“I’d listen to her,” Pitt jokes. “I tell you, if I make that woman angry, there are some nights I sleep with one eye open.”
“I heard that,” Bev calls out from down the hall.
Once Bev is out of earshot, Bill stares at Pitt, who is resting against the kitchen bench.
“I wasn’t the only one targeted.”
“Who else?”
“Kate.”
“No.” Pitt’s shock is real. “Is she hurt?”
“She’s a little shaken up, but she’s going to be ok. She’s at my place, now. Safe.” After the evening that Bill has endured, he’s in no mood for further small talk. “You need to tell me the truth, and you need to tell it to me now.”
“About what?” Pitt squints his eyes.
“About you and Miles.”
Pitt opens his mouth in surprise. He shouldn’t be. The lawyer standing in front of him is known for his investigative skills just as much as he’s known for tearing a person apart on the stand.
Bill holds Pitt’s stare, and Pitt acknowledges it with a few small nods. Slowly, he turns to the kitchen door and closes it gently. Walking back to the bench, he sits down on the stool opposite his friend.
“Start talking.”
“Roberto Miles…” Pitt sighs. “He’s a big player in the drug scene in East L.A. – Juan Lewis’ partner in the scene. We’ve been after him for years, trying to land something big on him. But all we ever get is something small, a charge that’s just big enough to keep him off the streets for a little while. After he does time in prison, he’s straight back out on the streets, helping Lewis in the drug import trade. But then, he ran into big trouble with the law, and with me.”
“And?”
“And he struck a deal with us. He was going to give us Lewis, and we would ignore the charges. Lewis is the main player out there. He’s the brains behind the operations, and without him, the whole thing would fall apart. So, although we could get Miles, it wouldn’t have stopped the drug operations. We wanted to get Lewis.”
“Miles will just step into the position once Lewis is gone.”
Pitt nods. “We thought about that. That’s why we have an old case that we can convict Miles on as well. He doesn’t know that. Nobody does. We’re going to nail Lewis, and then we’re going to nail Miles. Roberto Miles isn’t the smartest guy going around. You could tell him that the sun is computer programmed by Bill Gates and he would believe you. The plan is that he’ll give us Lewis, and then we nail him a week later on the old charge.”
“Except you haven’t nailed Lewis to anything. He’s as free as a bird.”
“You’re right. We haven’t got anything yet. Miles is wired a lot of the time, but we haven’t got anything. Nothing.”
“He’s playing you. I have word that a large run of drugs is coming in soon.”
“Possibly.”
“What’s the old case you have with Miles?”
“I can’t say, Bill. I can’t let you know that. Just know that it’s big.”
Bill nods slowly, processing the information. “Matthew, I need a favor.”
“Of course. I thought that was the reason you might be here. But as much as you’re a friend, it depends on what the favor is. These are treacherous times.”
“I need you in court tomorrow.”
“What for?”
“I have a hunch, and I’m going to make a play.”
Pitt laughs. “Your hunches have gotten me into trouble before, Bill. A lot of trouble. I’m not sure what to make of that request.”
“They may have gotten you into trouble, but we’ve always gotten the crim. Don’t tell me that you’ve changed your story, and now you don’t want the criminal? I thought all the police wanted was the guilty person – you worry about the details later.”
“Very true.” Pitt sighs and pulls out a cold beer from the fridge to pass to Bill. “This should help your lip.”
“I need someone in court that I can trust. I’ve got a big-time drug dealer coming to the stand, and under cross-examination, I plan to get him to drop himself into admitting a crime. I need someone in the courtroom that isn’t connected to his syndicate of high-powered contacts.”
“Juan Lewis is on the stand tomorrow?”
Bill nods slowly.
“Be careful, Bill… although, I can imagine that’s probably why you have a cut lip right now, so you don’t need me to tell you how dangerous he can be.” Pitt takes a long drink of his beer. “He’s got friends in high places. Very high places. He can get away with a lot of stuff. If you’re going to take him down, you have to take him down hard. Don’t do this for a little play. Even if you pin that 50,000 dollars’ worth of heroin on him, it won’t keep him off the streets for long. If he walks away, he can have you hit the second you walk out on the street, and they can brush it under the carpet. With the level of protection that he has, you have to be very, very sure of what you’re doing. It has to be a play that’s going to take him off the streets forever.”
“It appears that he’s quite a dangerous person.” Bill gestures to his cuts and bruises. “But that shouldn’t stop men like you and I. We have to be better than that, Pitt. We have to be above the fear that they want to instill in us. This is when courage counts.”
“That’s a lovely speech,” Pitt replies. “But I’m not some fresh officer off the street. I know what pain is. And so do you. You’ve seen it before. You’ve seen the worst of it. We have people to protect now. I can’t risk my family for this – because that’s what will happen. They’ll come after my family.”
“Don’t get scared on me now.”
“Even what you and I have seen in the past isn’t going to compare to what Lewis can do. His connection to Judge Hardgrave opened a lot of doors, and when a man like Lewis sees an open door, he jumps right through it. We know that he has anger issues – he’ll snap if you push him.”
