“I can see it in her eyes, Kate. She isn’t lying to me when she says that she didn’t kill her aunt.”
“Oh, Bill.” She sighs. “A pretty girl flutters her eyes, and you think she’s innocent.”
“Kate, just because you don’t like her doesn’t mean that she’s guilty.”
“And just because you like her, doesn’t mean that she’s innocent.”
Bill looks away to the law books that line his wall, avoiding eye contact.
Shaking her head slightly, Kate begins to make her way out the door, before turning back to Bill. “Don’t forget that you have a date tonight.”
“I’m not going.”
“Bill, I spent so long trying to find you a good date this time. The woman that I have set you up with tonight is beautiful and funny, and really, really nice. She’s a little bit loud, but you can’t have the perfect package. You can’t spend your whole life cooped up in here trying to defend guilty little girls. You have to go out into the world and meet people, Bill.”
Since the death of his wife four years ago, Bill has avoided dating. Although he’s ready to meet someone, he cannot bear the thought of uncomfortably sitting opposite someone he knows nothing about.
This is the third attempt that Kate has made with setting up her boss with one of her friends, and Bill has avoided all of them.
“I don’t like blind dates,” he explains. “It’s never a nice experience. I see no point in it.”
Bill wants to tell Kate that he doesn’t want to date because of his feelings for her, but he can’t. For a man so confident and in control, he can’t tell the woman he adores that he likes her.
“You’re a very handsome man. You’ll make a woman very happy one day. But you will never meet the right woman if you only sit in this office all the time. You have to get out there. You have to do something different.”
“And how many successful dates have you been on since your divorce?” he asks.
“It’s a little more complicated for me.” Kate shakes her head. “I have a gorgeous son that I need to think of as well. I need to think about my son when I’m dating someone. I can’t just go out there and grab the first hot guy I see. That would be easy. I also have to think about what sort of stepfather he will be. That makes my selection process a lot harder, Bill.”
“In all of your dates, I haven’t heard one good story.”
She shrugs her shoulders.
She wants to tell Bill that she hasn’t found the right guy on a date because her perfect man is right in front of her, but she doesn’t know how to tell him. She needs Bill to show that he’s ready to start dating before she can do that.
That’s why she’s desperately trying to set him up with a half-decent date. She doesn’t want to set him up with a great date, just in case she loses him to her.
“So, what’s your excuse this time, Bill?”
“I have work to do on this case. I have to review these files.”
Kate groans. “I’ll let Belinda know that you have canceled the date.”
“Thank you. And please, no more dates for a while.”
“Yes, boss.” She sighs again. “And I’ll help you review some files on this case.”
Bill smiles. “Don’t you have somewhere to be?”
“I would rather be here.” Kate quickly sends a text message to Bill’s canceled date. She walks to the cupboard in the corner of the room, opens the door, selects a bottle of red wine and two glasses from the hidden bar. “What can I help with?”
A smirk stretches across Bill’s face.
This is his idea of a perfect date.
CHAPTER 12
The morning after spending a night studying the case with Kate, Bill sits in his office, sipping on coffee with a renewed confidence. With the support of his assistant, he feels like he can solve the mystery in the case.
With Kate Spencer by his side, he feels like he can do anything.
“Excuse me, Bill.” Kate pops her face into Bill’s office. “Miss Valentine is here to see you. She doesn’t have an appointment, but she said you wouldn’t mind squeezing her in.”
“Valentine?” Bill is delighted. “Absolutely. I can make time for her. Send her in.”
Shutting the paper file on Anna’s case, he slides it into the top drawer of his desk. He wouldn’t want Valentine to see the thickness of the file he already has compiled for the murder case.
The prosecution will have a file of their own, but it’s unlikely to be as comprehensive as his. That is the problem when you have to play by the rules - you aren’t able to gather as much information.
“Unless you’re offering a deal with no jail time and no conviction, you can turn around and walk back out that door.”
“It’s great to see you too, Bill.”
Prosecutor Joanne Valentine moves with an easy grace, a smooth sexiness, always capturing Bill’s attention.
“You look lovely,” he compliments her.
“Thanks. You look lovely too. Have you been working out?”
“I have taken up yoga to keep my body flexible. I have found that the older I become, the more inflexible I am. I was struggling to touch my toes last month, but after a month of yoga, I’m a lot nimbler. I’m not doing cartwheels yet, but I feel a lot better.”
“You want to become more flexible? I’m sure I could help you.” Valentine winks.
Bill smiles. This woman is a very skilled flirt.
“I’m sure you could help me, Joanne.” Their eyes connect. “But I’m also sure you haven’t come to my office to entertain me.”
“No, but we should organize that sometime. I see that your office door has a lock.”
Bill laughs again.
The stunning prosecutor is one of the country’s best, and most attractive, prosecutors. Bill is sure the District Attorney’s office put her on most of his cases in the hope that it will distract him from the work.
Sometimes, it works.
“What’s your offer for Anna?” he asks, redirecting the conversation.
