Dead in the Water (Stone Barrington 3)

“No. Just what is your interest in this, Mr. Barrington?”

“Back in New York, I’m a lawyer, and right now, I think you need a lawyer very much. Can I buy you lunch?”

Chapter

4

They walked quickly across the lawn to her boat and went down below. “Would you like some lunch?” Allison Manning asked. “I’m going to make a sandwich.”

“Thank you, yes,” Stone replied.

She went to the galley and began putting together some sandwiches. “Please tell me your name again,” she said. “It always takes me a couple of times.”

“Stone Barrington. If you’ll forgive me, we only have an hour before the inquest resumes, and we should talk quickly.”

“All right.”

“First of all, let me explain the proceedings. A coroner’s inquest is…”

“To make an official determination of the cause of death,” she said.

“The cause and the circumstances. In this case, the jury could probably return one of three verdicts: death from natural causes, death b

y homicide, or an open verdict, which means the jury doesn’t feel it has enough evidence to decide how your husband died.”

“I understand,” she said, handing him a sandwich. “Something to drink?”

“Anything diet,” Stone said and accepted a soda.

“What are the consequences of these three possible verdicts?” she asked, then took a big bite of her sandwich.

“If the determination is natural causes, the coroner will give you a death certificate, and you can get on with your life. If it’s an open verdict, maybe, but not certainly, the same. But if the verdict is death by homicide, then Sir Winston is going to be very nearly obliged to bring a charge of murder against you.”

She gulped down the bite of sandwich. “Murder? I didn’t murder Paul!”

“I don’t believe you did,” Stone said, “but Sir Winston may have a very different opinion. If you should be charged with murder, your alternatives would be to stand trial or to plead to a lesser charge for a reduced sentence or a suspended sentence, if the circumstances warranted.”

“I have no intention of pleading to any charge,” she said.

“I understand,” Stone replied. “Now we have to talk about what’s going to happen when the inquest resumes. My assumption is that Sir Winston has other kinds of evidence to present which might cast you in a bad light. I think that to adequately present your side of this, you need more time and a good local lawyer, so the best thing to do would be to ask for a recess of the inquest until such time as you are ready to present your case.”

She shook her head vigorously. “I’m not going to hang around this godforsaken island for days or weeks. I want to get home, get Paul’s estate settled, and get on with my life.”

“That’s certainly understandable,” Stone said. “Alternatively, you can allow the inquest to resume on time and present the best case you can in the circumstances and take a chance on the outcome.”

“What’s your recommendation?”

“I think it’s always a mistake to rush the legal process unless you’re in a very strong position, and I’m not at all sure you are.”

“If I go back to the hearing, will you represent me?”

“Yes, if the coroner will allow it. I’m not licensed to practice in St. Marks, but an inquest is less formal than a trial, and he might do it. But there’s Sir Winston to consider, too.”

“You asked me if I knew who he was. I don’t.”

“He’s the minister of justice of this island country, and I’m told he aspires to be the next prime minister. If that’s true, and if he sees some political advantage in pursuing this, he could be dangerous to your interests.”

“I see,” she said. She leaned against a galley counter and looked down at her feet, silent. Finally she spoke again. “I want to get this over with and get out of here. I can’t believe he could possibly convince a jury that Paul’s death was anything other than natural. After all, there were no witnesses; they’d have to take my word, wouldn’t they?”