Читать книгу No Way Out - David Kessler - Страница 23

‘But as I’m sure you know,’ said Alex, ‘the policy only covers civil liability.’

Alex was seated with the partners of Levine and Webster, including Paul Sherman, around the long oval rosewood table in the main conference room. The atmosphere was tense.

‘Well obviously it can’t cover criminal liability,’ said Webster with a puerile grin, ‘because an insurance company can hardly serve a custodial sentence. But the policy includes payment of legal fees as well as liability payouts, and the insurance company has specifically asked us to take the case.’

Alex had kept his cool when Webster had first approached him and had agreed to this meeting without prejudice. But he was getting irritated now.

‘That means, presumably, representation and legal fees in a civil suit, when there’s an issue of liability.’

‘It covers all legal representation,’ Webster insisted, ‘including criminal.’

‘You seem to be assuming that you can do a better job of defending him on criminal charges than I can.’

‘Oh, come on Mr Sedaka, you’re a one-man band. We’re a large law firm. We’ve got dozens of lawyers and a network of experts and other contacts that you can only dream about.’

‘I’m not disputing your size, but that’s not necessarily an advantage. If the accused marches into court with an army of lawyers, that can actually count against him.’

‘There’s also the logistical aspect. You’re up there in the Bay, we’re down here in the Basin. Ventura’s in our backyard. What are you going to do? Commute down from San Fran every day?’

‘You seem to be assuming that the trial is going to stay in Ventura.’

‘Are you going for a change of venue?’ asked Sherman.

‘I might. It certainly wouldn’t hurt if we could get it transferred to a county with better demographics.’

‘I thought you wanted a speedy trial,’ said Webster. ‘A change of venue motion will give them a pretext for a delay.’

‘Also we’re in a better position than you when it comes to a change of venue,’ added Sherman.

Alex’s ears pricked up at this. ‘How so?’

‘We’ve got a whole department for demographic analysis.’

Alex thought about this for a moment. ‘You may have a point. But it’s not for me to decide. It’s Claymore’s call. I’m his lawyer and I’m here for him as long as he wants me.’

‘But you could talk to him,’ said Webster, ‘convince him.’

‘I’m not even going to try. I’m not convinced that you can do a better job, so why should I try and convince him?’

Arthur Webster leaned forward to speak again. But a frail-looking man, who must have been pushing eighty, held up his hand to silence him. This was Aaron Levine, the senior partner in the firm. Webster slumped back into his seat and left it to his lifelong friend to address Alex.

‘Could I ask you a question, Mr Sedaka? Please don’t take this the wrong way, but is it a matter of professional pride? Because, if so, you needn’t worry. Your reputation precedes you. We all remember your remarkable achievement in the Sanchez case.’

Alex was no longer angry. But neither was he assuaged by the flattery. In truth he was simply relieved that their real concerns were finally coming out into the open. He noted that this man was tactful enough not to mention the Clayton Burrow case.

‘It has nothing to do with professional pride. But I’m not just Elias Claymore’s lawyer, I’m also his friend. I’m not going to abandon him or do anything to give him the impression that I want to unload the case onto someone else.’

‘We’re not asking you to do that, all we’re ask—’

‘I know what you’re asking. But the fact of the matter is I’m not convinced that anyone in your criminal law department is in a better position to help him than me.’

Webster leaned forward again, unable to contain himself any longer.

‘But we have the resources to—’

‘Then let’s pool our resources,’ said Alex.

This silenced them for a few seconds.

‘What do you mean?’ asked Levine, the only man in the room with the gravitas to break the silence, or the moral courage to meet Alex’s eyes.

‘I’m offering you second seat.’

Webster’s intensity flared up again.

‘We’re not asking for second seat. We want you to—’

Again, Levine’s hand silenced his partner.

‘Could you elaborate?’

‘Yes. Let’s work on this case together, with me as point man and your formidable resources to back me up. You pick your best man – or woman – to take second seat to report back to you.’

‘But you lead?’ said Levine, half-question, half-statement.

‘I take first seat,’ Alex confirmed in a tone of finality that made it clear that this position was not open to debate.

