The Fifth Witness - Michael Connelly [61]
Properly cowed, Zimmer deferred to his colleague and sat down. Landon Cross stood up next to face the judge.
“Your Honor,” he said, “Louis Opparizio is a man of means and standing in this community. He has had nothing to do with this crime or this trial and objects to his name and reputation being sullied by his inclusion in it. Let me emphatically repeat, he had nothing to do with this crime, is not a suspect and has no knowledge of it. He has no probative or exculpatory information to provide. He objects to defense counsel’s putting him on the witness stand to conduct a fishing expedition and he objects to counsel’s using him as a deflection from the case at hand. Let Mr. Haller fish for red herrings in a different pond.”
Cross turned and gestured to Andrea Freeman.
“I might add, Your Honor, that the prosecution joins me in this motion to quash for the same reasons mentioned.”
The judge swiveled on his seat and looked at me.
“Mr. Haller, you want to respond to all of that?”
I stood up. Slowly. I was holding the foam gavel from my desk, working it with my fingers, which were newly freed from plaster but still stiff.
“Yes, Your Honor. I would first like to say that Mr. Cross makes a good point about the fishing expedition. Mr. Opparizio’s testimony at trial, if allowed to proceed, would include a fair amount of fishing. Not all of it, mind you, but I would like to drop a line in the water. But this is only, Your Honor, because Mr. Opparizio and his defensive front have made it darn near impossible for the defense to conduct a thorough investigation of the murder of Mitchell Bondurant. Mr. Opparizio and his henchmen have thwarted all—”
Zimmer was up on his feet objecting loudly.
“Your Honor! I mean, really! Henchmen? Counsel is clearly engaged in playing to the media in the courtroom at Mr. Opparizio’s expense. I once again urge you to move these proceedings to chambers before we continue.”
“We’re staying put,” Perry said. “But Mr. Haller, I’m not going to allow you to call this witness just to let you grandstand for the jury. What’s his connection? What’s he got?”
I nodded like I was ready with an obvious answer.
“Mr. Opparizio founded and operates a company that acts as a middleman in the foreclosure process. When the victim in this case decided to foreclose on the home of the defendant, he went to Mr. Opparizio to get it done. That, to me, Your Honor, puts Mr. Opparizio on the front line of this case and I would like to ask him about this because the prosecution has stated to the media that the foreclosure is the motive for the murder.”
Zimmer jumped in before the judge could respond.
“That is a ridiculous assertion! Mr. Opparizio’s company has a hundred eighty-five employees. It is housed in a three-level office building. To—”
“Foreclosing on people’s homes is big business,” I interjected.
“Counsel,” the judge warned.
“Mr. Opparizio had nothing whatsoever to do with the defendant’s foreclosure other than the fact that it was handled by his company along with about a hundred thousand other such cases this year,” Zimmer said.
“A hundred thousand cases, Mr. Zimmer?” the judge asked.
“That’s right, Judge. On average the company has been handling two thousand foreclosures a week for more than two years. This would include the defendant’s foreclosure case. Mr. Opparizio has no specific knowledge of her case. It was one of many and was never on his radar.”
The judge dropped deep into thought and looked like he had heard enough. I had hoped not to have to reveal my ace in the hole, especially in front of the prosecutor. But I had to assume Freeman was already aware of the Bondurant letter and its value.
I reached down to the file in front of me on the table and flipped it open. There were the letter and four copies, ready to go.
“Mr. Haller, I’m inclined to—”
“Your Honor, if the court would indulge me, I would like to be allowed to ask Mr. Opparizio the name of his personal secretary.”
That gave Perry another pause and he screwed his mouth up in confusion.