not at liberty to reveal it.”
Karen glanced down at a piece of paper in her hand. “Then the judge knew the source?”
“The judge was able to evaluate the information’s reliability based upon the past reliability of the source.” He inhaled deeply. “Is there … someone else?”
Another hand shot up in the air. A photogenic brunette with a microphone dangling over her head. “LeAnne Taylor, Channel Six. What charges have you brought against Mr. Kincaid?”
Dexter cleared his throat. “He’s been charged with aiding and abetting, accessory after the fact, concealment of evidence, obstruction of justice, and, um, murder.”
“Murder?” Taylor said. Dexter noticed that she, too, was reading from a sheet of prepared notes. “I thought the D.A.’s office believed Keri Dalcanton committed the murder?”
“We did. And we do,” he added hastily.
“Well, which is it? Kincaid or Dalcanton?”
“We believe the two defendants may have acted … in concert.”
“You’re saying she called her lawyer and asked him to help her kill her boyfriend?”
Dexter coughed. “We’re still gathering evidence at this time, Ms. Taylor. We don’t necessarily know all the details of the crime yet. It’s possible Mr. Kincaid’s involvement was after the fact.”
“Then he wouldn’t actually be a murderer.”
“In that scenario, no. But we’re still—”
“So you’re admitting you’ve charged someone with murder who might not have done it.”
“I said, we’re still exploring—”
“Shouldn’t you do your exploring before you charge a man with murder?”
Dexter adjusted his tie. “I think I’ve said about all I have to say on this issue. Are there any other questions?”
“Yes. I have one.” This time it was a young man, blond, in the traditional dark suit and white shirt. “Jeff Lea, Channel Eight. Other than the knife, do you have any evidence against Kincaid?”
Dexter mopped his brow. “Doesn’t anyone have any questions about Keri Dalcanton?”
In the back, Christina had to force herself not to grin.
Lea shook his head. “We understand the case against her. But we don’t understand why you’re going after her attorney. Isn’t this an infringement of the constitutional right to counsel? “
“If a lawyer commits a crime, he can be charged like anyone else.”
“Yes—if he commits a crime. But representing his client isn’t committing a crime.”
“ What is this, cross-ex? ” Dexter’s sudden outburst caught everyone by surprise, except the cameras, which were still rolling.
Lea kept plowing ahead. “No, this is a press conference. But as far as I’ve been able to ascertain, Mr. Kincaid has been a professional, respected, even admired member of the legal community.”
Dexter made a sneering sound. “He’s a defense lawyer.”
“Yes, he’s a defense lawyer,” Lea said, reading from the piece of paper in his hand, “but he’s never knowingly helped any client commit a crime or aided them in concealing a crime or their guilt. Why would he start now?”
Even Dexter’s charismatic cheekbones couldn’t help him now; he was beginning to look as if he were under siege. His face was red and he was sweating profusely. “We believe he may have been engaged in a relationship with his client. Beyond the lawyer-client relationship. More intimate.”
“Do you have any evidence to support that accusation?” This from Karen Keith, right in the front row.
“Well, er, we’re still gathering—”
“So, basically,” LeAnne Taylor said, “you’re just trashing his reputation to prop up your dubious case.”
“That’s not true. It’s—it’s just—we’ve only had the knife a few hours.” He was floundering, digging himself in deeper with every word he spoke. “ You did this!” He pointed over the heads of the reporters toward Christina, who was quietly sitting in the rear. “This is your fault!”
Christina pressed her fingers against her chest and smiled.
Karen glanced down at a piece of paper in her hand. “Then the judge knew the source?”
“The judge was able to evaluate the information’s reliability based upon the past reliability of the source.” He inhaled deeply. “Is there … someone else?”
Another hand shot up in the air. A photogenic brunette with a microphone dangling over her head. “LeAnne Taylor, Channel Six. What charges have you brought against Mr. Kincaid?”
Dexter cleared his throat. “He’s been charged with aiding and abetting, accessory after the fact, concealment of evidence, obstruction of justice, and, um, murder.”
“Murder?” Taylor said. Dexter noticed that she, too, was reading from a sheet of prepared notes. “I thought the D.A.’s office believed Keri Dalcanton committed the murder?”
“We did. And we do,” he added hastily.
“Well, which is it? Kincaid or Dalcanton?”
“We believe the two defendants may have acted … in concert.”
“You’re saying she called her lawyer and asked him to help her kill her boyfriend?”
Dexter coughed. “We’re still gathering evidence at this time, Ms. Taylor. We don’t necessarily know all the details of the crime yet. It’s possible Mr. Kincaid’s involvement was after the fact.”
“Then he wouldn’t actually be a murderer.”
“In that scenario, no. But we’re still—”
“So you’re admitting you’ve charged someone with murder who might not have done it.”
“I said, we’re still exploring—”
“Shouldn’t you do your exploring before you charge a man with murder?”
Dexter adjusted his tie. “I think I’ve said about all I have to say on this issue. Are there any other questions?”
“Yes. I have one.” This time it was a young man, blond, in the traditional dark suit and white shirt. “Jeff Lea, Channel Eight. Other than the knife, do you have any evidence against Kincaid?”
Dexter mopped his brow. “Doesn’t anyone have any questions about Keri Dalcanton?”
In the back, Christina had to force herself not to grin.
Lea shook his head. “We understand the case against her. But we don’t understand why you’re going after her attorney. Isn’t this an infringement of the constitutional right to counsel? “
“If a lawyer commits a crime, he can be charged like anyone else.”
“Yes—if he commits a crime. But representing his client isn’t committing a crime.”
“ What is this, cross-ex? ” Dexter’s sudden outburst caught everyone by surprise, except the cameras, which were still rolling.
Lea kept plowing ahead. “No, this is a press conference. But as far as I’ve been able to ascertain, Mr. Kincaid has been a professional, respected, even admired member of the legal community.”
Dexter made a sneering sound. “He’s a defense lawyer.”
“Yes, he’s a defense lawyer,” Lea said, reading from the piece of paper in his hand, “but he’s never knowingly helped any client commit a crime or aided them in concealing a crime or their guilt. Why would he start now?”
Even Dexter’s charismatic cheekbones couldn’t help him now; he was beginning to look as if he were under siege. His face was red and he was sweating profusely. “We believe he may have been engaged in a relationship with his client. Beyond the lawyer-client relationship. More intimate.”
“Do you have any evidence to support that accusation?” This from Karen Keith, right in the front row.
“Well, er, we’re still gathering—”
“So, basically,” LeAnne Taylor said, “you’re just trashing his reputation to prop up your dubious case.”
“That’s not true. It’s—it’s just—we’ve only had the knife a few hours.” He was floundering, digging himself in deeper with every word he spoke. “ You did this!” He pointed over the heads of the reporters toward Christina, who was quietly sitting in the rear. “This is your fault!”
Christina pressed her fingers against her chest and smiled.
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