Presumption of Innocence: David Brunelle Legal Thriller #1 by Stephen Penner Read Free Book Online Page A

meet with someone else first."

Chapter 10
     
    "Grande triple americano with one ice cube, please," Kat told the barista.
    "One ice cube?" Brunelle asked as he pulled out his wallet.
    "I like to drink it fast," explained Kat. "And put your wallet away. At least for my drink. I'm paying for myself."
    Brunelle smiled. "Okay. As long as you're not paying for me too. I don't want to owe you anything."
    Kat looked him up and down. Then she started laughing. "Like hell you don't."
    She took her drink and headed for a small table in the corner. Brunelle ordered a brewed coffee and in a few minutes joined her.
    "As much as I'd like to think the coffee invite was because of my dazzling eyes," Kat batted her eyelashes over her drink, "this is business, isn't it?"
    Brunelle shrugged and took a sip from his still too-hot coffee. "Probably both. But yeah, I do need to talk to you about the Montgomery case. Have you done the autopsy yet?"
    "Are you kidding? That was a week ago. We don't let them back up like that. I've done that and a dozen more since."
    Brunelle smiled tightly. "Wonderful."
    Kat laughed again. "I love my job."
    "That's great. Really. I couldn't do it, I know that."
    "It's almost like opening Christmas presents," Kat enthused. "You never know what you're going to find inside."
    "Wow," laughed Brunelle. "Remind me not to let you join our secret Santa this year."
    Kat shook her head. "Fine, Mr. Squeamish. What do you want to know about the Montgomery autopsy?"
    Brunelle was bothered that she might think less of him for being squeamish, but he decided not to protest. He was a lawyer, not a pathologist. He'd never keep up with her on that front.
    "Maybe," Brunelle tried, "it might be best if I just lay it all out on the table."
    Kat laughed. "That's generally how I work."
    Brunelle smiled and shook his head.
    "Sorry," said Kat. "Couldn't resist. By all means, overwhelm me with honesty and candor."
    Brunelle sipped again, then got right to it. "I have two defendants. One confessed, but basically implicated the other. And the other lawyered up."
    "Yeah, I already knew all that."
    Brunelle screwed up his face. "You did?"
    "Well, I read the paper. And besides," she took a long drink of her coffee, "everybody's talking about how Welles kicked your ass in court."
    "He did not kick my ass!"
    The other patrons turned to look at Brunelle. He started to blush. Kat burst out laughing.
    "Oh, you are fun, David Brunelle."
    "He did not kick my ass," Brunelle repeated in a lower voice. "I still got ten mil on his client. But yes, his client is the one who lawyered up. The girl wants a dismissal, and I want to know if there's anything forensically that supports the fact that Welles' client was the killer."
    Kat's radiant smile finally faded as she pursed her lips in thought. But her eyes still sparkled and Brunelle wondered if she could tell just how glad he was to be with her right then, no matter how grisly the conversation.
    "We did fingernail clippings," Kat considered. "DNA might have linked him, but the crime lab said the only profile was hers."
    "Anything from the autopsy to support a larger person, a man, versus, say, a fifteen year old girl?"
      Kat gave a noncommittal shrug. "Maybe. The bindings on the wrists were tight, the flesh was pressed in very deep. That suggests strength. Then there's the whole issue of pulling a 100 pound body up off the ground and tying it off on the balcony."
    "She was only one hundred pounds?"
    "Yeah she was a small little thing."
    That reminded him of something else he needed to ask. Something that would corroborate, to a degree anyway, Holly's claims. But he wasn't entirely sure how to ask it.
    "Um. How thorough are your autopsies?"
    Kat cocked her head. "Very thorough. Of course. That's the whole point."
    Brunelle nodded. "Right, right." He took a nervous sip of his coffee. "Look, I need to ask a question, and it's fine if you don't know the answer. I don't imagine it's something you check usually.