Slow Kill - Michael Mcgarrity [54]
“He probably will,” Kerney said. “I asked the ADA to play him for a while to see if he knows anything about the Spalding murder. If that doesn’t pan out, we can use what he tells us to nail down the drug charges on Dean and round up his customers.”
“We’re not backing off on the murder charges against Dean, are we, Chief?” Ramona asked.
Ramona’s tight voice gave away her apprehension. Kerney smiled reassuringly. “Not at all. I want him to roll over on Claudia Spalding. We can go to trial without Dean testifying against her, but we’ll have a much better chance at a conviction if we have him in our pocket.”
“What will the DA offer Dean?”
“He’ll drop all but the murder one and drug trafficking charges if he cops a plea and gives us Claudia.”
“Has Dean’s lawyer been advised?” Ramona asked.
“No, and he won’t be until after the preliminary hearing and bail has been set. Since Dean’s a flight risk, Sid will request that he be held without bond.”
Ramona flashed a pleased smile.
“One more thing, Sergeant,” Kerney said. “Remember, the DEA can file against Dean in federal court on the drug and forgery charges that we drop, and I fully expect that they will. His lawyer should snap to that immediately, and listen hard to any plea bargain offer.”
“That won’t happen until a couple of days from now,” Ramona said.
“Exactly. Use the time wisely, Sergeant. If Dean doesn’t play ball, you’ll need as much as you can get on Claudia Spalding to make a strong case.”
“Will do, Chief.”
As Kerney turned and walked away, Ramona wondered what else she could possibly do to link Claudia Spalding directly to the murder of her husband. She paused in front of the door to the interrogation room where Mitch and the ADA were meeting. After she finished up at the jail and did the search for drugs at Griffin’s house, she would give Ellie Lowrey a call.
Maybe between the two of them they could brainstorm something.
Kim Dean had been cutting legal corners for a long time, but up to now he’d never needed the services of a criminal trial lawyer. He’d used his one phone call from the jail to contact the only attorney he knew, a woman who specialized in real-estate law. She was unable to clear her schedule, but promised to send a junior member of the firm to see him as soon as possible.
Stubbs was the lawyer’s name, Howard Alan Stubbs, and he was talking to Dean about all the things he needed to do to get a clear picture of the situation.
Stubbs called it a “situation,” but Kim knew better; he was in a pile of shit ten feet deep. He also knew he needed a sharper, more experienced lawyer who could dig him out of a hole.
Stubbs looked like his name: short arms and short legs with a Humpty Dumpty body. He wore a brown suit, brown shoes, and a paisley tie that stopped just below his belly button. His pale young face was round as a beach ball.
Dean interrupted Stubbs’s ramblings and asked him when he could get out of jail.
“We won’t know that,” Stubbs replied, “until your arraignment.”
Dean nodded. His right foot tapped a staccato beat on the floor. He pushed down hard on his leg with a hand to make it stop.
“But from what you’ve told me,” Stubbs said, “you may not be released. The DA will ask that you be held without bond, and of course I’ll argue against it. Perhaps I can get the judge to agree to a large cash bond. If not, you’re here until the preliminary hearing. That’s when I’ll get a first look at the evidence against you.”
“Not until then?” Dean asked.
Stubbs shook his head. “And we won’t see everything right away.”
“I want out of this place,” Dean said.
“I can’t guarantee that,” Stubbs said.
“The cop who arrested me said something about federal drug laws. She said I should talk to you about it.”
“As I understand it,” Stubbs said, “the federal laws are more severe. You could find yourself facing trial in both state and federal courts.”
“As you understand it?” Dean snapped.
Stubbs flushed. “I’ll research the statutes.”
That sealed it, Dean thought. Stubbs was in way over his head. “I