Page 29 of Deathmarch

“No coffee. Thanks,” Devon said. “I’ve already had way too much tonight. I was still up, doing research for another case, when Leila called.” Then he gestured at Allie. “I would like the cuffs removed from my client. It’s unnecessary to make her uncomfortable.”

Allie expected Harper to protest, but he unlocked the cuffs and hung them back on his belt before he sat. He advised her that she was being recorded, clicking the red button, then he dictated date, time, and the names of the people present as he pulled a notebook and pen from his shirt pocket.

“Why don’t you tell me more about your relationship with Chuck Lamm?” was his first question.

Allie stopped rubbing her wrists and dropped them onto her lap.She made sure that her voice sounded strong, no hesitation, no wavering. “I haven’t seen Lamm since I moved away. And before that… Honestly, I can’t even tell you when I saw him last.”

Her lawyer took his own notes as Harper asked, “How did you know about his gold?”

“I don’t know anything about any gold.”

“Why are you in Broslin?”

“I do historical reenactments. I have my own business. I visit schools and clubs and town fairs. I have a performance for the Broslin Historical Society tomorrow.” She clenched her teeth. “I mean, today. They’re putting on a special event, and the theme is Women of the Old West. I’ll be performing as Annie Oakley. You can confirm with them.” The more her story checked out, the better. It would prove that she wasn’t a liar. “I had a performance yesterday afternoon at Suntown Elementary in Maryland. Mrs. Leone’s class. You can call and check that too. I was driving here for the next job. The storm they were predicting hit early. My car got stuck in the snow. You found me and brought me into town. Then you went back to tow my car.”

If the accusatory tone of her voice registered with him, he didn’t show it. “You didn’t drive over to the victim’s home at any time?”

“I never made it to Broslin. And you know it. You were there. Why don’t you check the traffic cams?”

“Packed with snow. It was blowing hard.” The footage was a blank screen. “Did you travel alone?”

“Yes.”

“Have you kept in touch with anyone in town over the years?”

“No.”

“You’ve had no contact with anyone in Broslin since you left?”

“That’s correct. I haven’t.”

“Not any neighbors? Old friends…”

“I didn’t have fond memories of the place. If anything, I wanted to forget the years I lived here.”

She caught his momentary pause at that.That’s right, two could do the rattling.

“You never ran into anyone from Broslin on your travels? Nobody reached out to you on Facebook?”

“No.”

Harper spent a full hour trying to catch her in a lie, her lawyer interrupting several times with “You don’t have to answer that question.”

And when Harper said, “I’d like to examine your phone,” Abram told her, “You don’t have to hand it over without a warrant.”

She liked the guy. But she gave Harper her permission and her password. “I have nothing to hide.”

Abram shook his head. He did seem like a good lawyer, but Allie didn’t relax, not for a second. Harper was just looking for an excuse to pin the murder on her. She was not going to let him.Smart, calm, and collected.She stayed the course, no matter what he threw at her.

Then, finally,finally, Harper set his pen down and leaned back in his chair. “All right. I think we’re done here for now.”

As he reached over to turn off the recorder, Allie’s lawyer gathered his own paperwork.

She didn’t want him to leave. “What’s going to happen now?”

Harper answered. “You’ll have a bail hearing at one point tomorrow.” He glanced at his watch and corrected, “Today.”

While the lawyer added, “I’ll be there.”