Return of the Prosecutor (Jessie Black Legal Thrillers Book 10) by Larry A. Winters

Author:Larry A. Winters [Winters, Larry A.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-02-01T16:00:00+00:00

22

Maddox Sassone watched Mark Leary approach the Westbrook house. He didn’t like the way Leary’s gaze scanned the surroundings, or the way he seemed to be on high alert even in the quiet of the morning. Maddox was grateful that he’d found a place to park on the street between a pickup truck and a large SUV. The two oversized vehicles screened his Mazda SUV from most directions.

The last thing Maddox needed was a DA’s Office detective getting curious about him—especially one with Leary’s record.

Maddox still wasn’t sure why he’d been tasked with tailing Leary at all. Keep an eye on him, Maddox’s employer had said. He could be trouble.

Maddox’s research had confirmed that Leary was, if not trouble—few people were, when faced with the resources at his employer’s disposal—at least formidable. That excited Maddox, who hadn’t been required to stretch his abilities in some time.

The house was apparently still considered an active crime scene. Yellow tape barred the front door and a uniformed cop holding a Wawa cup stood sentry. As Leary approached the man, Maddox lowered his window and pulled a case onto his lap. He opened the case and sighed.

Maddox’s employer had access to fancy toys, but in Maddox’s experience, they were never as useful in the field as they were in theory. Case in point—the parabolic microphone in the case. It was a prototype that must have cost his employer a small fortune, a supposedly cutting edge, new model with unmatched specs for a long-range listening device.

Too bad it looked like a big satellite dish. Hardly ideal for someone trying to be discreet. It also required wearing a set of headphones. Those might help him hear conversations four-hundred feet away, but if someone snuck up on his car, he’d be taken by surprise.

But you work with the tools you’ve got.

He aimed the dish toward the front of the Westbrook house and tuned the range just as Leary reached the front door.

“How’s it going? Mark Leary. I’m a detective with the DA’s Office.”

“John Kaya,” the officer said. “Did you know the vic? I’m sorry for your loss.”

“We weren’t close.”

The voices came through the mic clearly enough for Maddox to understand the words, although the fidelity was low even on this high-end model.

“Mind if I have a look inside?” Leary said.

“Sure.”

The officer peeled back the police tape. Maddox listened to the sound. He knew once Leary entered the building, he would be lucky to hear anything. The parabolic mic picked up sound waves, which were muted by walls and windows—sometimes completely. Maddox had used similar devices before and knew their limitations.

And that was assuming Leary talked at all. He was alone and would probably survey the crime scene in silence.

Maddox was not surprised when he heard nothing from inside the house. The mic did pick up Officer Kaya humming some insufferable tune. Maddox pulled off the headphones and waited for Leary to come out.

The detective took his time. A full hour passed before he emerged from the house. Maddox slipped the headphones over his ears.

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