The Lawyer's Lawyer

CHAPTER Eighteen



Jack called Julian that night and made arrangements to meet him at eight o’clock the next morning at a coffee shop downtown. He wanted Julian to tell the truth in his own words, but he also wanted him to be prepared so that his answers were concise and to the point.

“Just answer her questions, Julian,” he told the young man the next morning. “Don’t anticipate what she wants to know.”

“Do you think she might want to talk to Darryl?” Julian asked.

“Who’s Darryl?”

“My roommate. He was with me that night. He didn’t see anything but I told him what happened right after.”

Jack wanted to smack himself in the head. How did I not ask that question? I’ve been away too long. I’m slipping.

“Is Darryl on the football team?”

“Yeah. He’s the starting defensive end.”

Several ideas hit Jack at the same time.

“Does the coach know that Darryl was there?”

“Yeah, but he hasn’t disciplined Darryl or anything. Darryl has no problem telling you or anybody what he knows.”

“Where is he now?

“He’s back at the apartment. I told him you might want to talk to him.”

“I don’t need to talk to him. Maybe we’ll just bring him along and give Detective Jansen an added bonus this morning.”

“There was something else I didn’t mention to you yesterday.”

“What’s that?”

“A lawyer from Miami called me right after this story was in the news. He said he could help me and it wouldn’t cost me.”

“That was generous of him. Why didn’t you take him up on it?”

“I called my mom, and she said we should talk to you first.”

“Did you get his name?”

“I know he told me but I forgot. I think I still have his number in my phone.”

While Julian was scanning his phone, Jack tried to figure out how this new information fit into the puzzle. Every case started as a puzzle, but some proved to be more difficult than others. Maybe this was a lawyer trying to make a name for himself by taking a high-profile case. Maybe it was something else.

Julian found the number and Jack wrote it down. He decided not to give it to Detective Jansen until he had a little more information although if she asked about it, Julian would tell her.



Unlike the day before, Danni was very prompt. The desk sergeant had barely set the phone down when she came out to the waiting room to greet them. She wore black slacks and a white Oxford shirt with the sleeves rolled up halfway between the wrist and the elbow. A pair of small diamond earrings accompanied her silver watch.

“Good morning, Mr. Tobin,” she said rather frostily as she extended her hand. “I recognize Julian, but who is this other individual?”

In contrast to Julian, who was slender and muscled, Darryl was enormous and muscled, kind of like the Incredible Hulk. He and Julian stood as Danni approached them; Darryl towered over her as Jack introduced him.

“This is Darryl Kennedy, Julian’s roommate. He was at the bar on the night in question. I thought you might like to hear what he knows.”

Danni shook his hand, which was enormous, and turned her attention right back to Jack.

“It was so thoughtful of you to bring along a witness to corroborate your client’s testimony.”

Jack wanted to fire back a zinger of his own, but this wasn’t the time for repartee.

“I just thought it might be helpful. I have not personally talked to him.”

“Considering your reputation, that is hard to believe, Mr. Tobin. However, I will accept your words at face value.”

Jack didn’t respond. He wanted this to go smoothly.

Danni was an experienced interrogator. It didn’t take long for her to get both Julian’s and Darryl’s entire stories. She covered all the bases, except for the call from the Miami lawyer, and Jack noticed that she studied the faces of both young men as she listened to their answers.

“Well, what do you think?” he asked when she was done.

“I don’t think anything. Your client’s story completely contradicts that of the complainant. I’ve got to gather the facts and put the pieces together.”

“Speaking of the pieces, you were going to give me some information today.”

Danni reached into her shirt pocket and retrieved a piece of paper which she handed to him. “Remember, if you find anything, you’re going to bring it to me.”

“As fast as I can,” Jack said, smiling.

He called Henry on the way to the parking lot and read him the name and the date of birth of the woman who had made the charge against Julian.

“The rumor is that she’s from Miami.”

“Good because I’m here. I drove home this morning to pick up some clothes. I’ll call you back as soon as I know something.”

Henry’s knowledge of criminals, since he’d been one himself, gave him an innate ability that normal detectives or investigators did not have to find things out on the street. His time as an investigator for Exoneration had helped him hone those skills and learn the more conventional techniques as well. He had Sandra Davis’s address and criminal record literally minutes after hanging up the phone with Jack.

“She’s clean except for an arrest for prostitution ten years ago,” he told Jack.

“She’s thirty now so that means she was twenty when she got arrested. What do you make of that?” Jack asked.

“I don’t know, Jack. She may have been in trouble back then and picked herself up. But it does give this whole rape claim of hers a fishy smell.”

“It sure does. Why is a thirty-year-old woman hitting on a twenty-one-year-old kid?”

“I’m not sure but I’ll find out. I’m heading over to her neighborhood now. She lives in Liberty City. I’m very familiar with the place. I’ll just hang around and see what I can pick up.”

“Keep me posted.”

Jack knew it wouldn’t take long, maybe a game of pool or a beer or two, but Henry would have the skinny on Sandra Davis in a matter of hours.

He dropped the boys off at their apartment and stopped at The Swamp to have another cup of coffee with Ron.

“How’s the investigation going?” Ron asked.

“Terrific. Detective Jansen and I are going to work together to get to the bottom of everything.”

“Really?”

“No, but at least we’re sharing information.”

“So she is at least cooperating with you on the investigation?”

“Somewhat. Her witness has problems and I think she knows it. She’s letting me do the dirty work.”

