An Absence of Principal by Jimmy Patterson Read Free Book Online Page A

in my new investigator, we’ll get you off. And we’ll find the person who has pointed the finger at you, and if he’s responsible, we’ll prove that up, too.”
    Tony was emotional as he said goodbye.
    “Have confidence in me, Tony. Forget everything you’re feeling about being accused. You know you didn’t do it. All we have to do is convince a jury,” Trask said.

CHAPTER 5  
    A lthough by no means a proud man, Garrison liked to frequent the Derrick Club. He did like for his workers and clients to see he was known and respected by the big shots, and the Derrick was Midland’s most exclusive spot for the rich and famous.
    “You look a little uncomfortable,” Trask said to Alex. He didn’t know if it was nerves or something else; not everyone felt at home at the Derrick. He felt certain Alex would, being as beautiful as she was. She might have felt out of place, but it was obvious the men there didn’t have a problem with her invading their inner sanctum. Not at all.
    Garrison spent several minutes explaining to her the lay of the land, both in his office, in the Midland County Courthouse and in and around West Texas.
    “People are different out here,” Garrison told her. “They’re good people. Driven. Gentlemen and ladies, all. People want you to be successful here. If you come to Midland and get to work and show that you are a good person, you’ve got as good a chance here as anywhere. Probably better.”
    Garrison noticed that Alex seemed to loosen up a little with his comforting words. But not a lot.
    She continued to look around. More frequently her eyes would meet a stranger who offered a smile and nod.
    “So,” Garrison said, trying to make her feel a little more comfortable, “tell me a little more about yourself.”
    Alex finished her last bite of chocolate cake and took a drink of her latte.
    “I only moved here last month,” she began. “ ‘Why Midland?’ is probably your first question. I’ve often wondered that and I don’t really know the answer clearly yet. It’s a nice enough place. The people are just as you say — friendly. It’s a ten-minute drive to pretty much anywhere. Except maybe from one corner of town to the other. Then it’s eleven. But people stare at me … as though they’ve never seen someone like me before.”
    “Most of them haven’t,” Trask said. “You do look a little out of place. In a good way, of course.”
    Alex changed the subject as abruptly as she had walked into Trask’s world two days earlier.
    “Mr. Trask, have you ever wondered what goes on in the life span of cocaine? Or have you ever wondered how many people lose their life as a 20-pound block of coke goes from being farmed and harvested to delivered to the end user? Have you ever given that any thought?”
    He was even more puzzled now.
    “I don’t suppose I have, no,” Trask said.
    “How can you defend someone accused of murder in a bad drug deal if you don’t even know what goes on during the course of the life of cocaine?”
    Garrison wondered if Alex had some sort of agenda. Her vague presentation made him even more intrigued on the one hand. On the other, he was unsure he wanted to play along. There simply wasn’t any time in his busy day. But he figured he could give her a lunch break or two. See what she had to offer.
    “Can I tell you a story, Mr. Trask? Maybe steal a little bit more than the usual hour for lunch?” she asked.
    She brushed her long red hair back from her face in a way that made it impossible for even the happily married Garrison to refuse.
    He nodded approval, not knowing that what he was about to hear would change much over the course of his next few weeks.
    “Well, I suppose I have a few minutes. We’ve got a man to defend, so we don’t have a lot of time, but we can pick up where we leave off later on if we don’t finish here today.”
    “We won’t. Finish today, I mean,” Alex said assuredly.
    She paused for a moment to collect her thoughts