Read Chasing Justice: A Matt Royal Mystery for Free Online Page B

cause to arrest somebody?”
    “They do, but I haven’t talked to the prosecutor yet, so I don’t know why they arrested her. Have you talked to the arresting officer yet?”
    “I’ve got a call in to Agent Lucas, but I haven’t heard back from him.”
    “Why don’t you call his boss at the FDLE office in Tampa? See what you get.”
    “I can do that.”
    “Good. Let me know what he says.”
    “Quid pro quo?” asked Robin.
    “I’m on my way to talk to my client right now. Get what you can from FDLE, and I’ll give you whatever I can.”
    “Fair enough. Talk to you later.” She hung up.
    * * *
    I found a parking place near the jail, went through security, and was led to the same interview room I’d been in early that morning. Abby was sitting at the small table, dressed in an orange prison jumpsuit. She looked tired and drawn.
    “Did you get any sleep?” I asked.
    “No. They put me in a cell by myself, but there’s so much noise in here the dead couldn’t sleep.”
    “Did they feed you?”
    “In a manner of speaking. I guess you could call what they gave me food. I wouldn’t serve it to a pet rat. Are you going to represent me?”
    “There are some ground rules we need to establish first.”
    “Like what?”
    “You have to tell me the absolute truth. No omissions, no sidestepping, no shading.”
    “Not a problem.”
    “Abby, if I ever find out that you’ve lied to me or not told me the entire truth, I’ll drop you like the proverbial hot potato.”
    “I won’t do that, Matt. What else?”
    “I haven’t seen any of the evidence yet, but I’ve been told about a couple of things that are going to prove embarrassing. They’ll come out, and we need to get ahead of them.”
    “Like what?”
    “Like an affair you had with Bannister.”
    “I—”
    I held up my hand. “Not yet. If I become your lawyer, I’ll expect you to tell me if it becomes relevant, but we’re not there yet.”
    “Okay. What other rules?”
    “You talk to no one but me, or perhaps my investigator, about this case. No discussing it with other inmates or even Bill. Any conversation you have in the jail is probably monitored, and the prosecution can use anything you say against you.”
    “Agreed.” She looked at me expectantly.
    “The next rule has to do with me. I will never discuss anything you tell me with anyone other than my legal team, unless you give me specific permission. That includes your husband. I’ve already explained this to him, and he’s on board with it.” I crossed my fingers on this one. I’d surely talk to J.D., but I knew that whatever I said to her would stay between us. I sat silently, thinking.
    “Is that it?”
    I nodded. “Something else may come to mind. If so, I’ll let you know.”
    “What about your fees?”
    “Bill and I have worked that out.”
    “Then you’re my lawyer?”
    “I am. For better or worse.”
    “Where do we go from here?”
    “The first thing we’ll face is a lot of press. Word of the affair, if that’s what it was, is going to get out. So is the fact that they found your fingerprints in Bannister’s condo. Bill’s going to learn about it, so, after you explain it all to me, I’d like your permission to tell him. I don’t want him reading it in the newspaper.”
    “Okay. What about bail? I’d really like to get out of here.”
    “I’m going to push that through during your first appearance. That’ll probably be this afternoon. It has to be done within twenty-four hours of your arrest. I don’t know which judge we’ll get, but I imagine it will be somebody from another circuit.”
    “Will I get out?”
    “It’s dicey, Abby. Right now you’re charged with second-degree murder, which carries a twenty-five year to life sentence. The charge is one of the two exceptions to your right to bail, the other being a first-degree murder charge. However, the prosecution must show that the proof of guilt is evident, or that the presumption of guilt is great.