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CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

SEDONA, ARIZONA

THURSDAY, MARCH 23, 2023

12:00 P.M.

After asking Frigg to focus on the Adrian Willoughby case, Ali made her way down the hall and spent her lunch hour huddling with B. and Lance over this latest wrinkle.

“I’ve run into Smythe several times,” B. said. “At one point he was interested in purchasing High Noon outright. I told him I wasn’t interested. That’s about the time Willoughby’s disinformation campaign started.”

“Did you know Smythe was the one behind all that negative press?” Ali asked.

“I may have suspected as much, but once Willoughby went dark, I figured it wasn’t that big a deal, and I forgot all about it.”

“Forgot about it so completely that you never mentioned it to me?” Ali asked.

B. nodded. “Sorry about that,” he said, “but do we have any proof that Smythe was still in contact with Willoughby prior to his death or if he’s ever had any dealings with Bogdan Petrov?”

“I’ve got Frigg looking into it,” Ali replied. “But this is a police matter now, and that means we’re going to have to come forward and bring them into the picture sooner or later.”

“Starting with Cami’s attempted abduction?” B. asked.

“I think so,” Ali replied.

“To which jurisdiction?”

“Let’s see what Frigg turns up before we make a determination on that, but I’ll make sure that whatever she finds from this point on is going to have to stand up in court. I’ll also let Cami know that we’re looking into the possibility that Smythe may be behind the failed attack on her.”

“Fair enough,” B. agreed.

Glad that everyone was now on the same page, Ali headed back to her office and did just that, letting Cami know in an encrypted text that George Smythe would now be at the center of Frigg’s investigation. Then she summoned Frigg and told her the same thing.

“I’ll get right on it,” the AI said, “but are you interested in the latest news from King County?”

“What now?” Ali asked.

“Clarice Brewster has a new defense attorney who requested and was granted a second bond hearing. As of ten o’clock this morning, Clarice Brewster was released to house arrest on a million-dollar bond. Since her home is still considered a crime scene, she’ll be staying at a local hotel at her own expense. She’s required to surrender her passport and wear an ankle monitor.”

“Thank you,” Ali said.

“There’s one thing more,” Frigg added. “I know you asked me to focus on Adrian Willoughby, but there’s something else I just learned about Joel Franklin. I’m unable to find any record of his being licensed as a registered nurse in the state of Texas.”

“That’s very interesting,” Ali said. “So saying his father was dead isn’t the only lie he told Michael Lafferty and Adam Brewster. There may be more.”

“Agreed,” the AI said. “I’ll keep looking.”

Off the call with Frigg, Ali sat there and thought about what she’d just learned. Obviously Clarice had taken Ali’s advice after all, and it had paid off. While out on bond, staying in a hotel would be more comfortable than being locked up in jail. And if she could cough up enough money for a million-dollar bond, Ali had no doubt that Clarice had been able to spring for a top-drawer defense attorney. But what about her supposed accomplice? What kind of representation could Donna Jean Plummer afford?

That was the last thing the woman had said to Detective Horn in their most recent interview—that she wanted an attorney, but Ali knew that a public defender couldn’t be appointed until Donna Jean was actually charged with a crime. During that last interview, Detective Horn had made it clear that, although they weren’t yet ready to indict her, she was still under suspicion. Ali was concerned about what might happen in the meantime.

Sitting there, Ali thought again about what had happened to Mateo Vega when he, too, had been targeted and eventually wrongfully convicted. When the situation had been brought to Ali’s attention, she’d turned to and received help from a guy connected to an all-volunteer cold-case organization. She remembered that he was a retired Seattle homicide cop, but it took a moment for her to recall his name, until finally it came to her—J.P. Beaumont.

One of the things that helped her remember was the fact that, like B. Simpson, Mr. Beaumont went by his initials rather than his given name. Without allowing herself time to reconsider, she located his number in her phone’s contacts list and pressed call. The last time she had spoken with him had been several years earlier. Maybe the number wouldn’t even work.

