Silent Night Stakeout. Kerry Connor

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      “That’s not what I asked.”

      “I’m afraid anything he might have told me is covered by attorney-client privilege.”

      “Even if it’s relevant to his death?’

      “Even then.”

      The corners of his mouth twitched, turning downward the slightest bit, the only sign of his displeasure. She had to fight the urge to stare at those dangerously tempting lips. “What can you tell me about the case?”

      “I imagine not much more than you could find in the police file.”

      “Since I don’t have the file on me, any insight you could provide would be appreciated,” he said with a trace of sarcasm.

      “Jeremy was arrested in April after the police responded to an alarm indicating a break-in at a home in Lincoln Park. He was found at the scene and was unable to provide a reasonable explanation for his presence, so he was arrested and later charged with burglary.”

      “You said the charges were dismissed. So the case never went to trial?”

      “No, it never got that far. He was released a few days ago.”

      “And was murdered soon afterward.”

      “You think there’s a connection.”

      “Wouldn’t you?” he said sensibly. “Or maybe I should ask, don’t you?”

      “I can see why you would think that,” she said carefully.

      “So is there anything you want to tell me about the case? Anything I should know?”

      Regina sighed. “Detective, I promise I’m not trying to be difficult. I want whoever did this to Jeremy to be caught just as much as you do. But frankly, it’s been a rather difficult evening and I’m not at my best. Let me take a look at my notes when my head’s a little clearer and see what I might be able to share with you.”

      Eyes narrowed, he looked at her, long and probing, his gaze feeling as though it was peeling away the layers of her skin and exposing her to the core. Finally, his expression eased, like he’d come to the conclusion she really wasn’t trying to be a pain. “I would appreciate it.”

      “Has his sister been informed?”

      “His sister?”

      “Lauren. She’s his next of kin, the only family he had left other than the baby she had a few months ago.”

      He nodded. “I’ll take care of that next.”

      “I’d like to be there when you do.”

      “Why?”

      “Lauren Decker just lost her only sibling. She’s going to need a kind face to break the news.”

      “This isn’t the first time I’ve had to inform someone of the death of a family member.”

      “A family member you didn’t view as nothing more than a no-good criminal? That’s what you’ve already decided, isn’t it? That Jeremy Decker was nothing but a lowlife who probably deserved what was coming to him?”

      “I’m not sure anyone deserved this, but just because you got him off doesn’t mean he was truly innocent.”

      “And just because he was arrested doesn’t mean he was guilty.”

      From his expression, he was biting back the response he wanted to offer. After a moment, he said, “Either way, I’m capable of breaking this news to her gently.”

      “Then I look forward to seeing that. Because Lauren Decker is a young woman who just had a baby, which she is raising on her own. I suspect her emotional state is already fragile, and I can’t imagine this news is going to help that. Besides, who do you think she’s more likely to confide in, someone she just met who’s a member of the same police department that recently arrested her brother, or someone she’s met before, someone her brother trusted?”

      Regina could tell he wanted to argue the point, those lips now compressed into a thin, frustrated line.

      “Besides, like you said, you don’t have the file, so you’d have to look up the address. I already know it.”

      “Fine,” he practically growled. “You can come.”

      “Thank you.” Inwardly, she sighed with relief. Evidently she’d been wrong earlier. She could do something else for Jeremy Decker, the same thing she’d always intended to do: make sure he got justice. And not even an incredibly handsome police detective was going to prevent her from doing so.

      The sound of footsteps crunching on slush and snow indicated someone was approaching moments before the man she’d seen arrive with Waters came up behind him. He was middle-aged and overweight, the folds of his face seemingly settled in a permanent frown. Even so, she had the distinct impression his scowl was extra fierce for her benefit, given the bleary-eyed glare he shot at her. Another cop who didn’t like her, she registered, though the knowledge gave her none of the disappointment she’d experienced when she’d seen the look in Detective Waters’s eyes.

      “Everything okay over here?” the newcomer asked.

      “Fine,” Waters said. “Ms. Garrett, my partner, Jeff Polinsky. Polinsky, Regina Garrett. Ms. Garrett has graciously agreed to provide the address of the next of kin. We’re going to go notify her now.”

      The man’s frown deepened. “She’s going? Why?”

      “To help,” Waters said with a wry edge that hinted at his skepticism. “You coming?”

      “Pass,” Polinsky muttered, the look he shot her leaving little doubt for the reason. “I’ll wrap things up here, get a ride back with somebody.”

      “Fine.”

      Both men turned back toward her at the same moment. Regina knew Polinsky was about to challenge her before he said a single word. “Since you have all the answers, how about it, Counselor? Any theories about why somebody killed your client?”

      Regina didn’t flinch from his stare, refusing to let his hostility get to her. “I have to assume someone didn’t want him to talk about something.”

      “Oh, yeah? What makes you say that?”

      “Why else shove a red handkerchief or whatever that was in his mouth? It was a message.”

      “Probably. Especially since that handkerchief most likely didn’t start out red.”

      “Polinsky—” Waters started.

      She frowned. “What are you talking about?”

      “The handkerchief was red from the blood.” The corner of his mouth curved in a smirk, the nasty pleasure in it instantly making her uneasy. “The killer cut out his tongue.”

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