Heart of Ice by April Henry, Lis Wiehl Read Free Book Online Page B

people who came to him, then you couldn’t afford to be choosy. Couldn’t afford not to pay his high fees. Because otherwise Stone would be more than happy to leave you to the services of a public defender.
    Allison checked her watch. 11:58. Getting up, she turned on the small TV in her office to Channel Four. Cassidy had told her that Stone had announced plans to hold a press conference at eleven. The media-savvy Stone had picked a time that would ensure it would get the most play. Most stations wouldn’t risk a live news conference in case it turned out to be filled with nothing but hot air, but the eleven o’clock time frame allowed them just enough time to film and edit a two-minute segment.
    Allison would never have gone—it would show weakness—but she would watch all the coverage and order transcripts. The catnip Stone had offered the media was Foley’s fiancée. Until now, she had been in hiding. Stone had promised that she had something important to reveal to the press.
    After briefly running through the day’s top national and local stories—flooding in Ohio, a child left stranded on a MAX rail platform, a tease about the week’s weather—the news anchor cut away to Mike Stone standing in front of a bank of microphones in what looked like a hotel conference room.
    In ringing tones, Stone said, “My client, Colton Foley, is not guilty of these ridiculous trumped-up charges. I am confident that at the end of the day, given the facts of this case, the lack of evidence, and the faulty investigation, my client will be freed. Colton has the full support of his family, his friends, and his fiancée, Zoe Barrett, who is with me here today. I have not received any document or report or piece of evidence other than what I heard in the courtroom. All I have at the moment are words—no proof of anything.”
    Seeing as how Stone’s clients literally lived and died by words, Allison found it grimly amusing that he dismissed them so blithely. But it was true that they needed more evidence to convict Foley. The search of the condo that he shared with his fiancée had turned up a roll of duct tape and a single pair of plastic flex-cuff restraints—no gun or weapon, and nothing from any of the victims.
    Stone continued, “The police completely searched my client’s condominium but found absolutely nothing of any significance. A roll of duct tape? Heck, if that’s all it takes to be guilty of these crimes, 75 percent of Portlanders could be indicted.”
    A few of the reporters laughed.
    “And as for the plastic handcuffs, Zoe has a few words she would like to say.”
    The young woman, her eyes downcast so that her shoulder-length blonde hair obscured her face, stepped to the microphone. “This is very embarrassing for me to say, but Colton and I sometimes used those plastic restraints to play games.” She exhaled, and the microphone caught how her breath wobbled. “They were my idea. Of course, I had no idea that my personal and private life would have to go on display to right this travesty of justice. I love Colton and will continue to stand by him until he is freed and we can resume our wonderful life together.”
    Oh, honey , Allison thought as she looked at the trembling girl. Did someone put you up to that? Or was your boyfriend clever enough to have covered his own tracks in advance ?
    Then it was back to the news anchor. “Our own Cassidy Shaw was at the press conference this morning, but neither Foley’s attorney nor his fiancée took questions.”
    The camera pulled back to show Cassidy sitting next to the anchor.
    Cassidy looked into the camera, and it was like she was looking right into Allison’s eyes. “I understand the crime lab is trying to link the single plastic restraint found at Foley’s condo to the ones that bound the victims’ hands. But Foley’s attorney is right—the federal prosecutor needs more than circumstantial evidence to win this case.”
    I t was dark by the time Allison