“Noah Galloway had a disease; it’s called drug addiction. It is a horrible disease, and one that is terribly difficult to overcome. But he’s done just that; he’s turned his life around and become a model citizen. He’s been recognized for his accomplishments and his good works by many, many people, a group that happens to include the President of the United States.
“But his achievements in the last six years don’t make him innocent; nor do his troubles before that make him guilty. When you come to know him then and now, when you know who Noah Galloway is and what makes him tick, then you will know he is incapable of this kind of act.
“The evidence is convenient, rather than compelling. It suddenly appeared as if by magic, and it came in torrents. The case was handed to the prosecutor on a silver platter, and he ran with it. I don’t know about you, but when I’m handed something on a silver platter for no reason at all, I check to see if it’s real silver.
“Well, you will soon see that none of this is real, and that Noah Galloway is a victim. So, like Mr. Campbell, I ask you to do your job, based solely on the facts. Then maybe the police and prosecutors can focus on finding the real fiend, who is out there laughing at us.
“Thank you.”
Noah whispers a thank-you to me when I sit down, and even Hike nods that he feels it went well. A positive nod from Hike is the equivalent of a ticker-tape parade from a normal person, so I’m feeling good about things.
That feeling is wiped away by one sentence spoken to Dylan, by De Luca. “Call your first witness.”
I guess I was hoping the judge would forget about the witness part, and go right to the verdict.
It was one of the more unpleasant phone calls in Loney’s recent memory.
Carmine Ricci had called at three A.M. and he was not happy. The hour of the call was not a surprise; Carmine was on Vegas time, so it was only midnight, and he never slept anyway. He also was not particularly concerned about waking Loney; in fact, based on the tone of his voice, he would have been happy to kill Loney.
“You been watching television?” Carmine asked, instead of “hello.”
“Now?” Loney asked. “I’ve been sleeping for… what time is it?” He looked at his watch, and then continued, “Three hours.”
“The lawyer was on television tonight.”
“What lawyer? Carpenter?” Loney asked. “What did he say?”
“Find out yourself, and then call me to explain. If he calls me before you do, you’ve got yourself a problem.”
“Okay… just tell me… what show was he on?”
“How the hell do I know? You think I watch that shit? I heard it was one of those lawyer shows.”
Click.
Loney set about trying to find out what the hell Carmine was talking about, a task which proved easier than he expected. The cable news and talk shows are repeated frequently in the early-morning hours, and he was able to catch the appearance on the Doug Burns show at four A.M.
It confirmed his worst fears; Carpenter had traced the calls that Camby made, which would not have been that difficult. But then he had somehow managed to delve into Loney’s phone records, and find out who he had called.
This would have been a disaster waiting to happen, if it hadn’t already happened. He would have to call everyone on the list, and explain what had taken place. He would not mention Camby’s death, though they would learn about it from Carpenter’s TV appearances.
Actually, the circumstances of Camby’s death might help him convince them not to talk to Carpenter. They would not want to share Camby’s fate, and even though public disclosure by Carpenter could prove somewhat embarrassing, a bullet in the head would be even more problematic.
His bosses would be upset, though that would quickly turn to anger. Loney knew that they saw him as a necessary evil, a conduit to use to accomplish their goals. Conduits are supposed to handle problems, not cause them, and his bosses were going to see this as a very big problem.
But the worst part was Carmine, because at the end of the day, Carmine was the only player here who was of any real importance. So if Carmine was pissed off, nothing else mattered. And Carmine was pissed off.
Loney called him back, but didn’t bother to apologize. Carmine never wanted to hear apologies; he considered them unnecessary. He already knew that someone who displeased him would by definition be sorry that they had done so, since they would want to stay alive.
All Carmine was interested in was that the situation be rectified, and Loney promised that the process would begin, effective immediately. He didn’t say how he would do that, since another thing Carmine was not interested in was details. He was a results-oriented guy.
In the morning, Loney set out to make calls to everyone that could be on Carpenter’s list. He started with Fowler, asking him if he was aware of what Carpenter had said on television.
“I saw it,” Fowler said. “I’m still trying to figure out how you could have let that happen.”
“It was a mistake,” Loney admitted. “I’m dealing with it.”
“You’d better. Your boss is as unhappy about it as we are.”
“I’ve talked to him. Carpenter is in the dark on this, he’s groping. If his people get in touch with you, your position should be that you don’t know what they’re talking about.”
Fowler’s voice sounded coldly amused. “Now you’re telling me my position?”
“I’m telling everyone the same thing,” Loney said.
“Just make sure they listen to you.”
It was a ridiculous comment for Fowler to make, since there was no question the people on that list would listen to Loney. Their fear of Loney, and in some cases their dependence on him, is what made the entire operation run in the first place.
By noon, Loney had made all the calls. He knew these people, he knew what made them tick, and he could have anticipated each of their reactions.
Some were nervous and afraid, which for the most part they tried to conceal. A few were less concerned, and two even relished the danger. But all promised to stonewall anyone who contacted them. They would not be intimidated; if Carpenter made their names public they were prepared to take him to court for defamation of character.
It was the reaction Loney wanted, though he was not sure each of them could be trusted. He would have to monitor things vigilantly, and perform whatever corrective actions might be needed.
Corrective action was a Loney specialty.
Assistant Chief Peter Hayes is Dylan’s first witness.
Chief Hayes comes from Passaic County Fire Department royalty; his family has been in the department since the early 1900s. Three of his ancestors have been chiefs, including his father, and there is no doubt that Hayes will ascend to the top spot as soon as the current chief reaches retirement age.
Hayes has an imperial attitude about him, as if his title should be “Emperor” rather than “Assistant Chief.” Dylan treats him with a nauseating reverence, so much so that I’m surprised he doesn’t spread rose petals in front of him as he heads for the witness stand.
Dylan starts by taking him through his career path. Hayes has been a firefighter for twenty-four years, and based on this endless testimony, he has received pretty much every commendation and award it is possible to receive, except for maybe a Grammy.
Finally I can’t take it anymore, and I object. “Your Honor, the witness’s service has certainly been admirable, but he’s not here applying for sainthood. He’s presenting evidence of a specific incident.”
De Luca nods. “Sustained. Let’s move it along, Mr. Campbell.”
Dylan turns Hayes’s attention to the night of the fire. “Were you the first one on the scene, Chief Hayes?”
“No, I wasn’t. I got there seven minutes after the alarm was received, but three units were already deployed and on the scene.”
“So you were not the first person to enter the burning building?” Dylan asks.