making it sound heroic. I was lucky enough to be the prettiest
aerobics instructor at the Multno-mah Athletic Club when my husband
Herbie decided to settle down. We were married for ten years before he
passed away. I've always felt a little guilty for having at least as
much as Clarissa when I can barely balance a checkbook.'
I had to hand it to her. Susan Kerr had a hell of a personality.
There's something reassuring about a person who is so comfortable about
who and what she is.
'So when exactly was she with you on Saturday?' Walker asked.
'I picked her up at her house around one. We had a long lunch,
probably until three, then shopped at Lloyd Center until I dropped her
off around seven.'
'Can you think of anything unusual that came up?' Walker was quicker
to move to narrow questions than I would have been.
'Like what?' she asked.
'Anything,' he said. 'Someone following her, a run-in with someone,
something she seemed worried about. Things like that.'
'Anything at all that you think possibly could be helpful,' I added.
She shook her head. 'No. We certainly didn't notice it if someone was
following us. I mean, who would follow us?' Susan's comment seemed to
trigger her own memory. 'Well, actually, about a month ago, she did
mention some guy in her caseload who was getting a little creepy. She
usually writes off the stuff people say to her as nothing, but this guy
had her a bit unnerved. I told her to call the police if she was
really worried, but I don't think she ever did. She told me a few days
ago that she hadn't heard anything else from him; I forgot to ask her
about it on Saturday.' She was no doubt wondering whether she'd ever
have another chance.
'Her assistant at the office mentioned something similar to me, but she
couldn't give me the file. Do you remember anything else about the
case?' I asked.
'I don't recall whether she ever used his name. The irony is that
Clarissa actually felt sorry for the guy, but there wasn't anything she
could do for him. He was getting evicted from public housing under
some policy that lets them kick you out if someone visits you with
drugs?'
I could tell she wasn't sure if she had it right, so I nodded to let
her know that I was familiar with the policy.
'Anyway, it was a big mess. Clarissa didn't think she could stop the
city from doing it, but the guy said he'd lose custody of his kids if
he didn't have a place for them to live. She was worried that if she
called the police about the letters and it turned out that he was only
blowing off some steam, she'd make it even harder for him to keep his
kids.'
'Do you know what he did that had her on edge?' I asked.
'Just a couple of letters, I think. Ranting and raving the way a lot
of people do, but something about how she should have to know his pain
someday. I know I agreed with her at the time that it sounded a little
threatening.'
'And you don't know whether she did anything in response?'
'No. It alarmed her at first, which was why I suggested she call the
police. I asked her about it a few times after that, but she seemed to
have gotten over it.'
I'd had similar experiences. A defendant gets in your face,
and it feels like a conflict that could rip your guts out. By the end
of the week, it's just another story to share at a cocktail party to
distinguish yourself from all the other boring lawyers.
'Is that enough for you to be able to find the file?' she asked.
'Should be,' Johnson said. 'We'll be sure to follow up on it. What
about Clarissa's personal life? She seem happy in her marriage?'
Susan Kerr leaned back in her chair, took in a deep breath, and smiled
politely. 'I was wondering when you'd get to that. Classic, right?
Whenever something goes wrong, it's got to be the spouse. Hell, poor
Herbie died of a heart attack, but don't think I didn't know what some
of his friends were whispering behind my back.'
Johnson had clearly dealt with this kind of response before, because he
handled it like a pro. 'I know this is upsetting for you, but, as
Clarissa's best friend, you're the one who can be most helpful in
pointing us in the right direction.'
'Well, thank you for that, but whatever the right direction is, that
ain't it. If I thought for a second that Townsend had anything to do
with this, I'd be leading the charge. Shit, I love the man, but I'd
probably kill him myself.'
'This early in the case, we have to consider every scenario.'
