Read Online Mistaken Identity by Lisa Scottoline - Free Book Online

at the bank of gray metal carrels in the center of the room. The girl was always trying to get her conviction reversed, complaining in letters to Congress, the President, and for some reason, Katie Couric. Valencia’s argument was that mandatory sentencing for coke possession was unfair, mainly because she’d been convicted for it.
    Alice laughed to herself. Valencia had known what she was getting into when she took the job. She carried the powder for money and used it to buy Santo the frilliest baby clothes ever made for a boy. Plus a stroller with a plastic cover like an oxygen tent. Not real useful, in Alice’s view, but neither was Valencia, any longer. Alice crossed the room, lined with secondhand case reporters and maroon statute books, and slid into the neighboring carrel. “Hey,” she said, and when Valencia looked up from the law book, her cherry-red mouth broke into a sticky smile.
    “I talk to
mi madre
!” she blurted out, then looked around and lowered her voice. Two other inmates looked up briefly. “Shhhh!” Valencia giggled, holding a matching cherry fingernail to her lips. “Sh! Ees a library.”
    “Shhh! Ees a library.” Connolly mimicked her voice almost exactly, and Valencia laughed.
    “My mother, she say she got de extra money dees morning! For de tubes! Thank you, thank you!”
    “How is Santo doing?”
    “She say he has the ’fection, but he so much better. She say he take the medicine every day, ees pink medicine, like bubble gum. He no fight!”
    “I told you he’d be okay. Now, you keep the money, tell your mother not to spend it. If he needs the tubes, he’ll have the tubes. You don’t have to worry.” Alice peered at the open law book. “How’s your appeal?”
    “Look what I find!” Valencia said, excited. “Look at dees.” She turned the book eagerly toward Alice. It was the report of a legal case, an onionskin page of fine print in two columns.
    Alice scoffed. “You’re no lawyer. You can’t understand this stuff.”
    “Sure I do.” Valencia nodded, and her scented hair bounced like in the commercials. “De judge say de sentencing unfair. He objec’ to it. He say he no take drug cases anymore. The judge, he
quit
!”
    “Really? A judge quit?”
    “
S
í
.
In New York.”
    “New York? That doesn’t help you in Pennsylvania, dummy.”
    “
Cómo?
”
    “New York law is different from Pennsylvania law, and you’re looking in a federal reporter anyway, which is only about federal law. You don’t know what the fuck you’re doin’.”
    Valencia’s sticky lip puckered with disappointment. “I can write it in my letter. I have
de cite.
”
    “So what? They don’t have to listen to it. It doesn’t mean shit in Philly. God, are you dumb.” Alice reached over and closed Valencia’s book. “I have a better way to help with your appeal.” She leaned closer so the others couldn’t hear and almost choked on the smell of imposter Giorgio. “I have a new lawyer, a great lawyer, and I told her all about you. She has an idea for a new appeal. A new argument. She thinks she can get you out of here.”
    “
D
í
os!
” Valencia blurted out, covering her mouth like a Miss Venezuela contestant. “
D
í
os m
í
o!
”
    “I know. Isn’t it great? Just don’t get too excited yet. I’m meeting with her about you. I gave her your court papers, the ones you gave me from before, and she promised she’d read them and get back to me. Then she wants to meet with you and tell you all about your new appeal.” Alice held up a finger. “You have to keep this quiet. If anybody finds out what I’m doing for you, they’ll want me to do it for them. The lawyer will drop your case in a minute.”
    “I no say nothin’.” Valencia glanced quickly around. “You see.”
    “Not even to your mother or Miguel. Nobody.”
    “Nobody,
sí
.”
    “You’re good at keeping secrets, I know. You’ve proved that to me.” Alice patted her hand, because that usually got a big