Free Bannon Brothers by Janet Dailey

missing daughter. Bannon glanced at the stern, deeply carved face of the older man, not seeing little Ann’s delicate features in him at all. “I really can’t say.”
    â€œAll right.” Olliver nodded. “Were you speaking on behalf of the Wainsville Police Department?”
    Bannon shrugged. “You could find that out with one phone call.”
    â€œWell, we did make a few inquiries. I was curious to hear what you had to say. I take it your answer is no.”
    Bannon looked at him steadily. “I didn’t think I answered the question.”
    The attorney picked up his coffee and took a sip. “You’re not on trial. You don’t have to answer.”
    Damn straight. Bannon was suddenly very much on his guard.
    â€œI understand you’re on extended departmental leave,” the attorney went on. “For a very good reason, of course,” he said to his client. “He was shot during a criminal altercation.”
    Montgomery acknowledged that with a nod. Bannon was sure the other man had been thoroughly briefed in advance. The chief must have given Olliver Duncan an earful. Hoebel had never been famous for his discretion or his brains.
    â€œGetting back to the case you seem to be so interested in,” Olliver continued, “do you know something we don’t?”
    â€œNo,” Bannon replied, pausing, then dragging the bait. “Not yet, anyway.”
    Attorney and client regarded him expectantly. Bannon held his silence. There was a hidden agenda to this meeting and he couldn’t figure it out. He was getting an idea of why Doris had such a low opinion of Hugh Montgomery, though. So far there hadn’t been a single mention of his daughter.
    Olliver glanced at his client, then centered on Bannon again. “A lot of calls came in to our offices immediately after the broadcast. It surprised me, considering you didn’t mention the firm on the air. Mr. Montgomery even received some unwanted calls at his house, and that number is unlisted.”
    â€œIs it? I wouldn’t know.”
    The attorney sighed. “Naturally you didn’t have anything to do with that.”
    â€œNo. I didn’t,” Bannon said. “Complain to the phone company. Not like they care—”
    â€œBut,” Olliver interrupted him, “the police database does allow you access to all phone numbers. I’ll be honest with you—my client is under a considerable amount of stress lately and the broadcast didn’t help. I’m sure you share my concern.”
    Bannon looked at him levelly. “That’s true about the database, but anyone can find out a phone number these days. All it takes is money. Everything’s available online for a price, from incriminating photographs to financial records.” He shook his head regretfully. “There is no such thing as privacy anymore.”
    Montgomery’s fingers drummed on the table.
    The lawyer took another sip of coffee. “This case is a little different. It was long ago, for one thing. So it rarely crops up in databanks.”
    Bannon thought of Doris, slaving away to enter information for the benefit of the state and the nation. Wait a week, Duncan , he wanted to say.
    â€œI have to say, the broadcast came as a shock. The anchorman was over the top. But the news is theater, these days. All fake. You weren’t, though. I liked the way you outlined it without giving too many particulars.”
    Faint praise. But the last comment wasn’t quite what it seemed. Bannon had structured his answers to keep the crazies at bay, not to make the Montgomerys happy. The lawyer had to know that.
    â€œWe’d like to continue keeping the details confidential if at all possible. To protect the family. Whatever the cost,” the lawyer added.
    Were they planning to buy him off? Bannon looked from one man to the other.
    â€œOf course, we can’t unring a bell,” Olliver