The 17th Suspect (Women's Murder Club #17)(9)

CHAPTER 12


YUKI WAS HUNCHED over her computer rereading transcripts of her interviews with some of Marc Christopher’s associates from the Ad Shop.

Parisi had warned her that their case pretty much rested on the video, and she agreed. The recording was powerful. Yuki thought that if it was true the DA could get a grand jury indictment with a ham sandwich, then Marc Christopher’s rape video was a five-star seven-course meal with a vintage wine.

No doubt she could get a grand jury indictment; if they went to trial, the rape video had to go into evidence and had to be shown to the jury.

Giftos would try to get the video excluded. That way, if he put Hill on the stand, the jury would hear both versions of the sex act. Only one juror had to agree that the rape was staged, and Briana Hill would be found not guilty.

Yuki had to find more evidence to shore up her case if the video was thrown out, but how?

No one else had been in the bedroom with Hill and Christopher. The cops had photographed fading bruise marks on Marc’s wrists and ankles, but apparently, Marc hadn’t told anyone that he had been raped until weeks after the fact.

Now she wondered if anyone else had had a sexual encounter with Briana Hill that could be called rape.

As she reread the interview transcripts, she was looking for something that she might have missed, a comment that she should have probed, a tell that she had let slide.

She called up the transcript of senior art director Lyle Bevans. He was forty-two, had worn red-rimmed glasses and an untucked plaid shirt over his jeans, had long hair, and had smelled like weed. He had seemed to enjoy the meeting with the ADA and been willing to spend as much time as she would allow.

She had interviewed him because he had frequent and recent experience working with both Christopher and Hill.

Yuki highlighted the relevant parts of the transcript, including the part where Bevans told her that Briana Hill was hot and demanding. “She’s a sex bomb.”

Yuki: Mr. Bevans, did Ms. Hill use inappropriate sexual advances to manage or manipulate her staff?

Bevans: I would say that she’s all woman with a masculine determination to git ’er done. You looked at her, you thought about sex, and she carried a gun. That was sexy, too.

Yuki: You say that you heard about Marc Christopher’s accusation that she’d raped him. What was your reaction to that?

Bevans: You’re asking me if I think she could have done it? Yeah, if I had to make a wager. I’d bet she made him her bitch.

Yuki: Did you ever see her make inappropriate demands on Marc Christopher?

Bevans: They were dating. You know that, right? So, did she slap his butt once? Yeah. Sure. I saw that.



Yuki opened the next transcript, the interview with Bill Keely, CEO of the Ad Shop and Briana Hill’s superior. She remembered that Keely’s wardrobe was gray, his haircut was Republican, and his work history was account management, not creative. Briana Hill had a dotted-line reporting relationship to him. He had made the final decision in hiring her, and recently he had put her on waivers.

Keely: I didn’t want to suspend her. But this situation is a distraction, and our clients don’t want any association with her.

Yuki: How would you describe her worth to the firm?

Keely: A+. Hardworking. Corporate values. Delivered a great product. I don’t know her personally. So, is that all?

Yuki: Almost. Were there any complaints about her being sexually provocative or aggressive with agency staff?

Keely: I heard some hallway gossip that I put down to sexism. She was a good-looking woman in a power position. But no complaints came to me officially.



Yuki opened the transcript of her interview with Maria Cortes, the production department assistant. Cortes had worn tight jeans, a black shirt, and great lace-up boots, and had tattoos on her hands and neck. If Keely would be the last to know if Hill was guilty of sexual harassment, Cortes would be the first. She reported directly to Hill and was the go-to person for the whole production staff.

Cortes: Briana is tough. She has to be. She’s not a rapist, that I can tell you. Men like her. She likes them. They flirt with her, too. But she’s honest and has a good heart.

Yuki: You like her?

Cortes: I do. And I like Marc, too.

Yuki: What do you think of the rape accusation against Ms. Hill?

Cortes: I’d like to say it was all a misunderstanding.

Yuki: Thanks, Ms. Cortes. I appreciate your time.



Parisi called Yuki on her private line. “I thought you’d still be there.”

“I’m reviewing my notes now,” she said. “I have another interview in five minutes that could be a decider. I’ll have a point of view in the morning.”

“I’ll be standing by,” said the DA.





CHAPTER 13


PAUL YATES WAS about thirty, lanky, with thinning hair and a thick beard, conveying an overall pleasant good-guy appearance. He shook her hand.

“I’m Paulie.”

She offered coffee and Yates asked for orange soda.

“Coffee or water. That’s what I’ve got,” she said with a laugh. “Your choice.”

He said, “Water would be great.”

“Hang on a sec,” she said.

She went out to the kitchen, got a glass bottle of water out of the fridge, and returned with it to her office.