Chapter 26 #2
“She’s real all right,” Jeanie said. “Katy told me she got close to another inmate a few weeks ago. Her name is Lissa Daughtry. They spent a lot of time together. Lissa stood up for Katy when some of the other inmates were giving her some trouble. Lissa was talking about some guy waiting for her when she gets out. Katy let her guard down. Girl talk. Katy claims Lissa twisted her words a bit on that podcast. But the basic gist was Katy told her she still had feelings for Joe. She said some things about regretting her decision to leave him. But she never said anything resembling a confession or anything she thought would incriminate her. As for Lissa, I don’t know how Tallon Shipley found her.
I’ve got a call in to one of the corrections officers over there.
I have a strong hunch Tallon might have greased some palms to find out who Katy had been spending a lot of time with.
Lissa herself has been mercifully transferred to the women’s prison in Ypsilanti. ”
“She’s good,” I said. “As an investigative reporter, Tallon is good enough to be very dangerous. Quick’s going to be looking for her, this Lissa Daughtry. I don’t think it will take him long to go down the same path Tallon did and pay somebody off.”
“Hopefully, Tallon has some integrity and will protect her source. Small mercy, but Quick can’t enter a podcast episode into evidence.”
“Let’s just pray none of the jurors have heard it. They’ve been instructed to stay off the internet, but who knows. Maybe moving for a mistrial is the right call.”
“The thing is,” Jeanie said. “I still like Katy’s case better than I like Addison Quick’s. That may sound na?ve. But I believe Katy. I don’t think she killed Tom. As much as I don’t like the way this took shape, I’m itching to get back into that courtroom. I’m fired up, Cass.”
I smiled. “You’re going to be great.”
“All right, then,” Jeanie said. She slapped her palms against the arms of her chair and started to rise. My door opened and Emma, of all people, poked her head in.
Had she overheard anything? She wasn’t supposed to be here.
“I’m sorry to interrupt,” she said.
“You’re supposed to be deep in your study cave,” Jeanie said.
“Look,” she said. “I know things are complicated. And I know I’m not supposed to involve myself in any of this. I also know you’re both probably going to be mad at me about this. But I had to do something.”
“Emma,” I started. “If you’re going to say something about Katy’s case, please don’t.”
“Seconded,” Jeanie said. “This thing has grown complicated enough. I don’t need either one of you getting in my way. This might be a sinking ship, but I’m at the helm now. I appear to be Katy’s best chance at avoiding a lifetime behind bars. God help us all.”
Emma disregarded both of us and came fully into the room. She had a folded piece of paper in her hand.
“Miranda told me you’ve decided to step away from the trial portion of this,” she said. “And I know I can’t be the one to track this down. I mean, I could. But I’ve done enough behind your back as it is …”
The pit in my stomach grew into a cavern.
“Emma, girl, what have you done!” Jeanie voiced my thoughts.
“It’s bad enough …” I started.
“Maisy Carmichael!” Emma shouted.
Both Jeanie and I fell silent.
“Maisy Carmichael,” Emma repeated. “I know where she lives. I have her current address. She’s married now.
Goes by Altman. Maisy Altman. She lives up north just south of Traverse City.
It’s a hike. I know there isn’t much time, but she said she’d talk to us.
I was going to just go up there and talk to her.
But I knew you’d be angry. I want us all on the same page. ”
“You can’t go, honey,” Jeanie said. “Your instinct was right to tell us. But you can’t be the one to interview her.”
“I have to,” Emma said, her tone growing desperate. “What if she had something to do with what happened?”
“Then why would she be willing to talk to you?” I asked.
Emma shrugged. “Does it matter?”
“This woman could be unstable,” Jeanie said. “I don’t think anybody should be meeting her alone.”
“These are all things Detective DePaul should have tracked down!” I wanted to put my fist through the wall.
No matter what messes Joe and Katy made, Sharon DePaul charged too soon in this case.
Even as I thought it, I knew her rush to judgment may have been the very thing that kept my brother out of her crosshairs in the first place.
The swell of emotions that had been building in me for the last few hours reached a crescendo.
“Let me do it,” I said. “I’ll go. I’ll take Eric with me. We’ll leave first thing in the morning.”
“Emma?” Jeanie took the paper with Maisy’s address on it. “Thank you for bringing this to me. Now, I mean it. You need to step away. Do not come into this office again until this trial is over. No matter what happens. Do you understand?”
Emma nodded. She mouthed “thank you” to me, then backed out of the room.
“Cass,” Jeanie said. “Is this a good thing for you to be doing?”
I let out a bitter laugh. “Jeanie, I don’t even know anymore.”
“But you know this woman might have information Katy needs. That I need. I said I believe in Katy. I believe in you more. I don’t know what happened with you Friday. I’ll trust your judgment that I’m on a need-to-know basis. But right now, I need to know what Maisy Carmichael has to say.”
This is how I stayed involved. This is how I could serve Katy without betraying my brother.
“All right,” I said. “Jeanie, you take care of Katy in court tomorrow. And I’ll …”
“You’ll go prove who really killed Tom Loomis.” Once again, Jeanie voiced my thoughts.