I just wanted to say thanks. You did what I asked you to do. You found my little girl, and you brought her back.
We talked some. I had a lot of questions, but Kris convinced me that most of them couldn’t be answered. And you know what? I’m okay with that. I saw more than I want to know in the newspapers, anyway. She’s back, and that’s what matters.
You can keep the car as a bonus. I hate to think of you walking everywhere.
If you ever need tickets to a hockey game, all you have to do is call.
Thanks again, Stef.
Matthew Sinderling
I thought about that last part.Going to a hockey game again.The Flyers were battling for the final playoff spot. There might still be a few home games left when all of this was finished.I thought about taking Cassie to a game.I didn’t know if she liked hockey or not, but they served ice cream at the Arena, so it could work out.
If she was still interested, after reading in the newspaper about me.
I guess I’d just have to see.
Harrity was right about my case, too.The DA didn’t want anything to do with my burglary case with an uncooperative victim, especially when his own office just prosecuted that same victim for child pornography.
Harrity came to see me on a Saturday. Even on the weekend, he wore a stylish suit and a tie. He brought me a deli sandwich and a diet Coke. That was when I realized the food in jail really wasn’t as good as I’d thought.I sat and ate the sandwich while we tied up the loose ends of my case.
“Kris never said a word?” I asked around a mouthful of ham, cheese and bread.
“No,” Harrity answered. “And Matt Sinderling confirmed that he hired you.”
“So what does that do for me?”
“The DA agreed to drop the issue of the pictures and deal strictly with the gun charge.”
“And no chance that goes away?”
“On what grounds?”
I shrugged. “I’ve got no criminal record.”
“True,” Harrity said, “but you used to be a cop. You know the law, and that creates a higher expectation. Not legally, but in the mind of the prosecutor.”
I didn’t answer. At first, it seemed unfair that I was being penalized for having been a cop. But after I thought about it for a few seconds, I realized it was true. I did know better.
“Besides,” Harrity added, “I’ve got it on good authority that the detective in this case is pushing the prosecutor pretty hard to charge something.”
“Stone?”
“That’s the one. He originally submitted a laundry list of charges to the prosecutor, including Transporting a Juvenile for Immoral Sexual Purposes.”
“Where’d that come from?”
“The affidavit alleges that was what you were doing when you were arrested.”
I rolled my eyes. Stone was out for blood.
“It didn’t fly with the DA,” Harrity said. “He’s ready to offer sixty days with forty-five suspended for a guilty plea on the gun charge.”
“Yeah?”
Harrity nodded and consulted his notes. “You’ve been here for thirteen days already, so if we plead on Monday, you can walk out of the courtroom a free man.”
“I’ll take it,” I said.
“Good. Everything okay in here?”
I smiled at the thought. Was everything okay? I was in jail, in solitary confinement. I used to put people in here.
“Something funny?” Harrity asked.
“No,” I said. “Not really. Things are okay. They let me out for exercise an hour day. I play basketball by myself.”
“It may seem lonely,” Harrity said, “but it’s safe. Word travels quick in here. You’d be a target, even ten years removed from the force.”
“Yeah, I know. Thanks for doing that.”
“It’s my job.” He paused, then added, “You know, you could have bailed out on this charge.”
I shrugged. I probably had enough money left over from Matt’s retainer to pay a bondsman. But it wasn’t like I could really spare it. “We’re looking to plea bargain, right?”
“Yes.”
“Then I’ll be serving days anyway. Might as well get them finished now.”
Harrity raised an eyebrow. It was as close to a smile as I’d seen from him since he took my case. “Most people would put off the inevitable.”
“Most people wouldn’t be in this situation,” I said.
Harrity didn’t answer.
I finished my sandwich and took a long drink of the diet Coke. Then I asked, “What about LeMond?”
“My understanding is that he’s disappeared,” Harrity said. “The police were unable to locate him for questioning.”
“Guess he took my advice,” I muttered.
“It would appear so.”
I sat in silence for a few moments, finishing my diet Coke. Then I thanked him for lunch and held out my hand. He shook it.
“See you Monday morning,” he said.
On my way back to my cell, another prisoner in solitary hissed, “Cop!” at me.The corrections officer ignored it, like I’m sure they’re trained to do.
So did I. But Harrity was right. News travels fast.
When the cell door clanged shut, I was alone with my thoughts again. Rolo was on my mind quite a bit.My arrest made the news. Rolo would have to be sweating it just a little. If Kris and I had told the whole story, everything we both knew, he’d be arrested for promoting a juvenile prostitute.
But when that didn’t happen, he’d realize that I held up my end of our bargain, even if it was after the fact.I didn’t put the cops on him, even though I could have.No more breach of contract.
I knew I’d be going to visit him after I was released.Not right away, because I was pretty sure that Detective Jack Stone would be tailing me around for a while.He’d probably bring poor Richie Matsuda along. They’d spend all their down time complaining about all the charges I got away with.Stone probably had a nice philosophy about “bullshit” to share, just like LeMond.
But eventually Stone would have to move on.He’d have no choice. There would always be other cases to work and I’d give him nothing to go on.And then I’d go see Rolo.We’d talk about breaches of contract. We’d work things out and if everything went right, I might even get my dad’sbomber jacket back.
I had another trip to make, too, and I didn’t care if Stone was still following me when I made it.There was a can of Maxwell House brand coffee, still unopened, in my apartment. I was going to take it and drive downtown.I’d find the real estate building where Clell had taken me in out of the cold and say thank you.I thought a lot about the best way to say it. Then I remembered he was from North Dakota, so I figured a handshake and the Maxwell House would be enough.
That night, as I tried to sleep, I wondered if I’d see Adam again.Or Katie, for that matter.They’d both gone out on a limb to help me and it almost bit them right in the ass.They had careers to protect.I hoped neither one got into any trouble. With no one saying much about what happened, I figured both were pretty safe. But that didn’t mean that either one would want to see me again.
I tried to shut my brain off. The world was full of a thousand million what-ifs. I only had the energy left to deal with what was.
64
On Monday morning, I sat in court next to Harrity. Everyone was prepared to go through the orchestrated formal dance that was our legal system.The bailiff called, “All rise,” and Judge Petalski entered and sat on the bench. I didn’t remember her from my days on the job, so maybe she wouldn’t remember me. That was some small blessing, at least.
She was all business, this judge. She asked if both sides were ready to proceed. The DA and Harrity both answered yes. The judge directed that the charge be read. The DA recited the formal charge, full of legal jargon. I barely paid attention.