Mattheus laughed out loud. It was hard to imagine that Nojo had a mother who would want to see his girlfriend. “One of these days it’ll happen, Nojo.”
“Yeah, when Paul comes back from the dead.”
Mattheus went to the computers in the back of the room, sat down at the desk, and opened one up. He had the password to Paul’s professional files and it wasn’t hard bringing everything up. Mattheus searched for a list of the clients who’d lost their cases in the past two years. Surprisingly, there were only a few of them. Paul had been a hell of a defense lawyer.
Mattheus took down the names, addresses and histories of the clients who’d lost. They’d all been sent to jail. He then looked further at their sentences. Mattheus wondered again why in hell anyone would defend low lives like these? What did it say about guys who defended them? Mattheus could never come to terms with it. Once he said that to some cops in Grenada and it didn’t go over well.
“What in hell are you suggesting?” they’d said. “Everyone’s got a right to a defense. It’s the law.”
Mattheus didn’t say anything, but deep down, he didn’t agree. There was a natural law too, that got rid of poison, knew how to wipe it away. Mattheus could smell a killer a mile away, especially someone who could slit his girlfriend’s throat. A bastard like that deserves to die.
Mattheus scanned the list of Paul’s cases. Seemed he only lost about five per cent of them. The rest went off scott free. Clearly, Paul had good relationships with the cops and judges. Mattheus wondered about the cases he lost. What had happened? Most of guys were still sitting in jail. One wasn’t! He popped out immediately – Salmon Abels, released on probation two weeks before Paul’s murder. Mattheus let out a long, slow whistle. This was hot - something to explore. He dug in further, looking up a record of the trial. Abels had been accused of slitting his girlfriend’s throat a couple of years ago and went to jail. Mattheus was shocked that he’d be let out on probation now. The case was entirely circumstantial, there was not one piece of evidence linking him to the crime. And, the case didn’t go to court. Paul had arranged a deal for a lesser sentence. There’d been lots of questions about what had happened.
Once the deal was made, the guy kept saying he’d been hoodwinked into it because he was scared. He was completely innocent. He blamed his rotten luck on Paul right from the start. Once in jail he created a little stir, yelling that he was innocent, gathering a few public supporters, demanding an appeal.
Mattheus read further. The case only seemed to have had nuisance value for Paul. He’d responded to the guy’s pleas a few times, refusing to do the appeal. Paul told Abels he’d gotten a great deal and would be out with good behavior in a few years. Paul seemed to know something the guy didn’t know, and something that didn’t make sense to Mattheus either. He wondered about it. When Paul kept refusing to appeal, the guy finally found someone else, who got him out on probation. And, Noles had been let out on probation two weeks before Paul was killed!
“Sweet Jesus,” Mattheus breathed. “It isn’t possible!” Mattheus let out a long, slow whistle. He couldn’t believe his eyes. This could be the missing link. These guys got crazy in jail with nothing to do but dwell on the people they thought did them wrong.
“Hey guys,” Mattheus let out a holler. “Get over here this second!”
The shrill urgency in his voice pulled Brayton and others right to him.
“Salmon Noles,” Mattheus uttered, “convicted killer of Paul’s, let out on probation two weeks before he died.”
“Coincidence,” said Brayton, “nothing to get excited about.”
The guy talked in jail - blamed Paul for it,” said Mattheus.
“They all got to blame someone,” Nojo said. “That’s why they end up in jail.”
“I’m going to check out this dude, face to face,” said Mattheus, eager to get to him.
Mattheus saw Nojo’s eyes turn to slits as he looked at Mattheus. He probably feels my hate, thought Mattheus. Probably knows how badly I’d like to get my hands on this guy - teach him a lesson. Mattheus wasn’t ashamed of any of it. Justice comes with different faces, he thought. Best when it happens naturally, like a tiger, stalking its prey.