Hear No Evil

by Grippando, James

• ISBN13: 9780060564575
• ISBN10: 0060564571
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2004-07-07
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publications

Summary

Miami attorney Jack Swyteck is in the most explosive criminal trial of his career, a case that starts with murder on a military base and concludes with a shocking surprise.

Excerpts

Hear No Evil

Chapter One

"My husband was murdered."

Lindsey Hart spoke in the detached voice of a youngwidow still grieving. It was as if she still couldn't believe that the wordswere coming from her mouth, that something so horrible had actuallyhappened. "Shot once in the head."

"I'm very sorry." Jack wished he could say more, but he'd been inthis situation before, and he knew there really wasn't anything he couldsay. It was God's will? Time heals all wounds? None of that would doher any good, certainly not from his lips. People sometimes turned tostrangers for that kind of comfort, but rarely when the stranger was acriminal defense lawyer billing by the hour.

Jack Swyteck was among the best Miami's criminal trial bar had tooffer, having defended death row inmates for four years before switchingsides to become a federal prosecutor. He was in his third year of privatepractice, steadily building a name for himself, despite the fact thathe'd yet to land the kind of high-charged, high-profile jury trial thathad vaulted plenty of lesser lawyers into stardom. But he was doing justfine for a guy who'd withstood an indictment for murder, a divorcefrom a fruitcake, and the unexplained appearance of the naked, deadbody of his ex-girlfriend in his bathtub.

"Do the police know who did it?" asked Jack.

"They think they do."

"Who?"

"Me."

The natural follow-up question caught in Jack's throat, and beforehe could even broach the subject, Lindsey said, "I didn't do it."

"Are there any witnesses who say you did?"

"Not that I know of. Which is to be expected, since I'm innocent."

"Was the murder weapon recovered?"

"Yes. It was on the bedroom floor. Oscar was shot with his ownsidearm."

"Where did it happen?"

"In our bedroom. While he was sleeping."

"Were you home?"

"No."

"Then how do you know he was sleeping?"

She hesitated, as if the question had caught her off guard. "Theinvestigators told me he was in bed, no sign of any struggle, so it's onlylogical that he was either taken completely by surprise or was asleep."

Jack took a moment, not so much to collect his thoughts as togather his impression of Lindsey Hart. She was a few years youngerthan he was, he guessed, articulate and composed. Her business suit wascharcoal gray, a conservative step beyond the traditional black ofmourning, though she allowed herself a little color in the silk blouseand scarf. She was pretty—probably even more attractive than whatpresently met the eye, as Jack suspected that in her grief she'd lost a littletoo much weight and paid not enough attention to her appearance.

He said, "I know this is painful for you. But has anyone consideredthe possibility that your husband's wound was self-inflicted?""Oscar didn't commit suicide. He had too much to live for."

"Most people who take their own life do. They just lose perspective."

"His gun was found with the safety on. Not very likely that he shothimself in the head and then put on the safety."

"Can't argue with that. Though it also strikes me as curious thatsomeone would shoot your husband and then take the time to put onthe safety."

"There are many curious things about my husband's death. That'swhy I need you."

"Fair enough. Let's get back to what you were doing the day of hisdeath. What time did you leave the house?"

"Five-thirty. Same as every day. I work at the hospital. My shiftbegins at six."

"I assume you're having trouble convincing people that he wasalive when you left."

"The medical examiner put the time of death sometime beforefive."

"You've seen the autopsy?" asked Jack.

"Yes, just recently."

"How long ago was your husband killed?"

"Ten weeks yesterday."

"Have you spoken to the police?"

"Of course. I wanted to do everything possible to help catch thekiller. Until it started to come clear that I was a suspect. That's when Idecided I needed a lawyer."

Jack scratched his head and said, "None of this is ringing a bell forme, and I'm usually something of a newshound when it comes to homicides.

Was it City of Miami or Miami-Dade homicide you talked to?"

"Neither. It was NCIS agents. Naval Criminal Investigative Services.This all happened at the naval base."

"Which one?"

"Guantánamo."

"Guantánamo, Cuba?"

"Yes. My husband was career military. We've lived there for almostsix years now. Or at least until his death."

"I didn't realize that families even lived there. I thought it was justsoldiers keeping an eye on Castro."

"Oh, no. It's a huge living and working community, thousands ofpeople. We have schools, our own newspaper. We even have aMcDonald's."

Jack considered it, then said, "I want to be up front about this: Ihave absolutely no experience in dealing with military matters."

"This isn't strictly military. I'm a civilian, so I would have to becharged as a civilian, even though my husband was a military officer.""I understand that. But the crime scene is on a naval base...

Hear No Evil. Copyright © by James Grippando. Reprinted by permission of HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved. Available now wherever books are sold.

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Excerpted from Hear No Evil by James Grippando
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