Read Online Fire in a Haystack: A Thrilling Novel (Legal Mystery Book Book 1) by Erez Aharoni - Free Book Online
Authors: Erez Aharoni
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with a friend in my car. In a gas station. An undercover cop stopped us for a routine inspection. I invited the cop to join us for a drink. ‘I’ll show you a good time at my expense,’ I told him. He decided to build his career on my back, arrested us and searched us. He found a tool box in the trunk of the car. Because I already did time for robbery, he decided I was on my way to a break-in. So now I’m charged with bribery and robbery. But I’m completely out of it, I have my remand tomorrow.”
“What’s a remand?” asked Ofer.
“Are you sure you’re a lawyer?” asked Morris.
He didn’t have the chance to explain the difference between an intern and a lawyer before Morris continued. “A remand is a hearing about whether or not a prisoner should remain in custody until the end of all proceedings. Which means until there’s a trial. Got it?”
“Got it. And what are you going to say?”
“I don’t know yet,” said Morris. “I fired my lawyer because he wanted to squeeze ten grand out of me. Just for the remand. I hope his ass will roast in hell. Tell me, how much does your firm charge for something like that?” Morris decided to do a little market survey.
“We don’t really take such cases, we deal mostly with commercial cases,” answered Ofer. And without Morris asking him to, he continued and suggested, “But listen, you need to claim there is no ‘presumption of dangerousness’ in your case.”
Morris toughened his face. It was dangerous to tell people like Morris they weren’t presumed to be dangerous.
“It means that there’s no danger you will commit the same offense again, get it? What are the chances a cop will agree to be bribed?” he hurried to explain.
Morris squinted his eyebrows again; this time there was a plea for further explanations on his face.
“The moment the judge is convinced there’s no danger you will repeat the offense, which is absolutely the situation in your case, he can rule, because of reasonable doubt, that you don’t need to remain in custody until the end of the proceedings. I just studied this ruling. The State of Israel vs. Zagoury. All you need to do tomorrow is tell the judge that because there is no presumption of dangerousness, based on the recent Zagoury legal precedent, it’s possible for you to tell him so and you should be released.”
Morris gave him a suspicious look. “Are you sure?” he asked.
“Yes, I’m sure. I’ll bet my head on this one.”
“Keep your head on your shoulders, Mr. Lawyer,” said Morris. “If you’re right, I think you’ll be able to make some good use of it in the future.” After giving it a bit more thought he added, “But if you’re wrong, you may find it rolling on the floor, got it?”
“What about your friend?” Ofer quickly changed the subject.
“That’s my friend,” said Morris and pointed at Ijou, who had turned into a quiet little house kitten after finishing his meal. “I’m both his babysitter and his father. I’m not his mother as well only because I can’t cook for him like she does. He shouted earlier what he was going to do to the cop who arrested us.”
“Ijou is his real name? That’s not a Georgian name.”
“Ijou is really Bijou, but he switched the B with an I. that’s what he wants to be called, and as you’ve probably noticed, it’s not always a good idea to argue with him.”
Ofer was so tired that a great yawn tore his mouth open.
Morris smiled. “Go to sleep, your eminence. And don’t worry, as long as I’m here no one’s going to lay a finger on you, no matter what intimidating stories they told you during the interrogation. When Morris is with you in the cell, you’ll wake up in the same mint condition you went to sleep in.”
“Are you sure?” Now it was Ofer’s turn to be doubtful as he counted in his head, one by one, the seven detainees in the cell and imagined what each and every one might do to him.
Without waiting for an answer, he
“What’s a remand?” asked Ofer.
“Are you sure you’re a lawyer?” asked Morris.
He didn’t have the chance to explain the difference between an intern and a lawyer before Morris continued. “A remand is a hearing about whether or not a prisoner should remain in custody until the end of all proceedings. Which means until there’s a trial. Got it?”
“Got it. And what are you going to say?”
“I don’t know yet,” said Morris. “I fired my lawyer because he wanted to squeeze ten grand out of me. Just for the remand. I hope his ass will roast in hell. Tell me, how much does your firm charge for something like that?” Morris decided to do a little market survey.
“We don’t really take such cases, we deal mostly with commercial cases,” answered Ofer. And without Morris asking him to, he continued and suggested, “But listen, you need to claim there is no ‘presumption of dangerousness’ in your case.”
Morris toughened his face. It was dangerous to tell people like Morris they weren’t presumed to be dangerous.
“It means that there’s no danger you will commit the same offense again, get it? What are the chances a cop will agree to be bribed?” he hurried to explain.
Morris squinted his eyebrows again; this time there was a plea for further explanations on his face.
“The moment the judge is convinced there’s no danger you will repeat the offense, which is absolutely the situation in your case, he can rule, because of reasonable doubt, that you don’t need to remain in custody until the end of the proceedings. I just studied this ruling. The State of Israel vs. Zagoury. All you need to do tomorrow is tell the judge that because there is no presumption of dangerousness, based on the recent Zagoury legal precedent, it’s possible for you to tell him so and you should be released.”
Morris gave him a suspicious look. “Are you sure?” he asked.
“Yes, I’m sure. I’ll bet my head on this one.”
“Keep your head on your shoulders, Mr. Lawyer,” said Morris. “If you’re right, I think you’ll be able to make some good use of it in the future.” After giving it a bit more thought he added, “But if you’re wrong, you may find it rolling on the floor, got it?”
“What about your friend?” Ofer quickly changed the subject.
“That’s my friend,” said Morris and pointed at Ijou, who had turned into a quiet little house kitten after finishing his meal. “I’m both his babysitter and his father. I’m not his mother as well only because I can’t cook for him like she does. He shouted earlier what he was going to do to the cop who arrested us.”
“Ijou is his real name? That’s not a Georgian name.”
“Ijou is really Bijou, but he switched the B with an I. that’s what he wants to be called, and as you’ve probably noticed, it’s not always a good idea to argue with him.”
Ofer was so tired that a great yawn tore his mouth open.
Morris smiled. “Go to sleep, your eminence. And don’t worry, as long as I’m here no one’s going to lay a finger on you, no matter what intimidating stories they told you during the interrogation. When Morris is with you in the cell, you’ll wake up in the same mint condition you went to sleep in.”
“Are you sure?” Now it was Ofer’s turn to be doubtful as he counted in his head, one by one, the seven detainees in the cell and imagined what each and every one might do to him.
Without waiting for an answer, he
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