Shadow of Doubt by Terri Blackstock Read Free Book Online Page A

that’s what she is, Jill. Stupid. Or maybe she’s just crazy. You ever thought of that? You’d better, because when I get through gatherin’ all the evidence in this case, the insanity defense might be her only hope.”
    Before either of them knew what had happened, Aggie had leaped up and swung her purse across Sid’s head, knocking him over.
    â€œMan!” he shouted. “Why’d you do that?”
    â€œDon’t you talk ’bout my niece like that again!” the old woman shouted.
    â€œThat thing must weigh a ton!” Sid staggered back, holding the side of his head. “Whatcha got in there? Bricks? I could arrest you for assaultin’ a police officer.”
    â€œYou do it! Throw a eighty-one-year-old woman in jail, see what it gets you!”
    He backed off, as if too exhausted to fight her anymore. “Guess this insanity thing runs in the blasted family.”
    Then mumbling under his breath, he headed for Jim Shoemaker’s office.
    Jill caught up with him and blocked his entrance. “Sid, is my client under arrest?”
    â€œThat’s what I’m goin’ in to talk to the chief about.”
    â€œYou don’t have probable cause. You don’t have a shred of evidence. All you have is an unsolved case from six years ago.” Sid ignored her and tried to get around her.
    â€œSid, think . Why would she tell you it was arsenic if she wanted him dead? It would have taken days to discover that, postmortem, if they hadn’t known to test him for it. Use your logic!”
    â€œMy logic tells me she could be a few bricks shy of a full load, Jill. That maybe she tried to kill him and got cold feet at the last minute. I’ll leave that to the psychiatrists. All’s I know is we got a police detective layin’ half dead in the hospital, and she’s the only suspect we got. I don’t care how blonde, how pretty, or how married she is. If she’s a killer, I’m gon’ lock her up.”
    Jill wasn’t about to leave it at that. As he started into Jim’s office, she followed him in.
    â€œJim, since you’re finished questioning my client, I’m telling her she can leave,” she blurted before Sid could get anything out.
    â€œOh, no, you don’t,” Sid said. “Jim, I’m gon’ book her.”
    Jim sank back in his seat. “You can’t book her, Sid. We don’t have any compelling evidence or any probable cause.”
    Jill shot him a satisfied look, but he didn’t give up.
    â€œJim, who else coulda done it?” Sid demanded. “Look, she’s my friend, too. I’ve always liked Celia. But the facts just stack up against her.”
    â€œWhat if you’re wrong?” Jim asked. “And you have to explain to Stan why you locked up his wife when he needed her most? And on her birthday, to boot.”
    Jill leaned over his desk. “Jim, all she wants to do is go back to the hospital and be with him. She’s scared to death. Let her go. You’ll know where she is.”
    Jim nodded and looked up at Sid. “Tell her she can go home, but not to leave town.”
    â€œWhat about Slidell?” Jill asked. “That’s where Stan is.”
    â€œTell her not to go farther than Slidell. And we may have to question her more later.”
    Sid went to a filing cabinet and leaned his elbow on it. His anger was on simmer, working up to a low boil. Jim got up, rubbing his paunch. “Sid, the investigation continues. If you show me evidence that Celia did this, I won’t hesitate to lock her up.”
    Sid nodded and started back out the door. “I got work to do.”
    Jill shook Jim’s hand and thanked him, then went to tell Celia the good news.

Chapter Nine
    T hey had moved Stan to a room by the time Celia got back to the hospital, and she hurried up to his floor. Hannah and Bart, her in-laws, were in there with him, watching a television