Final Verdict Read online

  Maria thought maybe a few words might help settle Dinah’s nerves. “First time?”

  Dinah glanced back at her. “As a visitor.”

  Right. “I have to assume this is better.”

  “Still creeps me out.” Dinah shivered a bit. “Do you think they make it unpleasant on purpose?”

  “I do think the experience is designed to make people never want to come back again. A milder form of Scared Straight, I suppose.”

  “That’s no excuse for treating people like dirt. I’ve seen what happens in here. People become hardened because it’s the only way to survive. They come out bitterer and angrier than they were when they went in.”

  “Everything about the system exacerbates the problem,” Maria agreed. “More than half of the people thrown behind bars suffer from addictions and committed their crimes under the influence. Will they be helped by being thrown into a hellhole? It would be smarter—and cheaper—to get them help. For that matter, more than forty percent of the people in American prisons suffer from mental illness. But do we get them treatment? Of course not.”

  “Because that would be smarter and cheaper.”

  “Exactly. Most get little to no treatment in prison, but they are subjected to degradation, rape, and perpetual crime school.” Maria wondered if she should change the subject. This might be stirring unpleasant memories. “How are you adjusting, Dinah? You’ve undergone some major lifestyle changes since Dan found you.”

  “That’s putting it mildly. I have a place to live. A room with an actual window. I not only get regular meals, they’re meals with names I can’t pronounce prepared by a gourmet chef. Who happens to be my brother.”

  Maria grinned. “O brave new world that has such people in’t.”

  Dinah gave her a look. “Am I going to have to start reading Shakespeare to keep up with you people?”

  “Definitely not. I hope you’re not getting overwhelmed. I know Dan comes on strong, but...it’s just because he cares about you.”

  “And that’s a pleasant change all by itself. Someone who cares about me. Speaking of Dan—how are you two getting along?”

  Maria stiffened slightly. “This might be...an awkward topic to discuss with my boyfriend’s sister.”

  “I’m his older sister, remember. I’m allowed to pry into his business.”

  “I think it’s going well. He’s actually acknowledged to the world that we’re an item. My associates have accepted it and Jimmy has stopped making that gagging gesture every time we’re together.”

  Dinah laughed. “But...?”

  “Is there a ‘but?’”

  “I had the definite sense that you were coming to a ‘but.’ C’mon, girlfriend. Spill.”

  Maria tossed her head to one side. “I can’t stop feeling that he’s...holding back.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I think his relationship with Camila seriously scarred him.”

  “Understandable, given what you’ve told me.”

  “I know. And I can be patient. But I feel like he’s not...all in. You know?”

  “Not really.”

  “To be perfectly blunt—he hasn’t asked me back to his boat.”

  Dinah waved a hand in the air. “You haven’t missed anything. It’s so tiny you can barely—” She stopped short. “Oh. You mean—”

  “Yeah. That’s what I mean.”

  “Seriously? I mean, I’ve seen you two together. He’s very affectionate.”

  “I know, right? But...no boat.”

  “Forget the boat. You two should get an apartment. Or a house. You can afford it.”

  “Dan is a million miles from getting a house. I don’t think he’s ready to commit.”

  Dinah gave Maria’s hand a squeeze. “I’m sure it’s just a temporary thing. He’s been busy.”

  “And he’s about to get much busier, unless I miss my guess.”

  “He’ll come around. I’m sure of it. Wait and see.”

  “I hope you’re right. I can be patient.” Her cheek twitched slightly. “But not infinitely patient.”

  * * *

  Dan stared through the Plexiglas screen at the man who had caused him so much pain and misery. The man who, truth be told, he had come not only to despise but to fear.

  Sweeney did not look so fearsome today. His face was drawn and ashen. His normally shaved head had stubble on top, hair that perversely made him look older, not younger. He had not been behind bars that long, but it was already taking its toll.

