoping . .
.
”

“
Hoping what, Susan
?”
Ruby prompted.

“
That
I’
d stop making him so mad. That w
e’
d go back to being happy like we used to be. That h
e’
d go back to being the man I fell in love with, and that h
e’
d remember why he fell in love with me. But I just kept screwing it up, and now h
e’
s gone
.
”

“
Susan, yo
u’
re not at all to blame for what h
e’
s done to you. Even if he was around, he would
n’
t do anything to make things right. W
e’
re here to help you clean up the mess h
e’
s left behind
.
”

“
I ca
n’
t tell you how much it means to me that you believe me. Wha
t’
ll happen to me
?
”

“
W
e’
ll investigate through the weekend, and meet with you on Monday morning before your bail hearing. Tha
t’
s when the judge will determine your release conditions. W
e’
ll have a medic tend to your wrist right away
.
”

“
Thank you, Ruby. Thanks, Jasmine
.
”

“
Yo
u’
re very welcome, Susan. Remember, you have a lawyer. Remind the cops of that if they try to question you.
I’
m a phone call away
.
”

On their way out, Ruby stopped by central command. She knocked on the wide slot in the bulletproof glass. When an officer slid it open, she said
,“
Hey McElroy. Is Strauss still around
?
”

“
H
e’
s on his way out the door. Is this urgent
?
”

“
Yes. Call him back in, please. W
e’
ll wait in Conference B if tha
t’
s available
.
”

“
It is. You know the way.
I’
ll send him in
.
”

They settled into the same chairs.

“
I suggest staring at the wall if you need to clear your mind. I
t’
s a lot at once
.
”

“
How do you keep all the details straight
?
”

“
Do you think in pictures
?
”

“
Sometimes
.
”

“
Visualize the cop
s’
version, and the evidence-based version. I
t’
s important to keep both in mind
.
”

Strauss barreled in
.“
Wha
t’
s the emergency, Ruby? My wife is expecting me
.
”

“
W
e’
ll be brief. My client needs a medic. She has an injured wris
t—
her left. Your officers did
n’
t cause it, did they
?
”

“
No, of course not. I hand-picked them for that unit
.
”

“
Does
n’
t it make you wonder who did injure it
?
”

“
I have no time for games, Miller
.
”

“I’
m not playing them, Strauss. Why would she choose slicing, hauling, and hefting with an injured  wrist
?
”

“
People have two hands, Miller
.
”

“
And certain tasks require both, Strauss. She had an easier way to dispatch her husband. Why would
n’
t she choose that
?
”

“
What are you talking about
?
”

“
She coul
d’
ve poisoned hi
m—
effective, and eliminates the size difference as a concern. H
e’
s six-foot-two, two-twenty-six. Tha
t’
s quite the Goliath to take down when yo
u’
re five-four and weigh in at one-eighteen. You follow
?
”

“
We ca
n’
t discount the evidence
.
”

“I’
m not asking you to discount the evidence. On the contrary, I want you to follow it to its source
.
”

Officer Strauss rose and propped himself on his fists as he towered over Ruby and Jasmine
.“
I
t’
s a clear trail leading right to her. I do
n’
t have time for this. I have an investigation to run
.
”

“
No,
I’
m investigating. Yo
u’
re missing the truth by looking through the lens of your conclusion
.
”

“
Sh
e’
s guilty
.”
He hammered his verdict into the table with his fist.

“
Very well, then
.”
Ruby rose and motioned for Jasmine to do the same
.“
See that Susa
n’
s wrist is tended to, Strauss. Enjoy your down time with your wife. Excuse us. We have a murder to solve
.
”

Ruby strode out with Jasmine at her side, and did
n’
t look back.

ChapteR 11

Ruby stayed silent as she snaked through traffic and exited onto the highway. Jasmine stared out her window, mentally sifting through what had happened. Slicing through the silence and Jasmin
e’
s thoughts, Ruby looked at the unit mounted to her dashboard, and said
,“
PSC, call Justin Kottke, visual on
.
”

When he appeared on-screen, he studied her for a beat, and said
,“
You look pissed
.
”

“
I am. Strauss is point person, and leading the investigation into the ground. But h
e’
s following protocol perfectly. Damn him. Give me some good news
.
”

“
The house is clean. Spotless in the hygienic sense. Susan must have spent quite some time on it
.
”

“
Factor that into the timeline. Ther
e’
s no way she could drive back and forth, commit murder, and arrive home in time to sweep up after her bastard husband. H
e’
s a batterer, Kottke
.
”

“
I know
.
”

“
How
?
”

“
Simple. What kind of husband has surveillance equipment inside his house
?
”

“
Nice find, Kottke. You do earn the big bucks
.
”

“
Then why do
n’
t you pay me them
?
”

“
Smart-ass. What was his set up
?
”

“
Video in the kitchen. Audio and video in the bedroom, and a bug in the lampshad
e—
husban
d’
s side
.
”

“
Tell me i
t’
s a two-way
.
”

“
I
t’
s a two-way. How did you know
?
”

“
Something Susan said. Could you trace the transmission
?
”

“
W
e’
d need an e-guru of Flic
k’
s caliber for that
.
”

“
Keep an eye out for one of those.
I’
ll work on it on my end. Yo
u’
ll find a box of shards under Susa
n’
s bed. Leave it for me. Yo
u’
ll find a blue dress in the hamper, and blue-and-white heels in the bedroom closet. Photograph, collect, and drop them at the lab. Her phone is on her nightstand
.
”

