Free QB1 by Pete Bowen

California Investigators and some
security people from the team. Altogether, a group of about 15
people were in the room.
    Not surprisingly with the size of his ego, it
was Nelson who spoke first. “Before we get started, Mr. Tierney, I
want to bring up that since we’re all here to discuss progress on
the case of Tony Reilly’s murder last night, I’m going to have to
question the appropriateness of having a possible suspect in the
room.” He let that sink in. I knew we were about to rock and roll.
“I’m referring to the widow, Mrs. Elizabeth Reilly.”
    Did I mention this guy is an asshole? Chief
Conners immediately spoke up, “Last night a tactical team found
Mrs. Reilly asleep in her bed at the crime scene. She was
immediately taken downtown and given a residual test and a blood
test. She has been completely cooperative. She was thoroughly
questioned about every aspect of the crime and was simply unaware
of what had happened or where her husband had been for the last
month. We don’t feel Mrs. Reilly was involved in this crime. After
further investigation today, checking phone records and email,
there has been nothing more that would give us any reason to
suspect Mrs. Reilly of any involvement. I don’t see any reason she
shouldn’t be involved in an informal discussion of progress.” I
could see Liz was about to stand and bolt. She wasn’t crazy about
being there, anyway. Before she could stand, I put my hand firmly
on her arm, holding her down. I wanted to play.
    “The FBI hasn’t had a chance to question Mrs.
Reilly yet,” countered Nelson. The implication being the SFPD is
incompetent versus the superior questioning skills of the FBI.
“There is certainly motive for Mrs. Reilly to want her husband
dead. We estimate the size of the estate of Tony Reilly at $25
Million. There was marital discord; the couple was separated at the
time of the incident. There is also opportunity for the crime as no
one else seems to have known where Mr. Reilly was for the last
month and Mrs. Reilly being the only one home. I’ll concede it may
not have been Mrs. Reilly who pulled the trigger but certainly with
the domestic situation between the couple, there is reason to
continue to suspect Mrs. Reilly of involvement in the crime.”
Nelson paused and then went in for the kill, “I also question the
relationship between Private Investigator Thomas Mullins and Mrs.
Reilly. Her first call was to him following the questioning at San
Francisco Police Headquarters was suspicious. Why did she call him?
Phone records don’t indicate communication between these two people
but our investigation has turned up a meeting between the couple on
the afternoon of April 21st in a Sonoma Restaurant called the Wine
Country Bistro. The couple was seen leaving the restaurant
together. My gut feeling is that Elizabeth Reilly and Thomas
Mullins may both be involved and I feel it is inappropriate that
they be involved in any discussion of the crime.”
    What an asshole! I knew he probably got a
ration of shit following the silly business of trying to arrest
Roger’s Dad for the lab computer break in. The contentious
relationship between us went back years. My first thought was that
the guy had snapped to bring this up now. I looked over at Oscar
Tierney and wondered if I was still going to be working for him an
hour from now.
    The room was quiet as I started to speak.
“Herb, can I call you Herb? After all, we go back what, 5 years?
All those times I busted your balls for being incompetent? How you
never seemed to actually solve anything but somehow managed to take
the credit for everything? The way I treated you with such
disrespect every time I ran into you? The practical jokes, teasing
you about your social ineptness, I know I’ve been an asshole to you
and I’m sorry. I didn’t realize just how much I’ve hurt you that
you would come after me like this. Accusing me of an affair with
the wife of Tony Reilly and implicating us in his