deliberately, as though to a child. “Have you gone insane? We don’t
handle criminal defense work.
We don’t handle any litigation whatsoever.” Kirksen stood up abruptly,
his long forehead now a shiny pink, his diminutive body shaking with
rage. “Particularly when this animal has murdered-the wife of the firm’s
largest client,” he said shrilly.
“Well, that’s not entirely correct. We didn’t handle criminal defense
work but now we do. And I learned in law school that the accused is
innocent until proven guilty, Dan. Maybe you forgot that.” Smiling, Jack
eyed Kirksen steadily. Four million versus six hundred thou pal. So back
off, dickhead Kirksen slowly shook his head and rolled his eyes. “Jack,
maybe you don’t fully understand the procedures we have in place at this
firm before any new matter is undertaken. I’ll have my secretary provide
you with the pertinent provisions.
In the meantime, take the necessary steps to have yourself and this firm
taken off this matter immediately.”
With a dismissive air, Kirksen turned to leave. Jack stood up.
“Listen, Dan, I took the case and I’m going to try it and I don’t care
what you or the firm’s policy has to say about it.
Close the door on your way out.”
Kirksen turned around slowly and looked at Jack with intense brown eyes.
“Jack, tread cautiously. I am the managing partner of this firm.”
“I know you are, Dan. So you should be able to manage to close the
goddamned door on your way out.”
Without another word, Kirksen spun on his heel, shutting the door behind
him.
The pounding in Jack’s head finally subsided. He returned to his work.
His papers were just about completed. He wanted to get them filed first
thing before anyone could try to stop him. He printed out the documents,
signed them and called the courier himself That done he sat back in his
chair.
It was almost nine o’clock. He would have to get going, he was seeing
Luther at ten. Jack’s entire brain was overflowing with questions to ask
his client. And then he thought about that night. That chilly night on
the Mall. The look in Luther’s eyes. Jack could ask the questions, he
just hoped he was ready to handle the answers.
He threw on his coat, and in another few minutes was in his car on his
way to the Middleton County Jail.
UNDER THE CONsTn-LmON OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRginia and its criminal
procedure statute, the state must turn over to a defendant any
exculpatory evidence. Failure to do so was a terrific way for an ACA to
abruptly derail his or her career, not to mention getting a conviction
thrown out and letting a defendant walk on appeal.
Those particular rules were giving Seth Frank a very large headache.
He sat in his office and thought about the prisoner sitting alone in a
cell less than a minute’s walk away. His calm and seemingly innocuous
manner didn’t trouble Frank. Some of the worst offenders he had ever
arrested looked like they had stepped out of the church choir right
after they had split open somebody’s skull for a couple of laughs.
Gorelick was putting together a good case, methodically collecting a
bagful of little threads that when woven together in front of a jury
would make a nice sturdy necktie for Luther Whitney to choke himself on.
That also didn’t trouble Frank.
What did trouble Frank was, all the little things that still didn’t add
up. The wounds. Two guns. A bullet dug out of the wall. The place
sanitized like an operating room. The fact that the guy was in Barbados
and then came back. Luther Whitney was a pro. Frank had spent the better
part of four days learning everything he’could about Luther Albert
Whitney. He had pulled off a crackedack crime that except for one glitch
would probably have remained unsolved. Millions from his heist, a cold
trail for the cops; he’s out of the country, and the sonofabitch comes
back. Professionals did not do those things. Frank would’ve understood
him coming back because of his daughter, but Frank had checked with the
airlines. Luther Whitney, traveling under an alias, had returned to the