Best Kept Secrets(6)
the murder case of Celina Graham Gaither. She spent
many sleepless nights studying transcripts and court documents
before approaching her boss, the district attorney of
Travis County.
Greg Harper had shifted the smoking cigarette from one
corner of his lips to the other. In the courtroom, Greg was
the bane of guilty defendants, lying witnesses, and orderly
judges. He talked too loud, smoked too much, drank in abundance,
and wore five-hundred-dollar pinstriped suits with lizard
boots that cost twice that much.
To say that he was flashy and egomaniacal would be gross
understatements. He was shrewd, ambitious, ruthless, relentless,
and profane, and would therefore probably carve
out quite a niche for himself in state politics, which was
his driving ambition. He believed in the reward system
and appreciated raw talent. That's why Alex was on his
staff.
"You want to reopen a twenty-five-year-old murder case?"
he asked her when she stated the purpose of the conference
she'd requested. "Got a reason?"
"Because the victim was my mother."
For the first time since she'd known him, Greg had asked
a question he didn't already know the answer to--or at least
have a fairly good guess. "Jesus, Alex, I'm sorry. I didn't
know that."
She gave a slight, dismissive shrug. "Well, it's not something
one advertises, is it?"
"When was this? How old were you?"
"An infant. I don't remember her. She was only eighteen
when she was killed."
He ran his long, bony hand down his even longer, bonier
face.' 'The case remains on the books as officially unsolved?''
"Not exactly. There was a suspect arrested and charged,
but the case was dismissed without ever going to trial."
"Fill me in, and make it short. I'm having lunch with the
state attorney general today," he said. "You've got ten minutes.
Shoot."
When she finished, Greg frowned and lit a cigarette from
the smoldering tip of one he'd smoked down to the filter.
"Goddamn, Alex, you didn't say that the Mintons were involved.
Your granny really believes that one of them iced
your mother?"
"Or their friend, Reede Lambert."
"By any chance, did she provide them with a motive?"
"Not specifically," Alex said evasively, loath to tell him
that Merle had cited her, Alex, as the motive. "Apparently,
Celina was close friends with them."
"Then why would one of them kill her?"
"That's what I want to find out."
"On the state's time?"
"It's a viable case, Greg," she said tightly.
"All you've got is a hunch."
"It's stronger than a hunch."
He gave a noncommittal grunt. "Are you sure this isn't
just a personal grudge?"
"Of course not." Alex took umbrage. "I'm pursuing this
from a strictly legal viewpoint. If Buddy Hicks had gone on
trial and been convicted by a jury, I wouldn't put so much
stock in what Grandma told me. But it's there in the public
records."
"How come she didn't raise hell about the murder when
it happened?"
"I asked her that myself. She didn't have much money
and she felt intimidated by the legal machinations. Besides,
the murder had left her drained of energy. What little she had
went into rearing me."
It was now clear to Alex why, since her earliest recollections,
her grandmother had pushed her toward the legal
profession. Because it was expected of her, Alex had excelled
in school and had ultimately graduated from the University
of Texas Law School in the top ten percent of her class. The
law was the profession Merle had chosen for her, but thankfully
it was a field that intrigued and delighted Alex. Her
curious mind enjoyed delving into its intricacies. She was
well prepared to do what she must.
"Grandmother was just a widow lady, left with a baby to
raise," she said, building her case. "There was precious little
she could do about the judge's ruling at Hicks's competency
hearing. With what money she had, she packed up, left town,
and never went back.''
Greg consulted his wristwatch. Then, anchoring his cigarette
between his lips, he stood up and pulled on his suit
jacket. "I can't reopen a murder case without a shred of
evidence or probable cause. You know that. I didn't snatch
you out of law school 'cause you were stupid. Gotta confess,
though, that your shapely ass had something to do with it."
"Thanks."
Her disgust was obvious and it wasn't because of his sexism,
which was so brassy she knew it was insincere. "Look,
Alex, this isn't a teensy-weensy favor you're asking of me,"