The Crimson Trial: A Legal Thriller

by Freya Atwood

  “You know when you mentioned a girl earlier I actually got quite excited.” I began tentatively.

  “Tell me about it.” Bryan muttered.

  “Is there maybe…?” I didn’t need to finish the question.

  “Leave it.”

  “Girl or boy. I don’t mind. Handsome guy like you, there must be someone.” I cajoled.

  “Come on Mom. I’m trying to eat here. You want me to take my pizza to my room?” He retorted, half serious but with the trace of a smile that made me think there was something to hide.

  I smiled. “No. Don’t do that. OK. We’ll just eat in silence. I won’t say a word.”

  I took another bite of pizza and made a point of staring straight ahead not saying a word. Eventually, Bryan let out a snort of laughter.

  “Jeez, there’s no middle ground with you, is there? We can talk. Just not about that. OK?”

  Relief washed through me. The laugh broke down any tension I felt. The problem of his father hadn’t gone away but for now, at least, we were solid, until the next flashpoint.

  Chapter 14

  “Mrs. Jasmin Khan?” I asked as the phone was answered.

  “No. Can I ask who’s calling?” A woman replied.

  “My name is Laura Jones. I’m an attorney defending Hunter Watson. I was hoping to speak to Mrs. Khan.” I was sitting in my office, facing the window as I talked on the phone, a habit I’d gotten into to avoid distractions. This was a call where I wanted to pick up any nuances of voice, any hint I could get. I wore my usual dark suit, white blouse and my shoes were under the desk, discarded as soon as I was within the privacy of my own office.

  My hair was tied tightly back and I felt calm and in control. The previous evening had gone better than expected after the rough start. Bryan and I had watched a couple of old horror movies of which he was a fan. It was the longest time we had spent together for years. This morning he had left the house bright and breezy and that had set me up for the day. Maybe everything is going to be OK, after all.

  “You’re defending the man accused of murdering my brother?” There was an edge to the voice now. The kind of edge that was usually followed by expletives and a hang up.

  “Yes, I am.” I replied calmly.

  “Jasmin isn’t going to want to talk to you.”

  “Could you ask her?” I persisted, keeping my voice calm and level.

  “No. I know she won’t. Neither would I.”

  “That’s regretful. May I ask who I’m speaking to?”

  “Aysha Gillette. Adil Khan was my brother.”

  “We are on the same side, you know.” I told her.

  “How do you work that out, ma’am?” Aysha replied incredulously.

  “Hunter Watson is innocent. If he is convicted of murder then the real killer goes unpunished. You won’t get justice for your brother.”

  “What makes you think he’s not guilty?” I caught the hint of curiosity. She could have hung up on me by now. Or told me to stop bothering the family and let them grieve. She was within her rights and no law said she had to speak to me. Now came the hard part. I couldn’t lie, it would damage Hunter’s defense if it came out. But I needed someone who knew Dr. Khan to open up to me.

  “The police never explored the possibility of other motives or suspects. They seized on Hunter. As his attorney it’s my job to make sure all avenues are explored. And I believe him when he says he’s innocent.”

  “But do you have any proof?” Aysha asked insistently. “Any evidence against…someone else?”

  The hairs on the back of my neck were lifting. A thrill ran through me and I sat forward in my seat, focusing my gaze on the busy sidewalk opposite, but trying to visualize the woman on the phone with me.

  “Not yet. But I will. There are some unanswered questions.” I kept it vague. It wouldn’t be wise to tell the sister of the murder victim I thought her brother might have been a drug dealer.

  “The police never even spoke to me. They barely interviewed Jasmin.”

  “I know.” I stayed quiet after that affirmation, letting the silence rest on Aysha. That weight could be uncomfortable.

  I closed my eyes and crossed my fingers. Come on, Aysha. Whatever you have on your mind, just tell me.

  “My husband used to be a cop. He got injured and took early retirement. He was surprised that there didn’t seem to be any background investigation on Adil, my brother. He thinks they took shortcuts.”

  The silence that followed felt like one of the longest of my life. Then came the words that made me want to punch the air.

  “So do I.”

  I turned in my chair and hurriedly opened a video call to Nic, putting Aysha on voicemail. I wanted the call witnessed. As soon as Nic appeared on the screen I held up the phone and muted her. She nodded once, leaning forward intently.

  “You believe there could be another motive. Something the police overlooked?” I said.

  “Yes.”

  “What makes you say that?” I asked.

  “Oh…look. I just heard Jaz. She was sleeping. I can’t talk about this now.”

  “When?”

  “I have to go out and do some grocery shopping for her. I can meet you. Can’t talk more now.”

  She hung up and I leaned back in my seat with a sharp exhale and a triumphant grin. I took Nic off mute.

  “Way to go, boss! You don’t wait around, do ya?”

