“Phillips Law Group is a partnership of father and son. Gary Phillips is the dad, he’s fifty-three. Tyler Phillips is the son. He’s twenty-seven and graduated about a year and a half ago.”
“Where are they now?”
“In Phillips senior’s office.”
“You take the son, I’ll take dad?”
“Works for me.”
*******
Vanessa went first and removed the younger Phillips from his father’s presence. She took Tyler back to his own office, asked him to sit down, and closed the door. She was struck by how much smaller this office was compared to the other two. It was closer to the size of the lunchroom, and she wondered if it used to be a closet.
She took out her notebook and sat opposite the young lawyer. Not quite six feet tall, he had sandy-blonde hair and hazel eyes. His suit looked like it cost more than her car.
“I’m sorry for your loss, Mr. Phillips.”
“Tyler, please.”
“Very well, Tyler. How long have you known Lori Mason?”
“She was with my father’s firm before I graduated, probably four or five years. I met her then.”
“Were you close?”
“We were co-workers, that’s all.”
“Do you have any idea who might have wanted to hurt Miss Mason?”
“Not a clue.”
“Had she indicated if she was afraid of anyone?”
“Not to me.”
This guy came off as if someone just told him a friend’s cat died. Vanessa found herself disliking Tyler Phillips. Lori Mason’s death was no big deal to him, he wasn’t invested in her. Vanessa doubted he was invested in anyone beside himself.
“Where were you last night, Tyler?”
The question seemed to catch him off guard. “Why?”
“Standard question.”
“I had dinner at my father’s place and went home to bed around ten-thirty.”
“Was anyone else at this dinner?”
“No, my father is a widower, and I often eat there.”
“What about you? Anyone at home who can verify when you arrived there?”
“Not unless my dog has learned to talk.”
Vanessa was enjoying putting the screws to the kid.
“So you have no alibi other than your father?”
“Why do I need an alibi?”
Vanessa stood up, ignoring the question. She wanted him to sweat for the time being.
“Okay, thanks for your help. Oh, one more thing, do you any idea why A-T-T would be written on the front of her desk?”
“She didn’t pay her phone bill?”
“Not funny, Mr. Phillips.”
She threw her card on the desk and left the office.
*******
Jason walked down the hall and tapped on the frame of the open door. The elder Phillips had his office on the opposite end of the building, and it was three or four times larger than Lori Mason’s.
“Come in.”
Jason entered the oak-paneled room and immediately felt comfortable. Books covered the entire wall down one side of the room, and windows with thick drapes ran down the other side. A conference table, with eight or ten chairs pushed in around it, took up the far end of the room.
An oversize desk, with the senior Phillips sitting at it, dominated the near end. Hanging on the wall over the attorney was large oil painting of a distinguished lady in her mi-to-late forties.
Gary Phillips saw Jason looking at the portrait. “That’s my Gracie. I lost her seven years ago.”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Phillips.”
“Please, call me Gary. What can I do to help you with this awful business?”
“I’m sorry for your loss, sir. Have you known Miss Mason for a long time?”
“Lori came to work for me about five years ago. She became a partner two years ago, and was a friend. I’m going to miss her. I can’t believe anyone could do that to her.”
“Do you know who might’ve wanted to hurt her?”
“No one specifically, but in our business, you tend to make enemies.”
“Your business? You mean law?”
“Well, yes, but specifically Divorce Law. There tends to be a winner and loser in most of our cases.”
Jason had no doubt that was true. “Did Miss Mason indicate to you she was afraid of anyone?”
Gary Phillips slowly shook his head. “No…not that I remember.”
“What about the letters A-T-T? Do they mean anything to you?”
“Not really, except the obvious, of course.”
“Do you mind telling me where you were last night, sir?”
“Not at all. I left here about three-thirty and went home. My son came over and we cooked a couple steaks. He went home sometime after ten.”
“What time did he arrive at your place?”
“Four-thirty, five.”
“Did anyone else have dinner with you two?”
“I’m afraid not, Detective. I understand you’re doing your job but I have nothing but good things to say about Lori. You can ask any of our mutual acquaintances.”
“And what about your son? Did he get along with Lori?”
Jason saw the hesitation in the man’s eyes, quickly covered with a smile. “You’ll have to ask him.”
Jason stood and held out his hand. “Thank you for your help, sir. Your wife was very beautiful.”
Gary stood and shook hands with the detective. “Thank you for saying so, Detective Strong.”
Jason laid a card on the desk. “Could you send the files of Lori’s cases from the last six months to my office?”
“I’m afraid, because of attorney-client privilege, that I’m limited in what I can release to you.”
“Just a list of client’s names and cases will suffice for now. Is that doable?”
“Perfectly. I’ll do my best to take care of it today.”
“Thank you, Mr. Phillips.”
Chapter 4
On the way back to the station, Jason and Vanessa stopped at their favorite restaurant for lunch. Stumpy’s Bar-B-Q was always packed at this time of day, but they secured a small table by the window.
