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Brunell stood up quickly. “Time for you to go, buddy.”
“But we’re having such a nice talk. I think we’re, what do they say, bonding?”
“You’re crazy, old man.” Brunell crossed the room, opened the door, and in one smooth move, yanked a matte-gray Glock from the back of his shorts and aimed it at Lou. “Get the fuck out.”
Lou eased out of the chair and went to the door. The sight of the gun wasn’t good for his heart, but Brunell wasn’t stupid enough to kill him. “You remember my name, Brunell?”
“Lou the Jew, motherfucker.”
“Get it right when you call Citrone. Tell him I’m the one from the parking lot, at the Eleventh.” Lou walked out, and Brunell slammed the door behind him.
85
The press attacked Be
“Be
“It’s over!” Mary said. “Way to go.”
“Cool it, guys,” Be
Judy’s brow buckled with bewilderment. “Be
Be
“Who cares? She did!”
“Question number two, what if our client got to her?”
Judy fell abruptly silent, but Mary looked positively stricken. “Did she?”
“I think so, I just can’t figure out how.”
Mary sank into her chair. “I don’t think it was anything Co
“Yeah, this case.” Be
“Why do you think Co
“What you just saw was too good to be true. You know the expression, DiNunzio.”
“Yeah.” Mary’s father always used to say that. “So what do we do?”
“I’m thinking about that,” Be
“I can’t believe I’m hearing this. Be
“Get the defendant off within the rules, Carrier. Witness tampering is not a trial strategy. I don’t like benefiting from obstruction of justice. I play fair.”
“But it’s not about you, Be
“I know that,” Be
Judy leaned forward urgently. “Besides, you don’t know Co
“An obligation?” Be
“For sure. We have a duty to represent Co
“Put it to the jury, now?” Be
“Review the case so far, then,” Judy said, and summarized the testimony witness by witness, her enthusiasm gathering momentum. When she was finished she sat convinced, waiting for the word from Be
Be
Mary, sitting between the two lawyers, looked from one to the other in amazement. “Are you two really considering not putting on a defense in a death penalty case?”
The question, put so starkly and simply, set the issue in relief for all of them. They were silent for a moment, each left to her own thoughts, and conscience. “Be right back,” Be
“What did you do to Harting?” Be
Co
“You got to her, I know you did. How did you do it?” Be
“You’re outta your mind, Rosato.” Co
“So why did she recant?”
“Why are you asking me?” Co
Be
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Co
“You told Harting to come forward during the trial. You told her to call the D.A.’s office and offer herself up. You fed her enough information to make it credible to the jury and to me. You knew Hilliard would see a slam-dunk surprise witness. You knew when Harting recanted it would screw up the prosecution’s case.”
Co
“Because you made it more profitable to side with you than kill you. What did you offer her? A cheaper supply? You in business on the outside and her in business on the inside?”
Co
“What defense? My associate thinks you don’t need one.”
“I agree,” Co
“Oh, really? Most defendants in a capital murder case would be shocked if their lawyer was considering not staging a defense. Something about lethal injections makes a defendant hedge his bets.”