46
E-MAILS REGARDING Candace’s article claiming that Jack Pellettieri was facing imminent indictment by a grand jury on manslaughter and fraud charges had started hitting Duncan’s BlackBerry before he’d even woken up, and as soon as he’d read the story he got himself in gear to get to the office ASAP.
Blake summoned Duncan as soon as he got in, Lily already in Blake’s office when Duncan arrived. “We need to get as close to in front of this as we can,” Blake said. “Obviously the concern for our client is whether there’s any way this goes higher up the food chain.”
“How can Pellettieri blame anyone else?” Lily asked.
“People facing a murder indictment can get real creative.”
Pellettieri’s behavior at his deposition flashed unbidden to Duncan’s mind. Pellettieri knew something that could hurt the Roths; Duncan could feel it. He tried to figure out how to say that to Blake.
“I think maybe we need to ask Jeremy Roth point-blank what Pellettieri has on him,” Duncan said.
Blake turned to Duncan, clearly not liking the sound of that. “This is from the depo?”
“Right,” Duncan said. He’d told Blake about Pellettieri’s outburst the day it happened, Blake remaining poker-faced in response, thanking Duncan for telling him but showing zero interest in discussing what it might mean. Jeremy’s name hadn’t come up in that initial conversation.
“I’ll talk to Jeremy,” Blake said. “See if there’s something specific we need to be worried about.”
LEAH ROTH called Duncan almost as soon as he returned to his desk.
“Why haven’t you called me?” Leah demanded, her voice tight. She sounded panicked, Duncan thought. He was surprised she was so quick to show fear—it made him wonder what it was exactly she was afraid of.
“Blake is calling your dad in a minute,” Duncan said. “It’s not my place to preempt him.”
“They’re really trying to make this into murder? It was an accident.”
“It can be an accident and still be manslaughter,” Duncan said. “Like driving drunk. Pellettieri knew he was putting people’s lives at risk.”
“We can’t be dragged into this.”
Duncan didn’t understand how Leah, a lawyer herself, not to mention a shrewd and coolly reflective businesswoman, could be looking for the sort of assurance that he clearly was not going to be able to provide. “What is it you want us to do, Leah?” he asked.
“It sounds like you’re telling me there’s nothing you can do,” Leah replied, her voice rising.
“We’re on it,” Duncan said. “But we can’t magically make a sitting grand jury disappear.”
“I’m not asking for magic; I’m asking for results. And I expect to see some.”
“I think you’re being a little—”
“I’d be very careful right now if I were you,” Leah interrupted, her voice steely. “Don’t think our personal relationship affects your firm’s representation of my family. Understood?”
“Of course we’ll get results,” Duncan said after a moment. But he’d said it to an empty room—Leah had already hung up on him.