Page 25 of The Accomplice
‘Gee,’ said Halina, ‘I don’t know what to tell you, pal. The muffin didn’t have no fuckin’ birth certificate.’
‘Halina,’ called the big guy at the grill. ‘Shitting Christ, beniceto the fucking customers.’
And off she went with our order.
‘I’m beginning to see why you weren’t cut out for a career as a federal agent,’ I said.
‘Sorry,’ said Lake. ‘I’m trying to be more careful about what I put into my body these days. That’s all. It’s not a thing.’
‘It kinda looks like a thing.’
‘It’snota thing.’
He leaned back in the seat, his gaze fell and a pained look came across his face.
‘Delaney thought it was a thing, too,’ he said, quietly.
‘We didn’t know her that well,’ I said. ‘Something I regret now. She was good people.’
He nodded, and raised his index finger on his right hand, as if he was about to make a point, then put his palms on the table as the waitress came over with our drinks. Coffee for Bloch and me, hot water and lemon for Lake.
He examined the contents of the cup carefully, stirred the sliced lemon with a teaspoon and let it cool.
‘I was going to ask you,’ he continued, ‘if you told Bill Seong you’re representing Carrie Miller ?’
Bloch tensed.
I said nothing. I hadn’t told Lake. And I knew Bloch hadn’t told him.
‘Oh, I have a contact at the courthouse. Keeps me up to date with subpoenas, motions – any developments in Carrie Miller’s case. I hear you filed your appearance with the court office last night,’ he said.
It was going to be common knowledge soon enough.
‘No, I didn’t tell him,’ I said. ‘I thought if I did it would close a door. Any information on Carrie Miller’s husband might help her case. Seong didn’t ask us, and we didn’t tell him. Our concern last night was for Delaney.’
‘I know, that’s okay. I agreed to help out in the case as a consultant. Delaney wanted me on this, and I guess Seong’s conscience is getting to him, so he has reluctantly agreed. I wanted to know what Carrie’s defense is going to be.’
Tipping off the people who want to send your client to jail for fifty years isn’t the smartest idea. I put cream and sugar in my coffee, stirred it and took my first hit.
‘She’s not an accomplice. Simple as that. I can’t say any more,’ I said.
‘So, she’s saying she wasn’t a participant. Fair enough. Is she saying she didn’t know her husband was a killer ?’
Bloch put her boot heel on top of my shoe and pushed down hard.
‘It’s okay, Bloch,’ I said, then turned to Lake. ‘Look, I’m sorry, I can’t say.’
‘I understand. So, shedidsuspect him. Do you mind if I talk to her ?’
‘I do mind. You interrogate my client, then you share that information with the FBI and you’re a new prosecution witness. No thanks.’
‘It won’t be like that.’
‘Why do you want to talk to her ?’
Conversation stopped as Halina arrived with three plates. My pancakes and bacon, Bloch’s grilled cheese with chorizo eggs, and a muffin for Lake. Bloch took a pack of anti-bacterial wipes from her jacket, opened it and wiped down her cutlery, all the while never taking her eyes from Lake. He had taken the paper wrapping off the base and was now dismantling the muffin on the plate. Looking through it. Smelling it. Satisfied, he put a piece in his mouth.
Bloch dried her knife and fork on a napkin and plunged it into her eggs.
