“You’re right. I was bluffing. I didn’t record a thing.”
He appeared relieved. “Ah, I thought so. I knew you didn’t.”
She continued with a look of amusement.
“I don’t like that smirk on your face. You did record it.”
“Now listen up,” she said. “If you persist in taking this confused mess you call a case to trial, we’re going to challenge the arrest. We’re going to challenge the custody without bond and the constitutionality of his detention. We’re going to challenge the inadequate control of the crime scene. All of the evidence you’ve gathered there will be thrown out—all of it. All of your circumstantial crap—thrown out.
“We’re going to challenge the validity and accuracy of every little piece of your so-called evidence. And we’ll find an expert to match every one of your experts. We’re going to make you sweat over every syllable you utter until the jury wonders what the hell you’re doing in a courtroom. In case you’ve missed my point, you have nothing and you’re going to lose, Moran.
“I suggest you call Jerry Kagan immediately and start negotiations for my brother’s release. You should drop the charges before the paper starts asking why you arrested him in the first place.”
She gathered her handbag contents from the table and walked to the door. She turned. “Oh, and don’t worry about replacing that old pocket radio you just smashed against the wall. It fell out of Raymond’s stupid glove compartment, it didn’t work anyway.”
He sat there staring at the door for a moment after she left and then slowly walked back to his office. He’d get back at the bitch. His best bargaining chip now was the power to permit bail. He was not going to drop the charges. Maybe she could bring enough pressure to force him to let her brother out on bail, but he’d still be under arrest. Furthermore, the price would be very high and part of the price would be she must leave town without saying anything further. If she wants him out then that’s the price. With her out of the way, tying the ribbons on this case against Reid would be easy.
He called Jerry Kagan and told him the state would consider bail if Reid’s sister agrees to pack up and go back to Philadelphia, no more playing detective, no more talking to the media. Kagan was pleasantly surprised. He’d call Moran back first thing in the morning after consulting with his client.
If Reid agreed, then Moran would see the judge and tell him the state was willing to go along with a motion for pretrial release.
Moran knew that everything must be in place before those damn articles started running in the newspaper.
Chapter 31
Ray found it difficult to believe events could happen so fast. Sandy was with him in the visiting room, and he was talking to Kagan on her phone.
Kagan was saying, “Not a done deal but it looks good. They want you out so Sandy will shut up and leave town. For the first time they’re talking bail. Nevertheless, they’ve set it high—a half million. You'd need to put up ten-percent, cash, or collateral. Do you own any real estate? Can you pledge $50,000?”
“No way. I have some securities worth that much, my life savings. But if I borrowed against it, I wouldn’t get the full amount.”
“Part of the deal is you put a muzzle on your sister. She leaves town and they never hear about her again. That’s a big concession for them considering you’re still the only suspect they have. You’d be free.”
Ray was holding the phone so Sandy could hear. “Free from custody, but still under arrest,” she said, “and they want me to stop helping you. I’d love to have you out, Raymond, but I don’t like the offer.”
“Okay, I understand and I don’t have the $50,000 anyway.”
Into the phone she said, “Perhaps there’s room to negotiate. Moran’s shabby conference room get-together with me didn’t go well for him. He was shaking when I left. In fact, this might all be a bluff.”
“Don’t overplay your hand,” Kagan warned. “Don’t try and go for complete dismissal of all charges or something crazy. If you’ve got a state attorney talking bail you’d better grab it.”
“Sandy, I wasn’t going to tell you this, I’m not doing very well behind bars.”
“No kidding. I’ve watched you deteriorate, you look like a train wreck.”
“It’s more than that. Sometimes I sit on the edge of the bed for an hour like my brain switches off. Other times, I believe I’m starting to suffocate. Take any offer to get me out of custody, and so you can go home. I know you’re clever and he’s no match for you, but just get me into the open spaces.”
She looked at her pale brother rubbing his cuffed hands—her innocent brother. A nervous tic on his right eyelid was fluttering like a trapped bird. She could just accept Moran’s offer and her brother would be relieved of all of this. Was there anything more important?
“I don’t know how you handle stress as you do. You’re so bold and self-assured,” he said.
“I got that from you.”
“From me?”
“Yes, from watching my big brother as we were growing up.”
“If that was ever true, then I lost it along the way.”
Kagan was yelling into the phone, “They’re waiting for our answer!”
“I don’t like the deal if I have to leave town, Jerry. Let them sweat another minute,” she said into the phone. “Raymond, do you remember that day you said you were going to drive down to the shore? I was eleven. I asked if I could go along and your answer floated down to me from the sky. You said okay. I couldn’t believe it. Just the two of us, me and my big brother driving down the Atlantic City Expressway. I remember every mile.”
“Oh, yeah, I remember that day.”
Kagan yelled, “Hey, are you guys there?”
“You let me pick out the spot on the beach, Raymond. You told me not to go out too far and threw me a towel when I came back, stuff like that. Oh God, I loved that day. You gave me money and I walked over by myself to get sodas, I knew you liked Pepsi. We sat sipping our drinks as if on a date. I remember exactly where I was when you called me ‘Sis’ and said I was pretty. That was the happiest day of my life.”
“I’ve always thought you were pretty.”
“Well, isn’t that just grand. Now that makes a total of twice in my life you’ve told me.”
“Sandy, I guess I can handle county jail if it comes to that. I might need some medication, but I’ll handle it. Just go ahead and do this your way. I know you’re doing it for me. I trust you, Sandy.”
She realized that Moran’s offer was reasonable. He would permit bail and that was the number one consideration. However, she didn’t want to agree to leave town, and leave her brother in limbo trusting Moran to maybe find a better suspect. And she really didn’t like the fact that he was negotiating only because Linda had lied to him. Linda would soon be found out and was doomed whatever happened.
Or maybe not—Sandy had another thought—another angle. A possible solution to all of this had just occurred to her.
She took the phone and spoke, “Jerry, put Moran on the phone. I want to speak with him directly.”
“Don’t do that. He’s in no mood for you, Sandy. I can promise you that.”
“Put him on anyway.”
Moran came on. “This better be good.”
“We have something to talk about, Mr. Moran. In a few days, some fresh names and alleged incidents will start circulating. You need to avoid being asked a bunch of questions you’d rather not answer. You also need my brother under arrest to placate the public. Okay so far?”