In the last twenty-four hours, Avery had watched dozens of videos of Roman Manchester in front of news cameras. Some were formal news conferences during which the man proudly stood behind a podium and opined about his client’s innocence. Others were of Roman Manchester on the courthouse stairs, wheeling boxes of research and courtroom notes behind him, and taking a moment out of his oh-so-busy day to answer reporters’ questions about his client. The man, it seemed, never missed an opportunity to be in front of the camera. Avery had watched footage from the nineties, when his hair was black and his face was wrinkle free. She’d also watched footage from his most recent trial earlier this year, when he stood behind the podium with silver hair and droopy jowls. Through the transformation of age, the man’s skin carried a perpetual tan and his eyes always looked sharp. The years had mixed gravel into his voice, but it still boomed in the latest video, certain of his client’s innocence.
Avery smiled. “No cameras. Just me. I’m trying to get my arms around this story before we start shooting footage. But if the network goes ahead with the special, I’ll be back for a formal interview. The cameras will be with me then. If you’re willing, of course.”
“Absolutely. I’ll admit I was intrigued when you called. Victoria Ford was a long time ago, but still so vivid in my memory.”
“I’m sure she is, and that’s what I was hoping to speak with you about. Victoria’s remains were recently identified by the medical examiner’s office here in New York, and that started me onto her story. The rest of her history came as a surprise.”
“I hadn’t heard about the identification until you called. It certainly brought back a flood of emotions.”
Avery nodded, and could only imagine what those recollections entailed. Roman Manchester had been in the World Trade Center when the first plane flew into it. He must have terrifying memories of that day.
“Can you tell me about your relationship with Victoria?”
“She initially contacted me to represent her in the Cameron Young murder investigation. We hadn’t gotten too far into her defense before she died. I knew the case better than I knew the client.”
“Can you tell me about it?”
“I’m seventy-one now, and still active on high-profile cases. Although today I’m extremely selective. Back then I was everywhere and in high demand. Victoria Ford reached out to me in the summer of 2001. I reviewed the case, and as soon as I understood the gravity of the charges against her, I agreed to help. I had back then, and still do today, a personality flaw. The more challenging a case, the more likely I am to take it on.”
“And Victoria Ford’s case was challenging?”
“Extremely. It became quite a fiasco because of the victim’s notoriety. I was working through the details when . . . well, 9/11 happened right in the middle of it all, as you know. But prior to that point, I was collecting my initial documents on the case. Discovery hadn’t yet come to me from the district attorney’s office, so at the time of 9/11 I was advising Mrs. Ford on her options more than I was preparing an actual defense. It was just too early.”
“What was your advice?”
“To find a lot of money so she’d stay out of jail while we prepared a defense. Maggie Greenwald, the district attorney who was running the prosecution, had compiled a substantial case against Victoria and had convened a grand jury to determine if the case had merit. It did. The grand jury was just a formality. I was working with Victoria to figure out if she had the funds to post bail.”
“The case was that strong?” Avery asked.
“For that stage in the process, yes. It was strong enough to secure an indictment and justify formal charges and an arrest. I hadn’t gotten into the weeds or rooted through the details to determine if any of the evidence was challengeable. I only knew what they had, not how they had obtained it or how credible it was. On the surface, though, it was solid.”
“Can you go over some of that information?”
Manchester opened a folder and thumbed through a few pages before he found what he was looking for.
“The crime scene was the DA’s biggest weapon. It contained Victoria’s blood, fingerprints, and urine. DNA analysis confirmed the match and placed her at the scene of the crime. Evidence collected from the Catskills mansion included a home video of Victoria and the victim, which showed them to be involved intimately. A length of rope recovered from Victoria’s vehicle matched the rope used to hang the victim. All together, it all made for a very strong initial case.
“Now, I never got into the specifics about how this evidence was recovered, and I never had the chance to scrutinize the forensic science behind any of it. At the time of September eleventh, I was simply gathering facts about my client and the case against her. But what I told Victoria at the time was that the DA’s case was substantial, and she should prepare for an arrest. I planned to mount a formidable defense but knew it would be easier if my client was not in jail while I did so.”
“How much money did she need?”
“All told, she was likely looking at a million dollars initially to post bond and another hundred thousand to pay my retainer.”
Avery took some notes on the pad that rested on her lap.
“Did she have it?”
“The money? She was going to look for it from friends and family. She didn’t have it by herself.”
Avery made more notes.
“So the physical evidence, on the surface, was damning. How about circumstantial evidence? What motive did the prosecution offer for why Victoria would have killed her lover?”
“That was strong, as well,” Manchester said. “The investigation revealed that Tessa Young was pregnant. Just pregnant, about a month or two at the time her husband was killed. Subpoenaed medical records also revealed that a few months earlier Victoria Ford had undergone an abortion.”
Avery looked up from her notes. “It was Cameron Young’s child?”
“Yes. I spoke with Victoria about it, and she confirmed it.”
“So the theory was that she killed Cameron Young because he wouldn’t have a child with her, but got his wife pregnant?”
“Partly, yes. Jealousy was a large part of the prosecution’s circumstantial case. Cameron Young promised his lover that he’d leave his wife, but never did. And then got his wife pregnant. But there’s more to the argument. The subpoenaed medical records also showed that Victoria had experienced a complication during the abortion that left her unable to bear children in the future.”
“Christ,” Avery said. “That would be a compelling argument to any jury.”
“Like I said, the circumstantial evidence was solid.”
“The case sounds so overwhelming. Why did you take it on?”