by Denise Irwin
“Is she good enough to get the jury to vote for acquittal?”
“She might be, but Gregory would never try a case that he thought that he’d lose. Here we are at your son’s studio. I’ll wait in the car. The receptionist’s name is Julie, so just let her know who you are.”
Sam took the opportunity to call his wife, “Lee, Kavanagh postponed the arraignment because the defendant did not have counsel, so I brought the Macgill’s to see their son’s apartment and Gregory’s trying to talk Delven into taking the case.”
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The Macgill’s approached the receptionist desk. “My name is Ivan and my wife’s name is Bonnie, we would like to see our son’s apartment.”
She started to cry and then regained her composure. She grabbed the key to his apartment and went with them up the elevator. She unlocked the door and said, “Just drop the key off on your way out.”
Bonnie walked through the apartment touching everything. These were their son’s belongings. She could picture all of this back in their home, because everything here came from Ian’s bedroom.
They saw enough, so they took the elevator down to the lobby. Ivan handed her the key and then said, “I plan to have a company bring his belongs home. I will call you and let you know when they will be here.”
They walked to Sam’s car and when they got it, Ivan said, “We would like to walk around the campus of that is okay with you.”
“It is.” He parked on the Administration Building’s parking lot. “Take your time. I’ll wait here.”
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Gregory was in Delven’s office, “Brian, you always bring me cases that I’m gonna lose.”
“No I don’t.”
"Tell me one case where I have even a slight chance at beating you in court?”
He thought about it and then said, “This could be the one.”
“You are so full of shit.”
“Can you at least meet with him? His name is Mark Thompson and he’s in the Baltimore City Jail.”
“What’s the charge?”
“Do you really want to know?”
“By the sound of your question, its murder isn’t it?”
“I could say that it’s premeditated murder.”
“Of course it is. I’ll go meet with him and call you later.”
He stood up and kissed the top of her as he said, “Thanks babe. I’ll talk with you later tonight.”
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The Macgill’s returned to Sam’s car and when they climbed in, Ivan said, “That really looks like it is a nice school.”
Sam said, “It’s one of the best in the country. Are you hungry?”
“Yes, but we’d like to see where our son worked first.”
“You’re gonna get a two for one. We’ll have lunch in Pickles Pub which is where he worked.”
When they entered the pub, Sam asked for a table for four. Bob saw them come in so he took the menus from his hostess. “Welcome to Pickles Pub. I won’t be serving you today, but a competent server will. This is where your son work. He didn’t work during the day, he worked from the dinner crowd to closing. I’d introduce you to the kitchen staff that he worked with, but they don’t get in until later. Before I go so that you can eat, I have to say, everyone here loved your son. If you come back for dinner, they would really like to meet you.”
“Hi, my name is Megan, I’ll be your server today. What can I get you to drink while you look at the menus?”
Sam asked, “Megan, do you have Guinness on draft?”
“Is that what you want to drink?”
“No, it’s for the gentleman sitting across from me. The lady will have a cabernet and I will have a Heineken.”
After the drinks were served, Sam asked “May I order for you. We’re in a pub, so it’s mandatory that you order hamburgers with French fries.”
After Megan left to give their order to the cook, Sam asked, “We’ve not seen much of each other today, so give me an update.”
“The young lady at the apartment was very nice. I told her that we would hire someone to pack up our son’s belongings and ship them home. Bonnie correct me if I am wrong, but we were very impressed with the campus. We also spoke with Stella, the volunteer coordinator. She spoke highly of our son. For us I believe it was a good day, do you think so Bonnie?”
“Yes, we were able to see a piece of our son’s life.”
Their burgers arrived and everyone dug in to eat them. Bob came over to ask, “Did you like your burgers?”
Ivan and Bonnie both said yes, Bob went on to say, “Ian would have one every night before went to work.”
Sam asked, “Bob, what do I owe you?”
