Heat Wave Read Online Free PDF Page B

treasurer, who, I believe, is responsible
for the missing money and who is trying to divert suspicion from
herself onto me. I categorically deny these charges.” He folded the
paper and stuffed it back into his pocket.
    Well, at least one thing he’d said was
irrefutable: that was a brief statement.
    The reporters broke into a jumbled chorus of
shouted questions. Mr. Solomon raised his hand to silence them and
stepped up to the microphone. “Mr. Felton will not be answering any
questions at this time,” he said.
    “Who are you?” one of the Boston TV
journalists shouted.
    A reporter near her murmured, “That’s Caleb
Solomon. Serious legal firepower.”
    Mr. Solomon answered from the podium. “I’m
Caleb Solomon. I will be representing Mr. Felton in this matter.
“
    “The missing money is from the pension
fund?” someone shouted. “Does this mean retired town employees
won’t be receiving their pensions?”
    “Accommodations will be made so no retired
employee misses his or her monthly pension check,” Mr. Solomon
said. “Ever since discovering that the funds were missing, Mr.
Felton has been working with the state auditor, insurance
companies, and others to recover this loss. Obviously, we expect
that once the legal system has performed its duty, the perpetrator
of this crime will repay what was stolen.”
    “Did the DA issue an indictment based on
just the allegations of this one person?” a reporter asked.
    “That seems to be it,” Mr.
Solomon replied. “I’ve read the indictment, and as Gertrude Stein
would say, there isn’t much there there.”
    Quoting Gertrude Stein? Meredith’s heart
melted a little, and not from the heat. How could she not look
kindly on someone—even if he was a lawyer—when he cited a famous
literary figure in the middle of a press conference?
    “Are you taking a leave of absence until
your case gets settled?” someone shouted.
    Mr. Solomon’s client leaned toward the
microphone to answer, but the lawyer blocked him. “Mr. Felton will
be taking a paid leave,” he answered. “His assistant, Regina
Stoller, will be handling the town manager’s responsibilities until
this matter is resolved.”
    Town manager. That was why Mr. Felton looked
familiar. As a diligent citizen, Meredith had attended a few town
meetings since moving to Brogan’s Point. She had probably seen him
there, droning about some bond issue or property easement. The town
meetings addressed important subjects: affordable housing,
Community Center facilities, and—near and dear to her—the school
department’s budget. But to partake of those discussions, she had
to sit through long, arid stretches during which fifteen residents
felt obliged to offer their opinions on whether the bathrooms in
the main fire station should be renovated, or whether the town
should license a second Starbucks franchise. She never attended a
town meeting without a book or her e-reader tucked into her bag.
Without something to keep her occupied during the drearier
presentations, she might nod off.
    But she’d definitely seen Mr. Solomon’s
client at those meetings, providing data and narrating power-point
presentations. Jerry Felton. The Brogan’s Point town manager.
    Charged with stealing nearly a million
dollars from the town’s pension fund.
    No wonder Caleb Solomon had sent her his
succinct message. He had his hands full with a brewing municipal
scandal. He had news media all the way from Boston hanging on his
every word. He had to defend a public servant against a major
embezzlement charge. He probably hadn’t had time to type more than
a four-letter word into his phone before he raced off to rescue
Jerry Felton. She would have to find herself a new lawyer.
    I can’t keep from crying…
    For heaven’s sake, she
wasn’t crying. If there was moisture gathering below her eyes, it
was perspiration. She was hot, she was worried, and she was done.
     
     

Chapter Three
     
    Some things were easy to fix. Some