Trial by Fury (9780061754715) Read Online Free PDF Page B

trailed behind us, whimpering like a scolded puppy. “But Dr. Baker says…”
    â€œPiss on Doc Baker. You had no business calling him! Now get out of here.”
    I helped Joanna into the car and slammed the door behind her for emphasis. The technician was still standing with his mouth open and clipboard in hand when I fishtailed the Porsche out of the parking lot and onto the street.
    Dodging through a series of side streets, I paused at a stop sign on Boren, signaling for a right-hand turn, planning to drive Joanna Ridley back down to her home in Rainier Valley to talk to her there.
    â€œI don’t want to go home,” she said.
    Surprised, I glanced in her direction. She seemed under control. “Are you sure? I’m going to have to ask you some questions. It might be easier.”
    A marked patrol car, red lights flashing, raced past us on Boren. Obviously, Baker had sounded the alarm and troops were out in force to pull J. P. Beaumont back into line. I waited until the car turned off toward Harborview before I eased the Porsche out into the intersection and turned left.
    â€œI understand what you did back there,” Joanna said quietly. “Thanks.”
    â€œNo problem.”
    I wondered where to take her. Obviously, we couldn’t go to the department, and my own apartment was a bad idea as well. I settledon the only logical answer, the Dog House.
    The Dog House is actually a Seattle institution. It’s a twenty-four-hour restaurant three blocks from my apartment that’s been in business for more than fifty years. I’ve needed. almost daily help from both McDonald’s and the Dog House kitchen to survive my reluctant return to bachelorhood.
    You’ll notice I said the kitchen. The bar at the Dog House is a different story.
    Steering clear of the scene of my previous night’s solo performance, I took Joanna Ridley through the main part of the restaurant and into the back dining room. It was closed, but I knew Wanda would let us sit there undisturbed.
    She brought two cups of coffee at the same time she brought menus. Joanna accepted coffee without comment, but she refused my offer of food. Groping for a way to start the conversation, I asked what I hoped was an innocuous question. “When’s the baby due?”
    It wasn’t nearly innocuous enough. Just that quickly tears appeared in the corners of her eyes. “Two weeks,” she managed. She wiped the tears away and then sat looking at me, her luminous dark eyes searching my face. “Is it true what you said, that your mother raised you alone?”
    I nodded. “My father died before I was born. My parents weren’t married.”
    She lowered her gaze and bit her lip. Her voice was almost a whisper. “Are you saying that’ll make it easier, that we were married?”
    â€œIt’ll be better for the baby,” I returned. “Believe me, I know what I’m talking about.”
    Wanda poked her head in the doorway to see if we were going to order anything besides coffee. I waved her away. I decided I’d offer Joanna Ridley food again later, if either of us had the stomach for it, but now was the time to ask questions, to begin assembling the pieces of the puzzle.
    â€œMrs. Ridley,” I began.
    â€œJoanna,” she corrected.
    â€œJoanna, this will probably be painful, but I have to start somewhere. Do you know if your husband was in any kind of difficulty?”
    â€œDifficulty? What do you mean?”
    â€œGambling, maybe?” Even high school teams and coaches get dragged into gambling scams on occasion.
    Joanna shook her head, and I continued. “Drugs? One way or another, most crimes in this country are connected to the drug trade.”
    â€œNo,” she replied tersely, her face stony.
    â€œWas he under any kind of medical treatment?”
    â€œNo. He was perfectly healthy.”
    â€œYou’re sure he wasn’t taking any