They were still laughing when the doorbell rang. Toni had completely forgotten about her evening on the town. Suddenly she began to panic. What if Jake said something wrong. What if her
“date” was dressed completely in leather? What if Bob decided to be a real flamer and swoosh into the room? Oh, God! How was she going to explain this to Boggs? Shit. The doorbell rang a second time. Boggs shot her a questioning look as if to say, “Aren’t you going to answer that?” Toni went to the door, took a deep breath and hoped for the best.
“Hi, honey. I’m home,” sang Jake as he glided into the room with his group. Toni breathed a sigh of relief. All three of her guests arrived in “normal” attire. What had she been thinking?
Jake was conservative and closeted at work. Bob always wore jeans and some type of sports shirt. Gee. Panic. What a fun emotion.
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“Hello, dear,” Toni quipped. “Beaver and Wally are upstairs.
How was your day?” Everybody chuckled.
Jake, charming as ever, began the introductions. “I’d like you to meet Linda Matthews. She’s new to our firm and new to our fair city. Linda, this is Toni, my darling housewife.” Linda and Toni laughed and shook hands. Toni did a quick appraisal. Good handshake, weak on eye contact. Attractive. A little taller than her, long brown hair, brown eyes, nice smile.
Seemed to have a sense of humor.
Jake interrupted Toni’s thought. He was gesturing toward Boggs. “Linda, this is an unknown person to me,” he said matter-of-factly. “She appears to be in her thirties and is quite attractive. I would also venture to say she is a very nice person—due to the fact that Mr. Rupert is rubbing against her leg. By the way, Mr. Rupert is that thin and trim handsome beast. He owns the building.”
“My God, he’s huge,” Linda blurted out.
Toni regained her role as hostess. “Everyone, this unknown person is Boggs,” she said with a smile. “She works with me down at Metro. Boggs, you’ve been introduced to Linda, and this is Bob Clayton, our very own resident accountant. Don’t talk about rounding off numbers or estimating costs in front of him. He breaks out in hives. This other person, well, I’ve never seen him before in my life.”
As greetings were exchanged, Jake approached Boggs with a huge grin, his hand outstretched. “My name is Jake Hamilton.
Very pleased to meet you.”
“The same,” Boggs replied. “I’ve never met a fifties sitcom father before.” Jake smiled even more broadly and after a moment or two of general chitchat, she moved toward the door. “It was very nice to meet you all,” she said. Her eyes met Toni’s. “Sorry to drop in on you like that, but—”
“Oh, I appreciate your bringing me those motions. You saved me from a major headache on Monday. Thank you.” Toni smiled.
There was a slight pause. It lasted only a few seconds, but it was electric. Toni wanted Boggs to stay but knew it wouldn’t work.
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Neither of them had said a word. Boggs said good-bye and left.
Bob and Jake were chatting. Toni was closing the door. They all seemed unaware of what just happened.
Bob was the first to ask. “So . . . what’s the scoop on her?”
“Boggs?” Toni said. “She’s one of the investigators at work.
Very nice and apparently damn good at her job. She is also straight as a board. So, are we ready for dinner or would you all like a glass of wine before we go?”
“Food!” was the chorus Toni received in response. The four of them then headed out.
When Toni arrived home later that night, or actually early Saturday morning, she replayed her night on the town. She had actually enjoyed herself. During dinner she and Linda agreed that they could become good friends, nothing more. Toni was unaware Linda had made that assumption earlier. With the pressure of a
“date” gone, they had fun.
After dinner the four of them headed for the new club in town.
It had been open over a month, so the initial huge crowds had waned a bit. The place was called Gertrude’s Garage. No one knew why. The outside was nondescript, as most gay bars were, but the inside was colorful, both in its decor and clientele, from queens to old feminists. Gertrude’s seemed to attract all facets of the gay community. The music was loud and the dance floor was huge.
Toni normally didn’t care for loud bars, but she had a great time.
Everyone was in a wonderful mood.
It had been a long time since she’d gone to a bar and she and Linda danced quite a bit. They also played several games of pool—
Toni was horrible, but Linda could have gone pro—and even two games of darts. By the end of the evening, the whole group was exhausted.
Jake had dropped off Toni first. Linda walked her to the door and they agreed to go out again soon, as friends, of course. A quick hug at the front door and Toni was again at home with Mr. Rupert.
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She curled up on the couch with him and turned on the TV.
She flipped through a few channels and stopped on an old Alfred Hitchcock movie, Vertigo. It had been a long week and a long day.
An idea began to form in Toni’s mind, but within minutes both she and Mr. Rupert were sound asleep.
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CHAPTER 8
It was still early on Monday morning and there was a nip in the air. The man walked briskly down the sidewalk, trying hard to contain his happiness. Everything was going exactly as he had planned.
He took a deep breath of the cool crisp air and picked up his pace.
As he rounded the corner he spotted a small coffee shop and decided to treat himself. Minutes later he was sitting on a bench in a park in the middle of downtown and sipping a cup of coffee.
Several people hurried past on their way to work. No one even glanced his way. Perfect. His master plan was working.
