That La Jolla Lawyer

by Robert Rogers

  *****

  Stone’s bail was revoked. Jennifer was not charged with anything although the DA didn’t prejudice the right to charge her at a later time depending on her testimony during Stone’s trial.

  Carter and Matt sat on Matt’s back patio with a beer, watching the beach activities, and talked about the case.

  “I imagine Stone’s attorney’s looking for some kind of plea

  bargain for his client,” Carter said.

  “With what you recorded,” Matt said, “I think it’s a pretty strong case. I wish they had admitted to killing Sarah. If they did, they were being cagey about admitting it.”

  “My gut tells me they didn’t do it,” Carter said.

  “Mine too. That moves Reid’s bunch back to the top spot.

  And, I’m still waiting for a call from Cisco.”

  “Frankly, Matt, that option is right up there with searching for a needle in a haystack.”

  Matt answered with a grimace. “I’m afraid you’re right. I don’t think Cisco’s dealers want to do it. Maybe it’s time to put it behind us. I’ve had a couple of calls on office space. I think I’ll take a look at them tomorrow and pick one out.”

  “I know you hate to lose anything, but to me this thing never seemed winnable from the start.”

  “Yeah, old buddy. We may have been sniffing the wrong trail from the beginning.”

  “You said it. I’m going home and get some sleep.”

  “I’ll give you a call if anything does develop. Maybe it’ll be to show you my new offices.”

  Carter patted him on the back. “Damn, I’m glad to hear that!

  I had just about given up on you ever taking another case.”

  “You and me both. I owe Sarah Bush for that. She gave me a new life.”

  “Don’t dwell on it, just look ahead.”

  Chapter 36

  Denise called the next morning. The news of Stone’s re-arrest was waiting for her when she came in.

  “What’s the story?” she asked.

  Matt told her everything that had happened. “Are you going to do a story?”

  “Not right away. I’ll just give a news clip. I kind of have a regular slot now. The temp guy likes me. He may take the job

  permanently. I’m glad. He’s such a nice guy.”

  He congratulated her.

  After breakfast, he did his morning jog on the beach, showered and got dressed.

  He called the two brokers who had sent him the listings and arranged to see La Jolla office spaces. That took most of his day. He took time for a delicious hamburger slider lunch at the Promiscuous Fork, a charming place along La Jolla Boulevard.

  He told the brokers he would think about the space and call them the next day.

  The listing that worked for him was shared office space with a receptionist and a secretarial pool. He felt the excitement of going back to work building as he walked through the offices and talked to some of the people he’d be sharing space with.

  “Damn,” he told Cat when he was home. “Looks like I’m going to be working for food again. Been a long time.”

  Cat meowed as he sometimes did when Matt talked to him. “Meant to tell you. Thanks for attacking that guy the other night. You did good.”

  Cat rubbed against his leg.

  He spent the rest of the day putting together a six month budget. He figured it’d take that long for any decent billings to develop. A partner in one of the offices promised some work, but none appeared profitable. Still, getting back into court on any case, good or bad, would be worthwhile.

  He made a decision but would sleep on it.

  Denise was on the six o’clock news. He thought she not only did a great job delivering her news segment, she looked good as well. Had her hair done, great outfit, very stylish and subdued enough that Denise and her news were showcased.

  “Somebody has done a great job transforming her. Maybe she just blossomed into the job. A flower waiting to bloom.”

  A thought flashed through his mind. Sarah died and Denise was born. Something ironic about that, he decided.

  Within minutes after she’d said good night, Matt’s phone rang. It was Cisco.

  “My dealers are not liking to spy on buyers, Matt. “Bad for business they say. I think they are not telling me what they see.”

  “What are they telling you?” Matt asked.

  “They never see people in picture. Man I bring to your house say he never see? He call me fifteen minutes ago. I speak to him…you know what I’m saying.”

  “I know. You most likely threatened to kill him.”

