Her Best Defense. Jackie/Lori Merritt/Myles

picked up the phone again, but instead of dialing Grant’s number she dialed Pamela’s. “Pam, it’s me.”

      “Glad you called, since we missed each other at the office this morning. But you don’t sound exactly perky. What’s going on?”

      “I can’t deny that I’m pretty far down in the dumps, but there’s no major catastrophe causing it…unless you want to call Glory Witherington a catastrophe.” Lisa and Pamela often talked to each other about their respective cases. Neither talked out of turn to anyone else about what had been said in their gab sessions, so Lisa felt completely confident that anything she told her friend about the Witheringtons would go no farther.

      “What’s she doing?”

      “Acting as though being arrested for murder is barely worthy of notice. I’ve dealt with all sorts of clients, but not one of them before this acted as though the whole thing was just going to vanish on its own. I can’t get a straight answer out of her to save my soul.”

      “Maybe you should get Ludlow’s permission to turn the case over to someone else.”

      “And admit defeat so soon? You know I can’t do that. Neither could you.”

      “True, but if you’re beating your head against a stone wall…”

      “I saw her take a pill—she made no attempt to hide it—and when I asked her what it was, she said it was something a doctor prescribed for her nerves. I can’t get the name of any drug she takes out of her. I’m beginning to think she’s a prescription pill addict, although she does have moments of lucidity. But she says she popped sleeping pills the night Mateo was shot and apparently takes other drugs during the day.”

      “Well, the police searched her house, didn’t they? They would have a list of her medications and drugs?”

      Lisa fell silent a moment, then said slowly, “Yes, of course. I should have thought of that myself.”

      “Lisa, didn’t they move awfully fast on this case? I mean, Glory was arrested within days of Mateo’s murder.”

      “The prosecution is positive she did it, even though the premise behind their certainty has more holes in it than an old sweater. The evidence they have against her that I’ve been given is entirely circumstantial.”

      “And yet they’re so certain. You have to find out why. There’s something you haven’t yet figured out, Lisa.”

      “Yes, and I think I know what it is. Drugs. I have to see a complete list of everything they found in that house during their search.”

      “They’ve withheld that information?”

      “So far, yes. I’m sure I’ll get it on Monday.” Lisa’s wheels were turning faster and faster. “Pam, I’m going to sign off. I have to make some other calls. Talk to you later, okay?”

      “Good luck.”

      “Thanks.”

      Lisa began thumbing through her personal phone directory, wondering whom to call about the drugs that might have been found in Glory’s possession. She couldn’t wait until Monday. In the end she sat and stared at Detective Sandoval’s name and accompanying phone numbers. Calling him on a Saturday night didn’t feel quite right to her. If he wasn’t on the job, then he would be home with his wife and kids; if he was on duty, he might be busy and annoyed with an interruption.