Toni had been working at her desk for over an hour when all hell broke loose. She was summoned to her boss’s office. By the time she picked up a legal pad and walked down the hall, Anne Mulhoney’s outer office was filled with police officers, attorneys and God only knew who else. Toni made her way to the secretary’s 55
desk. Dorothy Whitmore was guarding her boss’s door like a mother lion. She had been “Secretary to the Prosecuting Attorney,” whoever that might be, for as long as anyone could remember. She was close to retirement but sharp as a tack. She remembered all faces and names. Nothing got past Dorothy, not people without appointments or subtle cues from a judge.
“What’s going on, Dorothy?” Toni asked. She knew it had to be something big, but she had no idea why she had been called. She was the newest attorney in the office and there were several more senior attorneys being held at bay by Dorothy.
“It’s a biggie,” Dorothy replied as she ushered Toni to Anne’s door. “Mix-up over at the jail. Looks like your boy Crown is gone.”
Before Toni could respond she was inside Anne’s office.
“Okay, everyone,” Anne said as she saw Toni come in. “Let’s settle down and get to business.” The prosecuting attorney did not have a loud voice, but it was full of authority and confidence. She had always been able to capture the full attention of a jury and now the group gathered before her stopped talking and fumbled for chairs.
Toni felt a little out of the loop with this cast of characters.
Sheriff Ramos, who was in charge of the jail, was visibly uncomfortable, but not nearly as fidgety as the two deputies standing behind his chair. Both appeared very young and scared to death.
The taller one was rocking back and forth in his squeaky new black shoes. Toni thought the other one was close to losing his breakfast.
Sitting to the left of the sheriff was Paul Capelli, chief trial attorney and first assistant prosecutor, busy writing notes to himself on his ever-present legal pad. He had been with the office almost twenty years and seemed to take most things in stride. He was a superb trial attorney and loved law but apparently hated the politics. Toni knew Pau
l would have no official position at this meeting and that he was there for moral support. Detective Frank Parker was sitting near the window. As always, he looked smug, confident and handsome. The only vacant chair in the room was next to Frank. Toni elected to remain standing.
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“Thank you all for coming on such short notice,” Anne began.
“As you know, we’ve had an unfortunate mix-up this morning.
Dexter Crown was mistakenly released from jail about an hour ago. In a nutshell, here’s what we think happened. He apparently requested medical attention early this morning. He was then taken to the main holding cell to await transportation to the med facility.
This holding cell is the same one used to house all of our overnighters, folks waiting to be released on bond, the usual drunks, et cetera. Anyway, when the deputy called the list of names of those folks being released, Mr. Crown came forward. He was let go with the others. By the time the mistake was noticed, Mr.
Crown was long gone.” She paused. “Sheriff Ramos, would you like to add anything?”
Sheriff Ramos shifted slightly in his chair and cleared his throat. “Thank you, Ms. Mulhoney. Um, yes, the perpetrator was released. He, um . . . Mr. Crown answered when the name John Collins was called. No one else came forward, so the deputies processed him out. Mr. Collins was being held for public intoxica-tion, no bond or anything. Deputy Williams then noticed a man sleeping in the cell after the others were released. He assumed that was Mr. Crown and tried to wake him. When the man wouldn’t come to, he called for assistance. The desk sergeant is the one who recognized that the man was Mr. Collins, not Crown.” The sheriff glanced at Anne and then lowered his eyes. Toni almost felt sorry for him. She could tell that he felt personally responsible.
Anne shook her head slightly and took a deep breath. “Sheriff, is there any indication of foul play regarding Mr. Collins?”
“No, ma’am, not that we know of,” he replied. “He just was still passed out from the night before. He’s been in a few times. He was really drunk, I mean, intoxicated this time. He was taken to the med center for observation.”
“Okay,” Anne said. “But to be on the safe side, have them run a tox screen.” She turned her attention to the rest of the group. “I’m holding a press conference in about an hour with Chief Jackson. It will be brief. From our standpoint, we’re continuing to put together our case for prosecution. I’m sure Chief Jackson will talk 57
about apprehending Mr. Crown.” She looked around the room. “If any reporters ask any of you questions, your response will be ‘no comment,’ okay?”
Everyone nodded.
“That’s all for now.”
As everyone got up and headed toward the door, Anne gestured for Toni to stay. Toni remained standing by the door, exchanging brief hellos with the departing group. Frank winked at her as he went by. Paul Capelli was still writing on his pad but he stopped long enough to look at her and smile. As the last person left, Anne asked her to shut the door.
“Toni,” Anne began, “sit down for a minute. As you probably know, I gave you this case because, well, basically it was going to be a plea. It’s not that I think you’re incapable, it’s just that you haven’t tried a case like this before.”
Toni smiled and nodded. She had a feeling she was about to be pulled from Dexter Crown’s case.
“Anyway,” Anne continued, “we plan to proceed as before. I’m hopeful that Mr. Crown will be rearrested sometime today.
Because it seems to be the jail’s mistake, I don’t see the need for any additional charges being filed at this time. I’m going to leave you on this case for now, but be prepared to having the press hound you. You’re the prosecuting attorney of record. I just thought you should have a heads-up. Talk to Paul. He’s had lots of experience in high-profile cases and knows how to handle the press.”
