Read Online Lion Plays Rough by Lachlan Smith - Free Book Online Page B

behind him.
    I stood and shook his hand. This time he wasn’t shackled. “I wanted to apologize,” I said.
    He stared with an intent urgency into my face, his eyes bright. He seemed smaller today than he had yesterday. “No point apologizing,” he said in his high voice. “What’s done is done.”
    â€œI came to see if there was anything I could do to help. You must have heard by now what was on the news.”
    â€œI heard. Nikki dumped me.” He wore his vulnerability all on the surface; in a place like this such naked weakness could only lead to subjection. A man like Jamil would be on the lookout for a protector, a leader, a father or brother figure. He could easily have committed the murder he was charged with. Inside or out, whatever his daddy of the moment said to do, he would obey in a snap.
    â€œA woman came to my office a few days ago pretending to be your sister and hired me to be your lawyer. Then someone pretending to be you called me on the phone and gave me the information about the meeting with Damon and Campbell.”
    â€œLike I told you yesterday, I don’t got no sister.”
    â€œYou talked to Nikki recently?”
    â€œI thought I would get with her yesterday, but they just drove me to the courthouse, brought me up to see you, then took me back. And then last night I hear about this shit.”
    â€œYou probably heard that a statement went out in my name, claiming to be your attorney. I didn’t make that statement. For me to be your attorney I’d need a piece of paper with your signature on it saying you wanted me to represent you. You haven’t given me anything like that. We never talked before yesterday. So I can’t very well be your lawyer, can I? You need to understand that.”
    He wouldn’t meet my eyes, and he slumped so low that he seemed to melt into the table. “Doesn’t matter what you did or didn’t do. The whole world gonna think I was behind those pictures, that I hired you to stick your nose in something that ain’t my business, that sure as hell ain’t yours. The whole world, man. Me and you, we like one dead man talking to another. There ain’t no point.”
    â€œSomeone’s been messing with both of us. I didn’t issue that statement. What are you talking about? Who’s going to want us dead?”
    He didn’t answer the question. Maybe he thought it was obvious. I guess it was. Instead he said, “How come they said that statement was from you, if it wasn’t? How come they said you was my lawyer?”
    I measured out a precise square on the table with my hands. “You might want to ask Nikki about that.”
    He sat up. “Nikki!”
    I looked at him. “Think about it. She represents Damon, doesn’t she? And Damon’s your boss? And he’s the one your lawyer has to point the finger at now that everyone has seen those pictures?”
    â€œSo what if she represents Damon? She represents everyone who works for him. How else you think she came to be my lawyer? You think I got money to pay her?”
    â€œThe way things stand, it’s him or you. And which one do you think she’s gonna choose?”
    â€œYou’re telling me Nikki set me up. Fine. And I’m telling you I’m a dead man.” Again he seemed to melt.
    â€œI can’t prove it. But that press release makes you look like someone who tried to save his own skin by hiring your own lawyer and getting him to spy on your boss. Life would be a whole lot easier for Nikki if I’d been your lawyer all along.Then Damon doesn’t have to wonder where she’s at.”
    â€œNikki dumped me. And she ain’t even going to come tell me to my face.”
    â€œYou were supposed to plead guilty anyway. Isn’t that what she’s been telling you? So what do you even need a lawyer for, if all you had to do was roll over?”
    â€œI been in prison