Jason stuffed an onion ring in his mouth. “By the way, I didn’t have a chance to fill you in on the developments from yesterday.”
“I did some reading on the autopsy and Doc Josie’s findings. Our first victim didn’t write those letters in the blood, which means it was a message from our killer, but what?”
“As of yet, I don’t know. She wasn’t raped either.”
“So it appears one of two things happened. The killer was interrupted, which seems unlikely since the writing was twenty minutes after the victim died, or the purpose of the attack was strictly to kill Nikki Bostik.”
Jason stuffed another onion ring in his mouth, drawing a roll of Vanessa’s eyes. “Are you starving? Finish a sentence, will ya?”
Jason laughed. “Okay. It would appear that Lori Mason wasn’t raped either. Her clothes were undisturbed.”
Vanessa nodded. “That means we have a killer who is either assassinating these two for a purpose, or he gets his jollies from the murder itself.”
“He wouldn’t be the first.”
Jason’s phone began to buzz. He grabbed a napkin and wiped the grease from his fingers. “Detective Strong.”
“Yes, Detective, this Carly Simmons.”
The light came on over Jason’s head; Simmons was the last appointment of Lori Mason.
“Yes, Mrs. Simmons. How can I help you?”
The woman’s voice was low and trembled. “I heard about Lori Mason this morning, and I thought there was something you should know.”
“You were Miss Mason’s last appointment yesterday?”
The hesitation was obvious. “Yes…but that’s not what I’m referring to.”
“Oh, really? I’m sorry for interrupting.”
“I thought you should know Lori Mason was Nikki Bostik’s divorce attorney.”
“How do you know this?” Jason asked.
“Well, as you mentioned, I was at the office. Nikki was the one who recommended Lori to me.”
“I see. What time did you leave the office last night?”
“Five-thirty, maybe six. I’m not sure exactly.”
“Did you see anybody around?”
“No, it was getting dark already, and I was in a hurry to go home. I’m sorry.”
“I appreciate your call, Mrs. Simmons.”
“Of course. If I think of anything else, I’ll call.”
“Oh, and Carly...”
“Yes?”
“It might be wise for you to be careful. We have no idea what may tie these two cases together, and everyone in Nikki’s circle of friends should stay cautious.”
“Oh…okay. Thank you, Detective.”
The line went dead and Jason put away his phone. “We have a connection now between the real estate lady and the lawyer, and it’s probably safe to assume the motive is the same.”
Vanessa was cleaning her fingers with a wet napkin. “The writing at both scenes connects them to the same killer, but is it possible the writing is the only connection?”
“It’s possible. Seems like an awful big coincidence, though.”
“You know me, I hate coincidences.”
“Yes, you do. I think we should pay another visit to Larry Bostik.”
*******
Getting to the north side of the city took longer than normal. The rain had caused several accidents, which in turn created several traffic snarls. Jason longed for his days of rural driving in his boyhood. Two-lane highways, with cars few and far-between, and the biggest traffic issue being the occasional John Deere tractor moving from one field to another.
“This is the third wreck we’ve passed. I think people speed up when the weather is lousy.”
Vanessa laughed. “They sure don’t slow down.”
They finally pulled up at Larry Bostik’s mother’s home.
“Do you want to go to Mom’s front door or go straight back to the apartment?”
Jason looked toward the house. “We’re here to see Larry, so let’s go to his door.”
“Makes sense.”
Walking around to the attached apartment, Jason knocked on the door. This time the door opened immediately. Corey Bostik looked out, then turned to his dad. “Those detectives are back.”
Larry appeared behind his son, straightening his tie, and didn’t hide his displeasure. “What is it now?”
“We have some more questions for you?”
“Today?”
Vanessa was confused. “What do you mean ‘today’?”
“Nikki’s visitation is in an hour.”
Jason immediately regretted the timing. “We weren’t aware. Please accept our apologies.”
Larry hesitated. “It’s okay. Will it take long?”
“No, sir.”
“Fine. Come in.”
Corey pushed the door open as his dad stepped back. The detectives entered the small apartment and waited for their eyes to adjust. Larry sat in a chair and started to put his shoes on. Both Jason and Vanessa remained standing.
Vanessa opened her notepad. “Did you hear about Lori Mason?”
“What has that witch done now?”
The detectives exchanged looks. Jason pulled out a chair from the small dinette. “Can we speak to you alone, Larry?”
The man looked up, then at his son. “Corey, go see if your grandmother is almost ready, please son.”
“Yes, sir.”
When Corey had left, Jason stared at Larry, watching closely for his reaction. “Lori Mason was found murdered this morning.”
Larry looked from one detective to the other. “You’re joking?”
“Definitely not. The scene was a near duplicate of your wife’s death.”
He shook his head. “Can’t say I’m surprised.”
“Really? Why is that?”
Larry finished tying his shoes and let a foot drop heavily to the floor. “Considering her line of work, taking the husbands of her clients to the cleaners, it figures someone got pissed.”
