Angelina Bonaparte Mysteries Box Set Nanci Rathbun (i love reading books txt) 📖

no time to pussyfoot around attorney-client privilege. I pulled my cell phone out of my purse and extracted the handgun from its briefcase holster.

Adriana’s eyes widened and she covered her mouth with one hand, while the other covered her heart. “Omigod,” she whispered.

“I’m licensed, Adriana, and I know how to use this. Don’t worry, okay?” I called Wukowski on his cell phone. “I’m at my client’s apartment. Some guy’s patrolling the hallway, using a reverse peephole viewer.” I gave him the address and apartment number. “I have no idea if this is related to the murder at the attorney’s office, but you should also know that my client’s parents were murdered last week.”

He sucked in a breath. “You couldn’t tell me that earlier?” I heard him yell for an officer to get a couple of squads to the building. Then he came back on the line. “Are you and your client unharmed?”

“We’re fine. Holed up in the bedroom for now.”

“We’re on the way. Stay in the bedroom until you hear me at the door. And be careful.” He sounded angry.

Adriana needed to know about the latest development. I took her hand in mine. “Adriana, I have some bad news to tell you. That’s why I came over here early. I didn’t meet with Attorney Petrovitch after all. When I got to his office this morning, he wasn’t there. His secretary was lying in front of his desk, dead from a gunshot to the head.”

“Dragana? Dragana is dead?” With a sudden intake of air, she gripped my hand hard and stared at me. “Why?” she whispered.

“I have no idea. I think there must be a connection between your parents’ deaths and hers, but I don’t know what it is. Without Petrovitch, I’m at an impasse.”

“Maybe…maybe I can contact him. There’s a number he gave me. He said to never use it unless it was a matter of life and death. I thought he was being dramatic.”

I checked my watch. I wanted no record of the call from Adriana’s cell, so I handed my phone to her and she punched in the number. We waited, listening to the ringing. Please, I thought, be there. After six rings, it went to voicemail. I couldn’t understand the recording, but Adriana did. She responded in the same language and hung up. “Serbian,” she told me. “I left a message for Uncle Herman to call you.”

It was a tense half an hour later before Wukowski knocked. “They found no one on the premises,” he said in his Joe Friday voice, “but a pried-open basement window was most likely the means of access. They notified the on-site manager, who called a locksmith to secure the window and examine the other basement and first-floor locks.”

Wukowski stopped speaking and stared at me. “Your client?” His voice was decidedly cold.

I made the introductions. “Ms. Johnson’s parents were found dead last week, at the hardware store they ran. The police put it down to a botched robbery.”

“I see.”

“No, I don’t think so,” I said. Adriana’s head swiveled between us as she tried to understand the tension in the room. “I couldn’t tell you earlier, Wukowski. I needed to talk to Petrovitch, or at least get the green light from Adriana. When I got here and realized the possible danger she was in, I made the call right away.”

“It’s you who doesn’t understand, Angie.” At Wukowski’s use of my first name, Adriana’s eyes opened wide. “By withholding vital information, you impeded the investigation. This isn’t a game.”

“As I’m well aware. If I thought it was someone playing around in the hallway, I wouldn’t have called you.”

“Perhaps you and your client have time now to make a statement?” he said in a biting tone.

“Have you located Petrovitch?”

“Not yet. He wasn’t at his office or his home. The housekeeper let me in for a quick inspection, once I told her about the murder. No missing clothes or suitcases. No sign of his whereabouts. I put out an APB for him as a person of interest.”

“Without legal representation, I must advise Adriana to remain silent. If you give me a few minutes, I can arrange for another attorney for her.”

He stepped closer to Adriana, clearly using intimidation. “Any reason you don’t want to talk with me, Ms. Johnson?”

Adriana moved back a step, her eyes appealing to me for rescue. “You don’t need to answer that,” I told her. I turned back to Wukowski. “Of course, I can’t stop you from taking her to police headquarters. But my advice to her is to remain silent until another attorney is present.”

“You’re a pain, Bonapar-TAY,” Wukowski muttered.

I snickered. “So I’ve been told, TED. Listen, we’re on the same side here. We all want to find whoever is responsible for these killings. Let me call Bart Matthews and see if he can arrange representation.”

Wukowski made a twirling “whatever” motion with his hand. “I’ll be in the hallway, waiting.” He glared at me and left.

I called Bart’s office. Bertha put me right through when I told her there was a homicide investigation in progress and I needed Bart’s help. I gave him a rushed account of the Johnson and Zupan murders and asked if he could act on Adriana’s behalf.

“Put me on speaker,” Bart said. “So, young lady, Attorney Petrovitch was representing your parents’ estate. He wanted Angie to work with you regarding the sources of the money, is that right?”

“Yes.”

“Did you personally hire Attorney Petrovitch to represent you?”

“No.”

“Then, if you like, I can act on your behalf.”

“Yes, please,” she said. “Attorney Matthews—”

“Let’s wait to talk until we meet in person, Ms. Johnson.” Bart directed me to bring Adriana to his office, so that we could both make prepared statements for the police. “Wukowski’s waiting in the hallway, Bart. I’ll let you tell him. I don’t think he’ll agree, if it comes from me.”

I took my phone to Wukowski and stood by as he and Bart spoke. There was some wrangling, but Bart got his way. Wukowski handed my