Cold Moon (The Huntress/FBI Thrillers Book 3) by Alexandra Sokoloff
Authors: Alexandra Sokoloff
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witness.”
“The DA can ask for a continuance—” Epps started.
“Yeah. The disappearance of a key witness counts as good cause. But Molina invoked the ten-day rule. Delay the prelim and Lindstrom gets OR.”
OR. Own recognizance.
California’s ten-day rule not only stipulated a defendant had the right to a preliminary hearing within ten days, but also mandated that if a prelim was delayed beyond those ten days, an incarcerated defendant must be released, barring a very circumscribed set of circumstances.
Roarke realized Mills was saying that Cara could walk out of jail on bail. And if she walked, she was gone. She wouldn’t just run; she’d vanish. She’d lived under the radar since she was eighteen years old.
He felt a whole new spate of emotions that he knew—if he stopped to analyze them—meant he shouldn’t be anywhere near this case.
“So Stanton is going to have to go in with what he’s got,” Epps muttered, looking dazed.
“Or we’re going to have to get Jade back to testify,” Roarke said.
Jade . . . who was looking very much like the killer of the pimp in the alley behind them.
He forced himself from his own thoughts, struggled for a game plan. “Rachel’s got two other girls from Ramirez’s stable staying at the shelter. They’re going to be our best bet for tying Jade to DeShawn. And tracking her down.”
Mills shook his head. “Well, I’d be much obliged if you’d trot yourself over there and do some digging. We need to find that wildcat before the prelim, and we’ve got two days to do it.”
Dawn was breaking, a knifelike gray, as Roarke and Epps walked out of the alley to the sidewalk. Without the neon lighting, now swirling with ocean fog, O’Farrell Street had lost any sleazy glamour it held in the nighttime. The street was as bleak and grimy as a hangover.
Roarke could feel his agent seething beside him. “What are the other good-cause reasons for a continuance?” Epps asked abruptly.
Roarke pushed his emotions to the side and tried to think like a lawman. “Defendant waives time, but that won’t work. Molina would love to waive time. She’d waive time in exchange for bail. That’s the usual gimme.”
And Cara walking on bail was the same as walking free.
“So what else?” Epps asked tensely. “Illness of counsel, capital offense with preponderance of evidence . . .”
Roarke reached into his memory. “Counsel unexpectedly engaged in another trial, conflict of interest requires appointment of new counsel, a necessary witness becomes unavailable due to the actions of the defendant . . .”
He paused, and the two of them pondered that last for a moment.
“No evidence of that,” Roarke said.
“That we know of,” Epps countered.
Roarke had to admit there was something about the idea that felt strangely apropos. Cara couldn’t have made Jade disappear herself, but he had wondered during the interview with Mills if perhaps Jade felt threatened.
“I’ll ask Rachel— ”
“Wait.” Epps was tense with concentration. “The judge can’t kick Lindstrom on OR if she’s being held on other charges, right?”
“That sounds right,” Roarke said, and felt a new stab of worry that he had no business feeling.
Epps looked triumphant. “One of the other agencies has to charge her, then. For one of the other killings. Singh will know which case we can push.”
It was a plan. Whether Roarke liked it or not was a different story.
Chapter 14
T hey split up: Epps back to the office, Roarke to the Belvedere House.
Rachel looked exhausted—pale and worn. And not at all happy to see Roarke. In her office, he took a seat in one of the armchairs and tried to relax his posture, make himself as neutral as possible, in the hope of lowering her obviously high agitation. He had not told her about DeShawn Butler’s murder, although she would know soon enough. Instead he focused on the question at hand. “Did Jade show any signs that she was going to take
“The DA can ask for a continuance—” Epps started.
“Yeah. The disappearance of a key witness counts as good cause. But Molina invoked the ten-day rule. Delay the prelim and Lindstrom gets OR.”
OR. Own recognizance.
California’s ten-day rule not only stipulated a defendant had the right to a preliminary hearing within ten days, but also mandated that if a prelim was delayed beyond those ten days, an incarcerated defendant must be released, barring a very circumscribed set of circumstances.
Roarke realized Mills was saying that Cara could walk out of jail on bail. And if she walked, she was gone. She wouldn’t just run; she’d vanish. She’d lived under the radar since she was eighteen years old.
He felt a whole new spate of emotions that he knew—if he stopped to analyze them—meant he shouldn’t be anywhere near this case.
“So Stanton is going to have to go in with what he’s got,” Epps muttered, looking dazed.
“Or we’re going to have to get Jade back to testify,” Roarke said.
Jade . . . who was looking very much like the killer of the pimp in the alley behind them.
He forced himself from his own thoughts, struggled for a game plan. “Rachel’s got two other girls from Ramirez’s stable staying at the shelter. They’re going to be our best bet for tying Jade to DeShawn. And tracking her down.”
Mills shook his head. “Well, I’d be much obliged if you’d trot yourself over there and do some digging. We need to find that wildcat before the prelim, and we’ve got two days to do it.”
Dawn was breaking, a knifelike gray, as Roarke and Epps walked out of the alley to the sidewalk. Without the neon lighting, now swirling with ocean fog, O’Farrell Street had lost any sleazy glamour it held in the nighttime. The street was as bleak and grimy as a hangover.
Roarke could feel his agent seething beside him. “What are the other good-cause reasons for a continuance?” Epps asked abruptly.
Roarke pushed his emotions to the side and tried to think like a lawman. “Defendant waives time, but that won’t work. Molina would love to waive time. She’d waive time in exchange for bail. That’s the usual gimme.”
And Cara walking on bail was the same as walking free.
“So what else?” Epps asked tensely. “Illness of counsel, capital offense with preponderance of evidence . . .”
Roarke reached into his memory. “Counsel unexpectedly engaged in another trial, conflict of interest requires appointment of new counsel, a necessary witness becomes unavailable due to the actions of the defendant . . .”
He paused, and the two of them pondered that last for a moment.
“No evidence of that,” Roarke said.
“That we know of,” Epps countered.
Roarke had to admit there was something about the idea that felt strangely apropos. Cara couldn’t have made Jade disappear herself, but he had wondered during the interview with Mills if perhaps Jade felt threatened.
“I’ll ask Rachel— ”
“Wait.” Epps was tense with concentration. “The judge can’t kick Lindstrom on OR if she’s being held on other charges, right?”
“That sounds right,” Roarke said, and felt a new stab of worry that he had no business feeling.
Epps looked triumphant. “One of the other agencies has to charge her, then. For one of the other killings. Singh will know which case we can push.”
It was a plan. Whether Roarke liked it or not was a different story.
Chapter 14
T hey split up: Epps back to the office, Roarke to the Belvedere House.
Rachel looked exhausted—pale and worn. And not at all happy to see Roarke. In her office, he took a seat in one of the armchairs and tried to relax his posture, make himself as neutral as possible, in the hope of lowering her obviously high agitation. He had not told her about DeShawn Butler’s murder, although she would know soon enough. Instead he focused on the question at hand. “Did Jade show any signs that she was going to take
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