Later that same evening, Maddy parked her Audi almost two blocks away from her destination. She had been to the Lakeview Tavern three or four times, always with Carvelli and always work related. Each time there had been parking available almost in front of the place. Tonight the cars were lined up on both sides of the street for two blocks in each direction.
Maddy entered the usually quiet, neighborhood bar and was stopped in her tracks by the size of the crowd. One of the customers, mostly men with a smattering of a few women, turned to her when she came in. Maddy recognized the man as an MPD burglary detective she slightly knew.
“Hi, Maddy,” the man said.
Like a light bulb coming on, just before she spoke to respond to him, his name popped into her head. “Hi, John. Have you seen Tony Carvelli?” She almost shouted to be heard above the din of the crowd.
“Yeah,” the detective said leaning close to her ear. “He’s up at the bar.”
“Thanks,” she said back. It took her a couple of minutes but she managed to squeeze her way through the crowd. While she did this she saw the large banner on the wall to her left. “Welcome Home Jake” was what it read.
Carvelli saw her approaching and waved her forward. When she got to him he said, “Hey, kid. Glad you made it.” Tony turned to the guest of honor standing next to him. He pulled on the man’s arm to turn him toward himself and Maddy.
“Jake,” Tony said, “this is Maddy Rivers…”
“I remember you,” Jake Washcke said as he extended his hand to her. “You were the P.I. that worked for that defense lawyer, Kadella. How are you?” he pleasantly said with a friendly smile.
“Oops,” Maddy replied taking his hand. “I was hoping you’d forgotten.”
Washcke laughed and said, “You’re not easy to forget. How’s the lawyer, is he coming?”
Maddy looked at Tony who said, “I don’t think I invited him. I’m not sure how well a defense lawyer would do in a bar filled with cops.”
“You look good,” Maddy said to the former MPD lieutenant.
“Prison agreed with me,” Washcke laughed. “I quit smoking, lost weight and exercised a lot.”
“Well, welcome home,” Maddy said a bit uncomfortably. She leaned into Carvelli and whispered in his ear, “I need to talk to you, outside.”
The two friends made their way back through the crowd and onto the sidewalk. Maddy lead Tony a half block away, stopped and said, “I heard the cops found barbed wire, gloves and a wire cutter in Traynor’s apartment.”
“Yeah,” Tony said, “between his mattress and box spring.”
“That’s what I heard,” Maddy said. “Tony, I checked between the mattress and box spring when I was in there yesterday. There was nothing there.”
The two of them looked at each other for a few seconds then Carvelli said, “You’re sure?”
Maddy said nothing but gave him a look with a raised eyebrow, “What do you think?”
“Sorry, dumb question,” Tony answered her. “What the hell…”
THIRTY-SIX
Gabriella Shriqui knocked on the office door of her boss, Hunter Oswood, the News Director at Channel 8. Without waiting for a response, Gabriella opened the door and entered. Waiting for her were the station’s General Manager Madison Eyler, Oswood, Melinda Pace and Melinda’s personal producer, Cordelia Davis. Gabriella greeted everyone and sat down on Cordelia’s right in front of Oswood’s desk.
“Thanks for coming, Gabriella,” Madison Eyler said, starting the conversation.
Madison Eyler was leaning against the window sill to Gabriella’s left. Oswood was seated behind his desk and Melinda, whom Gabriella despised and with good reason, was seated to Cordelia’s left.
Gabriella knew what this meeting was about. Melinda Pace, after a suspension lasting several months, was going back on the air. Her show, The Court Reporter had been a huge success and money-maker for the station. It was also used as a half-hour lead-in to the five o’clock news. As its name implied, the show was about court activity both locally and nationally. Especially interesting to the audience were notorious criminal cases. With the arrest of Howie Traynor the day before, Gabriella knew Melinda was circling like a vulture to cover the Crown of Thornes case. Knowing what was coming, Gabriella was determined to handle herself in a calm, objective, professional manner.
“How do you feel about working with Melinda on the Crown of Thornes case?” Oswood asked Gabriella.
