heart skipped a beat and she couldnât resist the urge to smile. She finally had something to smile about.
Chapter Nineteen
(Tuesday, August 23)
Dennis called Lauren a few days later. âTime for straight talk,â he drawled. âIâve made several calls to Scottsdale P.D. and the county attorneyâs office. I do believe they consider you a suspect in this case. I know Wallace from way back and heâs usually willing to offer me a little something, but he was completely tight-lipped. He would only tell me they were still trying to rule you out. I donât mean to scare you, but that doesnât sound good.â
âThere have been no leaks on the case. None. Iâve had my legal assistants running down every related news story. There are hundreds, but none of them have contributed any information other than what was released on day one. Thatâs very unusual in a case of this magnitude. Usually some of the folks involved in the investigation canât resist sharing the goods with a friend on a big case like this. But not this time.â
This part, at least, was good news. Investigative leaks compromised the integrity of the case. Lauren was grateful that autopsy photos of her sister hadnât been leaked for publication in some cheesy tabloid magazine alongside such headlines as âTom Cruise Gets Liposuction.â However, she would have loved to have gained some insight into the direction of the police investigation.
Dennis continued. âIn a case with this degree of public scrutiny, the police will be looking to make an arrest as quickly as possible. If they had enough evidence to arrest you, they would be eager to do so with full press coverage. No news is good news.â
âBut I want the police to make an arrest in this case. I want a conviction. I want justice for my sister.â
âI understand that, Lauren. But we donât want it to be your arrest and your conviction.â
Chapter Twenty
(Friday, August 19âFriday, August 26)
Lauren slept in until 8:17 on Friday morning. For the first time in weeks, she had not had nightmares. During her morning run, she thought about the baseball game that afternoon with anticipation.
She ran twice as far as usual because she was brimming with excitement, but it was still only 9:25 when she returned home. Too distracted to sit still, Lauren used her day off to respond to a large pile of sympathy cards. Finally, she took a shower, carefully styled her hair and makeup, and deliberated over what to wear before settling on denim shorts and a red Diamondbacks tank top.
The car arrived promptly at four oâclock. Lauren had only traveled in a limo once before, at Liz and Jakeâs wedding. On that occasion, the car had been filled with the excited chatter of Liz and the other bridesmaids. By comparison, this trip was tranquil.
âThe bar is stocked with food and drinks. Please help yourself,â the driver said over the intercom.
Lauren opened the miniature refrigerator, marveling at the selection of beer, wine, and snack foods. She wasnât a big drinker, but she decided to indulge in some chardonnay.
While other cars waited in long lines to get into Chase Field, the limo driver entered a VIP entrance and proceeded to the stadium gates. Lauren gave her ticket to a man at the gate, who escorted her to a skybox behind home plate. The box was immaculately furnished. Lauren was greeted coolly by several baseball wives. All of them were dressed to the nines with high heels showcasing long legs. Lauren felt conspicuously underdressed. The other women warmed up considerably when she introduced herself, proceeding to tell her how much they had all adored Liz.
In general, the playersâ wives seemed more interested in the open bar than they did in the game. Lauren, however, watched every minute of play. During the seventh-inning stretch, she stood and sang âTake Me out to the Ball Gameâ in her
Chapter Nineteen
(Tuesday, August 23)
Dennis called Lauren a few days later. âTime for straight talk,â he drawled. âIâve made several calls to Scottsdale P.D. and the county attorneyâs office. I do believe they consider you a suspect in this case. I know Wallace from way back and heâs usually willing to offer me a little something, but he was completely tight-lipped. He would only tell me they were still trying to rule you out. I donât mean to scare you, but that doesnât sound good.â
âThere have been no leaks on the case. None. Iâve had my legal assistants running down every related news story. There are hundreds, but none of them have contributed any information other than what was released on day one. Thatâs very unusual in a case of this magnitude. Usually some of the folks involved in the investigation canât resist sharing the goods with a friend on a big case like this. But not this time.â
This part, at least, was good news. Investigative leaks compromised the integrity of the case. Lauren was grateful that autopsy photos of her sister hadnât been leaked for publication in some cheesy tabloid magazine alongside such headlines as âTom Cruise Gets Liposuction.â However, she would have loved to have gained some insight into the direction of the police investigation.
Dennis continued. âIn a case with this degree of public scrutiny, the police will be looking to make an arrest as quickly as possible. If they had enough evidence to arrest you, they would be eager to do so with full press coverage. No news is good news.â
âBut I want the police to make an arrest in this case. I want a conviction. I want justice for my sister.â
âI understand that, Lauren. But we donât want it to be your arrest and your conviction.â
Chapter Twenty
(Friday, August 19âFriday, August 26)
Lauren slept in until 8:17 on Friday morning. For the first time in weeks, she had not had nightmares. During her morning run, she thought about the baseball game that afternoon with anticipation.
She ran twice as far as usual because she was brimming with excitement, but it was still only 9:25 when she returned home. Too distracted to sit still, Lauren used her day off to respond to a large pile of sympathy cards. Finally, she took a shower, carefully styled her hair and makeup, and deliberated over what to wear before settling on denim shorts and a red Diamondbacks tank top.
The car arrived promptly at four oâclock. Lauren had only traveled in a limo once before, at Liz and Jakeâs wedding. On that occasion, the car had been filled with the excited chatter of Liz and the other bridesmaids. By comparison, this trip was tranquil.
âThe bar is stocked with food and drinks. Please help yourself,â the driver said over the intercom.
Lauren opened the miniature refrigerator, marveling at the selection of beer, wine, and snack foods. She wasnât a big drinker, but she decided to indulge in some chardonnay.
While other cars waited in long lines to get into Chase Field, the limo driver entered a VIP entrance and proceeded to the stadium gates. Lauren gave her ticket to a man at the gate, who escorted her to a skybox behind home plate. The box was immaculately furnished. Lauren was greeted coolly by several baseball wives. All of them were dressed to the nines with high heels showcasing long legs. Lauren felt conspicuously underdressed. The other women warmed up considerably when she introduced herself, proceeding to tell her how much they had all adored Liz.
In general, the playersâ wives seemed more interested in the open bar than they did in the game. Lauren, however, watched every minute of play. During the seventh-inning stretch, she stood and sang âTake Me out to the Ball Gameâ in her
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