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39
“Oh my God,” I whispered.
“So Marta or Vincenzo?” Sebastian asked.
“They’d make the most sense, seeing as they’ve both conveniently ‘disappeared,’” Connor said, then turned to Bert. “This has to be enough reasonable doubt to get me acquitted.”
“Maybe. It’s pretty conspiracy theory-ish, though, so you never know how that’s going to play with a jury. But that’s not the most pressing problem we need to deal with right now.”
Connor laughed bitterly. “Making sure I don’t go to jail for killing my father isn’t the most pressing problem we’ve got?”
“It’s the biggest, just not the most pressing.” Bert sighed. “I think they’re going to try to deny you bail.”
Connor stared. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“I already talked to the DA. You’re a billionaire with limitless resources, charged with murder. That makes you a flight risk, and he’s going to press the judge for no bail.”
“You think the judge will agree?”
Bert raised his hands and shrugged, like Who knows?
“This is bullshit!” Connor raged. “They never even questioned me!”
“They said they didn’t want to tip you off so you could run.”
“Bullshit. I’m telling you, Miranda was behind this. She has somebody in the police force under her thumb – maybe even the fucking DA.”
“Whoa, whoa,” Bert said, waving his hands about. “Be careful there. Don’t go around saying things like that in public. It’s not going to help.”
“They arrested me at my father’s funeral, Bert,” Connor fumed. “Why the fuck would they do that?”
“I asked the DA and the police commissioner that,” Bert answered. “I quote: ‘We thought it would be the one place he would absolutely go before trying to leave the country.’”
Connor’s face twisted into a mask of rage. “Even after I’m acquitted, the only thing anybody’s ever going to remember is the headline tomorrow: ‘Billionaire Murderer Arrested At Funeral Of Victim – His Own Father.’ Not only that, but if I’m stuck in jail without bail, Miranda has me out of the way to do whatever the fuck she wants.”
“Don’t panic just yet.”
“When do we find out about the bail?”
“Arraignment’s 8AM tomorrow morning. That’s when they’ll set it.”
“Why can’t they do it now?”
“It’s Sunday. There’s no court on Sunday.”
“You mean, I have to spend the night in jail?” Connor asked, incredulous.
“That’s typically how these things go, yes,” Bert deadpanned.
“This is outrageous!” Sebastian snapped. “He’s a billionaire!”
Bert shrugged. “Well, now you know how the other half lives.”
“We’re supposed to get married in a week,” I protested.
“Murder charges tend to get in the way of that,” Bert said wryly.
“Can you do anything?” Connor asked.
