For Just Cause

“Who the hell are you people?”

Billy broke a cold sweat as he stepped in front of Claudia, shielding her from the shooter. His carelessness had just come back to haunt him.

He needed to defuse this situation fast. “Put the gun down now, okay? We’re not cops, we’re friends of Angie’s mother.”

“For God’s sake, Jimmy, put the damn gun away.” Angie didn’t sound terribly nervous about the threat. “I can handle this. Go…go clean the pool or something.”

The man named Jimmy gave one parting snarl before he shoved his small handgun into the pocket of his baggy shorts and sauntered away.

Billy let out the breath he’d been holding, almost sick with relief. He stepped aside so he could look Claudia in the eye. “Not a dangerous situation, huh?”

“You’re the one who made the situation dangerous,” she countered, “by entering the house uninvited. We should go.”

“Go wait in the car. I’ll be out in a minute.”

Claudia folded her arms, obviously not budging. Billy wished she wouldn’t do that—it accentuated her breasts, which distracted him at a moment he needed all of his attention on Angie.

“What do you want?” Angie asked wearily. “They’re gonna show the house this afternoon. I need to clean up.”

That was an understatement.

“Who was that guy?” Billy asked.

“My boyfriend.”

Claudia watched with hyperalert eyes.

“Recently you visited your mother in prison. You asked her about some coins. What was that about?”

“My dad’s coin collection,” she answered warily. “Did Mom say anything about it? Did she say where she’d put it? It’s important that I find those coins.” Angie nearly salivated with eagerness.

“Your mother put them away for safekeeping.”

“They’re not valuable,” Angie said too quickly. “It’s just a few coins that have been in the family.”

“You know, Angie, you don’t seem like the sentimental type to me. Why do you want them? And how did you find out about them?”

She flashed a superior look at him. “I don’t have to tell you that. What matters is that the coins are mine. My father wanted me to have them. Mom has no right to hide them from me.” Angie thrust her chin out in a show of false courage.

“How do you know Daddy wanted you to have the coins?”

“He told me so.”

“When was that?”

“Right before he was murdered. He said he and Mom were going to split up and he wanted to give me some things before the divorce lawyers got it all. But he never got the chance.”

“So why did you wait all this time to ask your mother about the collection?”

“I…didn’t think about it until now. Like I said, it’s not that valuable.”

Claudia shared a look with Billy, then shook her head slightly. She obviously thought Angie was lying. Though Claudia had clearly been unnerved at having a gun pulled on her, she was still doing her job. His respect for her inched up another notch.

“You know what I think?” Billy was about to go out on a limb here, but he wanted to confront Angie with his suspicions while she was off balance—before she got the chance to get her story straight. “I think you killed your father and let your mother take the blame. Because they had money, and they wouldn’t share it with you.”

She did not appear disturbed by the accusation. “You can think whatever you want, but a jury says my mom did it. And if you know where those coins are, you better tell me. I know people, too. I have a lawyer.”

“You’re gonna need one,” Billy said. “If you didn’t kill your father, then maybe he’s not dead. Maybe he recently told you about the coins, and that’s why you took a sudden interest in them.”

Angie laughed, but it sounded forced. “If he’s alive, then how do you explain all that blood found at the crime scene?”

“There are ways,” Billy said, wondering if there really were. “I have evidence people working on that right now, taking a closer look at that blood.” Or he would, as soon as one of the lawyers at Project Justice officially became Mary-Francis’s attorney of record and made a formal request to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department to review the physical evidence.

Billy wasn’t sure when he’d decided this case had merit, but there was something here. Something off-kilter. In good conscience he couldn’t wash his hands of Mary-Francis.

“It’s his blood,” Angie said stubbornly. “DNA proved it.”

“We’ll see. Meanwhile, if I were you, I’d be waiting for a knock on the door from the police. Until your father’s estate has been legally awarded to you, you don’t own anything of his—including that coin collection. Unless you’re using the proceeds to pay your mother’s legal costs…”

“That’s what I’m doing!” Angie said quickly, grabbing on to the lifeline he’d handed her.

“What does your aunt Theresa have to say about all this? Your mother gave her sister power of attorney. Not you.”

At the mention of Theresa’s name, a look of panic briefly crossed Angie’s features before she caught it. “She said it was fine for me to sell stuff. Hey, Jimmy! Get in here.”

Claudia tugged on Billy’s sleeve. “For God’s sake, let’s go.”

“I’m not lying,” Angie shrieked, though no one had accused her. “I’m not. I’m just doing what I have to do to pay bills, pay lawyers.”

“Yeah, whatever.” Billy ushered Claudia toward the front door and out into the still, late-morning heat, having no desire to face Jimmy and his shaky gun hand. Neither of them said anything until they were back in the car with the air-conditioning on.

Then Claudia started to tremble—violently. Probably a delayed reaction to the gun.

“Hey, it’s okay.” Billy put a hand on her shoulder. She reminded him of a scared bird vibrating beneath his hand. “We’re safe now.”

“He wouldn’t have shot us,” Claudia said. “I could see it in his face. It was all bravado, an empty threat. Still…”

Billy wasn’t so sure.

“He would have been justified, you know,” Claudia continued. “We practically committed a home invasion. It’s legal to protect your domicile with deadly force.”

“It all turned out okay.”

She turned toward him, suddenly fierce. “Don’t ever do that again. Not when I’m along for the ride.”

“Now you see why I didn’t want you to come with me?”

“You shouldn’t be allowed to roam around loose without a handler. You’re dangerous.” She took a deep breath, started the car and pulled away from the curb. “Angie was lying.”