Blood Defense - [8]

“Nope. Pretty weird that it’s a cop.”

“They’re saying he was well respected.”

I rolled my eyes. “They always say that when a cop gets busted.”

Michelle snorted. “No, they don’t.”

“Yes, they do. Anyway, he was supposedly dating Chloe-”

Michelle nodded. “I heard they met when he showed up to handle her burglary.”

I finished off a chicken finger and wiped my mouth. “Kind of creepy, him dating a crime victim, don’t you think?”

Michelle stared at me. “I’d think that would happen all the time. Cops, firemen, they come in and save you and-”

“It doesn’t happen all the time.”

“Whatever. And, so what? It’s not like he was married. Where else is he supposed to meet women?”

I reached for another chicken finger. “At a bar. Where he can get drunk and use bad judgment like the rest of us.”

Michy deadpanned me and moved on. “They’re saying he stabbed Chloe in the chest, and Paige in the back. Some neighbors heard him fighting with Chloe that night, so the police figure he stabbed Chloe in the heat of the argument, then had to get rid of Paige.”

“You wouldn’t think a cop would be that sloppy-”

“It was a fight, not a planned hit.”

I shrugged. “I guess. Their building have a surveillance camera?”

Michelle popped a fry in her mouth. “I doubt it. From what I saw on the news, it’s just a dumpy little place. Exterior hallways, an open carport.”

In short, a lot like mine.

Michelle glanced around the restaurant, then leaned forward, both hands on the table in front of her. “You’ve got to go for it. This is the case we’ve been waiting for, Sam. It’ll get us a ton of publicity, put us in the big leagues. And it’ll bring in some decent money-”

“Cops don’t have money, and his buddies on the force aren’t going to take up a collection for a guy who murdered his girlfriend.”

“I bet he’ll have enough money to hire you. And when he taps out, the court’s gonna have to appoint you. Come on, Sam. It’s a no-brainer. Win-win.”

I’d thought of all that. But there was just one fly in the ointment. “No way he’d hire me. Everyone knows how much I hate cops-”

“That’s exactly why he should want you. Gives him more credibility.”

I wasn’t so sure he’d see it that way, and to be honest, I still wasn’t sure I wanted the case. I shook my head. “He’ll never go for it-”

“He might. You’ve got a solid rep around the courthouse. He’s bound to have heard of you.”

“Exactly my point. Why pick a cop hater-”

Michelle grabbed my forearm. “Sam, you haven’t paid me in two months, they’re about to turn off the electricity, and we’re behind on the rent.”

I sighed. She was right. I picked up the last of the fries as I nodded, very reluctantly. “I’ll give it a try. But don’t go paying any unnecessary bills. This is a long shot at best.”

“Good.” Michelle sat back. “Besides, it’s possible he’s not guilty.”

I laughed so hard I had to put down my fries.

I went to bed that night still conflicted about whether I wanted to try and get Pearson’s case. If it’d gone down the way the news reports said, the jury was going to shred this guy so hard there wouldn’t be enough left of him to bury.

And even if I did go for the case, how would I pitch myself to Dale Pearson? As I drove to work Monday morning, I tried to come up with an intro. But all the lines sounded like bad come-ons for a hookup: “I know I’ve got a rep for hating cops, but it’s different with you…” Or like phony ass-kissing: “You’ve probably heard I’m not a big cop lover, but I’m actually a big fan; you’re one of the good guys…” And I’d know that… how? I was still trying to come up with a line I could deliver without laughing-or gagging-when I got to the office.

But the minute I walked in the door, Michelle waved me over to her computer. “Never mind about Pearson. He’s hitched.” She pointed to the news clip.

I read over her shoulder. “Dale Pearson, 51, a veteran LAPD detective who has been declared a ‘person of interest’ in the double homicide of Chloe Monahan and Paige Avner, has reportedly met with attorney and former police officer Errol Messinger. Messinger has made the representation of police officers a specialty since leaving the force in 2002. Stuart Holmes, a Los Angeles attorney who has worked with Messinger in the past, said, ‘This case is Errol’s bread and butter. He’s the perfect lawyer for Dale Pearson.’ District Attorney Skip Whitmer has said his office is reviewing the evidence and that a decision as to what charges will be filed will be made by the end of this week.”

Messinger. It figured. He was the go-to guy for naughty cops. And of course, Stuart Holmes, his bun boy, was there to cheer him on-in the hopes of getting on the case as his second chair. “How did Holmes manage to get Messinger’s dick out of his mouth long enough to give that statement?”

Michelle gave a short laugh. “According to certain ‘celebutantes,’ it just takes a little practice.” She sighed. “So much for our shot at the bigs.”

I shrugged. “Probably for the best.”

FIVE

Other than finding out that someone else had snagged the Canyon Killer case, it was a day like any other. But for some reason, by the time I got home, I was so tired I barely had the energy to heat up a can of chicken noodle soup before falling into bed. So I thought I had a shot at making it through the night without having the damn nightmare again. No such luck.