friend of mine. I’m here to guide his daughters through the process. Nothing more.”
Even I began to relax. Walt had a way of making you believe there was nothing he couldn’t handle and that everything was going to turn out all right.
The lieutenant’s grip on his upper arms tightened perceptibly. Then he took a deep breath while lowering his arms and resting his hands on the desk top.
“ Okay, ladies, just walk me through yesterday. Tell me about entering the house, and how and when you discovered Senator Henry. Who wants to start?”
“ I will,” I said. Still wanting to protect Melanie from Jack McAllister’s wrath I thought that if I spilled the beans, she could always tell him it had been me who revealed his presence there. She would be off the hook.
And so without embellishments, as Walt had advised, I described driving out to Bradley Creek with Melanie, of meeting Jack McAllister there – at which point both Lieutenant Edmunds’s and Walt’s eyes widened – and then went on to describe entering the house.
Moving quickly for such a large man, Lieutenant Edmunds cornered his desk and settled heavily in his chair. “I think I need to record this,” he said, reaching for a small tape recorder. “Any objections, Walt?”
“ None whatsoever. My clients have nothing to hide.”
“ Clients?” Edmunds arched his eyebrows as if vaguely amused.
With the tape recorder running, I continued my tale of exploring the house with Melanie and Jack. Of how the three of us had remained together until Melanie’s phone rang and Jack entered the master bedroom alone. Of how he had yelled for us to come at once.
“ We saw that something was wrong with the senator,” I said.
“ Wait a minute. You recognized him right away? You knew who he was?” the lieutenant asked.
“ Yes, we both know him. I met him Saturday night. He was a guest at Melanie’s flotilla party.”
“ Let me understand.” He turned to Melanie. “You socialized with Senator Henry?”
“ No, I wouldn’t characterize our association that way. It’s a business relationship. I’ve met him a couple of time at realtors’ conventions and political fundraisers. This was the first time I’d invited him to a party.”
I interjected, “We called 9-1-1 as soon as we found him and saw that he was . . . having some sort of medical emergency. The firemen came and the paramedics. And then Nick . . . that is Detective Yost . . . came. You know the rest,” I finished.
“ No, actually, I don’t,” the lieutenant said firmly. “I don’t know why McAllister did not remain, why he left.”
I pressed my lips together. “You’ll have to ask him that.”
Walt intervened, “I think that is a question best addressed to Mr. McAllister.”
“ I intend to.” Then the lieutenant focused his attention on Melanie. “Ms. Wilkes, do you have anything to add to your sister’s statement? Do you agree this is way the events transpired?”
“ Yes, my sister Ashley described finding Senator Henry exactly as it happened. But I do have something to add.”
She gave Walt a warning glance. She wanted him prepared for what came next.
“ As Ashley said, we both hardly know – knew Senator Henry. However, he is also a client. I showed him the house yesterday morning.”
“ You showed him the house?” the lieutenant asked slowly. “You took him into the house?”
Melanie nodded her assent.
“ You’ll have to speak up.”
“ Yes,” she said then repeated loudly for the tape recorder, “yes.”
“ Tell me about that? How did the senator appear? Was he short of breath? Stressed? Did you notice anything out of the ordinary?”
“ I didn’t notice anything unusual. I met him there at the house at nine a.m. I showed him through the house. He had no trouble climbing the stairs. He seemed fine.”
“ And then what happened?”
“ He admired the house but admitted it was out of his price range. I couldn’t help wondering why he was wasting
Even I began to relax. Walt had a way of making you believe there was nothing he couldn’t handle and that everything was going to turn out all right.
The lieutenant’s grip on his upper arms tightened perceptibly. Then he took a deep breath while lowering his arms and resting his hands on the desk top.
“ Okay, ladies, just walk me through yesterday. Tell me about entering the house, and how and when you discovered Senator Henry. Who wants to start?”
“ I will,” I said. Still wanting to protect Melanie from Jack McAllister’s wrath I thought that if I spilled the beans, she could always tell him it had been me who revealed his presence there. She would be off the hook.
And so without embellishments, as Walt had advised, I described driving out to Bradley Creek with Melanie, of meeting Jack McAllister there – at which point both Lieutenant Edmunds’s and Walt’s eyes widened – and then went on to describe entering the house.
Moving quickly for such a large man, Lieutenant Edmunds cornered his desk and settled heavily in his chair. “I think I need to record this,” he said, reaching for a small tape recorder. “Any objections, Walt?”
“ None whatsoever. My clients have nothing to hide.”
“ Clients?” Edmunds arched his eyebrows as if vaguely amused.
With the tape recorder running, I continued my tale of exploring the house with Melanie and Jack. Of how the three of us had remained together until Melanie’s phone rang and Jack entered the master bedroom alone. Of how he had yelled for us to come at once.
“ We saw that something was wrong with the senator,” I said.
“ Wait a minute. You recognized him right away? You knew who he was?” the lieutenant asked.
“ Yes, we both know him. I met him Saturday night. He was a guest at Melanie’s flotilla party.”
“ Let me understand.” He turned to Melanie. “You socialized with Senator Henry?”
“ No, I wouldn’t characterize our association that way. It’s a business relationship. I’ve met him a couple of time at realtors’ conventions and political fundraisers. This was the first time I’d invited him to a party.”
I interjected, “We called 9-1-1 as soon as we found him and saw that he was . . . having some sort of medical emergency. The firemen came and the paramedics. And then Nick . . . that is Detective Yost . . . came. You know the rest,” I finished.
“ No, actually, I don’t,” the lieutenant said firmly. “I don’t know why McAllister did not remain, why he left.”
I pressed my lips together. “You’ll have to ask him that.”
Walt intervened, “I think that is a question best addressed to Mr. McAllister.”
“ I intend to.” Then the lieutenant focused his attention on Melanie. “Ms. Wilkes, do you have anything to add to your sister’s statement? Do you agree this is way the events transpired?”
“ Yes, my sister Ashley described finding Senator Henry exactly as it happened. But I do have something to add.”
She gave Walt a warning glance. She wanted him prepared for what came next.
“ As Ashley said, we both hardly know – knew Senator Henry. However, he is also a client. I showed him the house yesterday morning.”
“ You showed him the house?” the lieutenant asked slowly. “You took him into the house?”
Melanie nodded her assent.
“ You’ll have to speak up.”
“ Yes,” she said then repeated loudly for the tape recorder, “yes.”
“ Tell me about that? How did the senator appear? Was he short of breath? Stressed? Did you notice anything out of the ordinary?”
“ I didn’t notice anything unusual. I met him there at the house at nine a.m. I showed him through the house. He had no trouble climbing the stairs. He seemed fine.”
“ And then what happened?”
“ He admired the house but admitted it was out of his price range. I couldn’t help wondering why he was wasting
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