CHAPTER 34

Twelve years ago, Sally Pope had made a vivid impression on the college student who was watching her father try his biggest case from the spectator section of a Washington County courtroom. The media portrayed Sally as a “femme fatale” and she embodied the secret fantasies of every school-girl who stayed on the straight and narrow. Women like Sally populated television soap operas and the romance novels serious young women read when no one was watching. Her looks were breathtaking and her figure was an advertisement for sex; she was mysterious and she may have been a murderess.

Something else had riveted Amanda’s attention on Mrs. Pope. Frank’s daughter could not help noticing the way her father’s eyes strayed to his client and the way Sally Pope’s hands strayed to her father’s forearm when they leaned close to confer. Amanda was living with Frank that summer. After the trial ended, he was conspicuously absent at night, often arriving home in the early hours of the morning.

Amanda had been fiercely protective of her father and not comfortable with the idea that he might be having a serious relationship with anyone. The possibility that the woman he was seeing could have murdered her husband ramped up the dread Amanda felt each time Frank disappeared.

Amanda never knew for certain that her father was romantically involved with Sally Pope and she never got up the nerve to confront him. Amanda almost forgot about Sally when she returned to the rigors of her college studies and the demands of the swim team, and she was very relieved when Sally left for Europe. But Amanda’s old emotions had resurfaced with the resurrection of the charges against Charlie Marsh.

A powerful sun was directly overhead when Amanda parked her car in the turnaround in front of Sally Pope’s house. She squinted to avoid the glare as she hurried into the shade of the front porch. Gina, Sally Pope’s personal assistant, showed Amanda into a large living room that looked out on a colorful flower garden through a set of French doors. Sally Pope entered the room a few minutes later.

“It’s good to see you again, Amanda,” Sally said with a pleasant smile. She was wearing tan shorts, sandals, and a yellow T-shirt, and her blond hair was pulled back in a ponytail. Amanda could see signs of aging but was still impressed by her beauty and poise.

“I’m surprised you remember me,” Amanda said as they shook hands.

“Of course I remember you. You were in court every day and Frank talked about you all the time. He’s very proud of you.”

Amanda blushed and Sally pointed toward a long, beige couch. “Why don’t we sit? Do you want coffee or an iced tea?”

“Iced tea sounds good,” Amanda said.

Gina had been waiting unobtrusively near the door to the living room. She left as soon as she heard what Amanda wanted to drink.

“I understand you saved Charlie’s life,” Sally said.

“I just pushed him down when the first shot was fired.”

“That was quick thinking.”

Amanda shrugged.

“Is Charlie okay?”

“He was shaken up but he’s not hurt.”

“Good. Frank said you wanted to talk to me about his case.”

“Is that okay?”

“Of course, but I don’t know what I can say that will help.”

“Let’s start with how you and Charlie met.”

Sally laughed. “He ‘rescued’ me from Tony Rose after one of his seminars at an estate in Dunthorpe. It really wasn’t necessary but he put on this macho act. He even punched Tony in the nose.”

“Was this when Rose says you asked him to murder your husband?”

Sally stopped smiling. “There was not one shred of truth in anything that bastard testified about.”

“Then why do you think he said it?”

“Isn’t it obvious? Senior paid him to lie. Who do you think bankrolled Mercury?”

“Can you prove that?”

Sally shook her head. “Senior is like some mythical beast when it comes to his business practices. You might think you’ve spotted a partial footprint in the snow but you never see the beast itself. Then the wind comes up and obliterates the track and you’re left with nothing.”

“If I call you, will you testify that you never asked Charlie to kill your husband?” Amanda asked as Gina returned with her iced tea.

“Of course. The only evidence Karl Burdett had was those photographs and the note, and Frank proved that was a setup.”

“But you and Charlie were lovers?” Amanda asked.

“Amanda, there were a lot of things I’ve done that I’m not proud of, and sleeping around is at the top of the list. Before I married Arnie, I did it because I thought that my body was the only thing I had going for me. After I married Arnie, I slept around to get his attention. Charlie was a roadside flare¸ that’s all. We never meant anything to each other.”

“What did you see at the Westmont?” Amanda asked.

“I didn’t see the person who shot Arnie, if that’s what you’re after.”

“Just tell me what you do remember.”

Sally closed her eyes for a moment and Amanda took a sip of iced tea.

“John Walsdorf, the club manager, and I were outside the front entrance when Charlie’s limo pulled up.”

“Before the limo arrived, did you have a conversation with Tony Rose?”

“That’s right! I forgot about that. Only it wasn’t a conversation. He wanted to talk but I didn’t. Especially not then, with the guest of honor arriving.”

“What happened?” Amanda asked.

“I told Tony I couldn’t talk to him and he left me alone.”

“Did you notice where he went?”

Sally’s brow furrowed. After a few seconds, she shook her head.

“I’m sorry. As soon as Tony walked off, Charlie’s limo pulled up. Then Arnie started causing trouble and there was the fight. I forgot all about Tony.”

“So you don’t remember seeing him after he tried to talk to you?”

“I’m pretty certain Frank asked me who I remembered seeing and where they were standing soon after I hired him. He probably made notes.”

“I’ve seen them. I wanted to get your impressions now.”

“I remember Charlie getting out of the car. There was some trouble with a man who looked like a biker. He testified at the trial, but I don’t remember his name. Then Arnie came storming up and threw the photos in my face. That’s when the fight started.”

“Did you see your husband get shot?”

Sally nodded. She looked sad. “I was watching him during the fight so I did see him get shot, but I didn’t see who did it because my eyes were on Arnie.”

“And you don’t remember who was near him?”

“Just people. It was dark, there was a lot of confusion.”

“What about the guy who looked like a biker? Did you see him?”

“Yes. He was fighting with one of the security guards. So was Charlie’s bodyguard, Delmar Epps.”

“Were you close to Mr. Epps at any time that evening?”

“I was right next to him when he got out of the limo. There was some problem with a man who opened Charlie’s door. It wasn’t his driver. I can’t remember his name. He wasn’t a witness at the trial.

“Anyway, the driver was coming around to do it, but this man walked up to the car and opened the door. Then Delmar got out and it looked like there might be trouble, so I walked over to the car to cool things down.”

“How close were you standing to Mr. Epps when you went to the car?”

“I was in front of him, almost touching.”

“Did you notice whether he was carrying a gun?”

“In his hand?”

“Anywhere on his person.”

Sally closed her eyes and concentrated. After a short time she opened her eyes and shook her head.

“I don’t remember seeing a gun, but I wasn’t really looking. He could have had a gun under his jacket.”

“What about Charlie? Where did he go when the fighting started?”

“I’m not sure. I didn’t see him in a fight with anyone, but that doesn’t surprise me. Charlie was a talker, not a fighter. He wouldn’t have hit Tony if his bodyguard wasn’t right behind him. Quite honestly, I can’t imagine he would shoot someone, either.”