“Early Guilty plea for second-degree murder, so she’ll only serve fifteen years. We can talk about the specific details when you’re ready. Of course, it will have to be approved, but this meeting is about registering your client’s interest in an offer. It’s a very violent crime, so she needs to do the time. We can’t let her walk away without spending some time in prison. Cold-blooded killers shouldn’t be walking the streets, Bill.”
“You’re only going to offer her a reduced jail sentence? You’re not going to give her manslaughter?”
“I can’t give her manslaughter when she strangled her aunt to death with her bare hands. You should know that it’s very hard to strangle someone by accident. This was intentional, planned, and callous. I shudder to even think about the moment her aunt died – looking at her niece with love.”
“It’s not beyond the realms of possibility that it was an accident, Joanne,” he states. “Maybe she was only trying to threaten her aunt, and accidentally killed her. Maybe she squeezed too hard.”
“I really hope that isn’t the angle you’re going for in the case. That will get laughed out of court the second that you state it.”
“No.” Bill watches her closely for a reaction. “I’m just testing the waters.”
“Fifteen years with a non-parole period of ten years is our first offer. If she takes it and is well-behaved in prison, then she’ll only be thirty-five-years-old by the time she steps out of jail. That’s still young enough to do something with her life.”
“And the estate?”
“Recovering Veterans will lodge a formal application that states Anna Lempare will not be entitled to the funds. As the only other benefactor to the estate, they will receive the full amount. The Slayer Rule applies in part here.”
“The Slayer Rule states the murderer cannot retain a property interest in the victim’s estate. Anna has no claim to Jessica’s estate.”
“It’s a forfeiture ruling, Bill. The
y will argue that Anna stood to benefit from the death of her aunt, and the Code states that any monies that the decedent has an interest in is covered by the ruling.”
“We would argue that Anna had planned to complete the Army Basic Training. So, she stood to inherit the money, in only a few months’ time, regardless of the aunt’s death, if the grandfather’s will conditions were met. If she had plans to complete the Army Basic Training, then she didn’t stand to benefit from her aunt’s early death.”
“Of course you will, Bill. I wouldn’t expect anything less from a man as clever as you.” Valentine moans. “I warned the charity that they could expect a fight from Anna for the inheritance. They are prepared for that. But they will wait until after the trial to lodge that formal application.”
“Good.” Bill considers that thought for a while. “Anna is innocent.”
“They all are, Bill.” Valentine laughs loudly, but then sighs when Bill doesn’t join in on her amusement. “All you men are the same. You get an innocent looking girl, and you think she’s an angel. But let me tell you, having spent years of my childhood at an all-girls school, the innocent looking ones are the worst. They are the ones that can do whatever they want and get away with it. Anna is one of those girls. She’s trouble, Bill. Big trouble.”
Bill shrugs his shoulders. “I think that you’re wrong on this one, Joanne. This girl is innocent. I have dealt with enough killers to know when I meet one. Anna is an angry person, but she isn’t a killer.”
“I have met girls like her before, Bill. She thinks she can get away with anything as long as she flutters her eyelids.”
“Regardless, it’s not about what you and I think. It’s about what the jury thinks.”
“And I’ll be making sure there are no gullible men like you on that jury. I’m not going to let them fall for Anna, and be convinced of her innocence because of the way she looks. Pretty girls can be killers too, Bill. You need to have your eyes open to that fact.”
“Not this pretty girl.” Bill shakes his head. “I’ll put your offer to her, but I’ll be advising her not to take it. Of course, the choice is hers, but I could not imagine that she would be interested. She’s innocent, and she wants to contest this. Anna is a fighter. She’ll fight this one all the way.”
“Good,” Valentine states. “I was hoping that would be your take on the case. I really enjoy taking easy trials to court, Bill. I have had a few stressful trials over the past few months so I could do with an easy one. A case like this doesn’t require much preparation, Bill. And that’s because the evidence does most of the speaking for me.”
Bill laughs at her confidence. “What is your play, Joanne?”
“Jurors love violence. Sometimes, that’s all it takes. And this is a particularly violent offense, so the jury isn’t going to have a hard time searching for a conviction. Your client strangled her aunt to death with her bare hands. This isn’t an accident, Bill. This is a planned, brutal, and twisted crime by a very unstable woman. The jury isn’t going to take long to deliberate on this. I bet that if the case gets to that point, then they will make their decision in under an hour. It’s an easy case, Bill, and when I heard that she was pleading Not Guilty, I shook my head. She can’t win this case.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure, Joanne.”
“You’re the only lawyer in town that would be able to win this case. That’s why I’m here. If it were any other lawyer, then I would be laughing all the way home right now. But I’m here to try and convince you not to take this one to trial. Not even you can win this one. She’s guilty, and she deserves time behind bars. You can’t let her walk away from this. Murderers should be locked up. That’s the way the justice system works. If you let her walk free, then she may kill again. The next murder will be on your head.”
