“What?”
“It’s been only a couple of days. How could the county generate that much paper in a couple of days? This is civil service work.”
“The county attorney, David Tuseman. He lit a fire under everybody.”
“Why?”
“He’s running for the State Senate. He has a primary in a couple of weeks. Like most politicians, he wants to prove he’s tough on crime.”
“He’s already indicted Merodie for murder?”
“No, Merodie hasn’t even been charged yet. She’s being held for violating her probation on a dis-con. Thirty days. I learned Tuseman is using the time to build a case. I’m trying to get it kicked before he brings it to the grand jury.”
“Then how did you come by all of this?”
“I did an internship with the Anoka County attorney’s office when I was in law school; I practically ran their misdemeanor division. After I graduated, I volunteered to work in the public defender’s office while I was looking for a job. One of the cases I caught was Merodie’s disorderly conduct. When they checked her sheet they noticed I had been her attorney of record and they gave me a call.”
“No, no,” I said. “I mean, why do you have these reports? These reports are supposed to be confidential. They aren’t supposed to be released until charges have been filed.”
“Like I said, I used to work in the county attorney’s office. I still have friends there. Why? Since when do you care about the rules?”
“Excuse me?”
“I know you, McKenzie. I know all about you. You’re not a play-by-the-rules kind of guy.”
“Who says?”
“Clayton Rask in the Minneapolis Homicide Department. Brian Wilson with the FBI. The Feds don’t like you very much, but Brian does.”
“You’re well connected. Especially for someone so young.”
“I stopped being young a long time ago, McKenzie.”
“What do you want from me?”
“First, when the time comes I need you to give a deposition stating that Officer Baumbach struck Merodie Davies repeatedly, that he demanded that she answer his questions, and that he did not advise her of her rights, and then testify to it again in court if it comes to that.”
“I’ll testify to exactly what happened. I won’t embellish.”
“I’m not asking you to.”
“What else?”
“With your testimony I shouldn’t have any trouble getting a judge to rule that all of Merodie’s statements to the sheriff’s department are inadmissible.”
“What else, Gen?”
“I like it that you call me Gen.”
“Gen?”
“I need a favor.”
“A favor?”
“That’s what you do, isn’t it? Ever since you quit the cops and took the reward money for catching Thomas Teachwell, you do favors for people. There was the Entrepreneurs Club, and that thing for your friend Mr. Mosley that upset the Feds so much, and rumor has it that you did a favor for the governor’s wife . . .”
“You got all this from Rask and Wilson?”
“Some of it.”
“It’s true, I suppose. Sometimes I’ll do favors for friends. If they’re good enough friends and there’s a good enough reason.”
“The law firm I work for doesn’t mind that I’m working Merodie’s case. They mark it down as pro bono. Except I’m still expected to put in my eighteen hundred billable hours, and they’re not going to dedicate any resources to the case, they’re not going to let me hire a private investigator, so . . .”
“So you want me to do it—all your legwork.”
“Yes.”
“I’m not licensed.”
“Doesn’t matter. You know your way around a police investigation, and I can give you a letter stating that you’re acting on my behalf in case anyone hassles you. You can do the job.”
“I can do the job, I just don’t know why I should.”
“Because I’m cute?”
“You’re not that cute.” Besides, my inner voice reminded me, I have a girlfriend who’s cuter. At least I hope she’s still my girlfriend.
“Because you want to see justice done?” G. K. said.
“Most of the time I don’t know what that is.”
“Because it’ll give you a chance to stick it to the Anoka Police Department. Is that a good enough reason?”
“It’s not a good reason,” I admitted. “But it’s enough.”
G. K. asked, “How do you want to start?”
I picked up the file. “I want to read this and then talk to your client.”
“Good. Let’s go.”
“Go where?”
“Anoka. We’ll drive up and chat with Merodie. I need to speak with her anyway. I’ll drive. You can read the file on the way.”
Five minutes later I was in the passenger seat of an inferno red PT Cruiser taking Washington Avenue east to 35W. I was already on the third page of the report before we hit the ramp.
Office of
Anoka County Coroner
Final Summary
AC07-881
CID File 07-080819
DECEDENT: Eli Thomas Jefferson
AGE: 34
SEX: Male
PLACE OF DEATH: 1117 Deion Avenue, Anoka, MN
DATE AND TIME OF DEATH: Found August 14 (1300 hours)