Part 59 (1/2)
”And when Bondurant looks up at the balloons,” Cisco concluded, ”bang, right on the back of the head.” right on the back of the head.”
I nodded.
”And the two pops somebody thought were gunshots but were dismissed as backfire were neither,” I said. ”She popped the balloons on the way out.”
A dreadful silence fell over the table. Until Lorna spoke.
”Wait a minute. You're saying she planned it that way? Like she knew if she hit him on the top of the head it would throw the jury?”
I shook my head.
”No, that was just luck. She just wanted to stop him. She used the balloons to make sure he paused and she could come up behind him. The rest was just dumb luck... something that a defense lawyer knew how to use.”
I couldn't look at my colleagues. I stared off at Lisa filling balloons.
”So... we helped her get away with it.”
It was a statement from Lorna. Not a question.
”Double jeopardy,” Aronson said. ”She can never be tried again.”
As if on cue Lisa looked over at us while she tied off the end of a white balloon. She handed it to another child.
And she smiled at me.
”Cisco, how much are they charging for the beer?”
”Five bucks a can. It's a rip-off.”
”Mickey, don't,” Lorna said. ”It's not worth it. You've been so good.”
I pulled my eyes away from my client and looked at Lorna.
”Good? Are you saying I'm one of the good guys?”
I got up and left them there and headed toward the backyard bar, where I took my place in line. I expected Lorna to follow me but it was Aronson who came up next to me. She spoke in a very low voice.
”Look, what are you doing? You told me not to grow a conscience. Are you telling me you did?”
”I don't know,” I whispered. ”All I know is that she played me like a f.u.c.king fiddle and you know what? She knows I know. She just gave me that smile. I saw it in her eyes. She's proud of it. She pulled the tank into the yard so I would see it and I would know...”
I shook my head.
”She had me wired from day one. Everything was part of her plan. Every last-”
I stopped as I realized something.
”What?” Aronson asked.
I paused as I continued to put it together.
”What, Mickey?”
”Her husband wasn't even her husband.”
”What do you mean?”
”The guy calling me, the guy who showed up. Where is he now for the big payday? He's not here because that wasn't him. He was just part of the play.”
”Then where is the husband?”
That was the question. But I had no answer. I didn't have any answers anymore.
”I'm leaving.”
I stepped out of the line and headed toward the back door.
”Mickey, where are you going?”
I didn't answer. I quickly pa.s.sed through the house and out the front door. I had arrived early enough to grab a curb slot only two houses down. I was almost to the Lincoln when I heard my name called from behind.
It was Lisa. She was walking toward me in the street.
”Mickey! You're leaving?”
”Yes, I'm leaving.”
”Why? The party's just starting.”
She came up close to me and stopped.
”I'm leaving because I know, Lisa. I know.”
”What do you think you know?”
”That you used me like you use everybody. Even Herb Dahl.”
”Oh, come on, you're a defense lawyer. You'll get more business out of this than you've ever had before.”
Just like that, she acknowledged everything.
”What if I didn't want the business? What if I just wanted to believe something was true?”
She paused. She didn't get it.
”Get over yourself, Mickey. Wake up.”