Flint by Fran Lee Page B

on her throat and arms. "Hello, Ms. Thomas. I'm Max Daly. I've been retained to act in your behalf in the matter of The State of Texas Versus Lily Thomas, Case #140085932. Flint Calderon posted bail this morning at your arraignment hearing in which I represented your interests. I'm also representing you in a civil suit brought in your behalf against one Jacob Proctor of Garfield City, Travis County Texas citing fraud, theft by deception, and gross negligence resulting in the death of one Helen Thomas Proctor. Please respond for the record that I am your attorney in both matters." He indicated the microphone before her.
    She somehow managed to speak. "Yes. Um...you are my attorney, Mr. Daly."
    He nodded, and read something on the screen of the laptop. "Would you please answer a few questions for me, Miss Thomas?"
    "Of course...ask."
    "One of the charges against you states that you ran from the home of Jacob Proctor, who was your legal guardian, on the night of..." he read the statement from the screen, and glanced up at her. "Your legal guardian stated that you ran after you 'struck him with a piece of furniture'. He also stated that he had no idea what caused you to suddenly 'go crazy'." The attorney glanced at her wrists with the purple and yellow bruises. "Can you explain to me what made you do such a thing?"
    She realized that they were being observed through the one-way mirror on the far wall, and that the microphone was most likely recording their conversation. She pushed her sleeves up to show the bruises more clearly, and reached to unbutton her collar, pulling it open to expose the hand print.
    "My step father, Jacob Proctor was beating me, strangling me, and threatening to rape me...um...in a place that would have been excruciatingly painful. I am not strong enough to fight someone his size off, so I had to hit him with a candleholder. It's not the first time he's beaten me, and I believed every threat he made to hurt me physically."
    The interview went on for about twenty minutes, with the female officer standing at the door, observing and listening. Lily explained into the microphone how Jacob Proctor had come into their lives, and how Lily had good reason to believe that her mother had not accidentally swallowed nearly 100 sleeping pills. Jacob had kept control of all of her pills, and put them into a locked box, and only allowed her to take them when she became restless. The only way she could have gotten so many pills was if her husband had purposely given them to her, or left the bottle within her reach.
    As she spoke, she realized that he was asking her questions about why she believed that her mother's death was no accident. With the officer standing there, the attorney had proof that he was not coaching her or leading her on. Of course, the recording could not be used in court, but it could be used to discredit her step father, and perhaps sway a decision-making social worker toward removing Jacob Proctor's legal guardianship of her. She then remembered the insurance policy Jake had taken out on her, and the way he'd nearly left her to die before calling the EMTs. A cold chill ran through her.
    The bastard had been making it look like she was suicidal...so that when he actually killed her, there would have been a pattern of suicidal tendencies on record. "I have a few questions for you. Mind if I ask?"
    The man smiled at her and waited.
    "Where is Flint?"
    Max's smile widened. "He's waiting down in the reception area."
    "Can Jacob Proctor hurt him in any way for protecting me?"
    "No."
    "And he's not in trouble for aiding and abetting a fugitive from justice?"
    "We're doing our best to make sure that isn't going to happen."
    Lily swallowed hard, and chewed her lower lip. "I pray to God he isn't, because that man is the kindest, most gentlemanly person I've ever met. I'd hate for him to get into trouble with the law when he just helped me for a few days."
    "You can talk to him about that. I do believe those are