“That depends on her,” Gabriella calmly replied. “I won’t be a party to another fiasco like the Riley case. So ask her, can she conduct herself like a professional?”
“I resent….” Melinda started to sputter.
“What? You resent what, Melinda?” Gabriella interrupted her leaning forward and turning her head to look at Melinda.
“She has a good point, Melinda,” Madison Eyler said. “Let’s not rehash the past. Do you understand Gabriella’s concerns?”
A thoroughly chastened Melinda meekly replied, “Yes, I understand.”
“We need to get on top of this,” Oswood said to both women. “This is a huge story. This station’s credibility took an enormous hit…”
“We got our asses kicked,” Eyler interjected.
“…and I want it restored.” This last point was made while Oswood stared directly at Melinda Pace.
“I have a question,” Gabriella said.
“Go ahead,” Oswood told her.
“You put me in charge of the coverage of this case. I make all of the decisions subject only to your approval. Is that still the deal?” Gabriella asked.
“Yes,” Eyler said. “That’s still the deal.”
“Then she works for me,” Gabriella said referring to Melinda.
“Yes, that’s correct,” Oswood agreed.
Gabriella leaned forward again to look around Cordelia Davis who had remained uncomfortably silent. Gabriella looked at Melinda and said, “You work for me, I don’t work for you. What I say goes. You don’t put anything on the air that I disapprove of.”
“Mine is an opinion show,” Melinda tried to argue. “Sometimes the audience likes strong opinions.”
“The main thing I want to get through your head,” Gabriella started to say, her anger becoming apparent, “is the concept of innocent until proven guilty. Are you clear about that? For Christ’s sake, Melinda, you went to law school. Didn’t anyone mention that to you in the three years you were there?”
“I got it,” Melinda softly replied. “I know I went too far with Brittany Riley and I feel terrible about it. It won’t happen again.”
“Hand it to her,” Eyler told Oswood.
“I’ve taken the liberty of writing an apology you will make at the start of your show today,” Oswood told Melinda. He reached across his desk and handed a single sheet copy of a paper to Gabriella, Cordelia and Melinda.
Melinda took hers and without even glancing at it said, “I’ll look it over and tell you what I think.”
“You will read it verbatim or I will fire your ass here and now,” Eyler sternly said. “It’s already on the teleprompter. Make sure you get it right.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Melinda replied while Gabriella and Cordelia read over the apology.
When Gabriella finished reading the apology, Oswood asked, “Anything you want to add?”
“No,” Gabriella said. “This should be fine.”
“Okay,” Oswood continued. “We’re all on the same page?” he asked looking at Melinda.
“Can I say something?” Melinda politely asked.
“Sure.”
“I know I can be a total pain-in-the-ass prima donna, but I really did learn my lesson. I have to live with what happened to the Riley family and well, I just want to say I’ll do my best. I am grateful for another chance and I won’t let you down.”
Gabriella stayed behind when Melinda and Cordelia left. “Is she really off the booze?”
Oswood shrugged and answered her by saying, “Cordelia says she is
but we’ll see.”
“I think she is,” Eyler said. “She looks a lot better and seems better.”
“Do you believe her?” Gabriella asked.
“I don’t know,” Oswood sighed. “I think so but keep an eye on her.”
“Traynor is being arraigned at one o’clock. I’ll be there. No TV though,” Gabriella said.
“We’ve joined in with the other TV stations to bring a motion to have the case televised,” Eyler told her.
“The judge has discretion and Traynor’s lawyer is the same guy who represented Brittany Riley. I doubt he’ll want this on TV,” Gabriella replied. “I’ll see if I can get an interview with him today.”
Marc waited with growing unease and impatience for the deputies to bring Howie Traynor to the courtroom. He was seated at one of the tables inside the bar anxious to get Howie’s arraignment over with. At the other table was Steve Gondeck, the head felony litigator with the county attorney’s office and a man Marc knew well.