“Nothing, it was my pleasure for you to eat lunch here.”
They walked out of the pub and got into Sam’s car. Ivan said, “Thank you for today, but I think Bonnie and I would like to get back to the hotel and rest.”
“Not a problem. I’ll pick you up the same time tomorrow, if that’s okay.”
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Rebecca Delven sat at a table in a Baltimore City Interview Room across from Mark Thompson. She sized him up, he was a huge man. Gregory had given her a copy of his RAP sheet and it wasn’t hard to figure out just how bad this guy was. He was wanted for a parole violation and he had served time for raping several women.
“Mr. Thompson, my name is Rebecca Delven, I’m an attorney with the State Public Defender’s Office. I’ve been asked to think about taking your case. I want to hear from you why I should consider it?”
“I don’t give a fuck who you are and I don’t care if you take the case or not.”
Gregory had a habit of giving her the tough cases and she should have been flattered, but she never was.
“Mr. Thompson, here’s the bottom line. I’m gonna be your attorney whether you like it or not. You won’t need to pay me because I come free. You’ve been charged with a capital offense and while Maryland no longer has the death penalty, there’s a strong possibility that you will spend the rest of your life in prison. I need to know right now and don’t try to feed me some fucking bullshit, did you murder Ian Macgill?”
He finally looked at her as he asked, “Is this attorney – client privileged?”
“Yes it is.”
“In that case, yes I killed him, because he went out with my girlfriend.”
“What is your girlfriend’s name?
“Ellie.”
Delven figured that this guy was going for an insanity plea or an act of passion.
“I’ll see you in court tomorrow morning.”
She left the jail and immediately called Brian Gregory. “Brian, I’ll take the case.”
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Sam dropped the Macgill’s off at the hotel and headed home. Leona and the kids had eaten, but Leona sat with him in the kitchen to hear about his day. When he finished, she said, “Wow, what a day. Do you think that Delven will take the case?”
“If she’s smart she won’t, in any event Gregory said he would call.”
As if on que, Sam’s phone rang. It was Gregory, “Sam, she’s gonna take the case.”
“Brian, what did you bribe her with?”
“I didn’t need to bribe her, I appealed to her heart. How did the Macgill’s make out today?”
Sam told Gregory how they spent the day and that he dropped them dropped them off shortly ago at the hotel.
“Sounds good, I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”
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Thompson felt the rats crawling on his body that night. He laid as still as he could as their whiskers brushed against his face.
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On Wednesday morning, Sam put the coffee on, fed and walked the dog, he then went upstairs to shower and dress. Leona was in the kitchen making breakfast, so he gave her a kiss goodbye and said that he would call if he was gonna be late.
The Macgill’s were waiting for him on the sidewalk in front of the hotel. As Sam drove to the courthouse, Ivan asked, “Do you think that Thompson will have leg
al representation today?”
“Yes he will. Brian Gregory called last night to say that a Public Defender would take the case.”
“Sam, correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t the Public Defender paid for by the state?”
“Yes, the state will pay her.”
“If that’s the case, the person who murdered our son gets a free lawyer.”
“The person who allegedly murdered you son gets a free lawyer. I’m sure that this is true in Scotland; a person is presumed innocent until convicted by either a jury or a judge. Under the law every person is entitled to legal representation regardless of whether or not they can afford it.”
“Okay, that makes sense. If a defendant has representation, it is less likely that he will try to sue the government.”
Sam said, “That’s right,” as he parked the car.
After clearing the security check point, they made their way to the elevator that would take them to the second floor. Sam asked, “Brian, is it inappropriate for the Macgill’s to meet Delven?”
“Come on Sam, you know that’s a definite no-no.”
The bailiff unlocked the courtroom doors and let them in. He left through a side door and two Baltimore City Jail Guards escorted the defendant in wearing his jail uniform along with handcuffs and leg chains.