But it did. A moment later a male voice answered. “Why, Ali Reynolds. Long time no hear. How the hell are you?”

“I’m fine,” she said. “And you?”

“I’m fine, too. What about Mateo? How’s he doing?”

Ali was a little surprised that he remembered. “You came up with his name right off the top of your head.”

“Of course I remember his name,” J.P. said with a laugh. “I spent my whole career putting killers in prison. Mateo happens to be someone who should have never gone to prison in the first place, and I was able to aid in his exoneration. That makes him pretty memorable in my mind. To what do I owe the honor of this call?”

“I’m asking for help again,” Ali said. “Are you familiar with the murder of someone named Charles Brewster? He died in Edmonds a little over a week ago.”

“You mean the video game guy?” Beau returned. “Sure, the story’s been all over the news. I hear they have one suspect in custody, the victim’s wife, and another person of interest who is still under investigation.”

“You’re a bit behind the times,” Ali told him with a laugh. “The victim’s wife and prime suspect, Clarice Brewster, was released earlier this morning after posting a million-dollar bond. The person still under investigation is the Brewsters’ longtime housekeeper, Donna Jean Plummer.”

“Wait, wait, wait,” Beau interrupted. “You’re still in Sedona, right?”

“Yes.”

“And all this is going on in the Seattle area?”

“Correct.”

“What’s your connection?”

“Chuck Brewster was my husband’s former business partner. Clarice is my husband’s former wife.”

“Okay,” Beau said after a pause. “A double whammy, then. What do you need?”

“I need the name of a good criminal defense attorney who might be willing to take on a case temporarily on a pro bono basis. As I said, the housekeeper, Donna Jean Plummer, is still under suspicion. I think she’s an unlikely candidate, but the cop in charge seems to be suffering from a case of tunnel vision. He’s interviewed her several times. Unlike Clarice, she can’t afford a high-powered criminal defense attorney. Once she’s officially charged, she’ll probably qualify for a public defender, but between now and then, I think she could use some help.”

“As an ex-cop, I’m not exactly on a first-name basis with many criminal defense attorneys,” J.P. said, “but I might know someone who is. Hang on. Let me check my contacts list. Okay, here it is. The organization is called Justice for All. Think Innocence Project but on a smaller scale. Rosalie Whittier was the lead defense attorney on a wrongful conviction case I encountered in Arizona. Would you like her contact information, or would you like me to ask her to give you a call?”

“Sending my number to you now,” Ali reported, “and please send me hers as well, but since you’re someone who actually knows her, having an introduction from you will probably work better than a cold call from me.”

“Okey doke,” Beau said. “I’ll get right on it.”

Much to Ali’s relief, Rosalie Whittier called her back a mere twenty minutes later. “Ali Reynolds?” she asked.

“Yes.”

“Rosalie Whittier here. I understand from a mutual acquaintance that you’re interested in preventing a possible miscarriage of justice.”

“Yes, I am,” Ali said.

She spent the next half hour explaining Donna Jean’s situation in some detail, and that wasn’t easy. After all, Ali had no direct connection to anyone involved, including the homicide victim and both suspects. But her mention that the detective involved might be suffering from a case of tunnel vision seemed to grab Rosalie’s attention, especially when Ali told her about Donna Jean’s previous homicide conviction.

“You believe he’s focused on her as a repeat offender?”

“That’s how it looks to me.”

“All right, then,” Rosalie said. “I have a colleague in the Seattle area who might be willing to help. If you can give me Ms. Plummer’s contact information, I’ll have her reach out to see if we can be of service.”

“Thank you,” Ali said.

“And if she requests to have representation from us, can we come back to you in case you have any additional information?”

“Her attorney certainly can,” Ali answered. “We’ll do everything we can to help.”

As the phone call ended, Ali ran both hands over her eyes. “And that,” she said to herself, “is taking Mom’s Edieing to a whole new level.”