“He didn’t. That’s why I got in the fight with Giz. She said he didn’t pay because there was nobody in that room. She said they told her at the desk the guy checked out that day, and I knew that was bullshit because I talked to him in that room.”
“Right, right, but did you discuss payment with him? You know, cash or credit?”
“Yes, he said he was going to pay cash. And that’s why I went to Giz’s place, to collect my share. If the guy had just paid with a credit card, I would have handled the transaction and taken my share. It was paying with cash that made me want to go collect before she had a chance to spend it all or lose it.”
La Cosse’s business practices were becoming clearer to me now.
“And this is how you always did it?”
“Yes.”
“It was routine.”
“Yes, always the same.”
“And this guy’s voice, you didn’t recognize it as a previous customer?”
“No, I didn’t recognize it and he also said he was a new customer. What does this have to do with anything?”
“Maybe nothing but maybe everything. How often were you in contact with Giselle?”
La Cosse shrugged.
“Every day by text. We did a lot of it by text, but when I needed a quick answer I would call her on the cell. Maybe a couple times a week we’d talk.”
“And did you see her very often?”
“Maybe once or twice a week when we had a cash customer. I’d come by to collect after. Sometimes we’d meet for coffee or breakfast and I’d collect then.”
“And she never held back on you?”
“We’d had issues before.”
“How so?”
“I pretty much learned with Giz that money was for spending. The longer I left my money with her, the greater the chance it would get spent. I never waited long to collect.”
I saw the lineup of custodies who had just had first appearances being shuttled from the courtroom back into another holding cell. La Cosse was about to go out.
“Okay, hold on a second.”
I stooped down and opened my briefcase on the tile floor. I took out the document I needed signed and a pen and then stood back up.
“Andre, this is a conflict-of-interest waiver. I need you to sign it if you want me to represent you. It acknowledges that you understand that the victim you are charged with killing was a former client of mine. You are waiving any future claim that I had a conflict of interest while representing you. You are saying right now that you are okay with it. Hurry up and sign it before they see you with the pen.”
I passed the document and pen through and he signed it. He did a quick scan of the page as he passed it back.
“Who is Gloria Dayton?”
“That’s Giselle. That was her real name.”
I bent down to return the document to my briefcase.
“Couple more things,” I said as I stood back up. “You told me yesterday that you would make contact with the client who vouched for Giselle when she came to you. Did you do that yet? I need to talk to her.”
“Yes, she said fine. You can call her. Her name’s Stacey Campbell. Like the soup.”
He gave me the number and I wrote it down on my palm.
“You have her number memorized? Most people don’t remember numbers anymore because they’re on speed dial on their cell.”
“If I put everybody’s number in my phone, the police would have all of that right now. We change phones and numbers often, and I commit them all to memory. It’s the only safe way to do it.”
I nodded. I was impressed.
“Okay, we’re good, then. Let’s go out and see the judge.”
“You said a couple more things.”
“Oh, yeah.”
I reached into my coat pocket and pulled out a short stack of cards. I handed them to him through the bars.
“Put these on the bench over there,” I said.
“You’re kidding,” he said.
“No, people are always looking for good representation. Especially when they get out there and meet the deputy PD who’s handling their case along with about three hundred others’. Spread them out a little bit on the bench and I’ll see you in the courtroom.”
“Whatever.”
“And remember, you can talk to whoever you want inside about your lawyer, but don’t talk to anybody about your case. No one, or it will come back to bite you on the ass. I promise you that.”
“Got it.”
“Good.”