Livid: a Scarpetta Novel by Patricia Cornwell

Author:Patricia Cornwell [CORNWELL, PATRICIA]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Published: 2022-10-25T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 20

The angry crowd is behind us. Then we can’t see it anymore as we follow the Parkway, headed away from Raven Landing and Chilton Farms.

We haven’t gotten far when our police escort’s emergency lights suddenly go dark ahead and behind us. Fruge must assume we’re safe from this point on, and the four cars turn off at the next intersection. I check various news sites to see what we’ve missed in the past few hours.

I’m not surprised that the mob scene we just witnessed is headlining, trending, going viral. Nothing like murder and anarchy to grab the world’s attention, and Rachael Stanwyck’s life is described as full of twisted plots, espionage and other intrigue. Possibly her suspicious death is related to her work with the CIA, and the Russians are behind it.

Maybe she’s a paid hit because of her estranged husband and the dangerous secrets she would know about him. Or she’s a hate crime that’s really directed at her prominent judge sister, and possibly related to the Gilbert Hooke trial. It’s all over the news that the Secret Service is at the helm of the investigation, and the FBI has stepped in because of terrorist threats.

Federal officials are linking Rachael’s “suspected murder” to the attempt on the president earlier today, and I could have predicted that Bose Flagler would rise to the occasion.

“He never misses an opportunity to turn a situation to his advantage,” I continue informing Marino as we follow the dark road we were on earlier, headed home. “Let’s see what he has to say.”

I begin playing the commonwealth’s attorney’s televised soundbite. It’s been distributed to major news outlets and posted on his social media, his statement long and self-serving. I fast-forward to the relevant part.

“… I’ve spoken to Judge Chilton, and of course she’s shocked and heartbroken,” he’s saying into the camera. “But we’re in agreement that what must come first is honoring our commitment to the public. Our top priority has to be the citizens of Virginia who have entrusted us to bring about justice for all…”

He’s seated at his desk in his office before a backdrop of legal tomes and his degrees and commendations. Surrounded by flags on tall poles topped by rampant brass eagles, he looks like the leader of the free world, and that’s his intention. Since he confronted me in court, he’s found time to change into a black suit with narrow blue pinstripes.

He wears an American flag pin in the lapel. His white shirt has French cuffs, his red tie perfectly knotted. He informs us that the Gilbert Hooke trial will resume tomorrow morning as planned. We’re shown an exchange of e-mails in which Annie states unequivocally that she has no intention of recusing herself.

She’s bound to perform her judicial duties as long as she’s able, and promises to be on the bench in the morning when he and Sal Gallo make their closing arguments. But mostly what Flagler’s doing is showing his command of the situation, and implying that he and Annie are allies.

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