Read Online Fox is Framed by Lachlan Smith - Free Book Online

police and told them that Ricky Santorez, one of Teddy’s former clients and an inmate at San Quentin, had confessed to ordering the hit. But it hadn’t been true. Why he’d done this was still a mystery. The uncharitable view was that in the shooting of his oldest son, Lawrence had glimpsed the possibility for personal gain and had sought to exploit it, but even I found that hard to believe.
    â€œYou tried to blackmail Russell Bell. Is that what you’re saying?”
    â€œBlackmail’s an ugly word. I was only asking for a favor.”
    â€œWhat favor would that be?”
    â€œMoney.”
    â€œYou didn’t confess to him, did you?”
    â€œHell, no. He confessed to me , like I just said.”
    â€œI’ll get Car on this.” My brother’s go-to investigator now often worked for me. I called him and gave him Bell’s name. It was Car who mentioned Lucy Rivera, reminding me why Bell’s name had sounded familiar. Twelve years ago Bell had been the perp in an infamous abduction and rape of a fourteen-year-old San Francisco girl. I told Car to find out what he could.
    ~ ~ ~
    â€œYour investigator will just have to catch up with us at the courthouse,” Nina said that Friday morning as she filled a file box with everything she’d need for the hearing. She and I were in her office, while my father, Teddy, and Dot waited in the conference room, all of us dressed for court. “Even if he does find Bell and confirms he’s the snitch, the questions the judge is going to ask are first, how we knew there was one, and next, how we knew it was this guy. And the DA’s going to say, of course, the defendant knows the identity of the person he confessed to. This may have not been the best play.”
    â€œYou told me to find the guy Lawrence might have talked to. I was only doing as asked.” I’d taken her request further than she’d anticipated, maybe, but I’d thought that my zeal would earn me recognition for a job well done.
    She seemed not to realize she’d changed her view about a hundred and eighty degrees since we’d last discussed the subject. “The problem is I don’t think we can accomplish anything today if what your father says is correct. If the DA has an informer, then it’s going to trial, and there’s nothing we can do to stop it.”
    â€œLet’s see what Car comes up with,” I said.
    â€œ If he shows up.”
    â€œLet’s get Bell on the record, then, if he turns out to be the snitch,” I said, pushing the issue even though she no longer seemed to be listening, and even though I knew that what I was urging was foolhardy, pushing the point because I couldn’t stand being dismissed. “They won’t have him prepared today. Surprise will be on our side.”
    â€œIt’s a preliminary hearing this morning, not a trial. We’re not calling witnesses.”
    I tried to get Car on his cell to tell him not to serve Bell with a subpoena, but he didn’t pick up. Probably he hadn’t found him. At eight fifteen we left for court. We arrived at Judge Liu’s courtroom at the same time as Angela Crowder and a very tall, silver-haired, expensively suited SFPD detective. We all had to wait outside the courtroom for the deputy to unlock the door. The detective, whom Crowder introduced as Neil Shanahan, stood aloof, his hands folded, his chin lowered but his eyes on Lawrence. Nina glanced at him only once.
    On the hour, Judge Liu took the bench. His gaze held no amusement as he took in the detective sitting next to Crowder at the prosecutor’s table, the reporters and other spectators half filling the gallery. He knew as well as the rest of us what Shanahan’s presence meant. He’d be here only because Crowder had decided not to dismiss the case, because she intended him to testify and provide evidence that she believed would ultimately support a murder