The Rose Conspiracy by Craig Parshall

Author:Craig Parshall
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780736964166
Publisher: Harvest House Publishers, Inc.

CHAPTER 39

Frieda was keeping the caller on hold while she paged Blackstone. It was his first day back to the law firm after his discharge from the hospital. He had dutifully reported to physical therapy early that morning. Now it was mid-morning, and he was in his cluttered office in the thick of trial preparation for Vinnie’s case, trying to work effectively around the awkwardness of his shoulder sling.

“J.D.,” Frieda announced on the intercom. “I’ve got Colin Reading on the line.”

“From England?”

“Yes.”

Blackstone remembered him as the personal secretary for Lord Magister Dee.

This is going to be interesting, the lawyer thought as he punched the button to take the call.

“Professor Blackstone?”

“Yes, Colin. What can I do for you?”

Blackstone looked at his watch. With the time difference, it was evening over in England.

“We have been watching your defense of Ms. Archmont with great interest.”

“I am sure you have.”

“Do you mind discussing the case rather briefly?”

“No,” Blackstone replied. “But I will only do it with Lord Dee personally. No offense, but I don’t want any middlemen.”

“Absolutely. We fully understand,” Reading said. “Please hold, and Lord Dee will be with you directly.”

This has got to be important, to interrupt one of Lord Dee’s evening séances, Blackstone said, amusing himself.

A few minutes later, Lord Dee was on the line.

“Professor Blackstone, so good to talk with you again,” he began in his deep British baritone.

“I’m afraid that I will have to remind you,” Blackstone began, skipping the niceties, “of the caveat that I imposed at the beginning of Vinnie’s case when you paid my retainer fee. I instructed you then, and I will remind you again, that the mere fact that you are paying my bill as a third party to her case will in no way be allowed to impair my professional judgment as her defense attorney.”

“Of course, that is fully understood.”

“And further, that I cannot divulge any attorney-client communications that have transpired between Vinnie and me. Nor will I reveal my legal strategies or confidential work product we have uncovered in her defense.”

“Agreed.”

“Lastly,” Blackstone continued, “I still need to belabor the obvious—if it will help Vinnie’s defense and assist in proving her innocence, and if I have any credible basis at all, I won’t hesitate to point the finger at you. To implicate you personally in the Smithsonian crime. Do you understand that?”

There was a pause before Dee responded.

“You have,” Lord Dee said, “rather thrown down the gauntlet with that, haven’t you?”

“I prefer to use a slightly more American metaphor,” Blackstone countered. “I’ve just fired off a warning shot. A little like the battles of Lexington and Concord. Consider yourself, Lord Dee, having been put on notice.”

Blackstone knew that the government prosecutor was still considering Lord Dee to be the unofficial and unindicted chief suspect, the hidden conspirator behind the murder of Horace Langley. Dee’s possible complicity was clear now that Blackstone had read the grand jury testimony of detective Victor Cheski about the meeting in Scotland where Lord Dee was not only a featured speaker, but was also accompanied by Vinnie.

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