“That’s why I need you.”
“Bill, because you’re my friend, I’ll be there. But we have to be clear with each other. This needs to be a really big play to take Lewis. Really big. If you’re going to take him, make it count.”
“I’m going to make a play so big that his protection isn’t going to want to go near him. Everyone will disown him. The people that protect him aren’t going to want to be a part of anything that he has ever touched. They’ll distance themselves from him very, very quickly.”
“If you don’t get this right, he’ll come down even heavier than last time. On both you and Kate. You’re risking your lives here. And Kate’s got a son to think about. Don’t think that they won’t go after Kate’s son.”
“I know what’s at risk.” He looks Pitt up and down, judging his old clothes. “And wear a nice suit, you might be on television tomorrow.”
“Is this play foolproof?”
“No. It’s risky. Very risky.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of.”
Chapter 25
The second morning of the trial hums along smoothly. Chettle does her best to present her circumstantial evidence, and Bill does his best to dispute it. Like an unhappy married couple, they go to and fro for hours, arguing at any chance they have.
Standard procedure for a morning in court. Nothing special.
But all that’s about to change as Chettle calls Juan Lewis to the stand. She even shudders when she calls his name. She knows how important this testimony is.
For the prosecution, it’s about pressure. They want to build the pressure on the large drug supplier. They want him to know that they’re coming after him. He’s their target.
As he walks with confidence through the courtroom, the case is balanced in the prosecution’s favor.
His suit is bright enough to force people to look twice, his hair slick to the back and left, and his accessories are glittering in the lights. It almost seems appropriate for Lewis to moonwalk to the witness stand.
As he walks past the defense table, one accessory catches Bill Harvey�
��s eye – a blue and green love heart necklace hanging around his neck, resting between the open collar of his shirt.
Bill’s leg twitches nervously under the defense table. He knows it’s time. Time to make a play to win this case, but more importantly, to ensure Kate is kept safe.
He can’t risk her life again.
His heart won’t take it.
Lewis is sworn in, and Chettle opens with her questions. “Mr. Juan Lewis, how long have you know Mr. Carlos López?”
“Many, many years.” He winks at the prosecutor. “And may I just say that you look mighty fine today, lady.”
“Mr. Lewis,” Judge Windsor’s voice echoes around the courtroom. “I will remind you that this is a courtroom, not a bar where you pick up women. Please save your sleazy comments for another place and respectfully answer the question that has been asked of you.”
Lewis grins, full of self-assurance. “Certainly, judge.”
“Are you related to Mr. López?”
“I am. He’s my cousin.”
“Would you say that you and Mr. López are close?”
“Yes, we are. We have lunch or coffee every week.”
“Every week?” Chettle questions from behind her desk, reading from the notes in front of her. “How long have you been doing that for?”
“Most of our adult lives, on and off.”
“So you know a lot about Mr. López’s life?”
“I do.”
This is too rehearsed. Too clean. There is no thinking time between the questions and answers, and that can only mean that Chettle has spent time preparing Lewis for this testimony.
That is trouble.
Gripping his pen tightly, Bill prepares for a new twist in the tale.
“On the day of September 12, the day of the raid on his apartment, where were you?”
“I was with Carlos López all day.”
“Can you please explain to the court what happened on the day that the raid occurred at Mr. López’s apartment?”
“I met with Carlos at his apartment in the morning, and we went to have lunch at one of our favorite diners, El Mejor. We stayed there for many hours, as we often do, and talked about life, and love, and the future. After lunch, we stopped at a shop, and then we left to return to his apartment. When we returned in his car, he parked in the lot next door to his apartment building, I said goodbye to him, and he entered the apartment building alone. He later informed me that it was then that he was arrested.”
Bill feels the tension rise in the room. Lewis is going to make a play of his own.
“At any point during that day, did you see Carlos with this briefcase?” Chettle points to the case on the evidence table.
No.
Suddenly, it all falls into place for him.
They’ve been played – by Lewis, and by the prosecution.
Lewis looks at the defense table and draws a deep breath.
“I did.”
Carlos’ mouth drops open.
This wasn’t part of their plan.
This wasn’t part of their game.
Carlos clearly didn’t expect his cousin to set him up.
Despite the suddenness of the accusation, Chettle doesn’t look the least bit surprised. She knew this was coming. She organized this.
“And please explain to the court when you saw Carlos with the briefcase?” she continues.
“When I met Carlos at his apartment that morning, he had the briefcase in his hand. He seemed nervous about it, almost like he didn’t want me to know about it. When I suggested that we go out for lunch, he made sure he put the briefcase in a secure place in his bedroom. I wanted to ask him what was in the briefcase because he seemed so nervous about it, but I figured it was actually none of my business. He left it in his bedroom while we went out for lunch.”
Lewis is living up to his word of only saying the things in his best interest.
“Have you ever seen Carlos López take drugs?”
“In the past, yes.”
“And does that bother you? Does it bother you that he has taken drugs before?”