A cheerful smile graced Aaron Levine’s face, changing the mood for almost everyone.

‘I think we can live with that,’ he said, looking at Webster in a way that demanded his agreement. Webster nodded, his face taut to maintain its neutrality.

‘Good. Then I guess we can roll up our sleeves and get on with it.’

The tension was collectively released from the lungs of those present and the awkward smiles spread like a contagion round the table.

‘I think it stinks,’ said Joanne Gale, a woman in her late thirties, sitting forward to meet Webster’s eyes. She was the only women partner in the firm.

‘Why?’ asked Webster.

‘You know why. The man is a rapist.’

‘A rape suspect!’ Webster corrected. And it’s never bothered you before.’

This was true. The firm had defended rape suspects before. Indeed Jo herself had taken first seat in several rape defenses – and in some of those cases there was little room to doubt the guilt of the accused.

‘This is different. He’s done it before.’

‘And he’s served his sentence,’ said Alex. ‘But that doesn’t make him guilty this time. He’s not the same man now that he was then.’

‘He got off lightly last time.’

‘That’s not for us to judge.’

This was Webster again. Everyone else remained silent, including Alex. It was tempting to speak up in defense of Claymore, or even to lecture this woman on the finer points of legal ethics. But it wasn’t his job. If she had a problem with Levine and Webster being involved in Claymore’s defense, that was between her and her colleagues.

Again, it was left to Aaron Levine to break the silence. ‘Do we have a hope in hell of winning? There’s not much kudos in losing a high profile case.’

The other partners looked down or away, anything to withdraw from this pragmatic way of looking at the issue. Alex realized that the question was directed at him. He met the old man’s eyes.

‘It’s going to be an uphill struggle.’

‘How steep is the hill?’

Alex thought about this for a moment.

‘There’s a lot of evidence for us to refute – not to mention that we still have to overcome the effect of Claymore’s past. It won’t be easy. The problem is I can’t desanctify the victim without seeming like a bully.’

‘Desanctify the victim?’ Levine echoed softly.

Jo Gale spoke into the silence that followed, ‘A euphemism for character assassination used by sleazy shysters who like helping rapists and wife-killers beat the rap.’

Alex smiled, not in mockery, but out of respect for Jo Gale’s feisty attitude.

‘I prefer to think of it as leveling the playing field after the D.A.’s finished milking the sympathy of the jury for all it’s worth.’

‘Well if you can’t “desanctify the victim”,’ asked Jo Gale, ‘how do you propose to level the playing field?’

‘By making Claymore seem harmless.’

‘And how do you propose to do that?’

Alex looked around the table to gauge the mood. It was obvious that no one else had anything more to say. This was turning into a grudge match between himself and Jo Gale.

‘That’s very simple. A picture paints a thousand words.’

She rested her elbows on the oval table, and leaned forward, meeting Alex’s eyes implacably.

‘And how do you propose to paint a picture for the jury?’

‘By putting an attractive woman next to Claymore. She doesn’t have to say a word on his behalf, just sit there looking comfortable and relaxed. That’s all it takes.’

Jo recoiled. It was an actual, physical retreat.

‘You can forget it, Mr Sedaka,’ said Jo. ‘’Cause it ain’t gonna happen.’

Alex had to fight hard to resist the urge to smile.

Sherman, who until now had been leaning back in a desperate effort to make himself invisible, now sat forward, sensing an opportunity to earn some brownie points with the senior partners.

‘There’s Andi Phoenix.’

All the other heads in the room looked round at him. But it was Jo who spoke – and her tone was audibly defensive.

‘Who’s Andi Phoenix?’

‘She’s from our New York office. We needed someone to fill our victim litigation slot and she took the bait. She knew she wasn’t going anywhere in the Big Apple so she came out here.’

‘Will she do it?’ asked Webster.

‘She’s hot and she’s ambitious. I know she’d just love a piece of the action. If you want a cute piece of ass to sit next to Claymore looking comfortable and keeping shtum, you won’t have any trouble convincing Andi Phoenix to take the seat.’