But the problem with having been born blond and female, not to mention having topped out a whopping five-feet-one-inch in height, was that people assumed her IQ must be something close to her shoe size. She’d spent her whole life being underestimated.
She was determined to prove to everyone that she deserved this promotion. That she deservedthis headline-grabbing case.
Pulling her cell from the inside pocket of her suit jacket, she smiled faintly at the woman in the hospital bed. Eliza Meadows looked small and wide-eyed with shock. But there was a determined cant to her chin that Julia respected.
“You mind if I record our conversation?” She wiggled her phone in emphasis.
Miss Meadows shook her head.
Ah. A cooperating witness. So far, so good.
Angling the phone’s microphone toward the bed, she started with the obvious. “Why were you at Senator McClean’s house tonight, Miss Meadows?”
“I’m dating Charlie.” The woman’s face contorted with anguish in the instant before she corrected herself. “I mean…Iwasdating Charlie.”
So…Sergeant Rollins is what? A brother? Friend? Coworker?
Even as the questions flew through her head, Julia imagined taking out her service weapon and shooting them down.
It didn’t matter to herwhatRollins’s relationship with her witness was. Or, at least, itshouldn’tuntil it impacted the case.
“That would be Senator McClean’s son?” she clarified for the record.
“Yes.” Miss Meadows nodded slowly.
Julia allowed her gaze to drop to the rock that probably cost more than she made in five years. Miss Meadows followed the path of her eyes and Julia watched as the woman’s face tried to cave in on itself.
Covering the giant diamond with her opposite hand, Miss Meadows whispered hoarsely, “Charlie asked me to marry him tonight.”
Interesting,Julia thought.
“I’m very sorry for your loss.” Her words were sincere although she hadn’t delivered them with as much warmth as she would have had she not been on the job. She had to be twice as aloof and authoritative to get half the amount of respect people naturally afforded Dillan. It wasn’t fair. It wasn’tright. But it was the way of the world. “And I’m sorry we can’t give you the privacy you deserve to grieve in peace. But what my partner said is right. It’s better if we get this initial interview over and done with while your memories are still fresh.”
“I understand.” Miss Meadows nodded weakly, and Julia noticed how she began to absently twist the engagement ring on her finger like she wasn’t comfortable with its presence there.
“Is that what this gathering was for?” Julia asked. “An engagement celebration?”
“No.” Miss Meadows shook her head and then stopped and looked momentarily confused. “I mean, I don’t think so. Senator McClean wouldn’t have invited his colleagues if that was the case, right? He’d have invited Charlie’s friends?”
Instead of answering, Julia posed another question. “So what was tonight’s gathering in celebration of?”
Miss Meadows’s forehead wrinkled, making the blood that was dried there crack and flake. “I don’t know. I got the impression it was an impromptu thing. Charlie invited me only this morning.”
“Was it usual for Senator McClean to have his fellow politicians over to his house?” Dillan piped up.
Julia bit the inside of her cheek to keep from biting Dillan’s head off. Heknewbetter than to butt in before she’d given him the nod that it was his turn.
There was an art to interviews. And despite what Hollywood would have people believe, it didn’t involve two interviewers constantly tag-teaming a witness.
“If it was, I never knew of it. But that’s not saying much. Charlie and I didn’t really socialize with his dad. Not because there was any animosity there or anything,” Miss Meadows was quick to explain. “It’s just that the senator is a very busy man.” Miss Meadows frowned and corrected herself. “Wasa very busy man.”
“One who wasn’t well-liked by his peers,” Dillan interjected. “Which makes tonight’s gathering all the more suspicious.”
Now Julia fought the urge to whack him on the back of the head like she did with her brothers when they’d done something stupid—which happened more times than she’d like to admit. The first rule of any interview was never to lead the witness.
Instead of resorting to violence, however, she continued along Dillan’s line of questioning.If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.
“Do you think it’s odd the senator invited over people from both houses of the legislature? I was under the impression senators don’t usually consort with lowly congressmen.”
