Page 30 of One of Us Is Guilty

‘Why’d you take this case if you don’t trust the client?’ asked Bloch.

As usual, Bloch cut to the chase. It was right then I noticed Harry leaning against his office door, listening in. For most lawyers, it’s not a problem. Client’s lie to their lawyers all the time. I don’t work that way. I can’t put a dangerous person back on the street. I’d been down that road, and no amount of money in my pocket makes me feel any better about it.

‘I took the case because I don’t trust her husband or her former lawyers.’

‘What do you mean?’ asked Harry.

‘Buchanan and Duff lied to me and Vanessa. There are plenty of friendly firms they could’ve approached to offload Vanessa. Instead, they came to us. We’ve got a reputation for results that they can use to sell us to Vanessa as to why it’s a good move for her, and we’re smalltime enough for Buchanan and Duff to think they can either control us or crush us. Their real client is the Vanderpool family. I think they could be setting up Vanessa to take the fall for Patrick. Right now, that suspicion is reason enough to represent her.’

‘What do you want us to do?’ asked Lake.

‘The cop who called me is Detective Lorraine Carey. She’s way too young to be the lead on this case, so find out who her partner is on the investigation. This is a high-profile murder, so they’ll keep their shit tight at the precinct. They don’t want a cop leaking anything to the press. Find out what you can about Carey and her partner. You won’t get near the crime scene, so don’t bother trying. I want to know where Carey and her partner have been, particularly any meetings with potential expert witnesses.’

‘What are you gonna do?’

‘I’m going to speak to the governor. He’s going to be Vanderpool’s opposition in the election. If there’s dirt on Patrick or Vanessa Vanderpool, you can bet their political opponent has it.’

9

Eddie

I’d often heard being the governor of a major US state is one of the hardest jobs in the country.

They should try working as a defense attorney in Manhattan.

Or waiting tables for twelve hours in one of the busiest cities in the world.

I didn’t buy the rhetoric.

Neither did Harry.

We sat on a red leather bench at the end of a long marble hallway in the governor’s mansion. The thick double doors to our right led to the reception area, and then the grand offices of Governor Fairfax Coleridge III. To name even one kid Fairfax seemed unfortunate to me. To do it twice looked like bad luck, but three times begins to look like carelessness, as a famous Irishman once said. Coleridge’s administration was running out of excuses too. A state with this much wealth and deprivation wasn’t easy to manage. Nothing like a double shift waiting a large section of tables in a busy restaurant, but no walk in the park.

The fact that we were here at all was entirely down to Harry Ford. Retired judges were not the class of people that could be ignored by city or state officials. Not even when they came out of retirement to join disreputable criminal defense firms.

‘How do you want to play this?’ asked Harry, keeping his voice low.

‘He’s a career politician and a dedicated public servant. There’s really only one way to play it.’

Harry nodded, said, ‘Alright, dirty it is.’

The double doors opened beside us and a millennial in a suit two sizes too small for him said the governor would see us now.

We went through the ornate reception area and another set of oak double doors to a large office. Crimson carpet, oak-paneled walls, two large windows, a desk that looked like it was for somebody more important than Fairfax Coleridge III – who sat behind it in pinstriped pants and red braces hanging off the shoulder of his white silk shirt.

Binders, documents, pens and a laptop spread out over the desk.

Fairfax didn’t get up, or even raise his eyes from the page in front of him as we walked in.

Harry and I stood behind two leather chairs that faced the governor’s desk.

I grabbed one, began to pull it out so I could sit down, but Harry touched my arm. I looked at him and he shook his head. I hated this bullshit. Power had its own etiquette in this city. You had to know how to play nice and kiss the ring.

After ten seconds of silence, Fairfax put aside the document, raised his head and leaned back in his chair.

‘Please,’ he said, gesturing that we should take a seat.

Harry and I sat down in front of him as he smiled and laced his fingers together over his stomach.