Bury the Lead - By David Rosenfelt Page 0,16
own attorney” is the wimpy way I go about it.
Vince shakes his head. “No way. You’re the best. He knows that; I told him that.”
“Vince, I agreed to represent you and the newspaper. I didn’t know I—”
Vince interrupts me, a flash of panic in his eyes. “You’ve got to do it, Andy. You’re the only lawyer I trust to handle this.”
Just then an officer comes out and tells me that I can see Cummings. I nod, but first I want to finish this with Vince.
“Vince, it doesn’t matter who you trust. You’re not the client. And there are plenty of good lawyers. All I’m saying is—”
“No, it’s got to be you.” Vince doesn’t seem to be willing to let me finish a sentence, so I just let the officer lead me off to see Cummings.
I’ve never physically been with someone when they are being processed after entering custody, but in addition to fingerprinting, photographing, emptying of pockets, and the like, the arresting authorities must go over the accused with a confidence-remover.
All but the most seasoned criminals come out of these sessions looking simultaneously depressed and distraught, and Cummings is no exception. Gone, at least for the moment, are the cockiness and air of superiority that I experienced in the past. There is not yet even room for outrage; the fear and humiliation are too dominating. It may be an indictment of myself to say so, but I like him better this way.
“Have you said anything to them since your arrest?” I ask.
He shakes his head. “You told me not to.”
I nod. “Good. That becomes a rule from this day forward. Now, tell me what you know about why you were arrested.”
“I don’t have the slightest idea. One minute I was working with them, telling them what the killer was telling me, and the next thing I know they’re saying I’m the killer. It’s insane; they must be under so much pressure to make an arrest that they just picked the closest person.”
“I’m not going to lie to you, Daniel.” My mind registers that I’ve started thinking of him as “Daniel,” rather than “Cummings,” because I need to get personally close to my clients. Then my mind registers that I am thinking of him as a client, which means I must at least be considering taking on the case. Sometimes my mind has a mind of its own.
I continue. “That same pressure you’re talking about would make them extra careful about charging someone unless they’re sure.”
His mind doesn’t seem to fully register this. “So what are you saying?”
“That they must have some evidence, evidence that they consider substantial, tying you to this. You need to think about what that could be.”
He nods and takes some time to think. “I guess only that I knew information . . . like where the bodies were, how they were murdered, things that only the killer could have known.” He throws up his hands in a gesture of frustration. “But that’s because the killer was telling me everything!”
“And why did he pick you?”
“I don’t know,” he says with some frustration. “I already told you that.”
“It doesn’t matter what you told me before. The world has changed now; you have to look at everything from an entirely different perspective. There’s—”
He interrupts me. “But you don’t understand—”
I return the favor, interrupting him. “It’s you that has to understand . . . so listen carefully. There is a reason you’re here. For us to prevail, we have to find out what the reason is, then shoot it down. And your recollections, your perceptions, can be our most valuable tools. So I know this is hard, but you don’t have the luxury of worrying, or feeling sorry for yourself. You’ve got to help yourself, by helping me.”
There is no chance that little speech will get through to him, at least not yet, since the shock of his arrest is too fresh. But if I harp on it enough, it will eventually have an effect.
For now I’ll give him a specific assignment. “You know as much about these murders as the police do. So what I want you to do is piece together where you were when each one was committed. I want to know where you were, what you were doing, and if anyone saw you do it. If we can prove you didn’t do any one of the four, their case falls apart.”
Daniel nods, but it’s not hopeful, and I’ve got a feeling he’s going to report that