  “Si. So, he say he has call for meth pills. Man asked for Adderall. Pick up is Mt. Soledad. He say maybe not man in picture. But man will buy 30 pills tonight at ten. I think is last time I can help. You know what I’m saying?”

  “I think I get your drift. You’re saying it’s bad for business.”

  “Very bad. Nobody wants to do. I am sorry. You help me one

  time. This is best I can do to help you.”

  Matt thanked him. He called Carter who came right over.

  “How do we play it?” Carter asked.

  Matt thought a few seconds then said, “I’m betting Cisco’s man will make his sell before ten. Maybe nine or so. That way he can say his buyer came early. He’s off Cisco’s shit list and his buyer is out of trouble and free to buy some more.”

  Carter said, “Or, he’ll tell Cisco the man got spooked and didn’t show. Blame it on Cisco to save his ass.”

  “Even better. So, we’ll set up a few minutes before nine and wait.”

  Carter had brought two cameras. He showed Matt how to use one. He’d take the other, find a place around the cross and wait. He figured the buyer would show first, then Cisco’s dealer. When the buyer showed, he’d try to maneuver to get as good a picture as he could.

  Matt would do the same in front of Reid’s home. They’d communicate by cell phones.

  *****

  Nearing nine, Carter called Matt in a whisper. “Man in dark jogging shorts with Chargers baseball cap, approaching. Hold on.

  … No. Man didn’t turn in. Pulling out cell phone. Must’ve got a call.”

  Matt called from behind a hedge across the street from Reid’s place, a single story contemporary Mediterranean with a 180 degree view of La Jolla. “Nothing from down here. Lights on in the house. Must have cost a bundle. No movement that I can see. Wait a minute. I just saw a shadow cross a window but nobody’s coming out.”

  Fifteen minutes later, Carter again, “Same guy approaching from other direction. Ah, putting on sunglasses and looking left and right. Hold on. … turning into park. Man in car pulled up a minute ago. Looks Hispanic. Stopped to look down at the view. Now, slowly headed out. Wait. Arm out window. Something in hand. Jogger hands something, takes something, Hardly paused. Man drives off. Jogger keeps going. Headed your way, I’d say.”

  Five minutes later, the jogger with a Chargers cap approached Reid’s home. He turned into the driveway. When Matt saw him approaching, he moved out of the hedges and when the jogger turned his back to head down the driveway, he ran across the street

  with camera raised. “Clint Reid, is that you behind those Foster Grants?” he shouted.

  The man turned. It was Reid! Matt noted as he snapped two pictures in succession. Reid stood transfixed. He raised his arm to say something but by then, Matt was headed to his car, parked half a block away.

  Fifteen minutes later, Matt and Carter sat around Matt’s kitchen table and talked about what had happened.

  “It was slick,” Carter said, referring to the exchange between the dealer and Reid. “I got half a dozen shots of them, Reid passing then coming back. The dealer driving in, pausing for a look then when they made the exchange. Nobody saw me.”

  Matt’s phone rang. It was Cisco, apologizing. “Amigo, I am sorry. My man say his buyer did not show. He waited, even left and came back. No buyer. Do you want me to call next time there is a buy?
”

  Matt smiled to Carter with a nod of his heard. “No, Cisco. I think we’ve managed without involving your dealer or the buyer. I thank you and please thank your dealer. Seemed like very responsible guy.”

  “He is one of my best.”

  “I thank you. Drop by next time you’re in town or in the

  neighborhood.”

  He would.

  Matt gave Carter the gist of the conversation.

  Carter said, “We figured, didn’t we?”

  “I think it worked out well for us, don’t you? We got our pictures and the dealer didn’t even know,” Matt told him.

  “Couldn’t have happened better.”

  “Okay, back to pictures,” Matt said, continuing their conversation of earlier. “I got two. Could have gotten more, but it would have been repetitive.”

  “What do we have, O wise one? Can we take the pictures to

  Triplett and have him bless us?”

