Lethal Lineage by Charlotte Hinger Read Free Book Online Page B

the law.” Deal’s voice tightened.
    “Course not,” Sam said. “And he didn’t. And won’t. And there’s no law that says a man can’t have a nice little rifle or shotgun in his own gun rack in his own pickup. As a matter of fact, I recall that’s one of the issues you ran on. The right to carry fire arms. Second amendment and all that.”
    ***
    We took turns dozing and were fully awake when we heard the outside door open shortly after sunrise. We heard Keith, Sam, Harold Sider, and other voices I didn’t recognize. Deal came back to the cell, looking like he hadn’t slept a wink. “Your lawyer is here, then we’re all going over to the courthouse.” He stalked off.
    “Harold can represent us both,” Josie said. “There’s no reason to split this case. Unless you plan to turn on me.” I was too tired to smile.
    But when Harold Sider came back to our cell, he looked worried and even more rumpled than usual after an all-night drive from Manhattan. His soft brown eyes appraised us like we were a couple of teens who couldn’t assess consequences.
    “Now will you ladies tell me what’s going on and how in the hell you managed to get yourselves into such a mess?”
    We both started talking at once, and if it wasn’t for Mary’s death it might have been funny, but all of a sudden it wasn’t. The fact remained that Mary Farnsworth’s family had not been notified.
    One look at Josie’s face told me that despite our previous night’s baiting of Sheriff Deal, she wasn’t taking any of this in stride. She is a clinical psychologist with a lucrative practice and a part-time professor at Kansas State University. Harold began teaching there, too, after he retired from the FBI, but he focuses on forensic anthropology.
    Josie could not afford to just shake hands with Deal when this was over and say “no harm done.” And I knew it wasn’t in her from a personal psychological stand-point either.
    Only fools crossed Josie.
    Harold took notes, nodded, then said, “We are pleading not guilty to the charge of breaking and entering, of course. I’ll move to dismiss all charges and the only words I want to hear from you two are ‘not guilty.’ Got that? Nothing else.”
    We nodded in unison.
    ***
    Magistrate Judge Willard Clawson had already gotten wind of what would take place today. Instead of his usual striped polo shirt and jeans he wore a blue button-down oxford with a limp knit tie and khakis. Normally there was a stack of Farm Journals and weed control bulletins on his desk.
    He was my friend. There aren’t many Democrats in Western Kansas and we tend to bond.
    The Copeland County attorney, Fred Baker, stared at the floor, cleared his throat, and then announced the charges. But he couldn’t look the judge in the eye. There were a number of persons observing the proceedings, all strangers to me. Some had notebooks. Others merely watched.
    Harold moved to drop the charges immediately, and explained the circumstances; that I was the undersheriff of Carlton County and that Josie was a consultant for the KBI as well as the Carlton County sheriff’s department. Judge Clawson knew all that, of course. Then he threw everything out and gave Deal the dressing down of his life.
    Deal’s face grew redder with each passing word. But instead of the county attorney trying to interrupt the judge’s tirade, Fred just stood there and let Clawson go on and on.
    When the judge finished, Harold walked over to Deal and slapped a paper into his hand.
    “You’ve been served,” he said.

Chapter Ten
    Sam drove back to our farm in Keith’s pickup, and Keith, Harold, Josie, and I went in the Tahoe.
    “So just what was in that paper?” Josie asked. “I thought Deal was going to have a stroke.”
    “Charges I’m filing against him,” Harold said. They include false arrest, malicious prosecution, defamation of character, and obstructing a police officer.”
    I was too tired to laugh. I noted my husband’s tense posture,