“He made mistakes in his past, and that’s fine with me. His crimes didn’t affect me directly because I don’t like drugs.” He tries hard to hide his devilish grin, but he can’t, no matter how much he wants to. “However, I’m a forgiving man. I have looked past those dealings because my cousin Carlos has a good heart. He has a strong heart. And I honestly thought that he was done with the game. I thought that he was through with it. But we all know that dealing large quantities of drugs like that is a way to make a lot of money fast. I guess he needed the money and saw this as the quickest way to get it.”
“It doesn’t bother you that you spend a lot of time with a drug user?”
“Like I said, I have forgiven him for his sins. I wouldn’t have any friends left if I didn’t forgive people. We all make mistakes, lady.”
Bill can see the prosecution’s play clearly.
They have struck a deal with Lewis.
When Carlos didn’t roll over on his friend, Lewis became their main focus. They have tailed him, harassed him, and questioned him. Lewis must have given them something to strike this deal.
The problem with making a deal with a man like Juan Lewis is that he’s never going to pull back in the drug trade. This deal will only fuel his ego.
He’ll go bigger.
Faster.
Walking away from this courtroom will only increase his confidence.
“And have you ever been involved in the drug trade?”
“No.”
“Mr. Lewis, can you please advise if you ever saw Mr. López dealing drugs?”
“No, I didn’t. I never saw Carlos deal or sell drugs, but I’m very well aware that he spent time in prison for drug crimes.”
“Objection,” Bill calls out. “Past convictions—”
“Withdrawn,” Chettle responds quickly, but the damage is already done. “Thank you, Mr. Lewis. No further questions.”
As he stares at the paper in front of him, the sweat builds on Bill’s brow.
Not only is he fighting for the safety of Kate Spencer, and fighting a now almost impossible case, but he’s also fighting a lying drug dealer.
Not the way Bill Harvey had expected the day to go.
He thinks about this morning when he saw Kate at the office, a bandage on her chin, black eye still visible. His eyes then turn to Carlos, a man with a troubled past, but who is clearly innocent of the charges.
Justice or safety? Does he go after Lewis and risk Kate? Or does he let Carlos go to prison, and keep Kate safe?
Justice or safety?
A question he cannot fathom to answer.
Chapter 26
After the shock of Juan Lewis’ accusation, Judge Windsor calls for a short recess, a chance for the defense to think about how they can possibly put their case back together.
As soon as Bill steps out of the courtroom, Carlos grabs Bill’s arm, firmly.
They stand in the hallway of the courthouse, each of them confused about what has just happened. They didn’t see it coming. The hallway is empty, except for the people racing through to another case, and they feel a moment of relief from the intensity of the courtroom.
“What just happened?” Carlos asks, shaking his head.
“It appears that your cousin, Juan Lewis, has just pinned the case on you. He didn’t want to go down for the crime, so he’s heaping all the blame on you. I didn’t expect that. I didn’t expect that he would do that. He must have struck a good deal with the prosecution.”
“Why would he have struck a deal with the prosecution? Why would they have let him do that?”
“He must be going to sell someone out…” Bill reasons as he talks the situation through. “It must be Miles. That’s the only thing that he could offer them that’s big enough to get them to turn over. He’ll get immunity from the charges. But Pitt has already struck a deal with Roberto Miles.”
“And th
e prosecution has struck a deal with Lewis?”
“Lewis and Miles are double-crossing each other.” Bill runs his hand through his hair. “They’re both trying to sell each other out to take over the business. They’ve both turned on each other.”
“That’s trouble, Bill. Lewis is bad, but Miles, he would beat up his own mother if it got him another cookie. He’s relentlessly violent. When he finds out that Lewis has turned on him for a deal, he’ll be unstoppable.”
“Your trouble right now is that your cousin, someone you thought you could trust, has just sold you out. That must have been part of the deal as well.”
“But why would he do that? We’re like brothers, and he knows that the briefcase wasn’t mine. He lied in there.”
The pain in his eyes is clear. Nothing is more important to him than family, and he never thought his own family could do that to him.
“The prosecution must have found something on Lewis. They must have got him into a room and squeezed him tight. He must have felt the pressure. That’s what they wanted to happen. They wanted to squeeze him tightly. He must have struck a deal to turn over on Miles, and they want you to go down for this crime. Your relationship means very little to him right now. His freedom means so much more.”
“That wasn’t my briefcase. He knows that. He’s lying about that briefcase.”
“I’m sure it wasn’t yours. I believe you, Carlos. One hundred percent. But it’s not up to me; it’s up to the jury to make that decision. And right now, they’re all thinking that you owned that briefcase. Even the jurors that were sitting on the fence before now look convinced after that little play from Lewis. A witness has stated that they saw you with the briefcase. That’s the hook, line, and sinker for these jurors.”
Tears well in Carlos’ eyes as he huffs out all the pain and leans against the hallway wall. He loosens his tie, and the back of his head taps against the wall as he tries to understand what has just happened.
His cousin has sold him out. He’s about to go back to prison.
With a hefty sigh, his head drops towards the floor. “If I leave now, I can make a run for the border.”
Redeeming Justice_A Legal Thriller Page 13