  Sweeney had trouble positioning his considerable girth on the small stool on his side of the screen, but he eventually settled in. They stared at one another for a long moment.

  Sweeney spoke first. “Seems that no matter how much we hate one another, we just can’t quit one another.”

  Dan pursed his lips. “You knew you hadn’t seen the last of me.”

  “True.”

  “I said that, the last day we were in court.” He referred to the civil suit that had been the latest incarnation of the grudge match between them. “I told you I was going to finish what my father started.”

  “Meaning?”

  “Cleaning up the scum that infects this town. The cartel. And everyone who helps them.”

  Sweeney frowned. “The cartel is fading fast. I’ve been told Fuentes was their last lieutenant of any competence.”

  “Is that why you took him out?”

  Sweeney smiled thinly. “I acted to defend myself.”

  “Sure. And the guy in the freezer? Was he cartel, too?”

  “I hope you will believe me when I say that I have no idea whatsoever who that man in the freezer was. I don’t believe the police have been able to identify him yet. I saw him for the first time when he tumbled out the door.”

  “Of your private freezer. That no one can access but you. Who has a freezer in their office?”

  Sweeney shrugged. “I’m addicted to ice cream.”

  He wanted to believe that. It would almost humanize the man. If such a thing were possible. “Prudence came by. Begged me to visit you.”

  “Begged?” Sweeney looked at him skeptically. “That doesn’t seem like her style. Persuaded, perhaps. She can be extremely persuasive.”

  “I’m immune to her charms.”

  “And yet, here you are.” He chuckled. “I’ve known Prudence for a long time. I recognized her talent early on. I think she’s grateful.”

  “Why else would she be willing to do all the crap she’s done for you?” This prolonged exposure to Sweeney made his stomach churn. He wanted to get to the point. “She says you want me to represent you on this murder charge.”

  “True.”

  “But you hate me.”

  “Irrelevant. You’re the best.”

  “There are many fine attorneys in this town.”

  “You’re the best.” The corner of his lips turned up. “Ironically, that’s why I’ve tried so hard to eliminate you.”

  He supposed he should be flattered. In a perverse sort of way. “Can you afford me?”

  “I thought the Last Chance Lawyers didn’t bill their clients.”

  True. And Mr. K had already authorized them to take the case, though he couldn’t understand why. “Most of our clients aren’t able to pay major legal fees.”

  “My assets have been seized or are in the process of being sold. I’m effectively penniless.”

  He wouldn’t believe anything Sweeney said, but Jimmy had phoned his contacts at the court clerk’s office and confirmed most of that. “I wouldn’t be able to get you out on bail. I doubt the judge would even let me ask, given the publicity you’ve had of late. The city would draw-and-quarter anyone who put you back on the streets.”

  “I can live with that. Believe it or not—I’ve been in worse environments. All I want is for you to make sure I’m not convicted of a crime I didn’t commit. That’s supposed to be your forte.”

  “If you didn’t murder this guy, who did?”

  “I don�
��t know. Sadly, my arrest has impacted my ability to investigate.”

  “The cartel?”

  “Very possibly.”

  “Do you have any other enemies?”

  Dan was startled to see Sweeney laugh out loud. “Seriously? Yes, one or two.”

  “Like?”

  “The entire Coleman family bears a grudge, though if anyone should be seeking revenge it should be me.”

  “And?”

  “The Democratic Party still blames me for what happened to your former flame. ICE has been investigating me for years. Local gangsters. The IRS.”

  “I don’t think the IRS murders people and stuffs them into freezers.”

  “You might be surprised what the IRS will do. Absolutely ruthless.”

  “Anyone else?”

  “Many. I’ll ask Prudence to draw up a list. If you’re taking the case.”

  Dan stared through the screen at the man. This evil bastard? His client? He couldn’t bear the thought. And yet...

  “How do I know you didn’t commit the crime?”

  “I just told you I didn’t.”

  “Something more reliable.”