The Macgill’s watched as a short stout woman wearing what looked like a colorful circus tent came in to sit at the defense table along with defendant in his jail garb. Ivan leaned over and quietly asked Sam, “Is that the defendant’s attorney?”
“Yes, her name is Rebecca Delven and while she might look colorful, she’s a bulldog when it comes to defending her clients.”
The bailiff entered the courtroom through the side door to call out, “Hear-ye, Hear-ye, all rise as The Honorable Aaden Kavanagh enters the courtroom for the arraignment of Mark Thompson, charged with Premeditated Murder under Title 2, Section 2-201. Case Number 13-641.”
When Kavanagh took his seat, he said, “Please sit. Mr. Thompson, please enter your plea.”
Thompson and Delven stood and the defendant said, “Not Guilty under the rules of insanity.”
“Mr. Gregory, does the State have a recommendation as to bail?”
“Yes Your Honor, the State believes that the defendant is a flight risk and recommends that he be held without the benefit of bail.”
“Thank you. Is the State prepared to present probable cause evidence?”
“Yes Your Honor, it is.”
“You may proceed.”
“The State has evidence to show that DNA samples taken from a piece of cloth matched the defendant’s DNA. The State has dirt samples taken at the assumed murder site that match the dirt found on the defendant’s vehicle. The State has the knife used to murder the victim.”
“Thank you counselor. I am going to set jury selection for Monday, December 9 with a one day trial on Tuesday, December 10. Mr. Thompson, as a result of your insanity plea, you will be held without the possibility of posting bail at the Clifton T Perkins Hospital where you will undergo a psychiatric exam to determine if you are able to stand trial.”
He picked up his gavel and announced, “This court is adjourned.”
Gregory sat for a moment looking dumfounded. He stood and walked out to the hall. “I’m hungry, would anyone like to join me at the tavern around the corner.”
Delven told him, “We’ll talk later.”
He nodded his head as he said, “We sure will.”
Everyone else walked with Gregory to the tavern. Gregory rearranged the tables so that his group could sit. He then said, “I’m have an alcoholic beverage and the tab is on me.”
Sam asked, “Brian are you afraid that he’s gonna get off on an insanity plea.”
“That’s the direction he took in the courtroom. I think that Becca knew that he was going to do it and couldn’t do a thing about it.”
He saw the Macgill’s looking at him with confused faces. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to go off like that, but some criminals know the ropes only too well and end up getting off the hook.”
Ivan asked, “If he gets away with the insanity plea, does the judge have the right to sentence him to life in an insane asylum? That is what our judge would do.”
“The judge could do that and when he’s be rehabilitated have him transferred to a max security prison. Mr. Macgill, that’s a great idea.”
“Thank you, I only wanted to help because we believe that he murdered our son.”
“I believe that as well. Are you planning to stay here in the States for the trial?”
Before Ivan could respond Sam said, “You could stay in my house and have Thanksgiving with us.”
“That is a very generous offer, but it is time to take our son home for a proper burial. Bonnie and I appreciate all that we were able to partake in that would not have seen if we did not come over to Baltimore, Maryland.”
Amanda said, “Can you stay one more night so that we can take you to dinner. I for one have would like to know more about you and your son.”
He turned to his wife, “What do you think, Bonnie?”
“I would like to have dinner before we leave.”
“Sam, do you think that Mike’s will do?”
“Yes sir, I sure do. Reserve the patio for 7:00. I’ll take the Macgill’s back to their hotel to rest a bit and then I’ll collect my wife, pick up the Macgill’s and meet you there.”
“Sam that’s crazy, Phil and I are closer to the hotel, so we’ll pick them up. Hell, I’ll take them back to the hotel after dinner. Go home and make sure your wife can get a babysitter on such short notice, because it would be a shame if Phil had to stay behind.”
Sam called his wife and told her about the dinner plans and asked if she could find a babysitter. He tells her that they reserved the patio at Mike’s for 7:00. “I’ll call Mom and see what she’s up to.”
