Facing A Twisted Judgment
What happens when tunnel vision clouds a police investigation? Is it true that once you are labeled a person of interest you really are the prime suspect? Can you trust the legal system? Probably not.
After a bitterly contested legal battle over inherited property, the hard-won art collection and its owner Samantha Bennington disappear. Both have vanished without a trace.
When blood spatter is discovered under the freshly painted wall of the room in which two of the paintings were hung, the theft becomes the opening act in a twisted tale of jealousy, revenge, and murder leading to a final judgment for all involved.
As the list of suspects narrows, the focus lands squarely on the husband. Some labeled Samantha’s husband a corrupt attorney, others an opportunist. Either way, he’s in the crosshairs of law enforcement and they are calling him a murderer. But is he the only viable suspect? What about the missing woman’s drug-addicted sister and her convicted felon brother? Both were furious over their loss at court and have more than enough reason to hate Samantha.
Guilty until proven innocent leaves Alexander Clarke facing a twisted judgment.
I’m delighted to welcome author K J Mccillick to booksaremycwtches with an extract from Facing A Twisted Judgement.
Extract
“Trust me; you can’t pass this up,” Cillian said, pushing forward to leave the chair.
My mind wanted to stay in neutral; however, it gradually spun forward. There had been no indication of what the job was, but they had made me feel as if I were part of some plot or caper. Against my better judgment, I nodded and followed them out to the backyard deck. I was happy to note that Emma had brought her comfortable chairs from Maine, a slight reason to remain outdoors. I plopped in the red cushioned chair and placed my coffee on the wide wooden arm.
“We have a new client, an insurance company that insured an expensive art collection, which has been stolen. Dalia, we are talking about one hundred thirty million dollars of art,” Jackson said, casually leaning against the deck rail. His arms crossed over his chest gave the sign that he was getting warmed up with the details.
“What? Are you telling me some crazy person had one hundred thirty million dollars’ worth of paintings sitting around their home?” I asked. Could even the best security system keep that amount of art safe?
“Don’t judge until you hear the whole story. In a nutshell, the paintings and real estate property were part of an ugly probate matter among siblings. After a yearlong battle, the judge awarded everything to the named beneficiary, Samantha Bennington, which caused an uproar in the family. Now, Samantha, the beneficiary, has vanished along with the paintings. Cutting to the chase, the husband made a claim for the theft of the paintings,” Jackson said. He pushed away from the rail and sat in the chair diagonal to mine.
Before he could continue, I jumped in. “Okay, now, wait. Is the woman dead or missing? What does vanish mean?” I asked, a tad confused. Or maybe she’d tired of his ass and taken off with the paintings because they were portable.
“That’s the one-hundred-thirty-million-dollar question. Who knows? The police have opened a preliminary inquiry and are investigating it as a robbery. There has been no ransom demand or good-bye, good-luck letter left,” Cillian interjected. “She’s just gone. The husband said he was away for a few days for depositions in another city, and when he came back, the real estate broker had left a message that the paintings were gone. Obviously, when he got back, so was she.”
“Real estate agent. Where does a real estate agent come in?” I asked, feeling as if I wasn’t keeping up.
“Samantha and her husband decided to put the house on the market. You know the way it goes; the market is hot, and the house too big. So, they engaged some real estate broker to prepare it for sale, and while the husband was away, this occurred,” Jackson said.
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About the author
K. J. McGillick was born in New York and once she started to walk she never stopped running. But that’s what New Yorker’s do. Right? As she evolved so did her career choices. After completing her graduate degree in nursing she spent many years in the university setting sharing the dreams of the enthusiastic nursing students she taught. After twenty rewarding years in the medical field she attended law school and has spent the last twenty-four years as an attorney helping people navigate the turbulent waters of the legal system. Not an easy feat. And now? Now she is sharing the characters she loves with readers hoping they are intrigued by her twisting and turning plots and entertained by her writing.
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