Page 57 of Dead Air
"For fifteen minutes only." Fiona consulted her tablet. "Via conference call rather than an in-person meeting. No recording permitted."
"I want to be on the call."
Claire and Fiona exchanged glances.
"Bad idea." Claire shook her head. "If he knows you're listening, he'll say nothing substantive."
"He doesn't need to know." Lawson sipped her coffee, the caffeine activating dormant neurons. "Speaker phone. I'll stay silent."
"Risky." Fiona frowned. "Lawyers develop paranoia as a professional skill. He'll sense an audience."
"I need to hear his voice." Lawson set her mug down firmly. "Need to gauge his reactions directly."
Another silent exchange between the two women. Some unspoken communication passed between them before Claire nodded. "Okay. But absolute silence from you."
"Understood."
The minutes ticked by with agonizing slowness. Lawson consumed three glasses of water and another coffee while reviewing Fiona's notes on Thomas Hutchinson. Harvard Law. Clerked for a Supreme Court justice. Built Hutchinson & Associates from a regional practice to a national powerhouse specializing in corporate crisis management. Divorced twice. No children. Fifteen years older than his half-brother Ray.
At precisely 9:59 a.m., Fiona's laptop chimed with an incoming call notification. She connected and activated the speaker. "Fiona Stevens and Claire Stevens for Thomas Hutchinson."
"One moment while I connect you to Mr. Hutchinson's line." The woman's voice was crisp and professional but had an underlying weariness to it. "Mr. Hutchinson is finishing another call."
Soft classical music replaced the assistant's voice. Bach, Lawson thought, though her musical knowledge remained limited to what Monica had attempted teaching her years ago.
"Remember," Claire whispered to Lawson. "Complete silence."
The music ended abruptly. "The Stevens' sisters." Male voice. Deeper than expected. Smooth as aged whiskey, with none of the regional drawl his brother possessed. "Thank you for your patience. Thomas Hutchinson here."
"Appreciate you making time during difficult circumstances, Mr. Hutchinson." Fiona slipped into professional journalist mode. "Our condolences regarding your brother."
"Kind of you to say." A practiced pause. "Though I suspect condolences aren't your primary motivation for this conversation."
"We're investigating connections between your firm and Leah Blackwell's podcast." Fiona moved directly to substance. "Specifically, financial support channeled through Equinox Media Solutions."
A soft chuckle emerged from the speaker. "Direct approach. A refreshing change from legal equivocation."
"Do you deny the financial connection?" Claire asked.
"I categorically deny any direct funding from Hutchinson & Associates to Ms. Blackwell's podcast endeavors." His tone remained casual despite the formal language. "Though I can't speak to what individual partners might support through personal charitable foundations or media investments."
Lawson recognized the careful parsing. Denial of direct funding while acknowledging potential indirect support. Corporate lawyer precision in creating plausible deniability.
"Ms. Blackwell clerked at your firm." Fiona pressed forward. "Immediately after her judicial clerkship."
"Briefly, yes. One of dozens of promising young attorneys who pass through our associate program annually."
"Did you personally work with her?"
"Minimal interaction." Keyboard clicks sounded in the background. "Her performance reviews indicate solid research capabilities but limited client interaction skills. Hence her relatively short tenure with us."
"Yet her podcast specifically targets the case involving your brother." Claire interjected.
Silence stretched for several seconds. When Hutchinson spoke again, his tone had cooled noticeably. "My brother Raymond was troubled. Had been for years. His relationship with Detective Landry compounded existing personal issues."
"Troubled how?" Fiona asked.
"Obsessive tendencies. Difficulty maintaining professional boundaries." Hutchinson's voice lowered slightly. "The situation with Monica was becoming too much."
