Free Crouching Buzzard, Leaping Loon by Donna Andrews Page B

strong blow, if the results showed up during the fairly superficial examination they'd have done on the scene. The rest of my brain asked if we could please think about something else now.
    „The kind of blow you could do with one of those karate chops,“ the chief went on. He leaned back on his heels with his thumbs tucked in his belt, looking quite pleased with himself.
    „Oh, for crying out loud,“ I said. „You don't really believe – “
    „I think we should go down to the station where we can talk without all these interruptions,“ the chief said, frowning at me.
    They led Rob down to a waiting patrol car, with me trailing after, pointing out things the chief was overlooking, especially the many other people who might have had it in for Ted. Although, since most of those people were standing around, mouths open, watching the chief haul their fearless leader off to jail, I refrained from naming names.
    „And what about all the suspicious characters we told you about?“ I said. „The crazy fan, the angry ex-employee, and the sinister biker,“
    „We're not going to forget about them,“ the chief said. „We'll continue to explore every avenue.“
    But as I watched the patrol car drive off, I didn't believe it.
    „Damn the man,“ I muttered. I felt strangely betrayed. I'd told him everything I could mink of about Ted and Mutant Wizards. I'd let him pump me for information. And just when I'd started to feel comfortable and think he was a sensible and intelligent person who stood a good chance of solving the murder, he had to go and settle on Rob as his prime suspect.
    Maybe Dad had the right idea after all. Maybe I did need to do my own investigating. At least if the police were misguided enough to focus on Rob as a suspect.
    I'd worry about that later. Meanwhile, the first order ofbusiness was to keep Rob from saying anything stupid or incriminating to the police. Anything more than he'd already said.
    I groped in my purse for my cell phone and the notebook-that-tells-me-when-to-breathe, as I called my combination to-do and address book, looked up a number, and dialed frantically. I breathed a sigh of relief when a familiar voice answered.
    „Liz! Thank goodness I got you! Where are you?“
    „The police told us we could all go home, so I was just getting into my car. What's wrong now?“ she said, sounding tired. Sounding, in fact, as if she were trying very hard not to reveal her irritation, and failing miserably.
    „I think they're planning to arrest Rob for the murder,“ I said. „At any rate, they're taking him down to the police station. He needs a lawyer. Could you – “
    „I'm a corporate attorney, remember? I do contracts and stuff. I'd be worse than useless; I don't know anything about criminal law. Half the programmers around here know more about criminal law than I do, thanks to the damned game.“
    „Yes, I know, but – “
    „For that matter, Rob's a lawyer, and he invented the damned game, which means he's forgotten more about criminal law than I'll ever have any reason to learn. So – “
    „Yes, and who was it who said that a lawyer who represents himself has a fool for a client?“
    A pause. Then a sigh. „I don't know. I could look it up for you.“
    „I'd rather you went down to the police station to keep Rob from doing anything really stupid until we round up a good criminal lawyer to help him. I could try, but they'd only keep me cooling my heels outside. They'll have to let you in because you're a lawyer. Besides, he wouldn't pay the slightestattention to what I told him, but he might listen to you.“
    She sighed again. „Okay,“ she said. „Can do. Sorry I vented on you; it's been a long day.“
    „I know, and I'm not making it any shorter.“
    „I'm off, then; get that criminal lawyer down there as soon as you can.“
    „Any ideas who it should be?“
    „Afraid I don't know the local talent yet. Which is stupid; I should have had someone lined up. I mean, sooner