Mistaken Identity

Judge Guthrie paused, undoubtedly aware that the jury awaited his ruling. “You may have your night, Ms. Rosato,” he said finally, reluctance weighing his tone. “Be in court in the morning at nine, sharp. Mr. Hilliard, please have Ms. Harting returned tonight and brought back tomorrow morning. Make my apologies to the warden.” The judge turned to the witness. “Ms. Harting, you may step down,”

“Thank you, sir,” the witness said, and climbed out of the stand while the jury was led from the mahogany box. Harting avoided Co

Be

“I told you all I know about Shetrell,” Co

“Jesus.” Be

“It was the cops, I’m telling you. Any idiot can see it. They put a contract out on me. Shit, they tried to kill me and when they fucked up, they tried to kill you.”

“Why use Harting?”

“Why not? She’s co

“It was very damaging testimony.” Be

“You want to put me up? I’ll sell it, believe me.”

Be

“I told you, she’s lying.”

“Then how did she know it?”

Co

“She runs a drug business, in prison? How is that possible? How is any of it possible?”

“Money,” Co

Be

78

“All we got is this?” Be

“It’s the best I could do,” Mary said, and Be

“I’m not criticizing you. We need something more. Something better.”

Judy came around and read over Be

“I agree,” Mary said, reaching for the jury diagrams. “The librarian, she wears a crucifix. The Asian woman in the back row, Ms. Hiu, she was frowning the whole time Harting testified. They don’t like her.”

“Christ.” Be

Ping! went the elevator, and they all looked through the glass wall of the conference room to the elevator bank. In the other conference room across the hall, Mike and Ike came to attention over their di

“Hey, Rosato!” he shouted, so loud they could hear him though the glass.

“Somebody’s excited,” Be

“Go ahead, ask me how was work.” Lou flung his arms wide. He couldn’t remember when he’d felt this good.

“You were supposed to be canvassing the neighbors. You went to see Citrone.”

“You could say that.” Lou yanked out a chair and told them the whole story, about seeing Citrone and the Popeye in the precinct parking lot. “Then I went home, had myself a beer, and waited.”

“For what?” Be

“For a phone call.”

“Did you get one?”

“Naturally,” Lou answered, obviously enjoying the suspense.

“From who?”

“From a cop who says he has the goods on Citrone. We arranged a meet.”

“Wow!” Judy hooted, and Mary looked astounded. Only Be

“You’re go

“I know what you’re worried about, and you don’t have to worry.” Lou patted her hand, but Be

“What’s his name?”

“He wouldn’t tell me, he was afraid. Said he couldn’t trust me yet, and I don’t blame him. He’s from the Eleventh, though. He saw me having co

Judy leaned over. “So we go

Lou smiled. “Not you, sailor man. Me. He wants me alone.”

Be

“He ain’t goin’ to the D.A. or the feds. He doesn’t want to be a crusader, he just wants to get it done. He trusts me because I’m a cop. He gives me the ski

“He told you all this?”

“No, but I can tell.”

Be

“It’s not a setup. He’s a cop, sounds my age. He wants to meet with me, and I’m going to do it. You don’t have to worry, I can handle myself.” Lou stood and smoothed down his jacket. “I know the mentality better than you do. You do the courtroom bit. I’ll handle the cops.”

“Where’s the meeting? I’m going with you.”

Lou’s lips set firmly, his grizzled jowls soft. “The hell you are.”

Be

“We’ll be right behind her, Lou,” Mary said, and found herself standing up. She wasn’t about to let Lou get hurt. She’d grown to like him when they canvassed together. “I’ll bring my parents, too. My mother, Lou.”

Judy rose, too, beside Mary. “I’m standing up only because everybody else is. I don’t have anybody to bring, but I can box.”

“You can’t box,” Mary said.

“I can, kind of. I watched people boxing. I know how to stand while someone else is boxing.”

Lou shook his head. “I knew I shouldn’t have said anything.”

“But you did,” Be