warned you what would happen if you tried to interfere.” He pushed Christina into the corner.
“He was trying to go through the files in my laptop,” Christina said. “They need a special specific warrant to do that. State versus Cresswell. ”
“She’s right,” Ben said. “Screw with her computer and you may invalidate this whole dubious search.”
That seemed to slow the young officer. He backed away from the laptop, his teeth gritted.
“Now uncuff her and stop abusing your authority. You should be ashamed of yourself.”
That was more that the young man could take. “I should be ashamed of myself? Coming from you, that’s pretty ironic. At least I haven’t put any murderers back on the street.”
“Neither have I. I just point out to the judge when the police screw up their cases.”
The kid uncuffed Christina, then stormed out of the office, leaving it looking as if an earthquake had struck.
“Ben, what’s going on here?” Christina asked, rubbing her sore wrists.
“I don’t know.”
They were both riveted by the sound of bellowing from the next office over. “Found it!”
Ben and Christina both raced into Ben’s office. Matthews was there; Paula was huddled off to the side.
He was holding a knife. A butcher-sized knife. Caked with blood.
“What is that?” Christina asked. Her voice trembled.
“Unless I miss my guess,” Matthews said, “this is the knife that was used to kill Joe McNaughton.”
“Where the hell did it come from?” Ben asked.
Matthews smiled thinly. “From your office, Kincaid.”
“No way. You planted it.”
“I didn’t. I found it in the bottom drawer of your file cabinet, under some papers. Right where you left it.”
“You’re lying through your teeth!”
“I’m sorry, Ben, but—he isn’t.” It was Paula. Her eyes were lowered and her voice was slow and … confused. “I was watching him the whole time he searched. And I was especially watching his hands. He didn’t plant it. Not just now, anyway.”
“But that—”
Matthews motioned to one of the officers in the hallway. “Put this man under arrest.”
The uniform whipped out his cuffs, yanked Ben’s arms back roughly, and snapped the metal restraints around his wrists.
“Is this your idea of justice?” Ben asked. “Arresting the defense attorney?”
Matthews smirked. “Justice is never simple.”
“This is an outrage. I’ve never seen that knife before in my life!”
“Yeah. That’s what they all say.” Matthews removed a card from his shirt pocket. “You have the right to remain silent. If you waive that right, anything you say can and will be used against you …”
“Cut the crap. What’s this all about?”
Matthews stopped. His eyes locked with Ben’s. “What’s this about? It’s about seeing a murderer brought to justice. Maybe two of them.” He leaned into Ben’s face. “How much did you do, Kincaid? Did you help with the murder, or just the cover-up? Were you fucking her all along, or just after she was arrested?”
“You miserable son of a bitch. I never—”
Christina pushed between them. “He’s not answering any questions.”
“Get out of my way, lady,” Matthews barked.
Christina grabbed the man by the collar. “I’m not a lady, jerkface. I’m his attorney. And if I say he’s not answering any questions, he’s not answering any questions. Got it?”
Matthews shook her off, rubbing his neck. His teeth were clenched tight enough to pop a filling. “Frank, take this scumbag downtown.” The other plainclothes officer pulled Ben toward the door, yanking him by the cuffs.
“Find Mike,” Ben called. “As soon as possible.”
“I’ll be right there, Ben,” Christina shouted behind them. “Don’t say anything. As soon as you’ve been processed, we’ll talk.”
Matthews couldn’t bear to leave without a parting shot. He leaned into Christina’s ear and spoke in a low tone. “When we’re done with your scum-sucking boss,
“He was trying to go through the files in my laptop,” Christina said. “They need a special specific warrant to do that. State versus Cresswell. ”
“She’s right,” Ben said. “Screw with her computer and you may invalidate this whole dubious search.”
That seemed to slow the young officer. He backed away from the laptop, his teeth gritted.
“Now uncuff her and stop abusing your authority. You should be ashamed of yourself.”
That was more that the young man could take. “I should be ashamed of myself? Coming from you, that’s pretty ironic. At least I haven’t put any murderers back on the street.”
“Neither have I. I just point out to the judge when the police screw up their cases.”
The kid uncuffed Christina, then stormed out of the office, leaving it looking as if an earthquake had struck.
“Ben, what’s going on here?” Christina asked, rubbing her sore wrists.
“I don’t know.”
They were both riveted by the sound of bellowing from the next office over. “Found it!”
Ben and Christina both raced into Ben’s office. Matthews was there; Paula was huddled off to the side.
He was holding a knife. A butcher-sized knife. Caked with blood.
“What is that?” Christina asked. Her voice trembled.
“Unless I miss my guess,” Matthews said, “this is the knife that was used to kill Joe McNaughton.”
“Where the hell did it come from?” Ben asked.
Matthews smiled thinly. “From your office, Kincaid.”
“No way. You planted it.”
“I didn’t. I found it in the bottom drawer of your file cabinet, under some papers. Right where you left it.”
“You’re lying through your teeth!”
“I’m sorry, Ben, but—he isn’t.” It was Paula. Her eyes were lowered and her voice was slow and … confused. “I was watching him the whole time he searched. And I was especially watching his hands. He didn’t plant it. Not just now, anyway.”
“But that—”
Matthews motioned to one of the officers in the hallway. “Put this man under arrest.”
The uniform whipped out his cuffs, yanked Ben’s arms back roughly, and snapped the metal restraints around his wrists.
“Is this your idea of justice?” Ben asked. “Arresting the defense attorney?”
Matthews smirked. “Justice is never simple.”
“This is an outrage. I’ve never seen that knife before in my life!”
“Yeah. That’s what they all say.” Matthews removed a card from his shirt pocket. “You have the right to remain silent. If you waive that right, anything you say can and will be used against you …”
“Cut the crap. What’s this all about?”
Matthews stopped. His eyes locked with Ben’s. “What’s this about? It’s about seeing a murderer brought to justice. Maybe two of them.” He leaned into Ben’s face. “How much did you do, Kincaid? Did you help with the murder, or just the cover-up? Were you fucking her all along, or just after she was arrested?”
“You miserable son of a bitch. I never—”
Christina pushed between them. “He’s not answering any questions.”
“Get out of my way, lady,” Matthews barked.
Christina grabbed the man by the collar. “I’m not a lady, jerkface. I’m his attorney. And if I say he’s not answering any questions, he’s not answering any questions. Got it?”
Matthews shook her off, rubbing his neck. His teeth were clenched tight enough to pop a filling. “Frank, take this scumbag downtown.” The other plainclothes officer pulled Ben toward the door, yanking him by the cuffs.
“Find Mike,” Ben called. “As soon as possible.”
“I’ll be right there, Ben,” Christina shouted behind them. “Don’t say anything. As soon as you’ve been processed, we’ll talk.”
Matthews couldn’t bear to leave without a parting shot. He leaned into Christina’s ear and spoke in a low tone. “When we’re done with your scum-sucking boss,
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