  “Do you think I’m an idiot? Would I leave a corpse where it was certain to be connected to me?”

  “Maybe it was an emergency. Maybe you were pressed for time.”

  “That’s not how I roll. I had ample knowledge the police were coming. Plenty of time to move the body parts. But I didn’t. Because I didn’t know they were there.”

  “When did you last open the freezer?”

  “Two nights before.”

  “And no corpse?”

  “Only large quantities of Rocky Road. Shipped in from Vermont.”

  “And you don’t know how the body got there? Or came to be chopped into pieces?”

  “I know it couldn’t have been done in my office. The police found no blood, viscera, nothing. They wiped the floor and walls with luminol. Nothing. The victim was murdered and butchered elsewhere.”

  “Who had access to your private office? Other than you?”

  “No one. The fingerprint lock requires my index finger. Which I am not in the habit of loaning out.”

  “Any sign of forced entry?”

  “None.”

  “So basically, the crime was impossible. And yet, it happened.”

  “It’s a classic locked-room mystery. You consider yourself quite the detective, don’t you? Surely you can’t resist the challenge. A puzzle of this magnitude only presents itself once in a lifetime.”

  Now Sweeney was playing to his vanity...but he had to admit the puzzle was intriguing.

  And worse—he had to admit that what Sweeney said made sense.

  Was it possible that, vile though he was, Sweeney was being framed? That this really was a case for the Last Chance Lawyers?

  It was easy to pontificate about justice when your client was sympathetic. But what about when he wasn’t? Like Dinah said, if no one is willing to take the hard cases, the justice system doesn’t work.

  “Prudence says you’re...ill.”

  “I don’t want to talk about that. It has nothing to do with this.”

  “If I were to take this case...you can’t keep secrets from me. If I don’t know everything, I can’t do my job.”

  “I won’t withhold any information that relates to this case.”

  “That’s not good enough. You’re not the best judge of what might be relevant. I expect total transparency.”

  “You can’t expect me to start revealing everything I’ve done for the last thirty years.”

  Dan leaned in closer. “Here’s what I expect. I’m convinced that you’re the man who was in the passenger seat of the police car driven by Jack Fisher the night he was killed. And my father was arrested. I’m convinced that you were there for a reason. That you hold the final piece of the puzzle that explains what happened that night.”

  “You already know what happened. Your father executed a man who threatened his wife and step-daughter.”

  “If you want me to take this case, you’re going to tell me what I don’t know.”

  Sweeney looked at him for a long time, drooping eyes, sour expression. “Very well then. But you don’t get your answers for merely taking the case. You have to win.”

  Dan couldn’t help but smile a bit. “Challenge accepted.”

  Chapter 9

  Dan knew this might be a hard sell back at the office, but he did not anticipate a reaction like this.

  “You said yes?” Jimmy screamed. “You’re joking. You’re representing Conrad Sweeney? I’m representing Conrad Sweeney?”

  “Well, the firm is, technically,” Dan replied. “You knew I was going to speak with him. Why is this so surprising?”

  “Oh, I don’t know. Because he’s a crime lord, cartel conspirator, liar, manipulator, racist, homophobe, and probably a murderer. Because about ten seconds ago he was suing us and threatening to drive us out of existence.”

  “To be fair, we were suing each other.”

  Jimmy stood, waving his arms around as he paced the living room. He looked as if he might pop a button on his cardigan. “This is inconceivable!”

  “You were here when Prudence came. You knew we were discussing it.”

  “I assumed your common sense, not to mention your Sweeney hatred, would overcome Prudence’s pathetic appeals.”

  “It has nothing to do with Prudence. I don’t think Sweeney committed this crime.”

  “Who cares?”

  “You don’t want him to do time for a crime he didn’t commit. Do you?”

  “Actually, I’m perfectly okay with that. It would be suitable penance for the ten thousand crimes he’s committed and gotten away with.”

