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“Mrs. Linton,” Talia said smoothly. “What co
“She was a minor,” Mrs. Linton murmured. “Her record was sealed.”
“What was the offense?” Talia asked.
Mrs. Linton’s eyes flashed. “Soliciting. She didn’t do it. She was an honor student. She tutored kids after school. Her teachers said she’d earn scholarships. But her life was ruined because she was arrested and we couldn’t afford to keep her out of jail.”
Talia frowned. “Soliciting. You mean prostitution?”
“Yes,” Mrs. Linton said bitterly. “That’s exactly what I mean. She served six months in a juvenile facility. We couldn’t afford any less.”
A chill ran down Susa
“Less time,” Mrs. Linton spat. “Your father sentenced her to two years. She was only sixteen. Your father wanted money to keep her out of jail. We mortgaged our house, but he said it wasn’t enough. He said she’d still serve a whole year.”
Susa
Talia patted her hand, turning all her attention to Marcy’s mother. “Mrs. Linton, this is important. You said she’d been sentenced to two years, but you paid the judge enough to get it down to a year. But Marcy served six months. What happened?”
Mrs. Linton was studying Susa
“Who was the judge, Mrs. Linton?” Susa
“Judge Borenson. He’s retired now.”
Talia blew out a breath. “When did the new trial happen, ma’am?”
“Almost thirteen years ago.”
It was like a kick in the ribs. “Not a coincidence,” Susa
“I agree,” Talia said quietly. “Mrs. Linton, who helped your daughter get a new trial?”
“A lawyer from Legal Aid.” She looked from Talia to Susa
Susa
“He died soon after he got Marcy out,” Mrs. Linton said. “He had a car accident.”
“Mrs. Linton,” Talia said, “were any others involved in your daughter’s release?”
“No, I don’t think so. I’ll have to ask my husband. He’s gone for a walk. It’s what he does when he gets angry about Marcy. I’ll ask him when he comes back.”
“Thank you,” Talia said. “Here’s my card. Please call me if you remember anything, no matter how small it seems. We’ll see ourselves out.”
Susa
“Thank you,” Mrs. Linton said hoarsely. “For burying my daughter in a nice place.”
Susa
Susa
“Where are we going?” Talia asked.
“To my parents’ house. Hurry, before I lose my nerve.”
Charlotte, North Carolina, Monday, February 5, 12:05 p.m.
Still reeling from the discovery of an Atlanta cop observing Genie Cassidy’s abduction, Harry called the one person he trusted to guide him through what could be a sticky situation. “Steven, it’s Harry.”
“Hey. I was just getting ready to call you.”
Harry’s heart sank. “You found Dr. Cassidy in Lake Gordon?”
“Only his car. Now we’re searching the shoreline. Harry, what’s wrong?”
“God, Steven. I’ve fallen into a mess.” He told his old boss about the Crown Vic.
“Holy hell, Harry. Are you sure?”
“That the car is registered to Houston, yes. Who’s behind the wheel I can’t say.”
“Have you called APD?”
“Not yet. I was wondering where to start. I could call the administrative office and get Paul Houston’s boss, but his boss might ask him directly. If Houston is dirty, I don’t want to risk tipping him off. I could call Atlanta’s Internal Affairs, but… hell, Steven.”
Steven was quiet a moment. “Do you trust this Papadopoulos?”
“Yeah. I think so. More than IA, anyway.”
“Then call him. Tell him what you found. Let him field the flak.”
“Seems cowardly.”
“Well, door number two is IA.”
“I’ll call Papadopoulos.”
“I thought so. Call me if you need anything more.”
Springdale, Monday, February 5, 12:25 p.m.
Talia waited until they were on the main road. “Why are we going to your parents’ house, Susa
“My father kept records. Borenson came to our house often. They scratched each other’s backs.”
“But in Marcy’s case, Borenson reversed your father’s initial ruling.”
“Right after Borenson presided over Gary Fulmore’s trial, which we know was dirty. My father wouldn’t have been happy about being overruled.”
“Do you remember an argument between them?”
“No. But when Alicia Tremaine turned up dead in that ditch, my mother somehow knew Simon was involved. She went to Frank Loomis and begged him to ‘fix it.’ So he framed Gary Fulmore, a drifter who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and too high to know what was happening. Alderman was Fulmore’s defense attorney. The only evidence Loomis had was Alicia’s ring in Fulmore’s pocket and a little blood on his clothes. There were huge holes in the case. Judge Borenson should have seen. He should have seen.”
“A jury convicted Fulmore, Susa
“We both know a jury convicts based on the evidence they’re allowed to hear. Who knows if Borenson allowed Alderman to present a proper case?”
“And a few months later, Alderman stands before Borenson again and gets Marcy Linton released.”
“I wonder if Alderman knew Fulmore’s case was tainted and somehow threatened Borenson.” Susa
“Not definitive,” Talia said. “And we can’t ask him, because he’s dead.”
“Let’s say Alderman knew something-why didn’t he use it to get Fulmore off? That was a much more high-profile case. It would have been a huge feather in his cap.”
“Either Alderman didn’t find out till later or he chose to leverage what he knew on future cases.”
“That’s what I think.” Susa
Talia glanced over again, her expression worried. “You okay?”
“No. But we’re going in anyway. Because even if Alderman had information that Borenson ran a dirty trial, it doesn’t explain Darcy’s death and the fact that Granville’s thích was at the bunker within the last few weeks. There’s a co
“My gut says you’re right. I hope we find something concrete to back it up.”
“My father kept detailed records on everything, and Daniel and I know most of his hiding places. I knew I’d have to come back here and find his records. I’ve been dreading it, just like Luke is dreading those pictures on Mansfield’s hard drive.”
“Do you have a key?” Talia asked.
Susa