The Fallen Angels Book Club by R. Franklin James Page A

have to speak up for you. Lisa jumped in and said your work spoke for your character. She also reminded Ed that there’s this legal premise about being innocent until proven guilty.”
    â€œI can see why she’s a defense attorney.”
    â€œAnyway, we both convinced him that, as a law firm, we owed you the benefit of the doubt to stand by you. Just try to keep our name out of the media, okay?”
    Hearing his last words, I let out the breath I’d been holding. My eyes welled up and I started to cough.
    â€œHollis, are you okay? Do you want me to come over?”
    If I did, it wouldn’t be under these circumstances.
    â€œNo, no. I’m going to be all right.” It took me a moment to gain control. “I was afraid that if Triple D knew I was a possible murder suspect, I wouldn’t have anyone in my corner. I really appreciate what you and Lisa said on my behalf.”
    â€œYou could have told me. You didn’t have to spend these past days looking over your shoulder.”
    â€œMaybe not, but thank you for making it right for me now.” I meant it more than he knew.
    â€œYou sure you don’t need me to come over?”
    A red warning sign started blinking inside my head. My resistance was too low. “No, I need time by myself. I’ll see you tomorrow after court.”
    I jumped up and down and danced around my living room without missing a beat. Energy depleted, I poured a glass of wine and put a steak in the microwave to defrost. I tried to compartmentalize the day’s events. Abby was gone. The thought slowed me down. Poor Abby; I hated to imagine her dying that way. I didn’t care what she’d said about being greedy and selfish; she was kind and warm to me. Besides, I liked Abby and, but for the hand of fate, we might have been good friends.
    I was okay … for now, but for how long? Unless I figured out who murdered Rory and Abby and revealed which of my club members was an undercover psychopath, I could be not okay very soon. I poured myself another glass of wine, sat down and looked at the Inquiry First printout on Gene. He had been convicted as a co-conspirator under a bribery penal code when he went in. There was a cross-reference to another case number. It wouldn’t take long to run a locator search.

    At work the next day I waited until lunchtime, when it was less likely I’d be interrupted. “Hello, my name is Hollis Morgan. Is Patrick Brennan there?”
    The male voice on the other end took a long time to reply. “What do you want with him?”
    The voice had a bit of a southern twang and suspicion came through the line loud and clear.
    I pushed ahead. “I’d like to talk to him about Gene Donovan. We’re in the same book club together.”
    â€œBook club. What has that got to do with me?”
    Got him .
    â€œMr. Brennan, I know you and he spent some time together in prison. I just want to know if—”
    â€œLook, lady, I don’t know you, and I haven’t spoken to Gene in over a year. We didn’t end on the best of terms.” He sniffed. “Besides, I heard that if you want to talk about Gene, you should talk to the Reverend Campbell.”
    â€œWhere can I find—”
    The click in my ear was my answer.
    I felt stupid for not having a better story ready, but it wasn’t a complete loss. I could follow up on the name he gave me. Still, I needed another pitch.
    I punched Gene’s number into my cellphone.
    â€œHi, Hollis.”
    â€œI hope I didn’t catch you at a bad time, but I’d like to get together and go over the events of the past few days.” I paused. “Maybe we could brainstorm about the Fallen Angels and who might have killed Rory and Abby.”
    â€œUh-huh. What are you up to?”
    Good question. I was glad he couldn’t see that my bravado was faked. “For my own reasons, I need to get these murders solved as quickly as