Defensive Wounds by Lisa Black Read Free Book Online Page B

him. “That’s exactly who we’re talking about, Detective Patrick. The woman you all despise because she beat you at your own games. Tell me you haven’t done a fist bump over her cooling body. Reporters are already prepping sound bites wondering if Marie’s own handiwork came back to haunt her in the form of some psycho she kept on the streets. Some sensible-looking lady in the bar asked me if the bitch was really dead. Why should I believe you’re going to properly investigate this murder?”
    â€œLet me get this straight,” he said. “ You’re worried about someone getting off ?”
    Sonia threw up her hands. “See what I mean? We’re below some Quincy Avenue gangbangers in your estimation. You’re waiting to pin a medal on whoever killed her.”
    â€œYeah, a big shiny one. But I’ll still have to catch him first. Are you going to help or not?”
    â€œSonia,” Theresa said, probably figuring she’d better get a lid on her friend before the attorney could work up a really good fury of righteous indignation, “when did you last see Marie?”
    The woman sighed. “At the luncheon yesterday.”
    Frank stopped her to ask if she would sign a statement, and she agreed, but then he let Theresa ask the questions.
    Sonia told them, “I grabbed a spot at her table, for the same reason she had—because the ‘Recent Supreme Court Decisions’ speaker was sitting there, and I wanted to ask him about Melendez-Diaz v. Massachusetts .”
    â€œAnd what did Marie want?”
    â€œTo sit with a speaker and not just a bunch of schlubs. Marie had the art of career networking down pat.” Sonia shook her head, but with a small, admiring smile. “Anyway, before you ask, we just talked about the seminar and what to do in Cleveland and the high price of parking. Marie seemed fine, glowing, the life of the party, just like always.”
    â€œNo arguments, complaints?” Theresa asked.
    â€œNone.”
    â€œDid she flirt with this speaker?”
    â€œYeah, but he didn’t seem to be going for it. He had a wedding ring on.”
    Frank stifled a chuckle at the idea that a ring would stop a man at an out-of-town function. Theresa went on. “Anyone else seem especially taken with Marie?”
    â€œOnly the usual—every guy at the table checking out her rack.”
    â€œSomeone mentioned that Marie had raised some sort of a fuss at the luncheon?”
    Sonia rubbed her eyes, devoid of makeup. “No. She sent her veal piccata back, said it tasted old, and refused another one. She got pretty curt with the waiter. I felt sorry for him, but with Marie—she either wanted more attention from the speaker guy or just an excuse not to eat her lunch. I’ve seen her at a lot of functions, and she never eats much. I’ve always suspected bulimia there. Did you know that surgeons and trial lawyers have the highest rate of alcoholism, drug addiction, and eating disorders? And she’s got to keep her figure to keep her image. No one’s afraid of an attorney who looks like me,” she added, prodding her own rolling waistline.
    â€œHow long have you known Marie?” Theresa asked. Frank cleared his throat, to let her know she had veered off topic. She ignored him, of course.
    â€œSince law school. She’s our age.”
    Theresa goggled. “Then how does she look like she’s twenty-five?”
    â€œBy not eating, I guess.” Sonia shrugged. “Maybe a tuck here or there. I told you, she took care of her image.”
    â€œCan we get to more recent history?” Frank asked, before they could start exchanging diet tips. “Was she planning to hook up with anyone in between seminars?”
    â€œI wouldn’t know. Marie was nice to me—Don’t raise your eyebrows, she really was. Even though I obviously have the social status of a half-dead rat, she has always been