“
Already have it
.
”

“
Perfect. Review Susa
n’
s pictures from this evening
.
”

“
Yesterday evening. Anything else
?
”

“
Yes, slow down time. After you do that, upload the photos of her wearing said dress and shoes to her case file
.
”

“
Yes
.
”

“
This is bullshit, Ruby
.
”

“
I
t’
s so good to hear you say that. Le
t’
s keep at it. I want to solve this before Monday
.
”

“
Before Monday
.”
He ran a hand over his rugged shadow beard
.“
If anyone can do it, we can
.
”

“
We will, Kottke
.
”

“
And yo
u’
re going to take your own advice? Get some sleep
?
”

“I’
m not tired
.
”

“
You look exhausted
.
”

“
You do
n’
t look so hot yourself
.
”

“
I disagree
,”
Jasmine said as she popped her head into view.

Kottke laughed.

Ruby disconnected and whacked her hand on the wheel
.“
Can you believe that guy
?
”

“
I think h
e’
s wonderful
.
”

Ruby gaped
.“
Sleep deprivation has addled your mind
.
”

Jasmine crossed her arms
.“
H
e’
s top-notch. You said it yourself. He points out that you look worn out, which, might I add, you do, and yo
u
—”

Ruby cut her off by clutching her gut and laughing hard enough to bring tears to her eyes
.“
No, Jazz, I meant Strauss
.
”

Jasmine cleared her throat
.“
Well, then
.
”

“
Thanks, Jazz. I needed that
.
”

“
Wha
t’
s next
?
”

“I’
m going to drop you off. Yo
u’
ve put in an admirable first day. The second will be as, or more, intense
.
”

Jasmine gave Ruby a suspicious look
.“
And what are you going to do
?
”

“
Swing by Susa
n’
s house for a quick walk-through. Kottke had a head start. He photographed and collected. Before long, h
e’
ll finish his reports and call it a night
.
”

“
And yo
u’
ll do the same
?”
She crossed her arms.

“
As soon as
I’
m done with my reports,
I’
ll do the same
.
”

✧

Ruby pulled away from Jasmin
e’
s apartment building, and hesitated before turning to the PSC mounted on her dash. She said
,“
Engage, call Arianna Ramirez
.”
When her frien
d’
s heart-shaped face came into view, Ruby began
,“
I just visited a new client. Her name is Susan Combes. She looked like you. When I walked out of the airport in Seattle and there you were, car packed with everything you had to your name. W
e’
d spoken on the phone, and yo
u’
d sounded off. But I had
n’
t seen you in six months. I barely recognized you
.
”

“
Yo
u’
d forgotten the extent of my exotic beauty
?
”

Ruby cracked a smile
.“
It was your eyes, Ari. They were so dull. I was ready to kill him that day if we stayed. I could
n’
t drive fast enough
.
”

“
I did
n’
t recognize me either
.
”

“
I look at you now, and have hope for Susan
.
”

“
Wha
t’
s she on the hook for
?
”

“
Murdering her batterer
.
”

“
Any chance sh
e’
s good for it
?
”

“
She has a physical defect that makes the act impossible
.”
             

“
In English
?
”

“
Her husband fractured her left wrist. Sh
e’
d need it to do what the
y’
re trying to pin on her
.
”

“
When do you want to bring her by
?
”

“
She does
n’
t know you exist yet
.
”

“
And yo
u’
re seven steps ahead of yourself
.
”

“
Or three steps, depending on how this plays out
.
”

“
All right, let me know when I enter the picture. And try to give me some notice
.
”

“
A woman needs you. Yo
u’
re the best at what you do. Team meeting at eight. Take notice
.
”

“
Fine, flattery has secured my presence
.
”

“
I thought knowing you in pigtails with a snaggletooth would be enough
.
”

“
Nope, it was the flattery, which you negated. You know very well it was
n’
t a snaggletooth
.
”

“
Hey, did I mention your exotic beauty
?
”

“
Tha
t’
s my girl. Call any time
.
”

“
Thank you, gleaming gem of the Latina community. Your beauty is only exceeded by your benevolence. To bestow such kindness on a woman of ordinary face i
s
—”

“
Ruby, yo
u’
re too much at two in the morning. I need my Hollenbeck to keep up with you
.
”

“
Your taste in espresso is as impeccable as your visage
.
”

“
Dios
mí
o
, Rubina. Enough
.
”

“
My new intern is trying to get me into drinks that glow
.
”

“
Yuck. You considered that grounds for termination, right
?
”

“
Considering her commendable performance on day one, she stays.
I’
ve done my best to prevent her poor taste buds from shriveling in protest. I fear
I’
m too late. Her tongue may be entirely devoid of buds
.
”

“
Sounds like the opposite of our diet
.
”

“
Yes, and i
t’
s worked for us since we were teenagers. Though
I’
ve wondered why it did
n’
t have the same transformative effect for me as for you. Who does
n’
t want to be an exotic beauty
?
”

“
Yes, you poor ugly duckling. Le
t’
s see, blonde hair, emerald eyes, killer smile that you use when it suits you. All grown up, and the new face of criminal defense. Great tagline, by the way. I loved the billboard. That teal suit really popped
.
”

“
Tha
t’
s weird, our connectio
n’
s fuzzy
.
”

“
Nice try. The new tech is crystal
.
”

“
What was that
?
”

“
Stop shaking the screen. Yo
u’
re making me dizzy
.
”