“Well, Dan, maybe you should start from the beginning,” Tobin said, and although Dan had some qualms about how much information was “attorney-client privileged information,” he began to fill Jim in on all he knew.
After some further discussion, Tobin told Dan he knew nothing more about the governor’s death than Dan did, but should be able to get some more information after the autopsy.
“We’ll give you all the support you need,” said Tobin, “if the need actually arises. I think we have enough attorneys right here in the firm to defend you if anything comes of this.”
“Maybe even Cheri?” Dan asked with a touch of bitterness in his voice.
“So you heard about her making top counsel for Appleby, eh?”
“Yeah, she told me,” said Dan and, without a backward glance, left Tobin’s office.
Chapter 11
Dan in the Lioness’s Den
Even as angry as Dan was that Cheri was getting all the big accounts, he found himself looking forward to their dinner plans. She certainly was one of the most beautiful women he had ever met, except, perhaps, for his wife, who had chosen to abandon him, it seemed. Just what was she doing, anyhow? Dan tried his messages at home, but there was no further word from Jenene.
Maybe she went back to the mountain cabin, he mused, but that is unlikely after the scare she got.
That thought brought him back to last night when she had come down from the mountains. (Was it only last night this had happened?) Why had he made those wild accusations? Was she really in danger? The only other place he could think she might have gone was to her aunt and uncle in Reno. Well, at least she had said she was safe.
He rang Tara, and she brought in a pile of messages, but there was nothing from Jenene. Tara, in her best untactful way, reminded him that he had two briefs to the Supreme Court due by the end of the week and that he had several appointments for the afternoon.
“I know, I know,” Dan grumbled, “see if you can reschedule a couple of those appointments, and let’s see how far I can get on business sometime today.”
After taking care of a couple of appointments, Dan tried to settle down to working on the briefs, but he was not accomplishing much. He kept reminding himself that he couldn’t start to fall apart before anything developed from this. He must keep himself disciplined at all times if he was to go up the political ladder. That visit from the detectives had made more of an impact on him than he had realized. But no problem, he was not guilty of anything wrong—justice was on his side—and if charged with anything, he could defend himself brilliantly and use the publicity to put him in the governor’s mansion!
After that ever-so-grand thought, he was able to concentrate on completing the brief and, with a sigh of relief, tossed the same on Tara’s desk with a “See you in the morning,” and headed out to Flaherty’s to have a drink or so before meeting Cheri for dinner.
Arriving at Flaherty’s, he saw Tom Harding at the bar waving to him. Dan again felt the surge of resentment of Tom getting the chief defense attorney job instead of him but decided Tom might be very useful to him for his political future, and so Dan joined him at the bar.
After the usual amenities, Dan decided to “take the plunge” and see if Tom knew anything constructive about the governor’s death.
With a somewhat awkward clearing of the throat, he asked, “Have you heard the latest? Lieutenant Martin was in my office this morning with Jim Cougar and Mark Simpson, asking me all kinds of questions, seemingly indicating that I am involved in a conspiracy to commit murder, namely the governor.”
“Well,” answered Tom, “detectives being in your office that early in the morning does start the gossip flowing. I hadn’t even finished my morning coffee yet. Better fill me in with some details.”
Dan related to him as much detail as he could about the meeting with Arnie and about Arnie’s sudden demise outside the restaurant. He didn’t mention anything about Jenene’s encounter, telling himself that there was no connection between that and Arnie’s death or even the governor’s death for that matter. Again, he told himself that indeed “silence is golden.”
“I really haven’t heard a whole lot,” Tom replied, “but there is a rumor that they don’t think it is an insulin overdose per se, but they don’t think it was natural causes either. Everyone is waiting on the autopsy. Just how this would tie you into this is not at all clear.”
After a bit more discussion, Dan left to meet Cheri. Hailing a cab, he settled back, and he suddenly became famished in spite of the problems he was facing and found himself looking forward to a little relaxation and good food with such a beautiful woman.
They had agreed to meet at the Our Place supper club, and Cheri had not yet arrived as Dan entered the restaurant. With the appropriate instructions to the maître d’ to escort this most beautiful green-eyed woman in the world to his table, he ordered a bottle of wine. After about ten minutes, he began to fidget. Was she being very fashionably late, or was she not coming after all? His apprehension was soon alleviated as he saw every head in the restaurant turn almost simultaneously toward Cheri being escorted to his table.
Damn, what a woman, he thought as he rose to seat her. She would make any man look good, and today it’s my turn.
“Sorry, darling,” she said, “I had trouble getting away from the office. The Dare Devil Hotel representatives were in this afternoon. So I am getting my feet wet in a hurry. Sure is a lot different from doing criminal defense, but every bit as much demanding. These people seem to have absolutely no worry about money or what money can buy, and they demand the service that goes with that concept.”
They continued with the shop talk as the waiter brought the wine and took their order. Then abruptly Cheri asked Dan if he had heard anything concrete about the governor’s death.
For some unexplainable reason, Dan felt the hair stand up on the back of his neck.
“No, not really,” Dan answered, “just that perhaps that it could have been an insulin overdose. You haven’t heard anything either?”
“Just that they are waiting for the results of the autopsy report,” she said.
“By the way,” Cheri continued with an exaggerated wink, “have you thrown your hat in the ring yet?”
With a slight flush, Dan remembered how he had flippantly remarked about being the next governor when he had first met Cheri.
“Not yet,” he laughed. “But don’t count me out just yet.”
“Better hurry, Dan.” She laughed too. “This great state has never had a woman governor yet, and I might start getting ideas myself.”
“You could beat me out in a moment, my green-eyed Cheri. If I looked like you, I wouldn’t have to do much campaigning.”
And his eyes locked momentarily into her eyes again. A warm, caressing hand on his leg was not entirely unexpected and not entirely unwanted. Dan found himself wishing dinner was over. As they drank more wine, Dan kept telling himself to slow down on the drinking, remembering the last time he drank too much. If he was going to be a cheating husband, the least he could do was remember it. With that thought, Dan paid the bill, and they left.
“I came in my car,” Cheri said. “I’ll drive you home.”
But Dan knew as they got into her car that he would never make it home that night.
And Dan was right. After fixing them a nightcap, Cheri slipped into something more comfortable, and Dan simply