Capitol Offense Read Online Free Page B

happening? What’s happening to her?”
    The chief EMT rushed forward. “Get me an oxygen mask, now. And the defibrillator.”
    “They’re in the ambulance. Up on the road.”
    “Then hurry!”
    The paramedic in charge gave her an injection. “Something’s wrong.”
    “What is it?” Dennis asked desperately. “What’s happening?”
    “How can I know? I haven’t had a chance to examine her properly. She’s been trapped in her car for seven days. Most people wouldn’t have lasted this long.”
    “There must be something you can do!”
    The attendant pounded on her chest. “I assure you … I’m doing … everything I know … how to do …”
    “Please!”
    Across the gurney, Dennis saw the paramedic in charge step away, shaking his head. “She’s gone.”
    “What?” Dennis’s eyes went wild. “She can’t be gone. She’s alive. I’m telling you, she’s alive!”
    Dennis felt a hand on his shoulder. “I’m sorry, sir, you need to move away and—”
    “She can’t be dead. She can’t be!” He turned and saw Detective Sentz peering across at him.
    “It’s a tragedy.” Sentz cleared his throat. “We did everything we could.”
    “Everything? You didn’t do anything!”
    “I know this is hard, but—”
    “You killed her, you son of a bitch!
You killed my wife!”
    A second later, Dennis’s fist clipped Sentz across the jaw. Sentz took a step backward, then recovered himself, rubbing the sore spot on his face. “Officers, restrain him.”
    Officer Torres and another grabbed Dennis by the arms, holding him in place. Dennis strained against his captors, trying to get free, trying to get to Sentz. “This is your fault! You killed her!”
    “It’s an unfortunate incident, but there’s only so much you can do when someone goes off a country road like this. I wonder if she’d been drinking …”
    “You killed her, you son of a bitch! You killed Joslyn! You’ll pay for this!”
    Sentz sighed. “Mr. Thomas, I’m afraid I’m going to have to press charges. You threatened and committed battery against a police officer. Those are felony charges.”
    “You’re going to lock me up? Someone should lock
you
up!”
    Sentz turned away. “Take him downtown and book him, officers. I’ll finish up here.”
    The two officers dragged Dennis away, but he fought them, struggling, screaming back at the departing detective. “This isn’t over. You’re not done with me. There will be a reckoning, do you hear me? Your time will come.
There will be a reckoning!”
     
     
     

PART ONE

All Kinds of Crazy
     
     
1
     
     
    Ben Kincaid thumbed through the case file, wondering what he had gotten himself into this time. As if he were not busy enough already. Just back from Washington, a much-delayed honeymoon waiting in the wings, a senatorial campaign to plan. And yet here he was, tackling a small-time criminal case. Was this really how he wanted to spend the two months the Senate was in recess? But when Marty from Legal Services called, he found himself unable to say no. As usual. He knew there were people who couldn’t afford attorneys who seriously needed them, and he had often spoken of the importance of lawyers finding time in their busy schedules to help others. Time to put your money where your mouth is, right, Senator?
    He stared through the acrylic separator at his new client, one Anson Thorpe III. He was a lean man, mid-twenties, scruffy beard and moustache. He did not look great, but the orange coveralls of the Tulsa County Jail rarely improved anyone’s appearance.
    “So, um, if I understand this correctly,” Ben said, “the only things you stole were dolls?”
    “Not dolls. Action figures.”
    “Okay …”
    “Do you have any idea how much these action figures are worth?”
    “I understand some are collector’s items.”
    “And some are beyond collector’s items. This was the classic run of Mego Super-Friends figures. Still the standard-bearer for the entire field.”
    “So