“Thank you, Ms. Mulhoney,” Toni replied. She noticed that Anne was looking through papers on her desk and took that as a sort of dismissal.
When Toni reached Anne’s outer office, Paul was waiting for her and motioned for her to follow. They went into his office. She had met Paul while she was still in law school. He was a friend of her criminal law professor and had spoken to her class on several occasions. She’d made a point of talking with him after class and had grown fond of him. His enthusiasm for his work impressed 58
her, as had a speech he’d given at a seminar during her last year of school, discussing the prosecutor’s office. After that seminar she had talked to Paul about pursuing a career at his office.
Toni sat down and glanced around his office, which was neat and organized. Hanging on the wall were several framed photographs that each featured Paul and some important person. His degrees hung behind his desk alongside several awards. On his desk was a picture of a woman who Toni guessed to be his wife.
Paul began talking but never looked up from the legal pad on which he was writing. “I assume Anne told you what to do,” he said.
“She told me not to talk to the press,” Toni responded. She assumed that was what he meant.
“Are you having any problems?” he asked.
Again she wasn’t sure what he was referring to but answered in the negative.
“Anne may be a little busy, so go ahead and give your sheets to me this week.” He was still scribbling on his pad. Finally, he looked up. He blinked several times then smiled. “Anything else?” Toni sat motionless for a moment. He still looked stressed but a little of the Paul she remembered from law school shone through. She shook her head and stood up. Paul started writing on his pad again and Toni left. She knew he was one of the best trial attorneys in town. Maybe that’s because he didn’t waste any time on small talk. Even so, there was something strange about him today. He didn’t seem like himself.
As she made her way back to her office, she noticed the halls were almost deserted. Now that the initial excitement had passed, everyone had gone back to the daily routine. There was nothing she could do about the current situation either, so she decided that she too would return to her desk.
In the short time Toni had been working at Metro, she had become comfortable in her daily routine. Although she realized she had much to learn, she was definitely getting the hang of the basics. She glanced down at her daily calendar—1:30 Billings plea 59
before Judge Keith, 3:00 Jackson plea before Judge Stafford. She had two arraignments tomorrow and the rest of the week was clear, so far. She was working on one of the arraignment files when Sam knocked.
“Good morning, Toni,” he said. “How’s life in the public eye?” He chuckled.
Puzzled, she frowned at him as he plopped down in the vacant chair.
“You know . . . Crown is missing?”
“Oh,` yeah.” She sighed. “But he’s the one in the spotlight, not me.”
“You will be.” He smiled. “The camera crews are already set up outside. If you plan to go anywhere for lunch, I’d suggest going out the side door. Reporters can be such a pain in the ass.” She laughed. “Thanks for the tip. So, what do you think about this mess? Do you think it’ll take long before they pick up Crown?”
He leaned back in the chair and took a drink from his can of Diet Coke. “Well, if Frank is on the job, it shouldn’t take long.
He’s the best damn detective I’ve ever seen.” Toni raised her eyebrows only slightly at that last comment, but Sam saw it.
“I know he’s an arrogant son of a bitch, and he treats most women like sex objects, but if you can look past that, he’s good. He plays by the rules and his reports are clear and concise. He’s the best cop we can put on the stand. Even though there’s folks who can’t stand him socially, no one questions his professionalism.” Toni nodded and smiled. “I’ve heard about his record, Sam, and I know he’s one of the good guys, but sometimes . . . ugh! I know I’ve only been here a few weeks, but he can sure grate on my nerves.”
“I know,” Sam said. “He comes on pretty strong at first, bu
t he’ll mellow out after a while. Once he knows you better he won’t try so hard. But anyway”—he shrugged—“on to a more important subject. Betty and I need to take a headcount for this Saturday. Her 60
brother is running this wild haunted house and invited all of us for a special tour. It’s going to be great. So, should I put you down for one or two?”
“One,” Toni said. “Just me, unless I can convince my cat to dress up.”
Sam headed to the door and was jotting something down in his notebook when he turned toward her. “Oh, how are things working out between you and Boggs? Is she giving you everything you need?”
Hell of a loaded question, Toni thought. I wish. Instead she just said, “Great, Sam. She’s on top of everything. Thanks.” Toni watched Sam amble down the hall and smiled. He was a very nice guy and maybe he was right about Frank. In the future she decided she’d try to look past Frank’s obnoxious exterior. After all, there was no question about his professional abilities and she could care less what he did in his personal life. It takes all kinds, she thought. There. A personal realization on a Monday. She laughed out loud. And she needed to come up with a costume in less than a week.
By the time she was ready to leave work that day, the media had tripled their ranks outside the building. They had been given a barrage of “no comments” all afternoon. The morning press conference had been short and sweet, and there had been no further developments. Dexter Crown had not been seen. Toni wondered if the media would be in the parking garage too.
Just then Boggs arrived at her office door. “Are you parked out front or in the garage?”
Toni was momentarily taken aback. What timing. “I’m in the garage,” she said. “Are they there?”
“Not on the east exit.”
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