The Bitterroots (Cassie Dewell #4) - C.J. Box Page 0,6

of a listener than a talker. Since she no longer wore a uniform, she was rarely taken for a cop.

The only person in her life who thought otherwise was Ben, who said she had “cop eyes.” Whatever that meant.

Cassie had quickly become the PI of choice for several bail bondsmen, a half-dozen insurance companies, two car dealerships, the county realtors’ group, and one criminal defense firm: Mitchell-Estrella.

*

Mitchell-Estrella was gaining both prominence and notoriety in Montana legal circles. Although partners Rachel Mitchell and Jessica Estrella were Cassie’s age and the firm was less than ten years old and the majority of their clients were still lowlifes looking for plea deals, Mitchell-Estrella had recently won acquittals in several high-profile criminal trials. The most lurid case involved Monte Schreiner, the ex-governor of the state who’d been accused of hiring a transient to murder his mistress near his vacation cabin by hitting her over the head with an oar, loading her unconscious body in a drift boat, and pushing it out onto Flathead Lake where she was later found dead of exposure. Cassie had carefully followed the trial in the Bozeman Daily Chronicle.

The blustery Schreiner, who was known for his frequent appearances on cable television news shows wearing a bolo tie and who brought his dog along to every event, came across in news reports as likely guilty to most Montanans, Cassie included. In a state where nearly everyone had met the governor and seen him in action on a personal basis, it just seemed like the kind of thing he would do. Cassie had once seen the governor work a room and put his hands on every person in it, lingering just a little too long with the younger and attractive women whether they were married or not.

The transient, who admitted to the crime and agreed to turn state’s witness against Governor Schreiner, was shredded on the stand and caught in a half-dozen lies by attorney Rachel Mitchell. Mrs. Schreiner, who eagerly wanted to see her husband sent to prison and had agreed to testify against him, was forced to admit under Rachel’s cross-examination that she had conducted multiple affairs in the past and that she’d exchanged text messages with a fly-fishing guide promising to be with him if “she could just get rid of Monte.”

Monte Schreiner was found not guilty and Mrs. Schreiner had moved to Seattle.

After the verdict, Rachel gave a press conference on the courthouse steps declaring that justice had been done.

Cassie saw the clip on the news and thought that a guilty man with a sharp and aggressive lawyer had beaten the system. Although the prosecution’s case had some holes in it—didn’t they all?—this was the kind of thing that had soured her about the criminal justice system in the first place. She’d vowed not to ever be a part of it.

*

But Cassie and Rachel Mitchell had history. Rachel’s father, Bull, had been a cantankerous outfitter who had guided both Cassie and her mentor Cody Hoyt into the Yellowstone wilderness. Cody had been in pursuit of a client on a multiday horse pack trip who was also a multiple murderer. Cassie had later hired Bull to go after the Lizard King.

Rachel had been in the middle of both situations, both trying to look out for her father’s welfare and providing local legal counsel.

Against her better judgment as well as Rachel’s admonitions, Cassie had persuaded Bull to come out of retirement one more time and even though he was excited to go and at the time was rejuvenated by the adventure, his physical and mental health deteriorated rapidly upon his return. Although still in Rachel’s home in his own special wing, Bull rarely ventured out of his recliner and frequently forgot the names of his daughter, son-in-law, and grandchildren. He only came to life during prime time on Fox News, when he awoke to rail and shake his fist at liberals.

Although Rachel didn’t blame Cassie outright for Bull’s rapid decline, Cassie felt tremendous guilt for her direct role in it and she knew her requests of him had accelerated his physical and mental decline.

She felt she owed Bull and Rachel, but she’d also made it clear to Rachel that she didn’t like the idea of helping to exonerate Rachel’s criminal clients no matter who they were. Rachel had assured Cassie that she’d never ask her to do work that would “offend her sensibilities.” She’d said it in a wry and irritating way, Cassie thought.

Shortly after that conversation, the firm of