She called him back within a minute, “Sam, Mom’s on her way. I just need to take a shower and dress.”
His wife was still dressing when Sam entered the house, so he went into the kitchen to thank his mother-in-law for watching the kids. “Nancy, thank you for coming to the rescue on such short notice.”
“Not a problem. Leona was in such a rush to get into the shower that she didn’t say much other than you would pick her up.”
“I promise that we’ll give you the dip when we get home. Plan to stay the night.”
Leona came down the stairs to ask her husband, “Does this look okay?”
“I don’t know,” he saw her face fall to her chin, so he went on to say, “I don’t need no young men hitting on my wife tonight.”
“Sam, stop it, you’re gonna make me blush.” She walked over to her mother and gave her a kiss. “Thanks for coming on such short notice. We’ll give you the dip when we get home.”
During the drive, Leona said, “Sam, I need an update before we go to dinner.”
He told her that Gregory had charmed Delven into representing Thompson and then what went on in the courtroom.
“Did you say that Kavanagh sent him to Perkins for a psych test? That’s amazing.”
“It sure was.”
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Thompson wasn’t sure that his insanity plea was a good idea. He was put in a strait jacket and tied to a bed where IV’s fed sedatives into his blood. It was becoming hard to think clearly and he desperately needed to pee. He peed where he lay and vomited all over himself.
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Sam parked the car and they walked into Mike’s together. Sam ordered their drinks at the bar and walked his wife out to the patio. Amanda and Stefan were there and Amanda said, “Leona, you look great.”
“Thank you, I try to clean up once in a while.”
Just as their drinks were brought out, Phil and Brian came in with the Macgill’s.
Brian said, “Sam, Bonnie was asking about the Grand Marnier bottles and you tell the story so much better than I do.”
Sam said, “I’ll start
with the name. The owner, was on his way to register his liquor license and was mugged. His eye was swollen shut, so he registered the name as One-Eye-Mike’s. He wanted just a bar. When he opened, there was a pool table in the middle of what is now the dining room. In Maryland, if you serve alcohol, you must also serve food. The day he opened, the potato chip guy didn’t show up for the delivery. Mike made his own chips and it is in my opinion, that this is the finest restaurant in Baltimore. There are a number of bars and restaurants in the area, so he wanted his to be unique, he started a Grand Marnier Club. You buy a bottle and can drink from it when you come in.”
A voice was heard on the patio, “Sam Marksman, you tell that story every time you bring someone here. Why don’t you change up a little and them about your first date with your wife?”
Leona immediately said, “Don’t you dare.”
Sam said, “Before I tell the story, I want you to meet two guests from Scotland. This is Bonnie and Ivan Macgill. And this is Mike Maraziti, the owner.”
Bonnie said, “It is a pleasure to meet you. It is so hard to believe that there was a pool table in the dining room at one time.”
He said, “Thank you.”
Ivan said, “We have a B&B in Stonehaven, Scotland. If you would ever like to change venues, we would be delighted to welcome you.”
“Thank you, I really appreciate that.” He turned to look at Sam. “It’s your turn.”
Amanda said, “I don’t think that I’ve ever heard it, so please tell it.”
“Samuel Jackson Marksman, if you tell them that story you’re gonna be in the dog house.”
Everyone howled with laughter and then urged Sam on. He looked at his wife, “Lee, I love you more today than I did on our first date, so I have no choice other than to tell it.”
He leaned over and kissed his wife, “You have to admit that it’s funny.”
“I was working as a consultant for the Baltimore City Homicide Department. We received a call that a man was in bed with a knife in his back. When Detective Jon Berry arrived at the scene, he found one Leona Parker covered with blood. The young lady in question told the Detective that she didn’t know where she was or who the dead man was. Berry had her taken to the hospital to make sure that she hadn’t been raped. They also took a blood sample to learn that someone had slipped her a roofie.