Free Skin Privilege by Karin Slaughter

a case had high priority, the lab probably wouldn’t have time to process the gas can for at least six months.
    He tried to be polite with his next question. ‘No offense, but what did you charge her with?’
    ‘Not much,’ Valentine admitted. ‘I’m gonna shoot straight with you, Chief, what with us both being on the job and all. We don’t have a lot on her,
    but I think you’ll agree the circumstances are pretty suspicious, plus with her not helping us out by answering any questions.’
    Jeffrey had to admit that with a noncompliant person found at the scene of a homicide, he probably would have done the same thing. He repeated, ‘What did you charge her with?’
    Valentine had the grace to look embarrassed as he counted off on his fingers, ‘Obstruction of justice. Impeding an investigation. Failure to produce identification when asked.’
    Jeffrey nodded again. He could see Lena doing all of that. Hell, he couldn’t count on his own hands the number of times she’d impeded investigations back in Grant County – and those had been cases she was working on.
    He asked, ‘Has she been arraigned?’
    ‘The judge came over to the hospital this morning.’
    Jeffrey did a quick count of the money he had in his checking account. His paycheck wasn’t due for another week. He would have to wait for the bank to open in the morning so that he could move the money from his savings and take out the cash from an ATM machine. He asked, ‘Where do I post bail?’
    ‘Bail was denied.’
    Jeffrey tried to hide his shock, but then he figured out very quickly how this had probably worked. The sheriff was new to the job, but he’d managed to get a judge in his pocket. Still, Jeffrey tried to make the man see logic. ‘You think she’s a flight risk? She was born here. She has ties to the community. She’s been a distinguished officer on my force for over a decade.’
    ‘I understand that.’
    ‘You can’t put a cop in jail. They’ll tear her to pieces.’
    ‘She’s not in the jail,’ Valentine reminded Jeffrey. ‘She’s in the hospital.’
    ‘All I can tell you is you better have a damn good reason why you’re keeping her in custody.’ Jeffrey could play this game, too. He’d been on the job a lot longer than Jake Valentine. Fuck the local yokels. Jeffrey had state judges in his pocket.
    Apparently, Valentine wasn’t as stupid as he looked. ‘I had nothing to do with that, Chief. I’ll swear on a stack of Bibles. Not my fault she wouldn’t plead.’
    ‘What does that mean?’
    ‘It means what I said before. Your detective’s not making a peep.’
    Jeffrey finally understood. ‘She hasn’t said anything since you found her on the field?’
    ‘No, sir. Not one word. Didn’t ask for a drink of water or try to find out how her medical condition was doing or when she was gonna get out of here. She wouldn’t talk to her court-appointed lawyer, wouldn’t answer the judge when he asked if she was guilty or not guilty. She just laid there in the bed staring at the ceiling. Avery was so annoyed -Avery is the judge – that he denied bond and ordered a psych evaluation.’
    Jeffrey felt his mind reeling. Lena could certainly be obstinate, but her silence made no sense. Someone had died in that fire. How could she sit there watching the car burn?
    Sara finally spoke. ‘Maybe her throat was damaged during-‘
    ‘Doc said there’s no medical reason she can’t talk,’ Valentine interrupted. ‘Problem is, she won’t even make the effort.’
    Jeffrey still could not see the logic behind Lena ‘s silence. ‘What did the shrink say?’
    ‘She wouldn’t talk to him, either,’ the sheriff answered. ‘Far as I know, she hasn’t said one dang thing this whole time. Just lays there staring at the ceiling. I even tried to get Darla to draw her out. Nothing.’
    ‘Could be post-traumatic stress? Shock?’ Jeffrey suggested.
    Valentine looked as dubious as Jeffrey felt.
    ‘Did you tell her I was