Capital Punishment Read Online Free Page A

know his last name, in cash, didn't know they were stolen, blah blah blah."
    I was dumbfounded. "So you're not even going to try to find whoever did this?"
    The cop thought for a moment, mouth pursed, and shrugged. "No leads, sir."
    I looked at my broken car window. "Are you going to dust for fingerprints at least?"
    Officer Helpful shrugged again. "We got one forensics guy for the whole county working this shift. He's out at a homicide right now. I'm not going to bother him for just this."
    "Just this?" I repeated. "My car was broken into. My briefcase was stolen. And you can't even dust for fucking fingerprints?"
    The cop's attitude suddenly changed. "Look, mister. I've been doing this job for twenty-three years. I know how these things go down. We process your car for prints, we'll get maybe one thumbprint on the door. And you know what that proves? Nothing. It proves the guy touched your car. It's parked in a Goddamn parking lot. Anybody could touch it. And it was parked at the grocery store on Sunday and the hardware store on Saturday and he could've touched it there. So no, I'm not gonna pull my forensics guy from a real crime to waste time and money looking for your briefcase. You never should have left it in plain sight to begin with. If you ask me, you were just asking for your car to be broken into. Especially in this neighborhood."
    I was speechless.
    "Go home, sir," he finished and turned back to his patrol car.
    "Aren't you even going to take a report?" I yelled at him.
    "Nope," he called over his shoulder. "No use."
    As he started his car and pulled away, my phone rang again. I pressed the green button and held it to my ear even as I watched the city's finest drive away. "Not now, Janie," I said quietly.
    "Yes, now." It was Danielle. "You're late for court."
    I shook my head, confused. I instinctively went for my briefcase, and the planner inside, but was reminded of the futility of the effort by the broken car window. "I don't have court today," I finally said.
    "Apparently you do," Danielle answered. "It wasn't on my calendar either, but Judge Prescott's bailiff just called. The hearing on the Cunningham motion to dismiss was scheduled to start five minutes ago."
    "I just got that brief this morning," I recalled. "They can't schedule a motion with no notice. Especially not a motion to dismiss."
    "I know," she said, "but they did. I told them you were stuck with an elderly client and would be there in thirty minutes. I'll meet you in the courthouse lobby with the file."
    My mind was racing. I hadn't even read their brief yet. "Thanks, Danielle. You're the best."
    "I know," I could hear her smile over the phone, then hang up.
    I brushed the broken glass off the driver's seat and peeled out of the parking lot, spraying gravel in my wake.
    Judge Prescott was not going to be happy. He was old school. Hell, he was just old. And he expected attorneys to act the way they did back in his day. Being late was simply unacceptable. Being late and unprepared—well, I wasn't looking forward to that.
    Danielle was already there, in the lobby just before the metal detectors, file in hand.
    "Thanks," I said as I took the file. "Any idea how this got set without either of us knowing?"
    "Oh, I've got an idea," she snarled. "But I can't prove it. Yet."
    I wasn't sure what she meant. Anyway, I was more interested in getting into Prescott's courtroom as soon as possible. I slipped off my suit coat.
    "What are you doing?" Danielle asked.
    I undid my holster and handed her my gun. "No way they're letting me in with this."
    She grabbed it by the strap, letting the holstered gun hang down like a rat by its tail. "What am I supposed to do with this?"
    "Just put it in my desk drawer," I said as I pulled my coat back on and headed for security. "I gotta go."
    I practically ran to Judge Prescott's courtroom. When I got to the doors, I stopped, caught my breath, and straightened my tie. Then I opened the door and walked in.
    Prescott was on