  “Pure luck. I was hoping to talk to the wife. Never occurred to me Khan’s sister would have the info we needed. What do we know about her?”

  “She’s a teacher. Lives out Crown Drive way. Married to an ex EPD cop, a detective. He got shot and invalided out of the force.”

  “She seemed quite open to the possibility that Hunter isn’t the killer.” I said.

  “She must know something. Something we couldn’t find out from snooping around and the police didn’t bother to check on.” Nic suggested. “Did you speak to Mrs. Khan then?”

  “No, Aysha told me that Jasmin wouldn’t want to talk to me.”

  “Because she’s convinced Hunter did it or because she’s still grieving?” Nic asked.

  “Or because she’s hiding something and wants it pinned on Hunter.” I replied.

  “Laura Jones, I am shocked and appalled by your cynicism. But you could be right of course.”

  I shook my head, dismissing the idea. “No, it’s just too damn convenient. Things are never that simple. Let’s see what Aysha knows.”

  “While I’ve got you, this morning I managed to speak to two of Khan’s colleagues from the North Denny drop-in clinic. One is a doctor and the other is a nurse. Both quit which is why Khan was at the clinic so late on the night he was killed.”

  “Do we know why they quit?”

  “They’re being cagey. But I think the doctor has the hots for me. Think she might talk with a bit of flirting.” She gave a wicked smile and a wink. “To that end I’ve convinced her to meet me for coffee around one, here in Everwood. Somewhere nice and public before you say anything.”

  I frowned. It wasn’t the first time Nic had used her feminine wiles to find information and it was something I was uncomfortable with. But I trusted her judgement.

  “OK. I won’t patronize you by asking you to be careful. Or by telling you not to do anything that might jeopardize the case.”

  “You just did both.” Nic shot back.

  “Right.”

  “So, do we have time to case the murder scene this morning then?” Nic asked.

  “Sure…” I began.

  My phone chimed. A couple of notifications flashed up in quick succession. A time and the name of a grocery outlet just outside of town from an unknown number that I guessed belonged to Aysha. The other was from Jim Driscoll, the guard up at the Stone that I was friendly with.

  “Hunter just airlifted to Everwood General. Attempted murder. May have succeeded. Jim.”

  “Nic, I’ve got to go. Someone just tried to kill Hunter Watson.”
/>   Chapter 15

  By the time I arrived at Everwood General, Hunter had been taken into the operating room. An emergency room doctor in scrubs with a two day growth of beard and untidy hair told me what I had been dreading to hear.

  “Your client has about a fifty-fifty chance right now. He’s been stabbed seven times. A lung was punctured, his spleen damaged and he has three cuts to his lower intestines. From what I can gather it was only because of the quick actions of a couple of prison guards that he didn’t bleed to death. As it is…” He spread his hands. “Now, if you’ll excuse me. I’ve got an ER to run but you’re welcome to wait as long as you don’t mind sharing the room with the prison guards who came here with him, as if he’s actually capable of making a run for it.”

  I followed his directions. The ER was busy but seemed under quiet control. The doctor pointed me to a door at the end of a hall flanked by curtained cubicles. Then he walked on to greet the next patient inbound. Jim was one of the guards sitting in the waiting room. I didn’t recognize the other. The men were sitting in plastic chairs watching ESPN on a wall mounted TV.

  I walked in, unslinging my bag from my shoulder and putting it beside a chair next to Jim. I sat.

  “Told you, this wasn’t the case for you, Counselor.” Jim said grimly.

  “How you doing, Jim?” I greeted.

  “Helluva lot worse than before I decided to check on the stores. That’s where they got him, store room behind the kitchen block. Lots of blood.”

  The other guard snorted but kept his eyes on the screen.

  “Who did it?”

  “A kid. Claimed Hunter owed him. But that’s a damn strange way to collect. You ask me, he was hired. Kid was only in for a year.”

  “Who wanted Hunter dead?” I asked.

  Jim shrugged. “What am I? A detective?”

  “No, you’re a prison guard. And a good one. You know your inmates.” I pointed out, flattering him.

  He shrugged. “True enough. You ask me, it was drugs. Kid who did it is a known gang member and he was doing time for possession. Hunter is an addict.”

  I mulled over Jim’s thoughts, letting my eyes rest on the highlights of a basketball game. “Why would a dealer want to kill an addict?” was the obvious question. “Unless he owed them or…” I was thinking aloud, words stimulating thoughts.

  Jim looked at me. Then leaned in close. “Hunter wasn’t in the stores to clean up. He wasn’t trusted enough for that kind of job. We found a cellphone under him where he was lying. And the kitchen block is one of the only parts of the whole damned facility with a good signal.”

  I knew my eyes would be alight. “Where’s the phone now?” I asked.

  “Governor’s office. Until the cops show up and take it into evidence.” Jim replied, returning his attention to the game. “Oh man! How could you miss from there?” He exclaimed.

