AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I keep my tone neutral and my expression blank. I need to establish there wouldn’t be any cause for the partners or the DA’s office to claim we shared information inappropriately. I also don’t want to come across as trashing her.
“She may not like me, but she’s got the patience for Cohenour, and she’s one of the best we have.”
That’s all true and most of the reason I suggested her.
“Very well. Let me have her join us.”
I watch him dial her extension and ask her to come in. I turn when she knocks on the door. She glances skeptically at me, and I shoot Jason a look that sayssee. She sits next to me.
“Marcy, Sinead’s client, Art Cohenour, may be a prosecution witness for the Gabriele Scotto case. If that happens, Sinead can’t represent both men. She will continue on as Art’s lawyer for his case since it’s going to trial this week. But she’s recommended you represent him while he serves as a witness. If he serves as a witness.”
She looks point blank at me.
“Why not give me the Scotto case?”
I knew that was coming. This is a make or break a career case. It would get her name and face in front of a lot of people. She’d likely get a raise here or get poached by an even better firm. I also saw her practically salivating over Gabriele when she walked past the conference room four times during our meeting. She didn’t need to go past it at all. Yet another thing to add to the tally of why she doesn’t like me. Fuck her. I don’t give a shit.
“Because the Mancinellis requested her personally.”
That makes me whip my head around to look at Jason.
“They did?”
“Yes. Massimo and Salvatore Mancinelli conducted an exhaustive search for an attorney, and they not only chose our firm, but you specifically. They are very convincing.”
Oh, God. Did they threaten the firm? Clearly, Marcy thinks the same.
“Just how convincing were they?”
“Convincing to the tune of four times the regular retainer and three times the regular hourly rate.”
Holy fucking shit! The regular retainer for a junior partner is fifteen-thousand-dollars, so they paid sixty thousand. My hourly rate is five hundred, so they’re paying fifteen hundred. This could wind up costing them more than a quarter of a million dollars. That’s insane.
“Fine.”
I come out of my fog and realize Marcy just agreed to take over for me with Cohenour.
“His case shouldn’t run longer than a week, two tops. I’ll pass along everything once it’s done. I’ll brief you, so you’re up to speed on whatever his legal status becomes.”
“Thank you.”
She hardly sounds grateful. Whatever. It’ll be easy shit for her since all she’ll have to do is make sure he says nothing that could wind up with him on trial for something new. She won’t be defending him in court. The ADA will coach him if he has to testify.
We leave Jason’s office, and all I want to do is lock my office door until it’s time to go home. But I can’t. I head into my office and start making calls to cops who like me. I have connections in narcotics, homicide, violent crimes, gang squad, and forensic investigations. I have to leave the arson and explosions unit alone for right now. But I’m going to see what I can learn about the Polish Mob. I want all their known associates along with everything to do with the Nowakowski brothers.
* * *
Three hours later, and my head is spinning. The Nowakowskis may not lead a major syndicate, but they sure as fuck want to. I found out they're trying to increase their influence in New York and New Jersey, so it made sense that they could be involved in Gabriele's case. I got a lead on a restaurant the brothers frequent almost nightly. Apparently, there’s a back room that’s not well sound proofed. It’s next to the women’s restroom. Since none of them use that, they don’t realize that almost everything they say is clear as day in there.
My connection in the gang squad lives three subway stops from me. We see each other all the time. She’s been good to me plenty of times. She’s a real sweetheart, but I would put my money on her any day in a street fight. She has no fucks to give with anyone who causes trouble.
She said I’d learn something; she just couldn’t guarantee what. I asked her how dangerous it would be. She said I’ll be fine if I’m not caught. If I am, my will better be up to date. I pointed out that wasn’t much help. She told me to have dinner there like a regular customer, and no one would be the wiser.
Now I know where I’m having dinner tonight. The only hiccup is my security detail. If I try to shake them, Gabriele will flip out. If the guy tells Gabriele where I’m going before I can explain, he won’t trust me. If I tell him, he won’t let me go. I thought about how reserved he’s been most of the time, and it’s enough to make me think he’s just being polite to me. But he’s been really insistent about my safety. Is it because he wants his lawyer to live long enough to represent him? I want to believe it's something more. I want to believe it’s about me personally. But he’s been strictly professional.
I know where the Nowakowskis’ favorite restaurant is. There’s one two doors down that I’ve been to several times. It has a back terrace that has an exit onto the side street. The Nowakowskis favorite restaurant has a side door I can go through. I’ll tell Afonso I’m meeting friends for dinner. I’ll slip into the other restaurant but still be close enough to get to him if anything goes wrong. I’ll just be a regular woman coming out of the ladies’ room. If anyone notices I’ve been in there a long time, I’ll claim I went to wash my hands and got in an argument with my boyfriend on the phone before I could get a table. He’s refusing to come to dinner, but I refuse to let him ruin my night, so I’m dining alone.
I gather my stuff, text Afonso that I’m ready to leave, and head down to the lobby. I see him already there. He walks me around the side of the building to the part of the parking garage I used today.
