much of a problem as your attitude toward Jake, based on your previous experience with him. You have done criminal law, haven’t you?”
“Sure. In New York and New Hampshire, and I’ve handled a few minor criminal matters since moving here, but nothing heavy duty. Murder? Jake Walther?” His grimace said to me it was out of the question to even consider it.
“I can’t say that I blame you,” I said. “But Jake’s wife, Mary, came to me and asked for help. I thought of you. They don’t have any money, and I suppose the state will provide a public defender. But do you know something, Joe? Somehow, I’m not convinced Jake killed Rory Brent.”
“Based upon what?”
I shook my head. “I have no idea, and I usually wait until all the facts are in before making a judgment. But it seems that Jake’s nasty reputation—and deservedly so, I might add—might be causing too many people to rush to judgment about his guilt.”
“Including Sheriff Metzger?”
“Maybe not consciously so, but it’s possible. Well, you were good to let me barge in on you in the middle of your work. You look busy, and I’ll get out of your hair.”
He held up his hand. “No, stay a few minutes, Jess. I’d like to hear more. What do you know about Jake Walther’s relationship with Rory Brent?”
I filled him in on what I’d been told, most of it coming from Rory’s son, Robert, that there had been bad blood between Rory and Jake, and that they’d had a verbal confrontation during which, again according to Robert Brent, Jake threatened to kill Rory. I also told him about Mary’s brother, Dennis, providing an alibi for Jake, but then withdrawing it, and further claiming that Jake had threatened him unless he provided the alibi.
“Interesting,” Joe said when I was finished recounting what I knew. “From what you’ve told me, Sheriff Metzger really doesn’t have a lot to hold Jake on.”
“Unless there are things I’m not aware of.”
“That’s always a possibility. But a man not having an alibi isn’t reason enough to book him for murder, at least not according to my legal training.”
“But what about Dennis’s claim that Jake threatened him if he didn’t provide the alibi? That would weigh heavily in terms of potential guilt, wouldn’t it?”
“Sounds bad, but maybe it isn’t. Tell me about this Dennis.”
I filled Joe in on Dennis Solten.
“And Sheriff Metzger is depending upon this guy? It sounds like he’d say anything anybody wants him to.”
“That’s true.”
“And Brent’s son claiming to have overheard Jake threaten his father really isn’t very compelling, either.”
“Well, Joe, as I said, there may be other factors at work here that I don’t know about.”
“You say you’ve talked to Jake’s wife?”
“Yes. I just left her at police headquarters.”
“Did you see Jake there?”
“No.”
“I hope he didn’t give any kind of statement without having a lawyer present.”
“I wouldn’t know about that.”
“The man should have a lawyer with him every step of the way.”
“Obviously a good idea. I don’t know how fast Legal Aid can get a lawyer here, but—”
“Maybe I’ll stroll over to headquarters.”
“To talk to Sheriff Metzger?”
“Yeah. And maybe talk to Jake Walther.”
“But I thought—”
“No promises, Jessica,” he said, standing, taking his suit jacket from where it hung on a wooden coat tree, and slipping it on. “But I wouldn’t want to rule it out without having a chance to talk to them.”
I, too, stood. “Even though he threatened to kill you?”
Joe Turco’s grin was infectious. “Maybe Jake Walther had a bad hair day that morning. By the way, what’s your interest in this, aside from being friends with Mary Walther?”
I followed him down the stairs. “Nothing other than that, really,” I said, not adding that I was thinking of Vaughan Buckley’s call asking me to consider doing a true crime book about the Rory Brent
“Sure. In New York and New Hampshire, and I’ve handled a few minor criminal matters since moving here, but nothing heavy duty. Murder? Jake Walther?” His grimace said to me it was out of the question to even consider it.
“I can’t say that I blame you,” I said. “But Jake’s wife, Mary, came to me and asked for help. I thought of you. They don’t have any money, and I suppose the state will provide a public defender. But do you know something, Joe? Somehow, I’m not convinced Jake killed Rory Brent.”
“Based upon what?”
I shook my head. “I have no idea, and I usually wait until all the facts are in before making a judgment. But it seems that Jake’s nasty reputation—and deservedly so, I might add—might be causing too many people to rush to judgment about his guilt.”
“Including Sheriff Metzger?”
“Maybe not consciously so, but it’s possible. Well, you were good to let me barge in on you in the middle of your work. You look busy, and I’ll get out of your hair.”
He held up his hand. “No, stay a few minutes, Jess. I’d like to hear more. What do you know about Jake Walther’s relationship with Rory Brent?”
I filled him in on what I’d been told, most of it coming from Rory’s son, Robert, that there had been bad blood between Rory and Jake, and that they’d had a verbal confrontation during which, again according to Robert Brent, Jake threatened to kill Rory. I also told him about Mary’s brother, Dennis, providing an alibi for Jake, but then withdrawing it, and further claiming that Jake had threatened him unless he provided the alibi.
“Interesting,” Joe said when I was finished recounting what I knew. “From what you’ve told me, Sheriff Metzger really doesn’t have a lot to hold Jake on.”
“Unless there are things I’m not aware of.”
“That’s always a possibility. But a man not having an alibi isn’t reason enough to book him for murder, at least not according to my legal training.”
“But what about Dennis’s claim that Jake threatened him if he didn’t provide the alibi? That would weigh heavily in terms of potential guilt, wouldn’t it?”
“Sounds bad, but maybe it isn’t. Tell me about this Dennis.”
I filled Joe in on Dennis Solten.
“And Sheriff Metzger is depending upon this guy? It sounds like he’d say anything anybody wants him to.”
“That’s true.”
“And Brent’s son claiming to have overheard Jake threaten his father really isn’t very compelling, either.”
“Well, Joe, as I said, there may be other factors at work here that I don’t know about.”
“You say you’ve talked to Jake’s wife?”
“Yes. I just left her at police headquarters.”
“Did you see Jake there?”
“No.”
“I hope he didn’t give any kind of statement without having a lawyer present.”
“I wouldn’t know about that.”
“The man should have a lawyer with him every step of the way.”
“Obviously a good idea. I don’t know how fast Legal Aid can get a lawyer here, but—”
“Maybe I’ll stroll over to headquarters.”
“To talk to Sheriff Metzger?”
“Yeah. And maybe talk to Jake Walther.”
“But I thought—”
“No promises, Jessica,” he said, standing, taking his suit jacket from where it hung on a wooden coat tree, and slipping it on. “But I wouldn’t want to rule it out without having a chance to talk to them.”
I, too, stood. “Even though he threatened to kill you?”
Joe Turco’s grin was infectious. “Maybe Jake Walther had a bad hair day that morning. By the way, what’s your interest in this, aside from being friends with Mary Walther?”
I followed him down the stairs. “Nothing other than that, really,” I said, not adding that I was thinking of Vaughan Buckley’s call asking me to consider doing a true crime book about the Rory Brent
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