Killer Ambition - [71]

“Such as?”

“Such as the DNA result on the trunk that shows the mixture between Hayley and Ian. Is that solid? Are there any possible contamination issues the defense can raise? Did anything weird happen during the testing?”

Dorian snorted. “No, nothing ‘weird’ happened. And I’m not going to make Gelfer write a report saying ‘nothing weird’ happened, so don’t ask.”

“Okay, thanks, Dorian-”

“You have to sell this to Vanderhorn? What’s he want, a videotape of the guy doing it?”

“You got one?”

She hung up.

I called Eric and braced myself for round two with middleweight chump William Vanderhorn.

Francine raised an eyebrow when Eric and I walked into the anteroom.

“Back again so soon?” She looked at me pointedly. “Already starting, isn’t it? Guess I don’t need to say it, do I?”

“You already did.” I sighed.

We had to wait a little longer this time even though the lights on Francine’s telephone indicated he wasn’t on the line. My bet was that he just didn’t want to see us. The feeling was more than mutual.

When we were finally allowed in, Eric handed him the reports. “It’s all here. They’ve got prints, hair, even blood, tying Ian Powers to these murders.”

Vanderhorn took the reports. I could see his eyes moving across the page, but I didn’t believe he understood a word. Especially since his lips weren’t moving. He set the reports down on his desk and cleared his throat. “Of course, this doesn’t resolve the weakness in our proof of motive.”

“No,” Eric replied.

I silently hoped he wouldn’t remind Vanderhorn that we might never know the true motive behind the murders. It was the logical, intelligent-legal-answer. Therefore, it would be entirely unpersuasive for the district attorney of the largest prosecutorial agency in the world.

“I think we should try to come up with more before we put this case into the system,” Vanderhorn said. “You know what they say: ‘Act in haste, repent at leisure.’ What’s the harm in taking a little more time?”

I’d never admit it, but I wouldn’t have minded waiting. The problem was, it was too late for that. I started to answer, but Eric jumped in first.

“The harm lies in the likelihood that this information won’t stay on ice forever. We’ve already got tabloid reporters running around with checkbooks who have more information than they should-”

“The public will know what we have pretty quick, I agree. But so what? If we explain that we’re still investigating, don’t you think-”

“It’ll calm the waters? No, I don’t. But even if it did, that’s a minor upside you’ll be trading for a much bigger downside. If we let this drag on, important witnesses will have time to cave in and sell their stories-a credibility killer-and some may decide they don’t want the limelight and disappear. Others might be…encouraged to take a long vacation.”

Eric fixed Vanderhorn with a meaningful look. Heavyweights like Ian Powers could find many ways of suggesting to potential witnesses that it’d be advantageous to get gone for a while. I’m not talking about threats that they might sleep with the fishes. Ian and company didn’t need to get that heavy-handed. Simple implied promises of future reward-or threats of future unemployment-would be more than enough.

Eric continued, “But that’s not your only problem. You also run the risk of losing Ian Powers to a country that won’t extradite. Do you want to be the DA who let another Roman Polanski happen on his watch?”

The reminder of the decades-old rape case involving the famous director-defendant who fled to France to avoid imprisonment set Vanderhorn back in his chair. He shifted to stare out the window, his chin in his hand. Somehow he always managed to look as though he were posing for a photo op.

The wheels turned slowly, but eventually Vanderhorn cranked out a decision in a voice that was filled with regret. “I guess we’ll have to file.” He handed the reports back to Eric. “But I’m going to assign a second chair.”

I usually preferred to work alone, but given the way this case was shaping up, I didn’t entirely mind the idea of having a subordinate lawyer to help me with the scut work. I knew of a young deputy who’d be perfect.

“What about Amy Stolnitz?” I asked. “She’s been tearing it up in court.” Plus, I knew she was champing at the bit to get into Special Trials. If I got her on this case, she’d be a shoo-in.

Vanderhorn didn’t even look at me. “I’m assigning Declan Shackner to act as second chair.”

I looked at Eric. Who was this?

“I’ll fill you in later,” he said. “Thanks, Bill. We’ll keep you posted.”

Vanderhorn gave us both a look of thunder. “Damn right you will. Every day.”

Oh, joy.

As we walked back to our wing of the floor, Eric gave me the skinny on Declan Shackner.

“Are you kidding me?” I sputtered under my breath as Eric and I walked into his office. “A baby Grade Two! What the hell good is he going to be to me? He’s probably never even done a preliminary hearing on a murder case, let alone a trial this big. What the hell is Vanderhorn thinking?”

Eric gestured for me to keep it down and closed the door, a world-weary expression on his face. “You don’t recognize the name?”