The Professor (McMurtrie and Drake Legal Thrillers #1)(46)

“Alright, Wilma. Second condition. If you tell anybody about our arrangement or if you fail to carry out your end of the deal, then you’re dead, you hear me.” He got close enough to where she could smell the whiskey on his breath. She again nodded.

“And your little girls. We won’t hesitate, Wilma. And that lady...” He snapped his fingers and closed his eyes. “What’s that old hag’s name, Bone?”

“Ms Yost.”

“Ms Yost too. We won’t hesitate, Wilma. Do you understand?”

Ms Yost? The girls? They knew all about her. And they would do it. She knew they would. She tried to maintain a poker face as she nodded, but she knew she was grimacing.

“And one more thing.” He was closer now and she could feel the whiskers of his face on hers.

“If you want two hundred thousand, you’re gonna have to give me some of this,” he whispered, moving his hand up under her g-string.

For a split second, she almost tried to run. To scream. To do anything. Then she looked into Jack Willistone’s cold, hard eyes.

It’s no use, she thought. They’ll find me. Wherever I go... they’ll find me.

“Done,” she whispered back.





PART FOUR





32


Faith Bulyard lived at the end of a cul-de-sac off of Rice Mine Road in Northport. The two-story home had a circle driveway and what looked to be a big backyard, though a privacy fence made it hard to see. Rick pulled up to the curb in front of the house and cut the ignition. It was 5.30pm and, though it was dark outside, the street lamps provided a nice view of the house. Rick could see several lights on inside the Bulyard home.

“Looks like somebody’s there,” Dawn said.

Rick nodded, feeling butterflies in his stomach. He needed this meeting to go well. Up to this point, the day had been a total failure. Earlier that morning, Rick had taken the deposition of Jack Willistone, the President of Willistone. Other than learning that Dewey Newton was headed to an Ultron station in Montgomery on the day of the accident, there had been no useful information disclosed. Ruth Ann’s deposition had also been taken, and though she was a sympathetic witness, there weren’t any points that Rick could score with her. Tomorrow, Tyler would depose Rose Batson, which Rick knew wouldn’t be good for the home team. Rick had tried several times to talk with Ms Rose again in the last month, but she’d blown him off each time, saying she’d already said her piece.

At least she answers her phone, Rick thought. Faith Bulyard was clearly screening his calls. There was no telling how many times he had tried. Morning. Afternoon. Night. Both on the cell number he’d gotten from Hank Russell and on the home number that Dawn had found.

Rick had wanted to drop in on Ms Bulyard sooner, but there just hadn’t been time. The last four weeks had been a blur. The morning after the meeting with Ted Holt, Rick had received a box of discovery from Tyler, which contained interrogatories, a request for production and one for admissions, all of which had to be answered within thirty days. While trying to answer all of Tyler’s discovery, Rick and Dawn also had to keep the four other files in his office going.

Finally, there was Wilma Newton. One of Tyler’s interrogatories had asked for the names of all witnesses who had knowledge of facts that would support the claims in the lawsuit. Rick had hoped to surprise Tyler with Wilma at trial, but the interrogatory left no wiggle room. Rick had no choice but to list her as a witness.

He’ll take her deposition, Rick knew.

“Hey, you OK?” Dawn asked, nudging Rick on the arm.

Rick took a deep breath. “Yeah, just a little nervous. I doubt this is going to go well.”

“We won’t know until we know,” Dawn said, opening her door a crack and then looking back at him. “Dropping in on Wilma turned out to be the right thing to do. Maybe this will too.”

Maybe, Rick thought, opening his own door and walking the cobblestone path towards the house. But I doubt it.



A woman of about fifty answered the doorbell, looking suspiciously at Dawn and Rick. “Can I help you?”

“Ms Bulyard?” Rick asked, trying to sound as pleasant as possible.

“Yes.”

Rick sucked in a quick breath. “My name is Rick Drake and this is my law clerk, Dawn Murphy.”

Ms Bulyard narrowed her eyebrows. “OK... oh...” Her eyes flickered, as she looked from Rick to Dawn and then back to Rick. “You’re that lawyer who’s been calling.”

“Yes, ma’am. I was hoping you could give me those fifteen minutes now.”

Ms Bulyard, who was a tall, athletic woman, looked behind her and then at her watch. “I really wish you had called. I was about to go to the gym, and I need to get back to fix dinner for the boys.”

“I did call, ma’am. I’ve called several times and left at least a dozen messages. Please, it will only take fifteen minutes.”

Ms Bulyard turned her back on them and, and, for a minute, Rick thought she was going to slam the door in their face. Then she turned her head and motioned for them to follow. “Come on. Let’s go into the kitchen. I’ll make some coffee.”

Five minutes later, the three of them were seated at a round table in the breakfast nook of Faith Bulyard’s kitchen. The aroma of fresh-brewed coffee filled the room, and Rick breathed it in, beginning to feel better about the meeting. He heard footsteps and yelling upstairs, sprinkled in with laughter.