The Scent of Lies: A Paradise Valley Mystery by Debra Burroughs Page B
Authors: Debra Burroughs
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Alex phoned Emily and told her Delia’s arraignment was scheduled for ten o’clock. Despite her niggling questions about Evan, she was determined to get her focus back on Delia. Finding Ricardo’s killer would have to take priority over finding Evan’s for now. Armed with a notebook and a micro-recorder, she rushed to the county courthouse over in Boise.
Making it through the metal detectors inside the massive entrance, she located the courtroom number Alex had given her. The gallery was more than half full. She assumed most of the people being arraigned that morning would be drunk drivers, burglars, and the like—stupid people doing stupid things over the weekend. She thought about how Evan used to say, “If stupid hurt, most people would stop.”
Court was already in session, with an attorney standing at the defense table next to his client, a thirty-something man with long, dirty brown hair, wearing an orange jumpsuit. The judge ordered his bail to be set at two thousand dollars and banged his gavel down.
Emily easily found Alex, seated on the end of the second row, along the aisle on the defense side, reading through some papers, and she took a seat beside him, smoothing down her gauzy floral skirt. “I’m not late, am I?”
“No, they should be bringing Delia out soon,” he whispered as he stuck the papers in a leather portfolio.
“Were you able to see her this morning?”
“Yes, I met with her about an hour ago.” Alex adjusted his tie.
“How’s she doing?”
“As you can imagine, she’s scared, but she’s a strong lady.”
A sheriff’s deputy escorted the scraggy prisoner in the orange jumpsuit out the side door as another deputy walked Delia in, dressed in a similar fashion.
“We’re up.” Alex buttoned his suit jacket with one hand as he rushed to the defense table.
With Alex vacating his seat, Emily’s view of the gallery opened up and she noticed Colin sitting right across the aisle from her. He looked back at her and offered a slight smile. She pulled her white cardigan snug around her chest and her head snapped straight ahead, as she noticed her heartbeat quicken. She might have given her visceral reaction more thought if her attention hadn’t been required on the proceedings taking place ahead of her.
The charges were read and Delia was asked by the judge, “How do you plead?”
“Not guilty, Your Honor.”
The Assistant District Attorney, Allison Laraway, argued that Delia was the prime suspect in her husband’s brutal murder, that she was found kneeling over his body, the bloody knife clutched in her hand, and that she was a woman of means and therefore a flight risk. She requested that bail be denied.
Alex counter-argued that Delia had explained how she’d found her husband that way and in a state of shock had pulled the knife out. He reported that she had no criminal record and did not have the financial fortune that ADA Laraway was trying to make her out to have, that most of her money was tied up in her home and her business. Further, he’d said, as a sign of good faith, Delia was willing to surrender her passport.
Bail was set at one million dollars and the judge ordered Delia must surrender her passport prior to her release. The banging gavel echoed like a harbinger of destiny, and then Emily watched Alex say something to Delia before the deputy escorted her from the courtroom. Words of encouragement perhaps.
Emily rose quickly and stepped into the aisle, bumping into Colin doing the same, her shoulder brushing against his firm chest. A spark of electricity shot through her body as they touched. “Sorry,” she said.
“No, my fault,” he apologized, reaching out to steady her, but she pulled back.
“Emily.” Alex interrupted the brief encounter, and Colin turned and hurried out.
“Let’s step outside and talk.” Alex walked her out into the hall. “I need you to go to Delia’s house—here’s her key and instructions where to find her
Alex phoned Emily and told her Delia’s arraignment was scheduled for ten o’clock. Despite her niggling questions about Evan, she was determined to get her focus back on Delia. Finding Ricardo’s killer would have to take priority over finding Evan’s for now. Armed with a notebook and a micro-recorder, she rushed to the county courthouse over in Boise.
Making it through the metal detectors inside the massive entrance, she located the courtroom number Alex had given her. The gallery was more than half full. She assumed most of the people being arraigned that morning would be drunk drivers, burglars, and the like—stupid people doing stupid things over the weekend. She thought about how Evan used to say, “If stupid hurt, most people would stop.”
Court was already in session, with an attorney standing at the defense table next to his client, a thirty-something man with long, dirty brown hair, wearing an orange jumpsuit. The judge ordered his bail to be set at two thousand dollars and banged his gavel down.
Emily easily found Alex, seated on the end of the second row, along the aisle on the defense side, reading through some papers, and she took a seat beside him, smoothing down her gauzy floral skirt. “I’m not late, am I?”
“No, they should be bringing Delia out soon,” he whispered as he stuck the papers in a leather portfolio.
“Were you able to see her this morning?”
“Yes, I met with her about an hour ago.” Alex adjusted his tie.
“How’s she doing?”
“As you can imagine, she’s scared, but she’s a strong lady.”
A sheriff’s deputy escorted the scraggy prisoner in the orange jumpsuit out the side door as another deputy walked Delia in, dressed in a similar fashion.
“We’re up.” Alex buttoned his suit jacket with one hand as he rushed to the defense table.
With Alex vacating his seat, Emily’s view of the gallery opened up and she noticed Colin sitting right across the aisle from her. He looked back at her and offered a slight smile. She pulled her white cardigan snug around her chest and her head snapped straight ahead, as she noticed her heartbeat quicken. She might have given her visceral reaction more thought if her attention hadn’t been required on the proceedings taking place ahead of her.
The charges were read and Delia was asked by the judge, “How do you plead?”
“Not guilty, Your Honor.”
The Assistant District Attorney, Allison Laraway, argued that Delia was the prime suspect in her husband’s brutal murder, that she was found kneeling over his body, the bloody knife clutched in her hand, and that she was a woman of means and therefore a flight risk. She requested that bail be denied.
Alex counter-argued that Delia had explained how she’d found her husband that way and in a state of shock had pulled the knife out. He reported that she had no criminal record and did not have the financial fortune that ADA Laraway was trying to make her out to have, that most of her money was tied up in her home and her business. Further, he’d said, as a sign of good faith, Delia was willing to surrender her passport.
Bail was set at one million dollars and the judge ordered Delia must surrender her passport prior to her release. The banging gavel echoed like a harbinger of destiny, and then Emily watched Alex say something to Delia before the deputy escorted her from the courtroom. Words of encouragement perhaps.
Emily rose quickly and stepped into the aisle, bumping into Colin doing the same, her shoulder brushing against his firm chest. A spark of electricity shot through her body as they touched. “Sorry,” she said.
“No, my fault,” he apologized, reaching out to steady her, but she pulled back.
“Emily.” Alex interrupted the brief encounter, and Colin turned and hurried out.
“Let’s step outside and talk.” Alex walked her out into the hall. “I need you to go to Delia’s house—here’s her key and instructions where to find her
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