AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“We need to get a response out ASAP,” said Imani.
“I ginned up a draft on the ride over here,” said Jack.
“Give it to my publicist. She’s in the living room with her team.” Imani called to the next room—“Carla!”—and a frazzled young woman hurried into the kitchen. Jack gave his notes to her, Imani told her to “make it work,” and Carla left pronto, leaving Jack and his client alone in the kitchen.
“I assume you’ve read the indictment by now,” Imani said.
“Online, in the limo,” said Jack. “It’s a two-count indictment. You and Shaky are charged with the same crimes. Count one is second-degree murder.”
“Second degree sounds better than first, right?”
“It’s still punishable by life in prison.”
“Great. I can pick up my career when I’m as old as Madonna and a free woman.”
Madonna as “old” didn’t make Jack feel any younger. He could remember when she was “striking a pose” and showing love to Bette Davis.
“Count two is gross abuse of a dead human body,” said Jack. “Obviously, that relates to the depraved manner in which the body was displayed on the piling in the bay.”
Imani grimaced at the thought. “Why would I do something so sick?”
“Technically, it doesn’t matter why. It’s a common misunderstanding to think that if there’s no motive, there’s no crime. A prosecutor doesn’t have to prove motive to get a conviction. Not even for first-degree murder.”
“Then why is the charge here second degree and not first?”
“Good question. Let me just say this is a very strange indictment.”
“I’ll say. Last week Shaky and I were suing the pants off each other. Now we’re going to be joint defendants in a criminal trial.”
“It’s not just that. The technical legal distinction between first- and second-degree murder boils down to premeditation and deliberation. Did you have time to reflect before the murder of Tyler McCormick?”
“I didn’t commit murder, let alone plan it.”
“I get that,” said Jack. “But what I find strange is that the prosecutor probably could have asked the grand jury for a first-degree murder indictment and let second-degree murder be a fallback position for the jury, just in case the evidence on premeditation and deliberation doesn’t play out at trial.”
“So he’s being kind to us?”
“No. He’s being clever.”
“In what way?”
“If he had charged you with murder in the first degree, you would have no right to bail. You and Shaky would be locked in jail until trial.”
Imani shook her head, confused. “Again, that sounds like he’s being kind to us for some reason.”
“It’s part of his strategy.”
“I don’t understand.”
“He doesn’t want the two of you sitting in separate jail cells awaiting trial. He wants you on your cellphones all day long, taking shots at each other on social media, blaming each other for the murder.”
“It sounds like you want control of my posts.”
“Everything you or your publicity team puts out needs my advance approval. Unless you want to help the prosecutor build his case.”
“Exactly whatis‘his case’?”
“The indictment is bare bones. Basically, it alleges that Shaky, ‘with the active aid and assistance of Imani Nichols,’ strangled Tyler McCormick.”
