Presumption of Innocence: David Brunelle Legal Thriller #1 by Stephen Penner

could tell Faust was right. And if he hadn't been sure, the two other guys who stepped out of the shadows as Faust disappeared inside her apartment building made it crystal clear.
    "You're in the wrong place at the wrong time, suit," one of them said.
    "And with the wrong girl," the original one added.
    Brunelle grimaced. He knew he was about to get his ass beat.

Chapter 21
     
    "Oh my God!" Yamata stopped short in Brunelle's office doorway. "What the hell happened to you?"
    Brunelle tried to smile, but his black eye, swollen cheek, and split lip made the expression rather painful. "I fell," he joked.
    "Yeah, and he'll never do it again," Yamata understood the reference to recanting victims. She came in and sat down. "Seriously, though, what happened?"
    Brunelle ran a hand through his hair. "Okay, it's kind of a long story, but basically I got jumped by a bunch of guys last night who took offense to my suit."
    Yamata nodded, smoothing out the fabric of her own expensive garments. "I don't like your suits either," she deadpanned. "But I wouldn't kick your ass over it."
    When Brunelle just stared at her through puffy eyes, she raised her fists into some martial arts pose he didn't recognize. "I could, but I wouldn't."
    "I'm sure," grumbled Brunelle. "But anyway, that's the short version."
    "What's the long version?"
    "I was in the wrong neighborhood at two in the morning with the wrong girl. Some gang took offense to an old man in a suit being there. They roughed me up and told me not to come back."
    Yamata considered the information. "Wrong girl, huh?"
    Brunelle shut his eyes with a wince. "That's what you focus on?"
    Yamata laughed. "That's the most interesting part. Did you call the police?"
    Brunelle shook his head. "No," he laughed. "It was humiliating enough. I don't need Larry Chen coming out to laugh at me."
    Yamata frowned. "First, they wouldn't send a detective for a simple assault. And second, he wouldn't have laughed at you."
    "You just did," Brunelle pointed out.
    Yamata smiled. "Okay, yeah, he would have laughed at you."
    Just then, Brunelle's secretary walked in with some papers. "These were just delivered to the front desk. They're on the Karpati case."
    Brunelle started to read the pleadings as Yamata picked up his phone and dialed. He was curious what she was doing, but was more concerned about the motion Welles had filed.
    Or motion s .
    'Motion to Dismiss for Governmental Misconduct; Motion to Dismiss Aggravating Factors; Motion to Disclose Identity of Confidential Informant; Motion for Release on Bail.'
    The attached briefing was an inch thick. Brunelle wouldn't have been looking forward to reading it even if it hadn't been a diatribe on his own unethical misconduct, which he was sure it was.
    The sound of Yamata hanging up his phone shook him from the pages.
    "I called Chen," she explained. "You better talk to him."

Chapter 22
     
    "Vampires?" Brunelle couldn't believe what Chen had just said. "Are you fucking kidding me?"
    "Well, they're not real vampires," Chen defended. He offered Yamata a 'how dumb can you be?' glance. "They just claim to be."
    Brunelle pushed back in his chair. "I get that, Larry. Thanks. But how is it, given our upside-down, vampire wanna-be murder, that you haven't mentioned this particular street gang before? What do they call themselves again?"
    "The No-Bloods," Chen answered.
    "Cute," Yamata said. She was standing by the door, arms crossed. "Are their rivals the 'Not-Crips'?"
    "Naw," Chen shrugged. "They're not part of the real gang scene. They're just some kids who like to play dress up."
    "Is that why you didn't mention them before?" Brunelle asked.
    "Yeah," replied Chen. "That, and they hadn't beaten your ass before."
    "You think it's connected?" Yamata asked.
    "No," Chen laughed. "I think Davey was in the wrong part of town chasing the wrong piece of tail."
    Brunelle was surprised until Yamata explained, "I told him about the 'wrong girl' thing you said."
    Brunelle nodded