Quinn.
"We aren't," she said. "I mean we weren't until a few minutes ago when Mr. Cortez rescued me from a marauding band of reporters."
Giving Quinn a harsh look, the other man held out his hand to Annabelle as he focused all his attention on her. "I'm Sergeant Chad George, ma'am. My partner and I are the detectives in charge of the investigation into your cousin's death."
"Her death? I was told she was murdered."
"Yes, ma'am, she was," Chad said. "Allow me to offer you my condolences."
"On behalf of the Memphis police department?" Quinn asked. "Or are you offering Ms. Vanderley your personal condolences, sergeant?"
Annabelle sensed a hostile tension between the two men as they glowered at each other. And she had the oddest sensation that, for the moment, she was the prize in this particular battle of wills.
"Both," Chad said sharply, then softened his voice when he spoke again. "Ms. Vanderley , if there's any-thing I can do for you . . ."
"I would like to speak to you and your partner and anyone else involved in this case. I will be representing my family in this matter and expect to be kept informed about anything and everything involving my cousin's murder."
"Certainly. Lieutenant Norton and I have an appointment with Mr. Cortez"—Chad glanced at his wristwatch—"right now, so allow me to escort you to the director's office. He's expecting you and can answer some of your questions. Then when Norton and I are free, we'll be glad to do whatever we can for you."
Annabelle gave Quinn Cortez a sidelong glance. "Is Mr. Cortez a suspect?" Silence.
Annabelle glanced back and forth from one man to the other. "Knowing if Mr. Cortez is a suspect falls under keeping me informed about anything and everything to do with Lulu's murder."
Chad cleared his throat, then said hurriedly, "Mr. Cortez discovered the body. We will be questioning him again this morning, with his attorney present."
As if on cue, Kendall Wells stepped off the elevator directly behind them. "What have we here, a little informal powwow?" she said as she approached her client. "You've been behaving yourself, haven't you, Quinn?"
"Don't I always?" he replied.
His lawyer gave him a censoring glance, then zeroed in on the sergeant. "We're here on time and ready for the interview. Let's get this over with so Mr. Cortez can—"
"We'll be ready for y'all shortly," Chad snapped his response, then turned to Annabelle, all smiles and concern. "Ms. Vanderley , if you'll follow me, I'll show you to Director Danley's office." He took her arm and tugged gently.
Annabelle went with him, all the while fighting the urge to look back at Quinn Cortez.
"Don't make us cool our heels too long," Ms. Wells called after them.
Sergeant George mumbled under his breath. "I apologize for someone not meeting you outside and escorting you in. It's unfortunate that you had to be subjected to meeting Quinn Cortez, especially this morning, so soon after. . . Well, I am sorry."
"Exactly who is Quinn Cortez and why did he think I should have heard of him?"
Chad harrumphed. "The man's an egomaniac. He thinks the whole world knows who he is because he's a criminal defense lawyer who has gotten quite a few murderers off scot-free. He just won a big case over in Nashville. The Terry McBryar case."
"Oh, yes, I seem to recall hearing something about that trial on the news. Wasn't McBryar's lawyer some hotshot from Texas?" Annabelle gasped as she remembered what one newscaster had said about McBryar's lawyer, whose name she'd forgotten.
He not only has a reputation as a dangerously formidable opponent in the courtroom, but also as a real lady-killer in his personal life.
She wasn't sure why that comment had stuck with her when she had forgotten the man's name and had no memory of seeing him on the newscast. The words dangerously formidable and lady-killer repeated themselves again and again in Annabelle's mind.
"A far as I'm concerned Cortez is scum," Chad told her. "He's an immoral
"We aren't," she said. "I mean we weren't until a few minutes ago when Mr. Cortez rescued me from a marauding band of reporters."
Giving Quinn a harsh look, the other man held out his hand to Annabelle as he focused all his attention on her. "I'm Sergeant Chad George, ma'am. My partner and I are the detectives in charge of the investigation into your cousin's death."
"Her death? I was told she was murdered."
"Yes, ma'am, she was," Chad said. "Allow me to offer you my condolences."
"On behalf of the Memphis police department?" Quinn asked. "Or are you offering Ms. Vanderley your personal condolences, sergeant?"
Annabelle sensed a hostile tension between the two men as they glowered at each other. And she had the oddest sensation that, for the moment, she was the prize in this particular battle of wills.
"Both," Chad said sharply, then softened his voice when he spoke again. "Ms. Vanderley , if there's any-thing I can do for you . . ."
"I would like to speak to you and your partner and anyone else involved in this case. I will be representing my family in this matter and expect to be kept informed about anything and everything involving my cousin's murder."
"Certainly. Lieutenant Norton and I have an appointment with Mr. Cortez"—Chad glanced at his wristwatch—"right now, so allow me to escort you to the director's office. He's expecting you and can answer some of your questions. Then when Norton and I are free, we'll be glad to do whatever we can for you."
Annabelle gave Quinn Cortez a sidelong glance. "Is Mr. Cortez a suspect?" Silence.
Annabelle glanced back and forth from one man to the other. "Knowing if Mr. Cortez is a suspect falls under keeping me informed about anything and everything to do with Lulu's murder."
Chad cleared his throat, then said hurriedly, "Mr. Cortez discovered the body. We will be questioning him again this morning, with his attorney present."
As if on cue, Kendall Wells stepped off the elevator directly behind them. "What have we here, a little informal powwow?" she said as she approached her client. "You've been behaving yourself, haven't you, Quinn?"
"Don't I always?" he replied.
His lawyer gave him a censoring glance, then zeroed in on the sergeant. "We're here on time and ready for the interview. Let's get this over with so Mr. Cortez can—"
"We'll be ready for y'all shortly," Chad snapped his response, then turned to Annabelle, all smiles and concern. "Ms. Vanderley , if you'll follow me, I'll show you to Director Danley's office." He took her arm and tugged gently.
Annabelle went with him, all the while fighting the urge to look back at Quinn Cortez.
"Don't make us cool our heels too long," Ms. Wells called after them.
Sergeant George mumbled under his breath. "I apologize for someone not meeting you outside and escorting you in. It's unfortunate that you had to be subjected to meeting Quinn Cortez, especially this morning, so soon after. . . Well, I am sorry."
"Exactly who is Quinn Cortez and why did he think I should have heard of him?"
Chad harrumphed. "The man's an egomaniac. He thinks the whole world knows who he is because he's a criminal defense lawyer who has gotten quite a few murderers off scot-free. He just won a big case over in Nashville. The Terry McBryar case."
"Oh, yes, I seem to recall hearing something about that trial on the news. Wasn't McBryar's lawyer some hotshot from Texas?" Annabelle gasped as she remembered what one newscaster had said about McBryar's lawyer, whose name she'd forgotten.
He not only has a reputation as a dangerously formidable opponent in the courtroom, but also as a real lady-killer in his personal life.
She wasn't sure why that comment had stuck with her when she had forgotten the man's name and had no memory of seeing him on the newscast. The words dangerously formidable and lady-killer repeated themselves again and again in Annabelle's mind.
"A far as I'm concerned Cortez is scum," Chad told her. "He's an immoral
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