Homecoming (Downeast #1)

Chapter 17

Chapter

Seventeen

By the time they steamed into the harbor, Dan had received four more calls from reporters. He’d put them off with promises to return their calls later in the day. As he fielded the calls, a plan came into focus that he’d implement as soon as they got back to shore.

Kara took him by the hand and brought him to the stern, which had been thoroughly cleaned by Buster as they made their way home.

“Close your eyes and smell,” she said.

Dan did as she directed. “What am I smelling?”

“The pine trees. That’s how we know we’re home. Do you smell them?”

“I do.”

“The closer we get to land, the better the scent becomes.”

He put his arms around her from behind and held her as they watched the shoreline come into view. “I love you here. I love you there. I love you everywhere.”

“Aww, now you’re quoting Dr. Seuss?”

“If I am, that’s not intentional. It’s just the truth. I’m seeing a whole new version of you here, and I like it. Today was amazing.”

“Even the puking?”

“You’re never going to let me live that down, are you?”

“Not in this or the next lifetime.”

He kissed her neck, and damn if she didn’t go a little weak in the knees. So naturally, he did it again.

“No canoodling on the boat,” Bertha said with a guffaw. “This is a place of business.”

“Frisky business,” Dan whispered in Kara’s ear.

“Stand down, Counselor.”

“Will you make it up to me later?”

“Don’t I always?”

“Best wife I ever had.”

She laughed. “Don’t forget it, mister.”

“As if I ever could.”

Before they returned to the mooring, they stopped at a wharf to drop off their catch and take on fuel and bait that Buster stuffed into bags in preparation for the next day. The combined odors of the bait and the fuel had Dan turning green again.

“Breathe through your mouth,” Kara said.

“That doesn’t help. I can taste it.”

Kara laughed again. “Stick your head over the side. Just in case. Buster will be pissed if you mess up his clean deck.”

“I’m glad you’re enjoying this so much.”

“Let’s get off here. We can walk back to the Jeep. It’s not far.”

“Are you sure that’s okay?”

“Of course. They’ve got this down to a science.” She turned to Bertha. “We’re going to bug out here. Dan has some work to tend to. Thank you for a magical day.”

“My pleasure, honey. I hope you enjoyed it, too, Dan.”

“It was fascinating. I have all-new respect for you and everyone who does this for a living—and I’ll never look at a lobster the same way again.”

“Then we’ve succeeded in our mission,” Bertha said. “I’ll see you at home.”

“I’m making dinner,” Kara said. “We’ll hit the grocery store on the way. Any special requests?”

“You still make that pasta thing?” Buster asked.

“The chicken tortellini?”

“Yeah, that. I love it.”

“I love it, too,” Dan said.

Kara smiled at her uncle. “I’ll get right on that.”

“Only if you feel up to it, honey,” Bertha said. “Don’t do too much.”

“I feel great, and I want to cook for you.”

“Then I won’t say no to that. See you soon.”

After a quick stop at the grocery store, Dan and Kara arrived back at Bertha’s to find the street lined with news trucks and other vehicles that nearly blocked their path to the house.

“What the hell?” Dan muttered.

“Looks like they’ve figured out where the celebrity attorney is staying.”

“Awesome.”

Dan drove around the people and vehicles to pull into the driveway. “Text Bertha and Buster to warn them about what they’re coming home to and then go inside and stay there. I don’t want you anywhere near this.”

“Will you be all right?”

“Of course. I’ll give them what they want and send them on their way.”

“What do they want?” Kara asked with a tentative glance at the gaggle of reporters.

“Something they can use in their stories. Don’t worry, love. I know how to manage them, and when we’re done here, I’ll ask them to move along. Can you handle the groceries?”

“Yeah, I got it.”

“Don’t worry. Everything’s fine. This is actually an opportunity.”

“For what?”

“To start introducing some reasonable doubt.” He smiled. “Go on in. As soon as you’re safely inside, I’ll go deal with them.”

“In case I’ve forgotten to say it today, thank you.”

“Anything for you, love. Anything at all.”

“You didn’t sign on for this…”

“It’s fine. I live for this shit. It’s all good.”

“Don’t get shot or stabbed or anything else like that, you hear me?”

He laughed. “I hear you.”

Kara got out of the car, retrieved the two grocery bags from the back seat and went into the house as the reporters called out questions to her about her brothers.

That wouldn’t do.

When the inside door closed behind her, Dan got out of the car to face the same barrage of questions.

“Simmer down, and I’ll give you a statement.” He waited for them to go quiet. “First of all, hear me on this… My wife has nothing to do with the case against her brothers. If y’all start hassling her, reporting about her or anything else with her, you won’t get another word out of me. Are we clear on that?”

A murmur of agreement went through the twenty or so reporters. Half were TV reporters holding cameras, while the other half looked like they’d just rolled out of bed. He tagged them as newspaper people.

“My wife is off-limits. We’re here because my in-laws asked me to represent their sons. Keith has declined representation, so I’m focused entirely on Kirby’s case.”

“Why did Keith decline?”