“You mean Henry is doing the dirty work?”

“Exactly. There’s nobody better.”



Henry called about three hours later.

“I met this druggie. He lives in the same apartment complex as our girl, Sandra. I guess they’re friends. He says she told him the rape story was bogus.”

“Will he talk to the police?”

“Probably, if somebody makes it worth his time.”

“I’ll let you handle that part. I’ve got to tell the detective about this. She’ll probably want to interview this guy.”

“Tell her she needs to come to Miami because this dude is not leaving the place where he gets his dope for any amount of money.”

“I’ll tell her. I’ve got a phone number I need you to look up. Some guy called Julian, said he was an attorney and offered to handle the case for nothing.”

“Nice guy. It’s understandable though. You represent a high-profile football player—it’s advertising you can’t buy.”

“Maybe you’re right. Check it out though.”

“Sure thing. I’ll be in touch.”

Jack called Danni, but she had already left the office for the day. He had to track Ron down at The Swamp to get her cell phone number.

“I just need to relay some information to her,” he told Ron.

“Sure, sure, I know. You can leave me in the dark if you want to even though I laid all the groundwork for you two.”

“Thanks, Ron. I really appreciate it. I knew I couldn’t hide this from you. Keep it under your hat though, will you?”

“Sure, sure. Your secret is safe with me.”

Jack called Danni. “My investigator has uncovered a witness,” he said.

“Where are you?” she asked.

“At The Swamp.”

“I’ll be there in five minutes.”

She wasn’t lying. Five minutes later she walked in the door, looking casual in a navy striped top and jeans. Jack raised his hand to let her know where he was sitting.

“So, Counselor, tell me about this new witness,” she said after she sat down and ordered a glass of Cabernet from the waitress who had followed her to the table.

“My investigator has found someone who says he talked to your witness and that she made up the rape charge.”

“That’s a first-class investigator you’ve got. I gave you the woman’s name this morning and you’ve already got a witness. Where did he or she find this person?”

“He found him in Miami. Apparently this person is a neighbor of Sandra Davis. My guy says he’s a drug user.”

“Not the most credible type of witness. For a few bucks he’d probably say anything. I’m not sure one witness is going to cause the state to drop the charges anyway.”

“I figured that. Your case already has some problems though. You know about Ms. Davis’s prostitution record.”

“I do, but that was years ago.”

“It has to make you pause at least. And the woman is thirty years old. What was she hanging around with this kid for anyway?”

“Wait a minute. You’re assuming that his story is true—that she was hanging around with him. She told us he accosted her in the parking lot of the bar. We do have some questions though. That’s why your client hasn’t been indicted yet.”

Ron stopped over in the middle of their conversation.

“How are you kids doing tonight?” he asked but didn’t wait for an answer. “Why don’t you guys let me buy you dinner. We’ve got some nice specials on the menu.”

Danni was confused. She looked over at Jack, who just shrugged his shoulders. “Maybe another night,” she said to Ron. “I’m not all that hungry tonight.”

“Okay,” Ron said walking away with a frustrated look on his face.

“What was that about?” Danni asked.

“Haven’t the vaguest,” Jack replied.

She looked at him for a moment, not knowing whether to believe him or not, then she was back on the case again. “I probably need to talk to your witness. Before I do that though, I want some assurances from you that this is on the up and up. I mean, you and I both know that you can find a drug user to say anything.”

“I wouldn’t do that nor would my investigator.”

“No, I guess you wouldn’t. I’ve been reading about the cases you’ve handled, and I know your reputation is pretty solid although I must tell you, I don’t know how you represent the people you do. Don’t get me wrong, I have some issues with the death penalty and how it’s administered, but I think it’s perfect for some people like that piece of shit who rampaged through this town eight years ago.”

“I appreciate that you have a totally different perspective than me,” Jack said. “But some people are innocent of the crime for which they were charged. The criminal justice system is flawed.”

“But so is your sanctimonious position.”

Jack smiled. She was testing him for some reason. Or maybe it was the mention of the serial killer case. Ron had said that case had affected her in a serious way although he didn’t know the details. Jack could see that her demeanor had changed when she mentioned that case. She wasn’t finished yet, though.

“You say people are innocent of the crime for which they are charged but that doesn’t mean that they’re innocent people. Take this Henry Wilson guy that you represented. He obviously wasn’t guilty of the murder that he had been charged with, but he was a bad guy and you got him released back on the streets.”

“After seventeen years for a crime he didn’t commit.”

“So, he’s still a bad guy.”

“Don’t you have any belief in the power of redemption?”

“None. I guess I’ve been on the streets too long.”

“Well, maybe you just continue to see the failures and not the successes and that frames your judgment. Henry Wilson is one of the finest people I know. He’s my closest friend.”

Danni looked genuinely surprised. “I didn’t mean to offend you, Jack. I just thought he was somebody you represented. I didn’t think you knew him personally.”

“It’s fine. I’m not angry. It’s just that a lot of people think like you. They don’t want to look at the person and ask how they got where they’re at and what should or could be done to prevent it in the future. It’s so much easier to look at them in that one-dimensional frame—as criminals—and snuff them out like cockroaches.”

They were silent for a long minute. “I guess we can agree to disagree on that one, too,” Danni said finally. Jack looked at her and saw a smile on her face. He smiled back.

“That’s a good idea,” he said.

Danni called the waitress over and handed her a ten-dollar bill for the glass of Cabernet. Then she stood up to leave.

“I’ll be in touch,” she said.