CHAPTER NINEAfter dropping Jamila at the motel, I had to act. But where to start? The eyewitness. What was his name? Mulrooney hadn’t said, and I’d neglected to ask. I called Mulrooney and left a message. Now what? Start with Billy Ray’s friends. They knew about the confrontation. They also could’ve stolen the knife and clothes. They’d be the logical ones to frame Jamila. But who were they? And assuming I could track them down, what would I do? Torture them into confessing? Right.
Time was my enemy. The preliminary hearing was in two weeks. And Jamila’s presentation was in three days. So I had only so much time to … what exactly? Exonerate Jamila? Do damage control?
I took a moment to think and try to pick a sensible course. Maybe I should start with the name I did know—Marshall Bower. P
