“Oh?”
She removed her hand and continued: “I just want you to know I play by the rules, no tricks or fancy footwork. I’m a professional and take my responsibility seriously. I won’t be underhanded with you. I want the system to work and justice to be served, that’s all.”
“That’s all I can ask.”
The food arrived. Bobbi silently picked at her salad. I took a few bites of my sandwich, grabbed a napkin from the stack on the table, and wiped my hands. “There’s something else on your mind,” I said. “Want to tell me about it?”
“My superior says that she’d still be willing to accept a plea. One last chance.”
“We’ll pass on the offer. I want to make myself clear. Rodriguez did not kill her.”
“They all say that.” She shook her head. “The prisons are full of innocent people.”
“In this case it’s true.”
“This is your first murder case. I’ll give you some advice-”
“Forget it. I’m not going to see an innocent man go to prison.”
“I’m sorry to say this, but with you as his lawyer he’s lucky the Supreme Court put a hold on the death penalty last July.”
“That’s a crummy thing to say.”
“No offense, Jimmy, but you are inexperienced.”
“I’m experienced enough to know an innocent man when I see one.”
“Have it your way.”
Bobbi took a sip of iced tea, stirred her fork slowly around in her salad. “You should think it over. He could be out in twenty-five years if he accepts.”
“Twenty-five years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. I don’t think so.”
I took a sip of coffee and stared at Bobbi over the rim of my cup.
“What? Why are you looking at me like that?” she asked.
I debated whether I should tell Bobbi the information I had about Welch sleeping with Gloria Graham. As a matter of pure tactics, I was better off keeping my knowledge of the affair to myself. Surprise was one of the most effective trial strategies, and I knew enough to understand that most criminal lawyers would never tip their hand in a situation like this. But, I had no evidence to take to trial, no defense whatsoever, just rumors and innuendos, which wouldn’t be admitted. I needed proof. I needed the police to do a full investigation of Welch. Maybe the authorities could somehow break his alibi, and If Bobbi reopened the case-with her powers of subpoena and full investigative staff-at least I’d know if I were on the right track. But could I trust her? I had to be sure that she was more concerned about justice than victories in the courtroom.
I wouldn’t mention being tailed and what Johnson had said about heavyweights being involved. I needed more information about them: who they were, how they were connected, and what all of the cloak and dagger stuff had to do with the case. I’d keep it under wraps. If all else failed, I’d have something for the trial.
“Bobbi, can I talk to you, well, one-on-one? You know, straight out?”
“You mean man-to-man, don’t you?”
“C’mon, you know what I mean.”
“Jimmy, what’s on your mind?”
“A few minutes ago, we spoke of justice.”
“Yes, go on.”
“Can I trust you?”
“That’s entirely up to you, but what I’ve been trying to explain-”
“I know what you said, but-”
“Let me finish.” Bobbi looked down at her salad. She paused, as if to prepare herself for what she was about to say. “In all my cases, I feel deep sorrow for the victims of the crimes. I feel for them just as I would if the crimes happened to me. I want-no, make that demand-justice, retribution for what happened.” She pushed her plate back and folded her hands on the table. “I’m not concerned with racking up convictions, getting my name in the papers, or scoring points with anyone. I’m not running for office, nor do I ever intend to. My only concern is that the perpetrators are punished for their crimes.”
“What about the times when the police arrest the wrong man?” I asked. “You know it happens.”
“You know better than to ask that, Jimmy. There would be no justice if that were the case. The guilty person would go free. That’s why just adding more convictions to my resume does nothing for me.”
“If you feel so strongly about justice and retribution-and I assume you mean that the punishment should fit the crime- why were you willing to accept a plea from Rodriguez at the arraignment?”
“That wasn’t my choice. Johnson had set that up with my superior and I had to go along. But thanks to you, it doesn’t matter now. Your client will get his trial and he’ll be convicted.”
“You just went along?”
“Yes. But it’s never been my goal to speed up the process and alleviate the court’s burden. As Thomas Jefferson said, ‘Delay is preferable to error.’” Her smile returned. “I had to work that in.”
“In other words, if you had any doubts, any at all about my client’s guilt, you’d reopen the case. Is that what you’re saying?”
“In a heartbeat,” she said. “However, it would have to be convincing. Why, do you have something that casts doubt on his guilt, something tangible?”
Bobbi’s sincerity moved me. I had no question about her sense of fair play. She wanted to see the guilty man convicted as much as I did. I just had to convince her that Rodriguez wasn’t her guy. I decided to confide in her and take my chance. I hoped that I wasn’t letting her beauty rule my judgment. It was hard not to.
“I have evidence that Senator Welch was having an affair with the deceased,” I said. “It wasn’t in the police report. It could provide a motive.”
Her eyebrows arched. “Is that true? Where did you hear that?”
“Gloria Graham told a friend of hers that she was sleeping with a politician. We could corroborate her statement, motels, restaurants, places where Welch and Gloria were seen together, that sort of thing.”
“So what if he was? That doesn’t prove anything. If all the bosses who slept with their secretaries killed them, we’d have a whole lot of dead secretaries lying around. No, sorry, that in itself doesn’t change anything.”
“Gloria’s girlfriend will tell her story. Reasonable doubt,” I said.
“You’d bring up this so-called affair without a shred of evidence other than some girl’s story and possibly ruin a man’s reputation-”
“To save an innocent person from life in prison, hell yes. Besides, if Welch wasn’t sleeping with her, then he has nothing to worry about.”
“Yeah, sure. You’ll tell the media Welch is an adulterous murderer. You going to tell the newspapers he kicks his dog, too?”
“Didn’t know he had a dog.”
“I thought we agreed not to discuss the case with the press.”
“I’m not running to the papers, but it’ll come out in court.”
“You know how the media is,” Bobbi said. “They’ll print the story, make a big hullabaloo. Later, when the truth comes out the retraction will be on page forty seven.”
“Look, Bobbi, I’m just saying it’s possible that he was having an affair. And it’s possible, just possible, that in the heat of passion, he might’ve killed her.”
“That’s extremely unlikely.”
“It’s a lot more logical than your motive. Rodriguez, her gardener, all of a sudden losing control.”
“Welch wasn’t even in town at the time of the murder.” Bobbi shook her head. “All the physical evidence points to your guy. He had a motive-even if you don’t buy it-means, and opportunity. The police arrested the right guy.”
“That’s not all,” I said.
Bobbi leaned closer to me. “You have more?”
“Yeah, it was the Senator who pressured Johnson to wrap this up, get a plea, and close the case.”
“Johnson told you that?”
“Not right out, but it fits. I’m sure he did.”
“Perhaps Johnson was just trying to get you to accept a plea so he could clean up his calendar.”
“Believe me, Bobbi, it was Welch. He pressured him.”
She drew back; it only took a moment for her disposition to harden. She grabbed the napkin off her lap and threw it on the table. “You could be right and I should’ve known better.”