The two of them had been in here since noon and had just come from the judge’s chambers. While Judge Annette Koch ate lunch at her desk, she heard a motion concerning TV coverage of the arraignment. There were seven lawyers present all representing various local or national TV news outlets plus Marc and Gondeck.
The judge patiently heard each lawyer take his or her turn making the same basic argument. When they finished, Judge Koch looked at Marc and Gondeck sitting together on the judge’s couch.
“What do you think, Mr. Gondeck?”
“We do not oppose the motion, your Honor,” Gondeck replied while the court reporter continued to make a record of the hearing.
“Mr. Kadella,” the judge said turning her attention to Marc.
“Absolutely not. The defense is totally opposed, Judge. This is going to be a media circus as it is and I have enough experience to know that the courtroom cameras only make it worse.”
“There are important first amendment issues…” one of the older TV lawyers started to say.
“Yeah, I heard you the first ten times,” Judge Koch replied holding up a hand to stop him. “I remember reading something about the defendant’s right to a fair trial, too. I’ll go with that one. You are all free to file an appeal but until then, no cameras.”
While Marc waited in the courtroom twirling a pen through his fingers, Gondeck rolled over to him while seated in his chair.
“Hey,” he whispered when he got next to Marc not wanting the crowded gallery to overhear him.
“Yeah?”
“I just thought of something. Is Maddy Rivers going to be around for this trial?”
Marc stared at him for several seconds before saying, “Do I have to call your wife and tell her what’s going on in that tiny little head of yours?”
“Hey,” Gondeck said leaning back in the chair and held his hands up in mock protest. “I was just wondering.”
“Uh huh,” Marc replied. “Now, get back over on your side and behave yourself.”
“Mr. Kadella,” Marc heard a voice say. It was Judge Koch’s clerk, Andy Combs. “Your client’s here.”
The gallery was almost full including a gaggle of media. Marc got up from his seat to go meet privately with Howie. When he did this he glanced at the crowd and made eye contact with Gabriella Shriqui who wiggled her fingers at him. The two of them had become friends during a previous case and knew each other well. Gabriella was one of the few journalists Marc liked and respected. Of course the fact that Gabriella was stop traffic gorgeous didn’t hurt the relationship.
Marc found Howie already seated at a table in a small conference room adjoining the courtroom. Howie was dressed in clothes Marc had provided for him; tan khakis and a blue buttoned down shirt. Judge Koch had already ordered that the shackles be removed from him and a deputy had done this.
“How you doing?” Marc asked while taking a seat.
“Okay, I guess,” Howie shrugged. “It’s not like I haven’t done this before,” he added with a weak smile.
“The place is full of spectators, including a lot of people from the press. When we go out there, I want you to show no expression at all. Don’t laugh, don’t smile, don’t look sad, nothing. Act as if everything is going exactly the way we figured it would.”
“Okay, yeah I get it,” Howie said.
“They’ll call your case, we’ll go stand before the judge. She’ll tell you you’re charged with second-degree murder and ask you to plea. Plead not guilty.”
“I am not guilty,” Howie said.
“Then there will be a discussion about bail. The judge will deny bail and that will be that. I’ll tell her we won’t waive your right to a speedy trial. I want to get that clock ticking today.”
“Will there be more charges?”
“Yeah, I talked to the prosecutor and he admitted they’re taking this to a grand jury. He wouldn’t tell me any more than that except it will happen soon. Probably by the end of the week.”
“You know him, the prosecutor?”
“Yeah, I’ve known him for a while. He’s a decent guy but don’t let his looks or demeanor fool you. He’s a damn good lawyer and he’ll do whatever he has to do to put you away for life. He’s tough as nails but honest.
“Now,” Marc continued removing a two page document from his briefcase. “I need you to sign this. It’s a lien against your suit with the city and county. I talked to your lawyer and she thinks she’ll settle it for a good piece of money up front and payments over time. She’s agreed to front you twenty-five grand for me. I’ll put it in a trust account and use it for fees and expenses and hopefully she’ll get the case settled. One last time, you sure you want me? There are a lot of good lawyers who would love to have your case.”
