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“Fortunately, yes, and they made an easy arrest, the man’s fingerprints were found in several locations inside the O’Connor home. They got lucky on this one. The man responsible was already arrested.”
Oh, shit. I thought I’d recognized the house where the bodies were found. It was the estate of Ronan and Fiona O’Connor. Hewas considered one of the most powerful men in Kentucky given his standing as the leader of the mob. He was also untouchable, or least he had been, his friends including several members of Congress. No wonder the police chief had called, putting our department on high alert. We’d be pressured into getting a guilty verdict as quickly as possible.
While I knew very little about the organization, I knew enough to know Ronan’s brother, Liam, wouldn’t let the deaths go without retaliation. The entire case could get messy as fuck for both the city and our office. Thankfully, an arrest had been made, although I was shocked it had been that easy. Members of organized crime were extremely careful not to leave evidence of any kind, which was why so few were arrested, even fewer convictions upheld.
“A slam dunk,” I mused. “What do you need me to do?”
“Prosecute the case, but it’s high profile given the man arrested is wealthy, powerful, and influential, his attorney already breathing down the police’s necks and inundating my office with calls. And no, I’ve yet to speak with him. I’ve been overwhelmed with calls from everyone including the press, and the police chief is hoping our involvement will calm the waters. Just remember that the press is all over this. Do not say anything to them at this point.”
“I can see that and don’t worry. I know how to navigate the press. Okay. I’ll rally up and get into the office.” The fact everyone was being tight-lipped about this fascinated me.
It also sent up a red flag. I’d never known Christine to hide anything from me but there was a first time for everything.
“I hate this shit,” she muttered.
“Any idea when the murders took place?”
“The bodies weren’t found until yesterday and the ME has yet to release her report, but from the level of rigor mortis, the guess is the event took place sometime on Saturday night.”
Saturday night. “Who found them?”
“Ronan’s brother.”
Fuck. I’d heard enough about Liam O’Connor to know he was one bad dude.
“Why don’t you stop by the precinct where our suspect is being held before heading to the office this morning. I think it would be a good idea for you to get a feel of what we’re dealing with,” Christine said. Her suggestion was more of a command. However, there was a strange tone in her voice, an edge I didn’t normally hear.
Why did I have the distinct feeling she was purposely keeping something from me? Her request was out of the ordinary to say the least. The last thing I wanted to do was to question her. That was one huge no-no, and everyone knew it. Especially when she was in a terse mood, which she certainly was right now. “I can do that.”
“Good. I knew I could count on you. I’ll send you as many of the particulars as I’ve been provided, which isn’t much up to this point. The police are being tight-lipped as you might imagine. By the time you arrive, his attorney should be in town. Just be careful what you ask the perp because the last thing we want to do is botch this case.”
“Yes, I’m certain the police are.” I ignored her comment about botching the case. She knew me better than that. I had a ninety-nine percent win rate, which was one reason she’d dropped this one in my lap. Okay, so a good reason for that had been her mentorship. Still, I was the one with the skills inside a courtroom, never allowing anything to get under my skin.
I took another sip of coffee and realized my stomach was already churning. This was the last thing I needed, but in my eagerness to climb up the ladder of success, my boss had just extended an olive branch. “I’ll head to the precinct as soon as you provide me with the information.”
“Will do here in a couple minutes via email. Thanks again for your help. I can always count on you to be a team player.” That’s what she always said, which often made me feel like a suck-up.
“Wait. What’s the suspect’s name?” When she didn’t answer, I pulled the phone away, groaning. She’d already ended the call.
It would appear my workweek was starting early. I’d definitely need girl time tonight. I pulled up Jenny’s phone number, shifting to the texting screen.
Bring two bottles of wine. I think I’m going to need it.
After hitting send on my text, I wondered if it was too early to start drinking.
The evidence was sketchy as fuck, at least from what I could tell from the cursory glance I was able to have before heading into the precinct. Christine had sent the information while I was driving. I’d literally parked and grabbed my iPad, taking a quickglance when the members of the local press surrounded my car. I wasn’t certain how, but it was apparent they knew what I drove and who I was. It was a pain in the ass to get this annoyed so early in the morning. I’d done everything in my power to stay out of the limelight since becoming a lead prosecutor. As my father had warned me, becoming famous in my position could get me killed.
The reporters raced in my direction, shoving microphones in my face.
“Ms. Beckett, do you believe the man responsible will be found guilty?”
“Ms. Beckett, do you have a solid case against the man who was arrested?”
The questions came fast and furious and without merit. I resisted being nasty, trying to keep a smile on my face even when I was almost tripped in my effort to get inside the precinct. God, they were relentless. If I didn’t know better, I’d say someone warned them I was arriving, promising a huge scoop, their great fifteen minutes of fame. That made me want to clam up more. “No comment at this time.”
That didn’t seem good enough, another volley of questions making my head spin.
Christ. They were like vultures refusing to give up, hounding me as I headed for the glass doors. Only when I’d walked inside did they stop, which shocked me. I took a deep breath, moving away from the prying eyes standing just outside. How had this gotten to be such a hot mess so quickly?
