think Wendy and Janet will pull a few months for me?”
“Richard.”
“This is not a slap-on-the-wrist crime here. This is a situation where a suspended sentence would seem like a win.”
“I don’t see what’s so bad.”
“You can’t search crime scenes. You can’t appropriate murder weapons.”
“It wasn’t a crime scene when I searched it.”
“Why, because there wasn’t a ribbon? You got there ahead of the police. You know how much worse that is?”
“Yesterday’s news, Richard. You already bawled me out for that.”
“Right. You didn’t find anything at the crime scene, so you went out and got me a gun.”
I’d actually found a body at the crime scene, but it didn’t seem like a good time to bring it up. “What did you want me to do with the gun? I couldn’t leave it with her. It had my fingerprints on it.”
“What? Someone put your fingerprints on it? Then of course you’re not to blame.”
“I was searching the woman’s car. I found a gun. I didn’t expect to find it. I put my hand in her purse and there it was. After I’d taken it out of her purse it would have been stupid not to see if it had been fired. It had, which was embarrassing.”
“Embarrassing? What a wonderful way to put it. I framed myself for a murder. It’s a little embarrassing.”
“Which is why I had to retrieve it. I not only had my fingerprints on the gun, I had my fingerprints on the bullets.”
“I understand that. What I don’t understand is why you had to bring it to me.”
“You’d prefer I didn’t tell you what I was doing?”
“I’d prefer you didn’t do it. Look at the position you put me in. I either have to turn it in to the police and risk being disbarred for betraying the confidence of a client. Or not turn it in to the police and be disbarred for compounding a felony and conspiring to conceal a crime.”
“What crime? The gun wasn’t used in a crime. It’s got nothing to do with anything.”
“And you actually believe that.”
“The woman told me that.”
“And she seemed very sincere.”
The image of her dropping the robe came to mind. I tried to keep my face neutral. I shouldn’t have bothered. Not with the demon interrogator.
Richard poked a finger in my face. “Aha! Something is bothering you. In your assessment of the sincerity of her statement. What makes you think she’s lying?”
“I don’t think she’s lying.”
“Then what is it?”
I told him about Jersey Girl taking her clothes off.
Richard rolled his eyes. “A moron. I’m dealing with a moron. The woman’s story is so bad she offers you her body to believe it. Tell me, when she offered you her body, did she seem very sincere?”
“That doesn’t mean she’s lying.”
“No, she could be demented. She could be the type of woman who takes her clothes off just to ease the strain of social situations.”
“I didn’t mention she took her clothes off because I was afraid you wouldn’t be able to get around it. She was naked, she looked good, I was grateful for the show. Not so grateful I’d cover up a murder.”
“That’s just what you’re doing.”
“Only if the gun is the murder weapon. And I don’t think it is.”
“Now you don’t think it is? A moment ago, with visions of bare breasts dancing in your head you were sure it wasn’t.”
“I’m sure it isn’t. If it isn’t, I’ve done nothing wrong.” Richard was about jump in. I pushed on. “At least nothing that should concern the police.”
“And if it is the murder weapon, you’re aiding and abetting a felon. In the eyes of the law, the yeah-but-I-didn’t-think-so defense has never been successfully raised. That’s why you don’t put yourself in the position where you have to make that value judgment.”
“Yeah, but since I am, the gun is either the murder weapon or it isn’t. I take the position that it isn’t. Until someone proves that it is, I’ve done nothing wrong.”
“Yes. And the flip side is, when
“Richard.”
“This is not a slap-on-the-wrist crime here. This is a situation where a suspended sentence would seem like a win.”
“I don’t see what’s so bad.”
“You can’t search crime scenes. You can’t appropriate murder weapons.”
“It wasn’t a crime scene when I searched it.”
“Why, because there wasn’t a ribbon? You got there ahead of the police. You know how much worse that is?”
“Yesterday’s news, Richard. You already bawled me out for that.”
“Right. You didn’t find anything at the crime scene, so you went out and got me a gun.”
I’d actually found a body at the crime scene, but it didn’t seem like a good time to bring it up. “What did you want me to do with the gun? I couldn’t leave it with her. It had my fingerprints on it.”
“What? Someone put your fingerprints on it? Then of course you’re not to blame.”
“I was searching the woman’s car. I found a gun. I didn’t expect to find it. I put my hand in her purse and there it was. After I’d taken it out of her purse it would have been stupid not to see if it had been fired. It had, which was embarrassing.”
“Embarrassing? What a wonderful way to put it. I framed myself for a murder. It’s a little embarrassing.”
“Which is why I had to retrieve it. I not only had my fingerprints on the gun, I had my fingerprints on the bullets.”
“I understand that. What I don’t understand is why you had to bring it to me.”
“You’d prefer I didn’t tell you what I was doing?”
“I’d prefer you didn’t do it. Look at the position you put me in. I either have to turn it in to the police and risk being disbarred for betraying the confidence of a client. Or not turn it in to the police and be disbarred for compounding a felony and conspiring to conceal a crime.”
“What crime? The gun wasn’t used in a crime. It’s got nothing to do with anything.”
“And you actually believe that.”
“The woman told me that.”
“And she seemed very sincere.”
The image of her dropping the robe came to mind. I tried to keep my face neutral. I shouldn’t have bothered. Not with the demon interrogator.
Richard poked a finger in my face. “Aha! Something is bothering you. In your assessment of the sincerity of her statement. What makes you think she’s lying?”
“I don’t think she’s lying.”
“Then what is it?”
I told him about Jersey Girl taking her clothes off.
Richard rolled his eyes. “A moron. I’m dealing with a moron. The woman’s story is so bad she offers you her body to believe it. Tell me, when she offered you her body, did she seem very sincere?”
“That doesn’t mean she’s lying.”
“No, she could be demented. She could be the type of woman who takes her clothes off just to ease the strain of social situations.”
“I didn’t mention she took her clothes off because I was afraid you wouldn’t be able to get around it. She was naked, she looked good, I was grateful for the show. Not so grateful I’d cover up a murder.”
“That’s just what you’re doing.”
“Only if the gun is the murder weapon. And I don’t think it is.”
“Now you don’t think it is? A moment ago, with visions of bare breasts dancing in your head you were sure it wasn’t.”
“I’m sure it isn’t. If it isn’t, I’ve done nothing wrong.” Richard was about jump in. I pushed on. “At least nothing that should concern the police.”
“And if it is the murder weapon, you’re aiding and abetting a felon. In the eyes of the law, the yeah-but-I-didn’t-think-so defense has never been successfully raised. That’s why you don’t put yourself in the position where you have to make that value judgment.”
“Yeah, but since I am, the gun is either the murder weapon or it isn’t. I take the position that it isn’t. Until someone proves that it is, I’ve done nothing wrong.”
“Yes. And the flip side is, when
Similar Books
