Sunset Express

Truly said, 'She had the opportunity to recover the murder weapon and secrete it on her person.'

'A full-size ball peen hammer.'

Truly smiled. 'Where there's a will.'

I shook my head. 'Why would she take the chance?'

Green said, 'Elliot.'

Truly leaned toward me, serious. 'Rossi was on a fast track up the promotion ladder until she blew a homicide investigation two years ago. She failed to Mirandize a suspect who subsequently confessed, and the suspect walked. She might feel she needs a headline case to resurrect her career, and if she tampered with evidence to make this case, it may not be the first time she's done so.' Truly made a little hand move at one of the lesser attorneys, and the lesser attorney slipped a manila envelope from his Gucci case and brought it to me. Truly said, 'Rossi arrested a man named LeCedrick Earle five years ago for possessing counterfeit money and attempting to bribe an officer. He's currently serving a six-year sentence at Terminal Island.' Terminal Island is the federal facility down in San Pedro. 'Earle phoned six days ago and told us that Rossi planted the money.' He gestured at the envelope. 'He's been saying that he was set up since day one, and sent us a copy of his case file and the various letters of complaint to prove it.'

I opened the envelope and fingered through the arrest reports, legal correspondence, and letters of complaint. Terminal Island return address, all right. I said, 'All perps claim they're innocent and every cop I know has had charges brought against him. It goes with the job.'

Green nodded, reasonably. 'Of course, but Mr Earle's claim seems to have a bit more merit than the others.'

Truly said, 'A former LAPD officer named Raymond Haig told us about the Earle case, also. Haig was Rossi's partner.'-

I said, 'Haig was her partner at that time?'

'Yes.'

'And he said that she planted the goods?'

Truly smiled again. 'He wouldn't say that, but he says that he knew her and that she would do anything to further her career. He suggested that we look into it.'

I said, 'If Earle made the allegation, there would've been an internal police investigation.'

The smaller lesser attorney said, 'There was, but no charges were filed.'

Green said, 'Mr Haig indicated that Detective Rossi has a history of excessive behavior.'

I put the envelope down and tapped at the edge of my desk. The videographer crept back to the water cooler and focused on me. I said, 'Mr Green, you should know that my partner, Joe Pike, is a former LAPD officer.'

'We're familiar with Mr Pike.'

'I work with LAPD often, and I have many friends there, and in the district attorney's office.'

He leaned toward me again, very serious now, sincere. 'I'm not looking for a stooge. I have plenty of those, believe me.' He tried not to glance at the lesser attorneys but couldn't help himself. 'I'm looking for an honest detective who won't just tell me what I want to hear. I want the truth. Without the truth, I have nothing. Do you see?'

I nodded. Maybe I could see why he was one of the world's greatest defense attorneys after all.

Truly said, 'What we're discussing with you is only a small part of the larger picture. We have sixteen investigators working with us now, and we'll probably have as many as thirty, but you'll be the only investigator working on this aspect of the case.'

The larger lesser attorney said, 'We have fourteen attorneys on board, in addition to the investigators.'

The smaller lesser attorney's head bobbed. 'Not to mention eight forensic specialists and three criminalists.' He seemed proud when he said it. Peace through superior firepower.

I made a whistling sound. 'The best defense money can buy.'

Jonathan Green stayed serious. 'As I said, there's plenty of work to go around, and more work every day. Will you help us, Mr Cole?'

I leaned back, thinking about it, and then I held up the envelope. 'And what if I find out that Rossi's okay?'

'Then that's what you find. I owe it to myself and my client to exhaust every possibility. Do you see?'

I said, 'Wherever it leads.'

'That's exactly right.'

The moral high ground.'

'My reputation rests on it.'

I watched the Pinocchio clock. I looked at the picture of Lucy Chenier. I nodded. 'If Rossi's clean, that's what I'll report.'

'I wouldn't have it any other way.' Jonathan Green put out his hand and we shook.

CHAPTER 2

We worked out my fee, Elliot Truly cut me a check, and the Big Green Defense Machine left me to get on with it. I stood in the door as they walked to the elevator, watching the videographer record every moment of the departure. Cindy, the woman who runs the beauty supply distribution office next door, came out of the elevator as they were getting on and saw Jonathan. She stared at him until the doors closed, and then she smiled at me. Incredulous. 'Isn't he that guy? The lawyer?'

'Jonathan Green.'

'I saw him on Geraldo. He's famous.' I held out crossed fingers. 'We're like this.' Cindy opened her door, then cocked an eyebrow at me. 'I always did think you were cute.'

'Big time. I am nothing if not big time.' She laughed and disappeared into her office. That's Cindy.

I went back into my office, closed the door, and looked at the picture of Lucy Chenier. She was sitting in her backyard wearing shorts and hiking boots and an LSU T-shirt:. I had had the picture in my office since Lucy sent it to me a little over three months ago, and I looked at it a lot. Lucy was a lawyer, too, but she hadn't been on Geraldo. His loss. I stared at the picture. Something about it wasn't right and, being an astute detective, I deduced that this was because the videographer had bumped the cabinet. It was not too late to rush down the stairs and shoot him, but that would probably be overreacting.

Besides, he was part of the Big Green Defense Machine, and teammates shouldn't shoot each other. Jonathan Green might think me small.

I adjusted the picture, then went back to my desk and dialed Lucy's office in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. If Cindy was impressed with Jonathan Green, so might be Lucy Chenier. I am also nothing if not a show-off.

A warm southern voice said, 'Ms Chenier's office.' Lucy's assistant, Mrs Darlene Thomas.

'It's me.' I'd phoned quite often in the three months since I'd been in Louisiana, and the calls were becoming more frequent.

'Hello, Mr Cole. How are we today?'

'We're fine, Darlene. And yourself?' Small talk.

'Very well, thank you. I'm sorry, but she's in court today.'

'Oh.' Dejected.

Darlene said, 'She'll call for her messages, though. I'll tell her that you phoned.'

'Tell her that I'm lonely, Darlene.'

Darlene laughed. 'I'll tell her that Mr Cole says he's lonely.'

'Tell her that I miss her, Darlene. That the longing grows with every passing moment and has become a weight impossible for me to bear.'

Darlene gasped. 'Oh my, but you do go on!'

I was grinning. Darlene did that to me. 'Darlene, have I ever said that you've got a very sexy voice?'

'Get on with you, now! You stop this nonsense before I tell Ms Chenier!'

We said our good-byes and I called Joe Pike to tell him that we were once more employed. His answering machine picked up on the first ring and beeped. He used to have a one-word message that just said, 'Speak,' but I guess he felt it was long-winded. Now, there was just the beep. When I asked him how people were supposed to know who they had gotten or what to do, he'd said, 'Intelligence test.' That Pike is something, isn't he?

I said, 'This is the Lone Ranger, calling to inform you that someone has once again been foolish enough to give us money. We're working for Jonathan Green.' I hung up. It might be days before I heard from him.