  “That is the big question, Carter. We could leak what we’ve seen and photographed. Even with Reid’s loud protests to the contrary, he’ll have a difficult time repairing the damage to his reputation. If he doesn’t withdraw, he will certainly lose.”

  “You can bet you’ll get hit with a lawsuit. I reckon my name’ll be on it too”

  “No law against taking pictures. He can deny he was there but he can’t deny the pictures or the exchange. Wonder how he’ll try to get out of that?”

  The front door opened. In walked Warner and two other men, equally large. Warner held a gun in his hand. It was equipped with a silencer. All wore gloves. They closed the door behind them.

  “Son of a bitch,” Matt said when he saw them.

  “Under the circumstances,” Warner said, “I’ll accept the slur if you were aiming it at me. You’re entitled since you are about to die. You, both of you, have been nothing but a pain in the ass since Sarah Bush decided to poke her nose into our business.”

  “So you killed her,” Matt said. “And when that didn’t do the trick, you killed Padgett.”

  “We have a lot of money on the table, shitface. That’s what you look like with that fucking beard. Padgett offered me a deal on Reid’s drug addiction. Money for the girl’s notes. We took him up on it. He just didn’t get what he came for. Somebody beat us to the girl. Undercover snoop. I suspected her. I always figured you killed her. Got turned down and got pissed.” He laughed. “It doesn’t surprise me. Who in the hell would climb into bed with a loser like you?”

  He turned to his companions. “Duct tape their arms behind them. Put a strip over their mouths and eyes. I’ll drive the van into the yard. We’ll load them into the boat and take them for a cruise.”

  He looked at Matt and Carter. “Your neighbors are not at home or are watching the boob tube. We drove by twice to check so

  don’t expect a rescue. I’d like to do this peacefully but if you try

  anything, I don’t mind shooting you. Not in the least. Understood?”

  “Maybe we could make a deal,” Matt said.

  Warner laughed. “What deal? You have nothing to offer.

  We’re taking your cameras. I’ll probably keep one and give one to old Clint. Maybe taking pictures will keep his mind off getting high. Stupid bastard got hooked. We’ll get through this campaign and ship him off to someplace to get rehabbed. Nobody will ever know. He’s going to make me rich.”

  He jerked his head in their direction. The two men standing beside him moved forward and began taping their hands and their mouths.

  “Eyes too?” one guy asked. “They’ll stumble over everything they come to.”

  Warner thought a second. “Okay, leave the eyes.”

  He told the second guy to get Carter’s cameras. They were on the table.

  “Hang them around my neck,” he said, not wanting his gun hand to be disturbed.

  That done, he told one guy to drive the van into the yard as close to the front door as possible.

  A minute or so later, the guy came back inside and said it was ready.

  Warner stood back and motioned for Matt and Carter to move toward the van.

  Neither made a move.

  “Okay. Stand back,” he told the two men who stepped back far enough to avoid the blood they were sure was about to flow.

  Matt nudged Carter with his shoulder and moved toward the door. Carter followed. The two men who stood at least half a foot taller than Matt escorted them to the van’s door. One guy went outside, checked left and right before grabbing Matt and throwing

  him through the open door like a sack of potatoes. Matt rolled to

  avoid serious injury.

  They did the same with Carter who also rolled. Warner’s men climbed in back and slammed the door.

  Warner slid into the driver’s seat and backed out. They hadn’t driven half a block when one of the guys in back said, “Got an escort, Jeff. Cop. No flashing red yet.”

  Warner looked into his side view mirror. “Not good.”

  “If they stop us, you want to take it on?” the guy who had been doing the talking asked.

  “Maybe. We don’t have much choice. Keep an eye on it.

  Maybe they’ll turn off.” Warner drove two more blocks.

  “Red’s on,” the guy in back said. “Two guys in the car.”

  “Shit,” Warner cursed. “Gotta stop. Get ready. Maybe they didn’t call it in. Hell, I wasn’t exceeding the limit.”

  He began to pull over. One hand held his silenced automatic.

