Read Online Presumption of Innocence: David Brunelle Legal Thriller #1 by Stephen Penner - Free Book Online Page A

prosecution."
    "Can you do that?" Mr. Montgomery questioned.
    "Definitely," Brunelle asserted, although he wasn't really sure how. Then he realized something. "Although not the rape of a child count. That will have to be dismissed without Holly's testimony."
    Mr. Montgomery shrugged. "Well, it hardly matters if he gets a death sentence. The jury will still hear about the sick pervert, right?"
    Brunelle shook his head. "I'm afraid not. Too prejudicial."
    "But it's the truth," Mrs. Montgomery protested.
    "I wish this were about the truth," Yamata said, "but it's about evidence. If we get too close to the child rape allegation, it could result in a mistrial."
    "Followed by a motion to dismiss," Brunelle agreed, "for governmental misconduct. We'll paint the picture. The jury should be able to connect the dots."
    Mr. Montgomery looked at his wife, then back at the attorneys. "Well, I don't really give a damn right now about what happened to Holly What's-her-name. I care what happened to Emily. You're sure the murder prosecution can go forward without her?"
    "I'm sure," Brunelle lied.
    "Then that's good enough for us," Mr. Montgomery announced.
    "I do have a question," Mrs. Montgomery said. "Do you know why she changed her mind?"
    "I don't know ," Brunelle answered, "but I have a guess."
    "What's your guess?"
    "Karpati."

Chapter 13
     
    Brunelle and Yamata retreated to Brunelle's office to regroup.
    "Now what?" Yamata asked, dropping her athletic frame into one of his guest chairs.
    Brunelle picked up the phone. "Now we order Holly's jail calls. Somebody got to her."
    "How can you be so sure?"
    "Because this is suicide," Brunelle answered as he punched the extension for the jail communications officer. "She gave a full confession to a heinous murder. No way she doesn’t get convicted. And no way she doesn't get life. It's mandatory."
    "Any chance she doesn't get transferred to adult court," Yamata asked, "since the penalty is so severe?"
    Brunelle frowned. That was a good point. Luckily the jail officer picked up. "Yeah, this is Dave Brunelle from the prosecutor's office. I need to order some jail recordings."
    When Brunelle hung up, he had ordered all calls coming into Holly's dorm and all calls going out of Karpati's holding tank. They were supposed to have individual caller identification codes, but inmates were always using somebody else's code to try to be sneaky. It still amazed Brunelle how freely people would talk even after hearing the automated 'This call will be recorded' warning.
    "It'll take them a couple days to get us the recordings," Brunelle informed his co-counsel, "but we should have them before the transfer hearing."
    "What about tomorrow's bail hearing?" Yamata asked. "We won't be able to tell the judge that Holly's on board to testify."
    Brunelle smiled. "Then I hope you do a good job arguing that brief you wrote."
    Yamata slumped back in her chair. "Great."
    Brunelle's phone rang and he picked it up without even looking at the caller I.D. "Prosecutor's office. Dave Brunelle."
    "Hello, prosecutor's-office-Dave-Brunelle," sang the voice on the phone. "This is medical-examiner's-office-Kat-Anderson. Can you talk?"
    Brunelle smiled. "For you? Of course."
    Yamata leaned forward. "Do you want me to leave?" she whispered.
    Brunelle shook his head. He figured it was business. He was wrong.
    "So about Friday night," Kat went on, "I have an idea."
    Brunelle drew a blank, still in work mode. "Friday night?"
    "My daughter's recital, remember?"
    "Ah yes. Right. Recital." Brunelle laughed. "I was trying to forget the pain from you turning down my asking you out for that night."
    Yamata stood up. "I'm gonna go now," she whispered again.
    This time Brunelle nodded. "I'll stop by later," he whispered over the covered-up telephone receiver. "We can figure out how to tackle tomorrow."
    "Is this a bad time?" Kat asked.
    "Hmm? Oh, no. Never a bad time for you, ma'am."
    "Ma'am?" Kat laughed. "You're way older than me."
    Brunelle