In Self-Defense by A. W. Gray

Author:A. W. Gray
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
Published: 2015-05-21T20:04:11+00:00

21

Bradford Brie grinned through the one-way mirror and stuck out his tongue. He poked his thumbs into his ears and waggled his fingers. Then he walked up to the glass and licked it. Finally he pointed at the mirror and silently formed the word “You,” then made a big O with his lips and squeezed his crotch.

“Lovely,” Sharon said. She was on the other side of the glass, watching Brie move about inside the police interview room. He now sat down at a bare wood table and crossed his eyes. “You’d almost think he knows we’re out here,” Sharon said.

“There’s always a funny man,” assistant DA Ed Teeter said. “Monkey see, monkey do. You’re really pretty lucky, Miss Hays. You’re positive this is the same guy that took your picture?”

Sharon hooked her elbow over the back of her chair and crossed her legs. “Sure it’s him.” She wore stretch blue denims and an orange cotton oversized knit shirt.

“Bradford Herman Brie,” the prosecutor said. “Four years ago he broke out of Coffield Farm and held a woman hostage in her house for nearly a week. She was in therapy for a few months after that. Finally she killed herself.”

Sharon looked at her lap as she smoothed her hair and bit her lower lip. “He wanted my daughter. You can handle all these cases as a lawyer, but it never seems real until it happens to you.”

Teeter was seated on the conference table with his feet dangling and his hands gripping the table’s edge. He wore a button-down sports shirt and pleated brown slacks. It was almost four in the morning, and Sharon had been at the station for over three hours.

“You’ve given a statement,” Teeter said. “I suppose that’s all we need for now.”

Sharon watched through the glass as Brie picked his nose. “How can that be all?” she said. “The only statement I’ve given has to do with seeing him downtown and him taking my picture.”

Teeter regarded his knees. “We can get the rest later.”

“I’m in the middle of an examining trial,” Sharon said. “After which we’re going to break our necks getting ready for the real thing. I’d as soon give my entire statement now, while it’s all fresh.”

“You seeing him around the corner from Howard Saw’s office,” Teeter said, “that’s corroboration for what our other witness has to say. We can use you.”

“Your other witness being Wilfred Donello?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Teeter said.

“That’s fine for Howard Saw’s murder,” Sharon said. “But what about the little matter of his breaking into my home?”

Teeter nervously cleared his throat. “It’s sure something to hold on to.”

Sharon arched an eyebrow. “I’m not sure I follow.”

Teeter brushed lint from his pants leg and looked up at the ceiling. “We’re talking a real bad actor here, and before we do anything else we’ve got to prosecute the more serious charge. That’s the murder. I’m not sure if we can get the death penalty, but we’ll try for it. You know the law, Miss Hays. Howard Saw wasn’t a cop or a fireman.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.