“And I won’t let the real killer walk free,” Bill states firmly. “You’ll get your killer, but it’s not Anna.”
“I don’t even know why I came here.” Valentine sighs. “You’re very stubborn. When you get an idea in your head, nobody is able to budge it.”
“You came here because you’re scared by the fact that you might lose the unlosable case.” Bill leans forward on his desk. “That is the only reason you’re here.”
“Maybe.” Valentine draws a long breath. “But regardless of my feelings, people like Anna Lempare need to be behind bars. The world is a safer place when people like her are off the streets. I won’t let this killer walk free, Bill.”
“Is that why you do your job, Joanne?” Bill questions. “To make the streets safer?”
“In part, yes. I’m a prosecutor because jurors are human. If it were only a judge that made decisions on court matters, then I wouldn’t even have a job. If all it took were the weight of evidence to convict a person, then there would be no need for my position. I’m here to convince a group of twelve men and women of a person’s guilt.” Valentine stares at Bill. “Why are you a defense attorney, Bill?”
“Because police officers are human. I have a lot of respect for the LAPD, but they are people, just like you and me. They need to blame someone for the murder and, in this case, that is all it is. The need to find a guilty party is sometimes greater than the need to weigh up the evidence. They are looking to blame my client because they need someone to take the fall. Anna was the easy choice. She’s innocent, and she needs someone to protect her. As her defense lawyer, I’m defending justice.”
Valentine sweeps a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “And you get well paid.”
“Not always.”
“Bill, I saw your new car parked out front. It’s very shiny. I’m sure that the car wasn’t donated to you out of kindness.”
He shrugs his shoulders. “I’ll take the deal to Anna, and I’ll contact you with her response. However, it’s very unlikely that she’ll take your offer, Joanne.”
“That’s a pity, but like I said, I’m okay with that. It gives me an easy case to win. I can relax over the next few weeks.”
“This isn’t going to be easy, Joanne.”
“With you, nothing ever is.”
CHAPTER 13
Criminal Defense Lawyer Bill Harvey sits in a quiet corner of the great Los Angeles Public Library, reading a copy of One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. His love of this story stretches back many years, having first read it in his developing years at high school. The philosophy of the book had a profound effect on his outlook on life and changed the way he thought about love, friendship, and authority.
Reading the well-worn paperback novel, he leans back in the comfortable armchair, surrounded by millions of printed words. In his tailored business suit, he relaxes into the leather chair, crosses one leg over the other, and flicks through the pages.
Although he has a copy of this novel in his home, there is something about the library that touches him. He loves walking into the doors of the library, escaping his everyday life for a few hours. He loves the feeling of being surrounded by the pages of history, pages of thoughts, and pages of creative expression.
Deep among the written words, this is his escape.
His deep affection for words was born out of the years his mother sat with him, reading story after story. The memory of her gentle voice reading books much too old for him is his strongest recollection of childhood.
When he was only a boy living in a small farming community in California, she would read to him the greatest classic books of all-time for an hour every night. He had amazing respect for his mother, but it wasn’t until he grew older that he realized what a sacrifice she made each night to take the time to read to him.
Just after his eighth birthday, his younger brother was born, and soon after his younger sister, leaving his mother with no time for him. It was then that he started to read the classics for himself – an eternal connection to his busy mother.
As he reads through the last chapter of the classic Soviet novel, he takes a moment to reflect on the emotion in the
story. The story is of Ivan Denisovich, who was assigned to ten years in a forced labor camp in Soviet Russia, despite his innocence. The tale details the cruel, harsh world that the prisoners face, and the way they survive their camp sentence by supporting each other and holding on to any last part of humanity that they have left.
Although Anna would be in no way subjected to the same fate, Bill cannot help but compare their situations. If Anna is found guilty of her aunt’s murder, then she’ll spend years of her life desperately living day-to-day, trying to survive until the next morning.
As he closes the book, he reflects on one of the protagonist’s last sentences: “Almost a happy day.”
Despite the below freezing temperatures, the lack of food, and the hard, physical labor, the protagonist had an “almost happy day.”
If anything, being imprisoned had taught Ivan Denisovich perspective. The man savored every minor stroke of luck that came his way – an extra piece of food, a tool to help him work, the drag of a newspaper rolled cigarette. The man had hope, and that made him appreciate life.
Being incarcerated changed his outlook.
Maybe prison could do the same for Anna.
CHAPTER 14
When a District Attorney’s office offers only a token plea bargain to the defendant, it becomes clear to everyone that they think they have won the case.
Although Bill acknowledges that the evidence against his client is significant, he still expected a decent discussion about the possible outcomes. But the DA’s office declined the offer to negotiate further on the terms they presented.
They are confident.
And they have every right to be.
Bill was sure that Anna wouldn’t listen to a plea bargain anyway. She’s a fighter; even if she were guilty, she would challenge this to the very end.
“So where do we sit?”
“You’ll be seated next to me in the courtroom,” Bill answers, slightly confused by Anna’s question.
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