Lou Mason Mystery - 01 - Motion to Kill Read Online Free PDF Page A

murdered. If he had been, Mason would tell her everything and put his faith in the system.
    Kelly cut through his hesitation. “If you don’t tell me, Counselor, someone else will. Someone always sees something, and they’re always anxious to talk about it.”
    Mason knew she was right.
    “Sullivan left with Cara Trent, one of the law school students who work for us during the summer.”
    “I’ll need a list of the names, addresses, and phone numbers of everyone who was at the retreat, especially Cara Trent. I’ve only got the partners’ names so far. Chances are one of them will know where Sullivan was before and after the card game.”
    “I’ve got a firm directory at the hotel. You can have it.”
    “Fine. Let’s start with you. Where were you last night?”
    The color rose in Mason’s cheeks as he considered the tone of her question.
    “I was in my room before the card game, and I spent the rest of the night on the beach where you found me this morning.”
    “Alone?”
    “Alone. Before and after.”
    “Did you talk with anyone? Did anyone see you?”
    “I had room service. You can check with the hotel.”
    “What about when you were on the beach?”
    “Just a couple who were too busy with each other to notice me. You better take me in, Sheriff. I confess. The job was too good. I couldn’t stand all the money.”
    “Let’s hope everyone else is so helpful.”
    The corners of her mouth creased in a neat smile. Well, even the Berlin Wall eventually came down, Mason thought.
    “Was Sullivan working on anything that might make someone want to kill him?”
    He should have expected the question, but her smile had left him flat-footed. He had felt the same way in his last rugby match when a forward got past him with a fake pass. There was a reason that that move was called a dummy. And he was it.
    “The firm has a lot of clients. They have a lot of problems, and they are unhappy about all of them.”
    “I spent the last ten years sifting through more double-talk than you can imagine. Make this easy on both of us and tell me if any of those clients might want to kill him.”
    “I’m not going to speculate about any client. If it turns out that my partner was murdered, I’ll tell you everything I can. Until then, I can’t tell you anything because of the attorney-client privilege. I’m sure the FBI has heard of that.”
    “Mason, I’ll make this simple. If you withhold information in a murder investigation, I’ll shove your smart mouth right up your smart ass. Are we clear on that?”
    “They teach you how to do that at the FBI Academy?”
    “The first day.”

CHAPTER SEVEN
     
    Kelly downshifted as they rolled into the center of the county seat, Starlight, Missouri. The Pope County Courthouse was a classic colonial edifice at least sixty years old. It rose from the center of the town square, with Missouri limestone columns guarding the entrances on all four sides. A Civil War cannon stood resolutely on the south quadrangle. Neatly manicured grass, still lush in spite of the midsummer heat, fanned out from the foundation, flanked by concrete sidewalks.
    The courthouse reminded Mason of Tommy Douchant’s case. It had been his job to do well and do good for Tommy, and he had done neither. His slogan had never proven to be so empty. Afterward, he went over every detail of the trial with Claire.
    “Do it over again,” she told him.
    “I can’t get a new trial without new evidence. You know that.”
    “Then get the evidence and quit feeling sorry for yourself and Tommy. I can’t stand pathetic.”
    He promised himself that he would. It had been four months since Tommy’s trial and three months since he’d started at Sullivan & Christenson. He’d discussed the case at the first partners’ meeting he attended after joining the firm. No one was interested in investing time and money in a case that had already been lost. His promise was gathering dust.
    Riley Brooks met them in the office of