  “That’s not how the justice system works.”

  “Tell it to Shawna.” Dan knew who he meant. Jimmy was close to the current county clerk, someone who had finally admitted Sweeney blackmailed her into doing his bidding. “He ruined her life.”

  “He saved her nephew.”

  “And extracted his pound of flesh.”

  Dan leaned over the back of an easy chair. “I’m not saying Sweeney is a model citizen. We both know he isn’t. But he didn’t commit this murder. And Mr. K wants us to take this case. I don’t know why. But there must be a reason.”

  Maria, watching from the kitchen, jumped in. “And you want us to take this case, too, don’t you?”

  “We’ve always said we take the hard cases. This is where we prove it.” He decided not to mention the part about extracting more information pertaining to his father. He didn’t think that would play well at the moment.

  Jimmy turned toward Garrett, who was perched at the kitchen bar behind his laptop. “Garrett, please help me out here.”

  “Actually, I’m okay with this,” Garrett said, to everyone’s surprise. Usually, Garrett was the most conservative and the first to criticize anything Dan did. “I think it shows that we stand by our principles. As a prosecutor, I had to press charges against people I thought were basically good citizens but who made mistakes. I didn’t enjoy it, but that was my role in the system. Similarly, defense lawyers have to take cases for people they don’t like. Because everyone is entitled to a defense. A fair trial.”

  “Exactly,” Dan said.

  “But you can’t go halfway,” Garrett cautioned. “If Sweeney is your client, you have to go all in. You can’t appear on his behalf while secretly plotting his destruction.”

  “I understand. I am all in. And Sweeney is too. Says he won’t keep secrets from us.”

  “There is no way this is good for us,” Jimmy insisted. “The optics are horrible. We’re aligning ourselves with someone who’s constantly been maligned by the press.”

  “Which could in fact create a new niche. Bring us future clients we wouldn’t otherwise get.”

  “So we’re doing this for our financial benefit?” Jimmy snapped back. “Like total sell-outs? We’re supposed to be above this sort of t
hing. Mr. K pays our salaries so we don’t have to troll in the gutters for work.”

  “Jimmy, I didn’t say—”

  “This is just mindless chatter,” Jimmy said, much too loudly. “Pontification. Making excuses. I don’t know why you want to do this, Dan, but no justification is good enough.”

  There was no point in replying. Nothing he said would make Jimmy feel any better. “Maria, what do you think?”

  “I’m not going to lie to you. I don’t like it. In fact, I hate it.” She drew in her breath. “But I trust your judgment. And I trust Mr. K. If this is what you think we should do, I’ve got your back.”

  Jimmy glared at her.

  Dinah scurried in from the kitchen holding a tray of coffee cups. “Anyone need a lift?”

  “I don’t think we need any more buzz in this room.” Dan smiled. “And you’re the legal assistant, not the barista.”

  “I don’t like sitting still when there’s...conflict. Better to have something to do.”

  He understood. She had only been with them a short while. She didn’t want to be sucked into the maelstrom.

  “I’m sorry you feel this way, Jimmy,” Dan said. “I mean that sincerely. But I’ve already told Sweeney we’ll take his case and I’ve entered our appearance.”

  “Without discussing it with us first.”

  He drew in his breath. “Garrett, can you start on the research?”

  “Of course. What do you need?”

  “Anything useful about Sweeney.”

  “I thought he said he wouldn’t keep any secrets.”

  Dan craned his neck. “And yet...”

  “Gotcha.”

  “Anything about his finances, businesses. And anything about the cartel. Jake tells me Alejandro Hernandez is in town.”

  Garrett whistled. “The Big Boss. Wow. Why?”

  “I’d like to know that myself. See what you can learn. Maria, trial strategy is going to be of critical importance. You see the problem?”

  “How do you sell a jury on the innocence of the most notorious person in the city? Yes, a definite problem. I’ll get to work on it.”