“No, no. I want you,” Howie said as he signed the document. “I know you’ve had some big cases and can handle this. God won’t let me go back to prison for something I didn’t do. Is Father John here?”
“Yes, he is. He’s in the front row right behind where we’ll be sitting.”
There was a soft knock on the door, it opened and a courtroom deputy sheriff stuck her head in and told them the judge was coming out.
“Let’s go,” Marc said to Howie.
Marc entered his office through the hallway exit door and found everyone crowding around the TV set. He knew what they were watching. Melinda Pace was on the screen finishing her mandated apology and looking sincerely contrite and fully chastened.
“Did you know she was back?” Carolyn asked him.
It was a highly publicized trial that Marc had done that had led to the TV personality’s suspension. Her behavior, fueled by a quest for ratings and her drinking problem, had driven Melinda Pace far over the line of ethical conduct. She was now back on the air just in time for the upcoming media circus about to swirl around Howie Traynor.
“Yeah, I heard,” Marc answered Carolyn. “I saw Gabriella in court.”
“How did it go?” Barry Cline asked him.
“About as expected,” Marc answered.
“Oh, look at this!” Sandy said when Marc appeared on the screen. He had done a brief on-camera interview with Gabriella after the arraignment and it was being aired by Melinda.
“You just can’t say no to her, can you?” Chris Grafton asked giving Marc a mild shot.
“Yeah, like you could,” Marc replied.
The room went quiet until Marc and Gabriella were no longer on screen. When the camera went back to Melinda, Marc said, “You know, I get better looking every day.”
The laughter died down and Marc followed Connie Mickelson, Chris and Barry into the conference room. The lawyers took chairs at the table and looked at Connie.
“What do you think?” she asked Marc.
“I don’t know what to think,” Marc replied. “He insists he’s innocent. I haven’t been given a lot of the discovery yet so I don’t know what’s going on here yet.”
Marc and Barry both handled criminal defense work. Connie did person
al injury and family law. Chris was developing a nice list of small business corporate clients. Both Marc and Barry had handled notorious, highly publicized trials in the past. The publicity generated could be both a boon and a detriment to their business.
The four of them tossed it around for another fifteen minutes. At the end of it they all agreed, once again, to help Marc in any way they could. Marc admitted money could be a problem and Connie assured him he could count on her for help if and when he needed it.
THIRTY-SEVEN
Marc exited the semi-crowded elevator in the Hennepin County Government Center and found his Uncle Larry pacing in front of the elevator doors nervously waiting for him. They shook hands and walked together to the appropriate courtroom for Larry’s trial. It was only a few minutes past 8:00 A.M. but the judge’s clerk was in the courtroom waiting for him. Marc checked in with her then took a seat at the defense table next to his uncle. At 8:30 Earl Bicknell, the Minneapolis Assistant City Attorney, arrived. The clerk immediately hustled the two lawyers back to see Judge Gilbert.
“Does your client really insist on going through with this?” Gilbert asked Marc even before the two lawyers could be seated.
“Yes, your Honor, he does,” Marc respectfully answered. “He wants to exercise his constitutional right to have his day in court. Don’t laugh Earl,” Marc quickly added to a grinning Bicknell.
“He’s right, counselor,” the judge admonished the city attorney. “How about this,” she continued turning back to Marc. “How about he pleads no contest, I put him on probation for six months and it goes off his record then. And he pays two hundred and we’ll call it court costs?”
Marc sighed and said, “I’ll ask him.”
Marc left to check with his uncle. Two minutes later he was back in the judge’s chambers.
“No deal,” Marc told the judge and prosecutor.
“Okay. We’ll take an hour for jury selection, no more than that. Then twenty minutes each for opening statements. You can put your first witness on and we’ll get going. I want this done by one o’clock. No break for lunch. Any questions? Good. I’ll be on the bench at nine. Be ready to go.”
Marc Kadella Legal Mysteries Vol 1-6 (Marc Kadella Series) Page 161