Texas Tall - Janet Dailey Page 0,43

the sheriff vowed, he would break Will Tyler and bring him to his knees.

* * *

Clay got the call from Stella as he was leaving work. Her timing was so spot-on that he suspected the woman was somewhere in the parking lot, watching him from her car. “I take it you’ve heard the news,” he said.

“More or less. But I wouldn’t mind hearing your take on the story.”

“We lucked out with the judge. But getting a jury to convict him won’t be that easy. The evidence that Will Tyler shot your brother in self-defense was pretty persuasive, especially the taped interview with his daughter.”

“Well, now, that’s your problem, isn’t it, Mr. Prosecutor?” Her tone made Clay want to wrap his hands around her neck and shake her till it snapped. “Tell me about the evidence,” she said.

“No surprises. There was the knife, the two guns involved, Will’s flashlight, Nick’s helmet, and the packet of cocaine that the deputy found on the bike. The fact that Nick was probably dealing won’t help our side any.”

She sighed. “Oh, Lordy, I told him to stay away from that awful stuff. If only he’d listened to me.”

Her performance was an act, Clay knew. Stella had her fingers in plenty of dirty pies, including illegal drugs. But trying to prove it would be like slitting his own throat.

“What about the witnesses?” she asked.

“Again, no surprises. Abner, the coroner, one deputy, the tape of the girl, and parts of Will’s taped interview.”

“But nothing that would cast doubt on his story?”

“Not really. That’s why everybody was surprised by the judge’s decision.”

Not quite everybody, Clay knew. Convincing the judge that justice would be best served by a trial had involved some advance persuasion on his part, along with a bottle of very expensive Scotch. A bit unethical? Maybe, but it was how smart lawyers worked the system.

“Well, Clay, it sounds to me like you’ve got homework to do.”

He imagined her licking her chops like a hungry cat. “Any suggestions?”

“You’re a smart man. You’ll figure something out. You’d better.” She let the implication hang.

“I want that tape when this is over, Stella. You’ll owe me that much if I win.”

She chuckled. “We’ll see about that. Ask me again when Will Tyler’s on his way to prison.”

She ended the call, leaving Clay standing by his car, cursing silently at his cell phone. The day was brisk, but he could smell the sweat under his suit jacket.

The trial date wouldn’t be set until the bail hearing tomorrow. But the court’s docket wasn’t crowded. A manslaughter case shouldn’t take more than a few weeks, a month at most, to schedule and prepare. Meanwhile, as Stella had said, he had homework to do.

When it came to threats, the woman wasn’t bluffing. If rumors were to be believed, she’d already taken down one powerful man who’d failed to deliver—the late congressman Garn Prescott. If Will Tyler went free, Clay knew she wouldn’t hesitate to do the same to him.

He started the car and pulled out of the parking lot, thinking as he drove. Every defense, even a solid one, had its weak spots, and Clay prided himself on being able to find them. This time he would need to be at his sharpest and most ruthless. His career, his family, and perhaps his freedom would be hanging in the balance.

The evidence was straightforward and had been seen by everyone involved. Not much room for manipulation there. He’d have some leeway with jury selection, but Tori would have to approve any juror he chose. Regarding the witnesses, most of them appeared to be favorable to the defense—except for Abner.

Clay remembered their meeting in his office before the inquest. The sheriff had seemed almost as anxious as Clay was to get a conviction. Either Stella had something on him, or he just plain hated Will Tyler. Maybe both.

Abner could be the key to winning this case, especially if he could be manipulated into twisting a few facts. Much as Clay disliked the pompous little toad, maybe it was time to give some thought to an alliance.

* * *

The next morning Will, dressed in a suit Tori had delivered to the jail, appeared before the judge. The proceedings took no more than a few minutes. Bail was set at $15,000, the trial scheduled for early next month. Beau posted the bond with the clerk, and Will was released to go home.

Beau drove him back to the Rimrock in the Jeep, with Tori following in her station wagon.