Vanessa looked up from her notes. “Are you saying she only had female clients?”
“That’s right. Nikki bragged to me when she hired her, saying Mason was the best lawyer for jilted wives in the entire state.”
“May I ask what caused the divorce between you and Nikki?”
Larry looked at his watch. “Not enough time in the day for that story, but suffice to say, I made a mistake.”
Jason stood. “Where were you last night between five and eight?”
“Here with my son. He’s having a hard time understanding all this.”
“I’m sure it’s difficult. Can your mother verify that, as well?”
“No, last night was her bingo night. She didn’t get home until around nine-thirty.”
“Okay, thank you. We’ll let you finish getting ready.”
Vanessa closed her notepad and followed Jason out of the small unit. As they were leaving, Corey returned, and she smiled at him. “Goodbye, Corey.”
“Bye.”
She stopped. “Oh, Corey, can I ask you a question?”
“Sure.”
“Was your dad here all night with you yesterday?”
The boy hesitated, and before he could answer, they were interrupted. “He’s a minor, Detective, and I didn’t give you permission to question him. Corey, come back inside.”
Vanessa nodded. “Of course, my apologies.”
The door closed and Jason gave his partner a chastising look. “You know you can’t do that! Even if he did answer, it wouldn’t be admissible in court.”
Vanessa gave him a sly smile. “I know, but wouldn’t you have loved to know the answer?”
Jason shook his, laughed, and headed for the car. “Maybe.”
*******
Back in the car, Vanessa’s phone started to ring. “This is Layne.”
“Vanessa, this is Doc Josie.”
“Hey, Doc. What’s up?”
“I just got a call from my tech out at the Mason scene. They found a pair of blood-stained gloves.”
“Really? Where?”
“They were tossed into a dumpster about a block from the scene. I thought you might want to go out there.”
“You thought right! Does Lieutenant Banks know?”
“Actually, I called her first, but apparently she’s taken the rest of the day off.”
“Banks, a day off? No way!”
“Way.”
“Okay, well thanks for the heads up.”
Vanessa closed her phone. “We need to go back to the Phillips Law offices. The search turned up a pair of bloody gloves.”
“Awesome,” Jason put the car in drive. “What’s with Banks?”
“She took the afternoon off.”
“Sarah Banks?”
“That’s what I said!”
*******
They pulled back up at the law office to find it closed for the day, probably because the yellow tape and police vehicles made it impossible to conduct business. When they pulled onto the parking lot, an officer approached. Jason rolled down the window. “Where did they find the gloves?”
“Follow the drive around to the back of the building and go right. It’s down the alley.”
“Thank you.”
He followed the instructions and spotted the forensics van about a hundred yards away. When they got out of the car, the forensic van was just pulling away, but another officer approached.
Jason showed his badge. “They find the gloves in this dumpster?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Have you searched the rest of the dumpster?”
The officer held up his hands, revealing the blue evidence gloves he still wore, and showed the stains. “Y
es, sir.”
Jason laughed, acknowledging the look on the officer’s face. “We appreciate it. I take it there was nothing else?”
“No.”
Jason turned to see Vanessa staring back at the law office. She pointed at the two parking lots, one in front of the office and the other next to it, in front of a self-serve storage.
“The killer could have been parked in either lot, waited for the right time, and entered through the front door. When he was done, he could come down this alley in his car, roll the driver’s window down, and toss the gloves into the dumpster without stopping the car.”
Jason turned to the officer who was standing next to him, but now was walking away. “So, we need to check the dumpsters all along this alley.”
The officer waved a rubber glove. “Already on it.”
“Thanks.”
Jason turned the car around and headed for the precinct.
*******
The rain had finally stopped, but the sun hadn’t made an appearance all day, and soon would be disappearing behind the horizon, its splendor hidden by the unrepentant cloud deck. Weather like this was rare in San Antonio, and Jason actually enjoyed an occasional rainy day, but experience had taught him that Vanessa was different. She liked the sun, and today especially.
She sat quietly as they rode back to the station, and despite keeping her face turned to the window, Jason saw the tears.
“You okay?”
She turned from the window. “Yeah, I’ll make it. I was just thinking about Rob and his desire for a big family. I feel like I let him down.”
Jason turned into the station lot, parked the car, and shut it off. He swiveled to look directly at his partner and friend. “You know that’s not true, right?”
“I guess. It just feels that way.”
“Vanessa, Rob would never want you to think you’d disappointed him in anyway. He loves you with his whole being.”
“I know, and that’s why it hurts.”
“You and I both know, from this crazy job we do every day, that there are things we won’t understand until we check out of here for good. This is one of those things, but it doesn’t change two facts, God’s still in charge and Rob still loves you.”
She wiped at her eyes, a small smile coming to her face. “Thanks, Jason.”
CRUEL DECEPTION (Det. Jason Strong(CLEAN SUSPENSE) Book 9) Page 4