Finding Isadora(29)

Firmly I shook my head. No, Jimmy Lee would be released from jail, and the whole mess would get sorted out and the charges would be dropped. Gabriel would see to it.





Chapter 5


When I’d rushed off to Grace’s, I’d left my cell plugged into the charger, and when I got home I was so upset that I forgot to check for messages. When I remembered, early the next morning, I found Richard had called. Feeling guilty because my distraction had been more about his father than my own dad, I dialed his number. He, like me, was an early riser.

After I explained Jimmy Lee’s plight, he said, “That sounds awful, Iz. You’re sure he didn’t…”

“I’m positive he’s innocent.” I was annoyed he’d doubt my dad, but then he barely knew Jimmy Lee and didn’t understand his unusual code of morality.

“Gabe’s a good choice. If anyone can help your dad, he’ll do it.”

“Do you know anything about arson, Richard?”

“Sorry. I only took basic criminal law courses and I don’t remember much. It wasn’t my thing.”

Probably because it made up a large part of his father’s practice. I could well understand why Richard would want to avoid criminal law.

I’d rather have avoided it, too, but my parents’ lifestyle made that impossible. “I have to swap shifts with one of the other vets today so I can go to court and support my dad.”

“Good luck, Iz. Let me know how it goes.”

I’d just hung up when the phone rang. “Have you seen the paper?” Grace asked.

Why hadn’t I realized there’d be a story? “How bad is it?”

“Listen to the headline. Activist Values Animals More Than Humans!”

“That’s outrageous.”

After agreeing to meet her in front of the Provincial Court building, I hurriedly called Richard again and told him about the newspaper story. He hated being caught unprepared. Then I phoned Liz Chen, one of my colleagues at the Pet-Vet Clinic, and arranged to swap shifts.

“Your poor dad,” she said on hearing the short version of the story. She’d met Jimmy Lee and, like most women, had immediately adored him. Though my dad’s charisma was a different kind than Gabriel’s, he had just as much of it. “How can the police think he’d do something like that?” she demanded indignantly. “I’ll keep my fingers crossed that everything goes well this morning.”

I turned on my computer and found the article. My father’s face stared at me. All over town, people were looking at this face—online or in print newspapers. It was a police booking shot, but a benign one. He looked reflective, almost academic, with his glasses, bald head, and beard. The paper had paired his photo with one of Cassie McKenzie, the woman who’d been injured so seriously in the fire. She was a youngish brunette with a thin face and anxious eyes. The third photo was of the smoking ruins of the Cosmystiques building. I scanned the article but found nothing Gabriel hadn’t already told Grace and me.

I took an impatient Pogo out, then hurried to get ready for court. Wearing my one suit and a pair of loafers that looked nice and were also comfortable, I walked the mile and a half to the courthouse at 222 Main Street.

Grace was waiting outside, also wearing the one conservative suit she owned, her hair neatly pulled back in a knot. We fell into each other’s arms. When we pulled apart, she raised a folded newspaper and said grimly, “This does not look good.”

“People who know him won’t believe it.” Like Liz Chen. And unlike Richard, who hadn’t been so confident of my father’s innocence.

As we started into the building, Grace said, “I phoned Jimmy Lee’s office to let them know what’s happening. His boss is pissed off.”

“He doesn’t think—”

“No, he doesn’t think he’s guilty, but he says none of this would have happened if Jimmy Lee stuck to doing his job and forgot about the protests.”

“Always nice to have your boss stick up for you,” I said sarcastically.

“Yeah. I told him with any luck your father will be back on the job this afternoon.” She tossed her head. “He started to say that maybe Jimmy Lee ought to take an unpaid leave of absence, but I pointed out a few basic principles of law, like innocent until proven guilty, and he recanted.”

“Good for you.”

We checked the schedule to see which courtroom Jimmy Lee would be in, then made our way in that direction.

I hated this, and for a moment almost sided with his boss. Why couldn’t Jimmy Lee stop rabble-rousing? Yet, without people like him, the world would be a darker, more dangerous place. Besides, asking Jimmy Lee to stop being an activist would be like asking a zebra to trade in his stripes for a clean white coat. It just wasn’t in the beast’s nature.

And on the subject of coats, here came Gabriel in lawyer garb, striding down the hallway toward us, a battered leather satchel slung over one shoulder. If a man was ever going to look boring, it had to be when he was wearing a business suit. So, clearly, Gabriel DeLuca was never going to look boring.

I could tell the charcoal suit was old, yet it fit him well and didn’t detract an iota from the potent air of masculinity. His jaw was smooth-shaven, his hair neatly ponytailed, but he was still dynamic. And sexy.