  “Jeff,” the guy looking out back said, “There’re two cars

  now. Both showing red. One’s coming around!”

  One police car pulled in front of the van to block its way. The other stayed in back. Four uniformed policemen got out. All had weapons in their hands.

  “Hide your guns. Make sure they don’t make a sound,” Warner said softly with a gesture toward Matt and Carter. He tucked his gun under his seat, rolled down his window and waited.

  One of the policemen came close enough to be heard but not so close as to be easily shot. “Sir, get out of the van. Now! And tell your buddies to do the same. If you are holding weapons, I’d advise you to leave them behind.”

  Warner hesitated a second or two. “Shit,” he said then told the two men in back, “Leave ‘em and get out.”

  The policeman at the front of the van told Warner when he’d gotten out, “I’m arresting you for kidnapping.” He read them the standard phrase most people referred to as “their rights.”

  When Warner and his cohorts were secured in the backs of the

  two police cars, the duct tape was taken from Matt and Carter.

  “Sorry we were a little late getting here,” the policeman said.

  “How’d you know?” Matt asked.

  “Oh, I thought you knew. Detective Triplett said you’d stirred up a shit storm so he got a court order to put a bug back into the hole somebody made in your kitchen wall. We added a transmitter so we could monitor it from headquarters. The monitoring clerk kind of spot checks now and then. She heard talking and listened

  in. She heard some guy ordering you into a van so we got a call. Got here a little late. Almost too late.”

  “Better late than never,” Carter quipped. “But a little later and we’d be on a one way boat cruise.”

  Triplett called Matt the next morning to say that Warner and his two cohorts were being charged with kidnapping and the murder of Padgett. The two men with him were already talking about cooperating in exchange for a deal. Both claimed they had nothing to do with killing anybody.

  “I haven’t given up on Warner for the Bush girl’s murder,” Triplett said. “I think he did it. Sooner or later for some kind of deal, he’ll come across.”

  “If he killed Padgett, he must have killed Sarah,” Matt said. “I don’t know. Hell, maybe some homeless guy killed her.”

  “That’s what I said from the start,” Triplett said.

  *****

  Denise got an
other story. That one was complete with a news release from Merlin Headquarters that Warner had been terminated. Matt assumed his stock options were terminated as well. The company also announced that they were no longer supporting the candidacy of Clint Reid for the US Senate.

  Matt and Carter went on camera to announce what they had witnessed at Mt. Soledad, the buying of illegal drugs by Clint Reid. Of course, Carter couldn’t truthfully say he actually saw the drugs being given to Reid but he glossed over it. His interview was sufficiently vague so a viewer would assume a buy had taken place.

  Reid withdrew his candidacy with a statement to the press in which he confessed to having become addicted to Adderall which he had been taking under doctor's orders for a medical condition. He neglected to say the doctor was his wife, Matt noted.

  Following the press conference, he was going to check himself into a rehab center and afterwards was going show up for work, as a congressman.

  Matt wondered if he would be impeached by the House of Representatives. In any event, the consensus of most newscasters was that he would not be reelected.

  Matt sent the Bushes a summary of all that had taken place. He told them he could not say for certain that either Warner or Stone had killed Sarah. Either man could have done it but there was no evidence that they had. He didn’t add Jennifer’s name as a suspect but thought it. He didn’t have any evidence that pointed at her either.

  Mrs. Bush thanked him and asked him to please send them a bill for his services. He declined but did announce to them the opening of his new office in the shared space suite in La Jolla.

  Denise called to thank him as well. “Thanks to you, I’m now the anchor of ANN News! Isn’t that exciting?”

  Matt congratulated her. “Seems all I have been doing lately is congratulating you, Denise. Maybe I should take you to dinner someplace nice.”

  “Is that an invitation?”

  “It is,” Matt said.

  “Well, I’d like to go to El Pescador on Pearl. I’ve heard the

  halibut is great.”

  “I recall the Pescador. Haven’t been there in ages. Informal place, easy to relax.”