Hostile Witness

“He hired me because he thinks I’m a good lawyer and a smart enough guy to stay out of his way and he’s right. They gave me a fifteen-thousand-dollar retainer, they’re paying me two-fifty an hour, and there has been the promise of more good things to come. Whatever he wants me to do, I’m going to do.”

“You just don’t get it, do you, Victor,” said Beth. “They’re never going to let you join their little club.”

I didn’t get a chance to respond because just then a flash of red shot through the window onto the wall, and then blue and then red again. There was a police car now outside in the front courtyard, and then two more, their lights all spi

10

BY THE TIME I GOT to the Great Hall, the five uniformed officers and the man in the tan raincoat were already there, surrounded by a mob of tuxedos and gowns. The man in the raincoat was an African-American. He wore thick round glasses, a navy suit, a red tie, and his shoes were black and clunky. I recognized the uniform, if not the man. He stepped right through the crowd until he reached Jimmy Moore at its center.

“What is the meaning of this?” bellowed Moore.

Two officers immediately moved to either side of Jimmy. The man in the raincoat waved a document and said in a weary but precise voice, “James Douglas Moore and Chester Conca

That brought a shocked little babble from the crowd.

One of the officers, a broad-shouldered woman, said to Moore, “Put your hands behind your back, sir.” She had the voice of a gym teacher urging her girls up the hanging ropes.

“This is a travesty,” shouted Moore. “I am being persecuted.”

“Hands behind your back, sir,” said the woman.

Conca

“I’m Mr. Conca

The officer nodded at the African-American man in the raincoat. “Assistant District Attorney K. Lawrence Slocum.”

Prescott cut through the crowd and took hold of Slocum’s arm. “What is this about, Larry?” he said, his voice sharpened to a fine edge.

Slocum looked down at his arm until Prescott let go. “We’re making an arrest.”

“I’m acting as Councilman Moore’s attorney. You tell me what is happening, immediately, or I’ll slap a civil suit against the state and city before you leave the Parkway.”

“Stay out of our way, Bill,” said Slocum calmly, “until the suspects are taken into custody.”

“Hands behind your back,” said the woman officer as she took hold of Moore’s arm, turned him to the side, and leaned him forward.

“James Moore and Chester Conca

I looked at Conca

“Bissonette?” I said to Conca

“Not anymore, sir,” said the officer with the embarrassed, serious face. “He died at eight-o-two this evening at Pe

“But a butcher in the field,” said the young officer.

“I didn’t do anything,” said an angry Conca

“Shut up, Chester,” I said sharply. “Don’t say a word to anyone. Give your name, your address, your Social Security number, and nothing else. We will get you out of jail and we will take it from there, but you keep your mouth shut.”

His lips twitched, but he managed to calm himself. “What are you going to do?”

“Do you understand what I told you?”

“Yes.”

“You just hang on,” I said. “We’ll get you out.”

Flashes popped as the society photographers clicked away, thrilled at something more exciting than a spilled glass of Pinot Chardo

“Enjoy yourselves,” shouted Moore to the throng of gawking swells. “Continue the festivities. My lawyer will clear up this little misunderstanding.” He started to say something else, but before he could get it out he and Conca

I followed Slocum out the doors to learn what exactly would be happening to my client. Assistant District Attorney K. Lawrence Slocum stopped between two columns right outside the entrance and watched with Prescott as the suspects were led down the steps and around the fountain to the cars. He was bobbing up and down on the balls of his feet.

“I’m surprised at you, Larry,” said Prescott as we watched the woman officer put her hand on Moore’s head and press it down so it wouldn’t hit the roof as she placed him into the back seat of one of the cars. “I would have expected you to find a more public place for the arrest.”

“You know how it is, Bill. The Eagles were out of town this week.”

“I’m Victor Carl,” I said. “I’m representing Chester Conca

“What can I do for you, Carl?”

“Tell us when we can bail out our clients.”

“We’ll arraign them at the Roundhouse right away.”

“Who’s the judge there this evening?” asked Prescott.

“Does it matter?” said Slocum. “We’ll ask to hold them without bail but whatever judge we get probably owes his seat to Moore and will set a half a million at ten percent. For Conca

“And where do you think they are going?” asked Prescott.

“This is a homicide here,” said Slocum in all his weary righteousness, the jaw muscles beneath his smooth dark skin working. “A death penalty case. They shouldn’t walk with just fifty thousand down.”

“Do you have anything more on them than the U.S. Attorney?” I asked.

“They got everything but the tapes from us in the first place,” said Slocum. He turned his head and spat onto the step below Prescott. “But Eggert’s not one to wait his turn.”

“I assume you notified the press at the Roundhouse,” said Prescott.

“They’ll be waiting.”

“You’ve always been a hound, Larry,” said Prescott.

“A city councilman being arraigned in night court. Front page of the Daily News, don’t you think?” said Slocum. “That’s why I had them cuffed. Looks better on page one.”

“You missed your calling,” said Prescott.

“Maybe so,” said Slocum, taking off his thick glasses to wipe the lenses with his tie. “But I’d rather make news than report it.”

The cop with the serious face climbed up the steps to Slocum. “We’re all set.”

“You read them their rights?”

“Word for word.”

“Well, gentlemen, it was a pleasure,” said Slocum. “Want a ride to the Roundhouse?”

“We’ll take the limo,” said Prescott. “Better scotch in the back seat.”

“Oh man,” said Slocum, shaking his head as he walked slowly down the steps to the police cars waiting for him, their engines ru