words came out, I knew how foolish they sounded. That thing was made of marble. Of course it could have cracked a skull.
Castellano opened her mouth to speak, and I burst out, “And we were not separated, after that, until we left, when, as I’ve mentioned, Chadwick was not only alive but said good-bye to us.”
“It was good-bye, all right. You’re going to have to tell the truth or you will find yourself charged as an accessory to murder. If not conspiracy to commit murder.”
Sammy Vincovic’s face flashed through my mind. He was shouting,
No comment.
I swallowed. “I want to speak to an attorney.”
“Sounds like guilty talk to me.”
“You know that I am entitled to legal counsel.”
“Your choice, of course. It doesn’t look good, you know, if you’re stalling us. An innocent person would cooperate with the police.”
“You wouldn’t be denying me my right to an attorney, would you?”
“Why? You don’t need one if you haven’t done anything.”
I didn’t trust Castellano. “I want legal advice. I think you are trying to set us up.”
She shrugged. “Why don’t I arrest you? We’ll head to the station and then you’ll be one hundred percent entitled to a lawyer.”
I frowned. I wasn’t falling for the innocent person talk. There have been many, many innocent people filling jail cells and many, many guilty ones walking free. My uncles like to say, it’s all in the way you play your cards. I didn’t know what cards I had, let alone how to play them. I didn’t really have a lawyer either. I’m a researcher for a book collector. I’m saving to get back to grad school. It wasn’t like I needed legal counsel on retainer. Vera had lawyers, but they didn’t practice criminal law.
The one time I’d really needed Sammy, my uncles had arranged it. They had footed the bill for his time without being asked. I couldn’t let that happen this time. I’d hoped never to see him again. Now I needed him and I didn’t even have his number. I had no idea how to reach him. My Uncle Mick, Uncle Lucky and Karen were in Manhattan (I thought) on some business that it was better I didn’t know about. Kev was on the run.
“I need to make a phone call.”
“All right, then,” Castellano said. “You are volunteering to answer questions. If you want your rights and your phone calls and your lawyer, then we’re going to have to head down to the station.”
The office door squeaked open. Castellano turned and glared at the man who lumbered through it. Sammy Vincovic appeared, fastening the top button of his blue two-button suit jacket, which managed to be tight and rumpled at the same time. Had he slept in it? Still, at the sight of his blocklike body and wild black, wavy hair, I felt a huge surge of relief.
“Who the hell are you?” Castellano snapped. “This is a police interview.”
He smoothed his random waves. “Sammy Vincovic. I’m Miss Bingham’s lawyer, and I’ll be sitting in on this interview.”
Castellano glared at Stoddard. The glare said, “You idiot. You let her contact a lawyer?” No words were necessary to convey this. For a second, Stoddard lost his studied cool. He shook his head, meaning, “Not on my watch.”
How, then?
I wondered.
Castellano narrowed her eyes at Vincovic. She returned to her questions.
“So you were about to explain how Kevin Kelly’s fingerprints ended up on the murder weapon.”
I opened my mouth to repeat that they couldn’t have been.
Sammy said, “My client has nothing to say.”
She said, “Miss Bingham, you really should answer this question. Evading it could go badly for you.”
“To repeat, my client has no comment. And I would like a word with her.”
As I was not under arrest at that point, Castellano had no choice but to vacate the chair and leave the study. Stoddard slouched out, looking chastened. She cast an angry glance at him, and he shrugged languidly and shook his head. I heard him say, “She didn’t call anyone.
Castellano opened her mouth to speak, and I burst out, “And we were not separated, after that, until we left, when, as I’ve mentioned, Chadwick was not only alive but said good-bye to us.”
“It was good-bye, all right. You’re going to have to tell the truth or you will find yourself charged as an accessory to murder. If not conspiracy to commit murder.”
Sammy Vincovic’s face flashed through my mind. He was shouting,
No comment.
I swallowed. “I want to speak to an attorney.”
“Sounds like guilty talk to me.”
“You know that I am entitled to legal counsel.”
“Your choice, of course. It doesn’t look good, you know, if you’re stalling us. An innocent person would cooperate with the police.”
“You wouldn’t be denying me my right to an attorney, would you?”
“Why? You don’t need one if you haven’t done anything.”
I didn’t trust Castellano. “I want legal advice. I think you are trying to set us up.”
She shrugged. “Why don’t I arrest you? We’ll head to the station and then you’ll be one hundred percent entitled to a lawyer.”
I frowned. I wasn’t falling for the innocent person talk. There have been many, many innocent people filling jail cells and many, many guilty ones walking free. My uncles like to say, it’s all in the way you play your cards. I didn’t know what cards I had, let alone how to play them. I didn’t really have a lawyer either. I’m a researcher for a book collector. I’m saving to get back to grad school. It wasn’t like I needed legal counsel on retainer. Vera had lawyers, but they didn’t practice criminal law.
The one time I’d really needed Sammy, my uncles had arranged it. They had footed the bill for his time without being asked. I couldn’t let that happen this time. I’d hoped never to see him again. Now I needed him and I didn’t even have his number. I had no idea how to reach him. My Uncle Mick, Uncle Lucky and Karen were in Manhattan (I thought) on some business that it was better I didn’t know about. Kev was on the run.
“I need to make a phone call.”
“All right, then,” Castellano said. “You are volunteering to answer questions. If you want your rights and your phone calls and your lawyer, then we’re going to have to head down to the station.”
The office door squeaked open. Castellano turned and glared at the man who lumbered through it. Sammy Vincovic appeared, fastening the top button of his blue two-button suit jacket, which managed to be tight and rumpled at the same time. Had he slept in it? Still, at the sight of his blocklike body and wild black, wavy hair, I felt a huge surge of relief.
“Who the hell are you?” Castellano snapped. “This is a police interview.”
He smoothed his random waves. “Sammy Vincovic. I’m Miss Bingham’s lawyer, and I’ll be sitting in on this interview.”
Castellano glared at Stoddard. The glare said, “You idiot. You let her contact a lawyer?” No words were necessary to convey this. For a second, Stoddard lost his studied cool. He shook his head, meaning, “Not on my watch.”
How, then?
I wondered.
Castellano narrowed her eyes at Vincovic. She returned to her questions.
“So you were about to explain how Kevin Kelly’s fingerprints ended up on the murder weapon.”
I opened my mouth to repeat that they couldn’t have been.
Sammy said, “My client has nothing to say.”
She said, “Miss Bingham, you really should answer this question. Evading it could go badly for you.”
“To repeat, my client has no comment. And I would like a word with her.”
As I was not under arrest at that point, Castellano had no choice but to vacate the chair and leave the study. Stoddard slouched out, looking chastened. She cast an angry glance at him, and he shrugged languidly and shook his head. I heard him say, “She didn’t call anyone.
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