  “Thanks Jim.” I said gratefully. He winked.

  I picked up my bag and hurried out of the room. I took out my phone.

  “Nic? We’ve got to move fast. I need someone down here for when Hunter comes out of theater. And I need a subpoena prepared for phone records. I’ll pull together the rationale and send it over to you. Prepare the paperwork and I’ll give you the cell number when I have it.” A thought occurred. “In fact, no. You call Governor Warren at the Stone and ask for the details of the contraband cellphone found on Hunter. Tell him we’ll be getting a court order for the phone records and…well you know what to do if he gives you any static.”

  I saw the untidy doctor walking towards me, head down and lost in a clipboard. I grabbed his arm as he passed.

  “Doctor, one of my associates is coming down to wait for Hunter to come out of operating room, Nicola Malone.”

  He looked annoyed. “Sure, the more the merrier. Nothing I like better than having an ER full of lawyers and prison officers. Do you mind?” He hurried away.

  “Just show your ID at the front desk, Nic.” I told her.

  “I’m on it boss.”

  The store Aysha had directed me to was a branch of Save Rite at a retail park a couple of miles east of Everwood. I prowled the parking lot for a few minutes before I saw the dark blue SUV with the license plate she had given. I pulled up in the nearest bay and walked up to the vehicle, tapping on the passenger window.

  A woman in the driver’s seat jumped at the noise then pressed a button on the dash. The door locks clicked off. I got in.

  “Aysha?” I asked.

  “Yes.”

  She had long dark hair and olive colored skin with dark eyes. Her Indian or Pakistani heritage was clear. Possibly mixed race. She was pretty, looking younger than I had expected. She was well dressed and the car looked relatively new.

  “Nice to meet you. I’m Laura Jones. Thank you for meeting with me.”

  She nodded impatiently, peering out of the vehicle at passersby.

  “Everything OK?” I asked.

  “I just don’t want anyone to see me.” She replied. “Jaz went nuts when I told her I had been talking to a defense attorney for…that guy. I need to stay on her good side.”

  “I understand. Family rifts can be hell.” I said sympathetically.

  “Family? Are you kidding. My husband and I loaned her money last year. Loaned it to my brother actually but turns out it was to pay her gambling debts. Now he’s dead and she has control of his estate. We need that money.”

  I nodded slowly, understanding finally. “Well, let’s make this quick. What can you tell me?” I said, getting straight to the point. I took out my phone, showed Aysha that I was switching on the audio recorder and put the phone on the dash. “For the record.” I said.

  It seemed to increase her nervousness. “Look, you’re not a cop right? I mean, of course you’re not. But you’re not like…um…”

  “I’m not a prosecutor. I’m a private attorney. I’m not with the DA.” I assured her, reading between the lines.

  “I don’t want to speak ill of my brother. I loved him. But…Jasmin was a problem. She owed money left and right. And Adil was getting desperate. He borrowed money from my husband and I. I’m sure there were others. All to try and pay off her debts. And I think it got to him. The pressure, you know?”

  I nodded.

  “He never told me. I mean, why would he? I’m his kid sister. But I think he was having an affair. I think it was because of the pressure he was under.”

  “I can understand that. Do you think he’d cheated before?” I asked. I prayed for an affirmative answer. The more often Khan had cheated, the better the chance of one of his lovers becoming known. And then we would have another lead.

  “I know he did. He and my husband were good friends. Marc told me Adil had confided in him once. I was so mad that he hadn’t told me at the time, but that was three years ago.”

  “What was her name?” I asked, almost breathless with anticipation but keeping myself under control, maintaining the facade.

  “Helen Stark. She lived in Elmwood I think.”

  “That’s really useful, Aysha. Thank you.” I said with genuine feeling.

  A vague theory was forming in my mind. Nothing more than an amorphous collection of loosely connected facts, strung together in a tenuous hypothesis. But it was worth exploring. If Hunter survived, we might have the beginnings of a defense.

  Chapter 16

  After leaving Aysha I called the office. Nic was now held up at the hospital but I still wanted to get a look at the murder scene and, if possible, talk to the prosecution’s eyewitness. I had his address in the prosecution’s evidence, Mike Kellag. His address was in an apartment building overlooking the vacant store that Khan had used for his clinic. As I drove toward the freeway that connected Everwood with North Denny, I debated with myself over the merits of diverting to the office for someone to back me up.

  “Screw it.” I muttered as I drove past the turn leading back into town and followed a sign for the off ramp.

  I called Nic first. />
  “Don’t state the obvious to me, but I’m heading out to the murder scene,” was my opener.

  Nic did state the obvious, but when she was done I spoke firmly. “Just stay there. If Hunter is in any condition to talk in the next few hours I want someone right there. I’ll be fine. It’s broad daylight. I’ll check in every half hour.”