I’m fine.”
Did everyone have to have an attitude? I sighed and tried again. “I’m glad you were able to get us out, Chase. Now what?”
“Nothing right now. Neither one of you was charged with anything. You might be called on to testify if they ever figure out what happened and take someone to court. Mary is their prime suspect. Or as they call it, their person of interest. She had motive and, according to them, opportunity, which is only being disputed by your statement that you were with her, Jessie.”
“What does that mean, Chase?” Mary asked. “Will they come for me later?”
“It all depends. If they find something at the crime scene that points to you, they could bring you in and question you again.”
“Well, we know they won’t find her fingerprints on the basket weaving that killed Joshua. I think we established that it was my piece of crap weave that looked like hers.”
“Of course my fingerprints weren’t on that weave,” Mary threw back at me. “But my spit might be, and maybe some sweat. I guess that makes us both killers.”
“Take it easy, Mary.” Chase put his hand on hers where it lay on the seat between them. “We know you didn’t do it. We might have to come back a few times to get this settled. They’ll get tired of seeing you after a while and start looking for the real killer. Right now you’re just a convenient suspect.”
“Maybe we should nudge them in the right direction,” I added. “Maybe if we give them a few alternatives, they’ll leave Mary alone.”
“And how would we do that?” she asked. “You can’t accuse everyone in Renaissance Faire Village of killing my Joshua. No one knew him there. Why would anyone kill him?”
“Someone knew him and wanted him dead for some reason.” The rationality of it hit me after I said it, but it was true. “What about Abraham?”
“Who’s Abraham?” Chase turned on U.S. Highway 17 to go back out to the Village.
“He was there with Mary earlier today,” I explained after telling him briefly about Mary’s past.
She turned and glared at me. “That was told in confidence! You didn’t ask my permission to tell him.”
“Sorry. But I thought he should know, since he’s your lawyer and everything.” I was taking some serious grief over this whole thing, and I wasn’t sure why. I’d done all I could to help Mary. It seemed to me she could be a little grateful.
She didn’t apologize, and I didn’t push the matter. Chase shook his head. “About me being your lawyer: it worked okay for today, but you guys may need real criminal lawyers. Probably public defenders, if you’re actually accused of something.”
I couldn’t believe it. I had fantasized about Chase for so long and it was so close to being reality. Now my fantasy was turning into a big, hairy dust ball. “You mean you wouldn’t defend us in court?”
“I’m a consultant patent attorney. I couldn’t represent you in court. I’m not trained to do that.”
I searched through everything I knew about lawyers, which took about fifteen seconds. “So what does a patent attorney do?”
“We research patents for wealthy clients who want to buy them.”
“You’re not a criminal lawyer?”
“That’s what he said, child. You should learn to listen.” Mary nodded as she looked out the window.
“But you acted like one. The police must’ve thought you were one.”
“I watch TV. I loved Perry Mason when I was a kid.” Chase grinned at me in the rearview mirror. “But I was thinking of myself more like Matlock when I was in there today. You throw some legalese at someone, and they think you know what you’re talking about.”
“That’s just fine.” I vowed to use my brother Tony’s lance on Chase when we got back to the Village. What was he thinking, posing as a criminal lawyer when he was really nothing more than some rich guy’s flunky? Okay, it obviously paid well. And who knew Chase had a real job and
Did everyone have to have an attitude? I sighed and tried again. “I’m glad you were able to get us out, Chase. Now what?”
“Nothing right now. Neither one of you was charged with anything. You might be called on to testify if they ever figure out what happened and take someone to court. Mary is their prime suspect. Or as they call it, their person of interest. She had motive and, according to them, opportunity, which is only being disputed by your statement that you were with her, Jessie.”
“What does that mean, Chase?” Mary asked. “Will they come for me later?”
“It all depends. If they find something at the crime scene that points to you, they could bring you in and question you again.”
“Well, we know they won’t find her fingerprints on the basket weaving that killed Joshua. I think we established that it was my piece of crap weave that looked like hers.”
“Of course my fingerprints weren’t on that weave,” Mary threw back at me. “But my spit might be, and maybe some sweat. I guess that makes us both killers.”
“Take it easy, Mary.” Chase put his hand on hers where it lay on the seat between them. “We know you didn’t do it. We might have to come back a few times to get this settled. They’ll get tired of seeing you after a while and start looking for the real killer. Right now you’re just a convenient suspect.”
“Maybe we should nudge them in the right direction,” I added. “Maybe if we give them a few alternatives, they’ll leave Mary alone.”
“And how would we do that?” she asked. “You can’t accuse everyone in Renaissance Faire Village of killing my Joshua. No one knew him there. Why would anyone kill him?”
“Someone knew him and wanted him dead for some reason.” The rationality of it hit me after I said it, but it was true. “What about Abraham?”
“Who’s Abraham?” Chase turned on U.S. Highway 17 to go back out to the Village.
“He was there with Mary earlier today,” I explained after telling him briefly about Mary’s past.
She turned and glared at me. “That was told in confidence! You didn’t ask my permission to tell him.”
“Sorry. But I thought he should know, since he’s your lawyer and everything.” I was taking some serious grief over this whole thing, and I wasn’t sure why. I’d done all I could to help Mary. It seemed to me she could be a little grateful.
She didn’t apologize, and I didn’t push the matter. Chase shook his head. “About me being your lawyer: it worked okay for today, but you guys may need real criminal lawyers. Probably public defenders, if you’re actually accused of something.”
I couldn’t believe it. I had fantasized about Chase for so long and it was so close to being reality. Now my fantasy was turning into a big, hairy dust ball. “You mean you wouldn’t defend us in court?”
“I’m a consultant patent attorney. I couldn’t represent you in court. I’m not trained to do that.”
I searched through everything I knew about lawyers, which took about fifteen seconds. “So what does a patent attorney do?”
“We research patents for wealthy clients who want to buy them.”
“You’re not a criminal lawyer?”
“That’s what he said, child. You should learn to listen.” Mary nodded as she looked out the window.
“But you acted like one. The police must’ve thought you were one.”
“I watch TV. I loved Perry Mason when I was a kid.” Chase grinned at me in the rearview mirror. “But I was thinking of myself more like Matlock when I was in there today. You throw some legalese at someone, and they think you know what you’re talking about.”
“That’s just fine.” I vowed to use my brother Tony’s lance on Chase when we got back to the Village. What was he thinking, posing as a criminal lawyer when he was really nothing more than some rich guy’s flunky? Okay, it obviously paid well. And who knew Chase had a real job and
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