Page 35 of I'm Watching You

Zack raised an eyebrow and looked at Barlow, unsure of what he really knew about his law partner. ‘Do you know where your partner is?’

Barlow didn’t flinch. ‘I’ve spoken to Jordan. She told me about your visit.’

‘She didn’t waste any time,’ Zack said.

‘She understands even the innocent need an attorney when dealing with the police,’ Quinton said.

Ronnie T. leaned on his cane. ‘Someone mind filling me in on what’s what?’

Zack studied Barlow’s guarded expression before he shifted his gaze back to the dealer. ‘Harold’s body was found this morning behind Sanctuary Women’s Shelter. He was shot point-blank in the chest.’

Ronnie T.’s eyes widened and his mouth dropped open. ‘Shit.’

Zack wasn’t fooled by Ronnie’s surprise. ‘When’s the last time you saw your counselor?’

Barlow cleared his throat. ‘Don’t answer any of their questions.’

Ronnie T. shrugged. ‘I don’t mind answering, Quinton. I ain’t got nothing to hide. I saw Harold yesterday after court.’

‘Word is you two fought,’ Zack said. ‘Fact, I hear it was nearly a knock-down, drag-out fight in the courthouse.’

‘Ronnie,’ Barlow warned, ‘keep your mouth shut.’

Ronnie T. waved Barlow off. ‘Yeah, we mixed it up. He wanted me to take a plea agreement. I told him I waspaying him the big bucks to keep me out of jail. The deal was no time spent behind bars.’

‘What time was that?’ Warwick said.

‘About three.’

‘Do you know where Turner was headed?’ Zack said.

‘Said something about dinner with his old lady.’

‘And where were you last night, Ronnie T.?’ Zack said.

Ronnie T.’s full lips split into a wide grin. ‘I was at a swim meet. My kid was swimming the butterfly for the first time at the community pool. He’s on the Mite team. And he won his heat.’

‘I’m assuming you have witnesses,’ Warwick said.

‘I do.’ Ronnie T. sounded amused. ‘They are some of Richmond’s finest – all white folks. I can give you a list of names.’

Zack flipped to a clean page in his notebook. ‘Let’s have them.’

Ronnie T. rattled off a half dozen names. He looked pleased with himself. Whatever had gone down last night, Ronnie T. had made certain that he was in a very public place.

Barlow picked up a letter printed on the firm’s stationery. ‘I too have an alibi. In this letter is the name and phone number of the manager of my country club. He can verify my alibi for last night. You’ll also find Mrs Turner’s alibi contacts on that sheet.’

‘Can those witnesses vouch for where she might have been at four or five this morning?’ Warwick asked.

‘As a matter of fact one can vouch for her at that time. Her sister and she were talking on the phone betweenthreeA.M.and sixA.M.Her sister lives in Australia. There is also a maid who lives in the house who says she heard the women talking until almost five.’

Zack took the paper but didn’t bother to read it. He’d call all the names on both lists but already knew each contact would verify the stories he’d been given.

Warwick picked up an engraved crystal paperweight off of Barlow’s desk. He tossed it between his hands. ‘How was the Turner marriage overall? Happy? Tense?’

‘I wasn’t privy to their personal life until just minutes ago,’ Barlow said, frowning at the paperweight in Warwick’s hand. ‘However, Jordan did tell me that she confided the details of her troubled marriage to Lindsay O’Neil two weeks ago. Jordan said Ms O’Neil was quite angry and upset when Jordan refused to leave her husband.’

Zack bit back an oath. Lindsay had been holding out on him. ‘Why would Mrs Turner share that bit of information?’

---