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“Detective Alan Stone, who is believed to have been romantically involved with Miss Porter, being led into the courthouse for arraignment.”
Dan grabbed his coat. In disbelief, all prior wrongs forgotten, he’d go to the courthouse to see if he could do anything for his friend. Alan wouldn’t be capable of murder. It was incompatible with who he was as a human being, as a cop.
Taking his phone off the table, he sent Shelly a message.On my way to the courthouse. Will explain later.
After his arraignment, Alan was taken to an interrogation room for questioning with Chief Chadwick and the prosecutor.
“Why bother? You already arrested me.”
“I want to hear what you have to say,” Alison said. “The gun that killed Lily Porter was covered with your prints, Alan. Her parents have told us that she was having a secret affair with you. She was pregnant, and we’re waiting for DNA paternity results to come back. Do you want to say anything about that?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I want a lawyer.” Dumbfounded, Alan truly didn’t know what they were talking about. Pregnant? Lily had been on the pill, or so she’d said. He didn’t have any reason to doubt her.
“Do you have an attorney in mind?”
“Not yet. I’ll make that call.”
A tap on the door interrupted them. It was Dan with Henry Wong.
“Buddy, you need a lawyer?” Dan asked.
“I need a lawyer,” Alan said, so relieved to see his former friend that he thought he might cry.
“I’ll make a call. Don’t say anything else.”
Alan looked from Alison to Gary. “Well, that’s that. I guess you can take me to my room.”
“We need some spit first,” Alison said. “Chadwick, this is your jurisdiction.”
Alan submitted to an oral swabbing, his boss sneering in disgust.
“I didn’t kill her,” Alan exclaimed when he’d finished.
“You’ll have your day in court. Right now, it doesn’t look good.”
He’d be in a holding cell until there was a bail hearing, and that could only be done by his attorney. A guard led him down a dark hallway to the cells.
“Your home away from home,” the guard said, unlocking the door. He then freed Alan’s hands from the cuffs.
“This is nice,” Alan said, looking around. “I’ve never been in jail.”
“No way.”
“Only with suspects. It’s not so bad here. Therealjail is much worse.”
Rubbing his wrists, he wondered why he was compelled to make small talk with a prison guard when it occurred to him that he wouldn’t be free to talk to his friends, the few remaining people who cared about him. He hadn’t killed Lily, and he was pretty sure Shelly must have. What else could explain his prints on the gun? There was a concrete bench across the side of the cell, his bed, he supposed, if he stayed there for any length of time. A wave of exhaustion passed over him, so he succumbed and lay down, his arm across his eyes.
After sending Shelly a second text outlining the basics but without details, Dan went to see Manhattan DA Andrew Roman at his home on Sea View to ask about engaging the services of the best criminal defense attorney on Long Island for Alan.
“I’ll call Kleinschmidt,” Andy said. “I think he lives in Smithtown, so it won’t be a schlep for him to get here. Who’s the guy again?” When Dan repeated Alan’s name, Andy nodded. “Okay, I remember who he is now. Yeah, I don’t see him murdering anyone. What’s your gut telling you?”
“I just found out it was Shelly’s gun. I’m trying to process that.”
“Your Shelly?”
“Yeah,myShelly.”
“She was living over there, Dan. It sucks if he was trying to frame her.”
