Disappearing The Dead: A Paul Bennett Legal Thriller (Book 1) by KJ SUTHERLAND

Author:KJ SUTHERLAND [SUTHERLAND, KJ]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Greylord Press
Published: 2022-08-02T16:00:00+00:00

Stone dismissed the court members and spent the next thirty minutes lecturing Paul and his team. Paul listened, but Stone’s lecture on unprofessional behavior had little impact. He was determined to enable every weapon he had to leverage the imbalance of power between the Air Force and his client.

After Stone recessed, Paul headed to the door in search of Amanda, but before he got there, Carson summoned him with a crooked index finger. Paul followed Carson through the side door and down a short corridor past the court-member deliberation room and visiting counsel offices.

“Shut the door, Paul,” Carson said as he made himself at home behind a Steelcase Tanker desk. He pointed to the chair in front of it. “Please…sit, relax.”

Paul sat down, but he had no intention of getting comfortable.

Carson folded his hands and rested them on his paunch. Paul watched them rise and fall as Carson breathed in and out.

“How’s little Max doing with those treatments of his?” Carson’s voice dripped with feigned concern.

“He’s fine.”

“I saw Amanda in the courtroom this morning. How’s she doing?”

“She’s fine.”

“I heard she just got back from the States, something to do with her mom. Everything okay there?”

Paul cocked a skeptical eyebrow. “I know you didn’t call me in here to chat about Max, Amanda, or her mother’s gallstone operation.”

Carson tinkered with the miniature pewter-molded fighter jet resting on top of a desk clock. “Now that’s where you’re wrong, Paul. I care very much about your family and their welfare.”

Paul glanced at his watch. “That’s nice.”

“Don’t worry about the time; I told Judge Stone that I needed to talk to you, and he agreed not to open court until we’re finished.”

“Sounds serious.”

“It is.”

“Then why are you smiling?”

Carson cleared his throat. “It has to do with funding.”

“Funding?” Paul frowned. “Judge Stone denied my motion to fund a defense investigator, and I have no intention of renewing it.”

“Not that funding…something much closer to home.”

Paul felt the hairs on the back of his neck bristle. “Max?”

Carson nodded.

“Something to do with his treatments?”

Carson made a clucking noise with his tongue. “As it turns out, Paul, the Air Force is not legally authorized to subsidize your payments to the clinic in Switzerland for any medical treatments.”

“Since when?”

“Since the very beginning. It was a mistake. Someone misinterpreted the regulation.”

“That’s impossible. It was all approved before I accepted my commission.”

“I rather expected that you would have a hard time accepting this. It’s a hard pill to swallow, but I hope I can count on you to man up.”

Paul wanted to ram his fist into Carson’s greasy face.

“You okay, Paul?”

Paul was not okay. He got up and began to pace from one window to the other.

“You don’t look too good. In fact, you look rather peaked.”

“If Max doesn’t get those treatments, he won’t…” Paul exhaled a shuddery breath.

“The military won’t stop you from seeking medical care from the Swiss clinic. It’s just that…well, now you’ll have to pick up the tab.”

The room started to spin, and Paul felt a deep flush creep up his neck.

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