“You’d have to ask him that. I believe this entire case is a rush to judgment based on the fact that Keith was seen with the victim during the evening preceding her death. Kirby’s only involvement was responding to a call from his brother asking for a ride home. Kirby never spoke with Tanya Sorenson. All he did was ask Keith if she needed a ride home. She declined the offer and was alive and well when they left her standing on the sidewalk in town. Those are the facts of this case, and we believe the police have arrested the wrong men and should be considering other suspects.”

“What about reports that Keith’s DNA was found on the victim?”

“He doesn’t deny having had contact with her. He danced with her. He didn’t murder her, and Kirby has never met her or exchanged a single word with her.”

“What about the eyewitness who claims to have seen the brothers with her?”

“Have you looked into his history with the Ballard family? If not, you should.”

“Can you elaborate?”

“Do your own research. You’ll find an interesting story there. Also, I’m wondering if the police have looked into the difficult breakup Tanya had with a boyfriend last winter. It’s documented on her Instagram account. Something about the guy not being able to move on from her. I’d imagine that’s an angle that’d be worth investigating as well.”

As he watched the reporters take furious notes, he was pleased with how he’d managed to take control of the narrative and looked forward to seeing the headlines in tomorrow’s papers and on the news that night.

“Will you continue to represent Kirby Ballard if the case goes to trial?”

“We’re a long way from a trial, but I’ll be here for as long as Kirby needs me. That’s all for now. Do me a favor and clear the street. People live here, and they need to be able to get to their homes. Please don’t come back here again.”

Dan turned and walked toward the house.

“What’s in this for you, Torrington?”

Surprised by the rancor in the man’s tone, Dan schooled his expression and turned back to address the question. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me. What’s in it for you?”

“Nothing other than stepping up for a family member who needs me and being there for my wife during this difficult time.”

“Your wife is estranged from her family, is she not?”

“We’re here, aren’t we?”

“Hasn’t it been years since she was here?”

“As I said at the outset, my wife isn’t part of this story, and anyone who makes her part of it won’t get another word from me. Thanks for coming by. I’d appreciate you clearing out now.”

Dan was muttering under his breath when he stepped into the kitchen to find Kara standing next to an open window that she leaned in to close now that the show was over.

“Still my hero,” she said.

“Some of them are such bottom-feeders.”

“Thank you for not giving them anything to chew on, and well done on the introduction of reasonable doubt. I’m starting to see how this works.”

“We’ll be hammering home the alternative scenarios until these bogus charges are dropped.” His phone rang with a call from the Bar Harbor Police Department. “Dan Torrington.”

“I saw your little presser and the not-so-subtle dig at the investigation.”

“Was it subtle, Detective? I didn’t intend it to be. The investigation has been nonexistent, or you’d know that your eyewitness has been looking for retribution from the Ballard family and their business in court for years and has yet to see a dime of the money he thinks they owe him after he was fired for cause. Were you aware that there’s a civil trial pending in December?”

“I was not aware of that.”

“Well, now you are. Did you know Tanya was having trouble getting rid of a boyfriend she broke up with months ago?”

“Her parents mentioned that.”

“And you’re looking into where he was last Friday night?”

“I’m working my way through a number of things, and that’s one of them.”

“I want my client released on bail pending the preliminary hearing.”

“That’s not my call. It’s up to the AG’s office.”

“If you recommend he be released on bail due to the incomplete investigation, I’m sure that’ll carry some weight.”

“I’ll talk to them, but I can’t promise anything. It’s also up to the judge. In the meantime, if you could refrain from undermining my investigation?—”

“I’m sorry, but I can’t do that. An innocent man has been charged with murder. He’s never met the victim or had any direct contact with her. I’m sure you and the state police thought you had an open-and-shut case here, but that’s not at all what I’m finding.”

“You’ve made your point, Counselor. I’ll speak to the AG’s office. That’s all I can do.”

“Thank you. I’ll look forward to hearing from you or them ASAP. Have a good evening.”

“You, too.”

“Well, you just made his day,” Kara said, smiling widely. “That was a master class you just put on there. That detective didn’t stand a chance against you.”

“He’s overworked and understaffed, like many small-town departments are. I don’t blame the state police for jumping on eyewitness testimony along with other witnesses confirming she’d been with Keith that evening. There’s also the matter of his DNA being found on the body. It’ll be a stretch for them to let him out, but hopefully, we’ll get somewhere with Kirby.”

Kara linked her arms around his neck and went up on tiptoes to kiss him. “Thank you so much for everything you’re doing. I feel so much better knowing you’re on the case.”

“We’ve still got a long way to go, but I like our chances a little better than I did at first.” He glanced at the clock on the stove. “And now I’ve got to go meet with that other reporter to sow more reasonable doubt.”

“I want you to know… I’ve always been impressed by your career. Not too impressed, mind you, because your ego is always a concern.”

“Of course,” he said, smiling.

“But seeing you work up close has been a real revelation. I’m wildly impressed.”

“Wildly, you say?”

“Mmm, extremely wildly.”

“That’s a double adverb.”

“Focus, Counselor.”

“I’m focused entirely on you, so much so I’m going to miss the interview if you don’t release me immediately.”

Kara kissed him. “Go get ’em, tiger.”

“Please remember that wildly thing at bedtime,” he said over his shoulder as he went into the living room to handle the interview.