Deadly Charade

Deadly Charade Read Free Page B

Book: Deadly Charade Read Free
Author: Virna Depaul
Tags: Romance, fullybook
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between them, it hadn’t been enough. Because she hadn’t been enough. Not enough to overcome his cravings for drugs. And even worse, not enough to stop him from getting hold of those same drugs—bringing those very drugs into their home —with every intention of using them.
    “I’m sensing a fashion intervention is in order,” Neil said, jolting her from her thoughts. “But you know what they say,” he joked. “Being flawed doesn’t mean you’re not lovable. I’m sure you looked beautiful,” Neil murmured. He watched her steadily. Warmly.
    And that warmth eased some of the chill in her bones in a way the coffee hadn’t been able to. Linda smiled and seriously reconsidered accepting one of his dinner invitations. What harm could it do?
    Maybe she wasn’t bowled over by passion right now, but that could change.
    They chatted about work for a few minutes longer before court began. As Linda took her seat at the prosecutor’s table, she saw movement out of the corner of her eye. Allie Ranch, one of the law-school students interning at the D.A.’s office, smiled and waved to her. Next to her sat Brian Heald, a fellow prosecutor who’d just returned from vacation. Right now Brian seemed to be checking out a brunette across the room. So what else was new? Since his divorce the guy had been chasing everything in skirts, Linda included. She just hoped he had enough sense not to hit on Allie.
    Lunch? Allie mouthed.
    Allie was only a few years younger than Linda. She’d been an accountant before going back to law school and Linda admired her for being willing to pursue her dream. Linda nodded, confirming they’d have lunch, then turned toward the bench. After routine introductions and instructions to the courtroom audience, the court session began.
    “Larry Moser,” the court clerk recited. “Charged with assault with a deadly weapon, resisting arrest and assault upon a police dog.” Linda opened up Moser’s file, reading it quickly as Mr. Moser stood up in the jury box. As was always the case, she didn’t know the contents of the files in her box but the notes the charging deputy had left were all she needed to handle this phase of the proceedings. Once things progressed to plea bargaining or trial, she’d obviously know the file inside and out.
    Moser’s muscular six-foot-eight body dwarfed the inmates seated around him. He grinned wildly at his audience as they gaped at his bald head and the tattoo smack dab in the center of his forehead. A swastika.
    According to his file, officers had chased Moser into a nearby residence after he had assaulted a man with a bat. Officers had surrounded the house and sent in one of their K-9 dogs when Moser had refused to come out. To their dismay, Moser had walked out of the house clutching the dog by the throat and laughing like a maniac. Officers had managed to subdue him and save the dog, but Moser had made his point. Unfortunately for him he had a long history of priors, including manufacturing and selling drugs, and if convicted of his current crimes, he’d be facing a three-strikes sentence. As expected, he issued his not guilty plea just like the twenty defendants before him, and the clerk rattled off the date of his next pretrial conference.
    For the next hour the calendar progressed and Linda was just about to ask for a bathroom break when the clerk called the next case.
    “The next defendant is charged with the first degree murder of Mark Guapo.”
    Linda’s head snapped up. But before she could react any further to the news that Mark Guapo was dead, the clerk gave her another shock.
    “The defendant’s name is Anthony Cooper.”
    The name echoed in Linda’s head for a moment, disorienting her. She stiffened when she saw the next defendant rise. He was seated in the jury box along with the other in-custody defendants. He sat right next to Moser, and despite the differences in their size, he looked even more ruthless.
    Tony.
    Her knees jerked up

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