Joel Goldman - Stone Cold

Alex’s eyes popped; she was amazed at what she’d just heard. “You can do that? You can make sure that Dwayne’s case is assigned to you?” West nodded. “How? Case assignments are supposed to be random.”

“It’s enough for you to know that I can.”

“And I’m supposed to believe that you can somehow magically guarantee that he’ll be convicted?”

“There are no guarantees in life, including in my courtroom. But some things are more certain than others, and if we both do our parts, maybe that can be one of them.”

Alex shook her head. “Why are you telling me this? If anyone else finds out, you’ll be thrown off the bench, maybe even indicted.”

“Alex, why did you come to me for advice?”

She shook her head again. “I don’t know.”

“Yes, you do.” Judge West tapped his finger on his desk. “In here, in my chambers, on this case and every other one like it, you and I will tell each other the truth. I’ve shown you that respect. I expect no less from you. Now, why do you think I told you?”

She hesitated, gripping the back of her chair again to keep her balance as she fought off a split second of vertigo, her world spinning off its axis. Grounded, she said what she knew to be true.

“Because we’ll both do whatever it takes to stop Dwayne Reed.”

Judge West raised his glass to her. “And now we understand each other. Everyone knows the system isn’t perfect, but you and I can get it a little closer.” He scribbled something on a piece of paper. “That’s my cell phone number. You need anything, call me.”

Alex folded the slip of paper in her hand. “But what happens if Rossi can’t make the case against Dwayne? Or Tommy Bradshaw can’t convince the jury? Or if you can’t do your part or when it comes down to it, I can’t do mine? What then? What happens to Bonnie? Rossi will try to protect her, but how much can he do, really? I mean, he’s only one man and he can’t be on her or Dwayne twenty-four/seven.”

“You’re right about that. There are rules they have to follow, and knowing them both, that’s what they will do. Even Rossi, despite his trigger-happy reputation.”

“There are rules I have to follow too.”

“Then you’ve only got one choice,” Judge West said.

She looked at him, her face pinched with pain and worry. “What’s that?”

“Break the rules.”

Alex left judge West’s chambers, her head still spinning. She’d just entered into a conspiracy with him to deprive Dwayne Reed of his right to due process, a fair trial, and faithful representation by counsel. And that was just for starters. Their conversation, even without more, violated a host of ethical canons and, if discovered, would cost them their careers.

She emerged from the courthouse, stopping at the top of the lengthy flight of stairs leading down to the street. The day had dawned warm and clear, staying that way as the sun climbed higher in the sky. She walked partway down the stairs, pausing to let the sun chase the chill in her bones.

She half expected to see a roiling, rumbling mass of black clouds steaming across the horizon, an ominous portent of things to come, but there was none of that. It was just a day. People going about their business, lawyers she recognized nodding and smiling as they passed her on their way into the courthouse. Their ritual greetings reminded her of the fellowship and sanctity of her profession, triggering a flash of doubt about what she’d agreed to do.

She’d defended many people who’d committed terrible crimes, some of whom had threatened her. There was nothing new in that. This should have been no different, but it was because of Bonnie, though Alex knew that Bonnie would insist she play by the rules rather than risk her career. She had to go back to Judge West’s chambers, tell him that it had all been a terrible mistake, and beg him to forget their conversation had ever happened.

She turned around but couldn’t take the first step. Dwayne Reed stood in her path.

“Oh!” was all she could manage, so startled that she began to fall backward and would have fallen to the ground if Dwayne hadn’t grabbed her by the arms.

“Hold on, now. I ain’t in the market for another lawyer just yet.”

He was wearing baggy jeans and a gray jersey. She pulled away, but he held on to her.

“Let me go, Dwayne.”

He released her, holding his hands up. “All right, then. Jus’ makin’ sure you ain’t gonna fall.”

Deputy Paulson would have taken Dwayne from the courthouse annex back to the jail and processed his release. Yet here he was standing behind her, meaning he had to have come from inside the main courthouse.

“What are you doing here?” Alex asked. “You should be on your way home by now.”

“Thought we needed to talk some more. I heard you tell that deputy that you had to be in court. Figured that’s where I’d find you.”

She panicked for a moment, worried that he’d seen her coming out of Judge West’s chambers, searching her memory, relieved that she didn’t have a mental picture of him in the hall.

“You went looking for me?”

“Best way I know to find somebody.”

He said it with a disarming grin. She knew who he was and what he was. She’d seen what he’d done-or what she suspected he’d done-to the Henderson family and heard how he’d threatened Bonnie. If she had to draw a picture of a nightmare, it would be a portrait of him. Yet there were moments like this when he gave a glimpse of humanity. She couldn’t tell whether it was real or a sociopath’s trick.

“What do you want to talk about? Did you change your mind about the plea bargain?”

His grin vanished. “I ain’t never gonna change my mind ’bout that shit.”

“Then what do you want to talk about?”

“I wanna make sure we unnerstan’ each other, you and me.”

“Understand about what?”

“What you gonna do.”

He’d rattled her, the way he’d appeared out of nowhere igniting a vision of him doing the same to Bonnie, only in the dark and for an unspeakable purpose. The image forced her to regain her composure and squelched any thought she might have had of reneging on her agreement with Judge West.

“I’m your lawyer, Dwayne. That’s what I do.”

“And you ain’t gonna tell nobody what I tell you. Not about Wilfred, not about nuthin’, no matter what I do.”

She looked up into his unforgiving eyes and realized that this moment was the next small step along the path she’d chosen. She could explain that the attorney-client privilege only went so far, that if he told her that he was going to commit a crime the privilege didn’t apply and she’d have to tell the police. Or not.

“That’s right. In fact, the more I know, the better I can do what I have to do. I’m like a priest. You can confess all your sins, even the ones you haven’t committed.”

He drew his head back. “Sins I ain’t committed?”

“Yes. Is there something on your mind, something you did or you’re going to do that I need to know about? Maybe something having to do with that promise you told me you had to keep?”

He came down to her step, clamping his hands on her shoulders, digging his fingers into her flesh, and leaned in, his mouth at her ear, his words clipped.

“That shit don’t concern you. Somethin’ goes down and I need you, I let you know. In the meantime, you keep your fuckin’ mouth shut ’bout my business.” She tried to turn away, but he grabbed her chin and forced her face back to his. “You a good lawyer. Don’t make me your last client. You feel me?”

He didn’t wait for her to answer, sauntering the rest of the way down the stairs without looking back. Tremors raced through her as she watched him go. She pressed her arms against her sides, anchoring her body, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly when she stopped quivering.