Page 57 of The Accomplice
Stoker leaned back in his chair, his bushy eyebrows twitching on the slab of oak that passed for his forehead.
‘What’s going on ?’
‘The District Attorney’s office has a wire tap on the defense team. He’s listening in on our calls. This violates attorney-client privilege and work-product privilege. I want it to stop, and I want all the records from those phone calls he has taped.’
‘What ? I mean, say you’re right about this, which you are most definitely not – a judge would’ve signed off on a warrant for that wire tap.’
‘When you were a junior member of the judiciary, how many times did the NYPD come to your house at three a.m. and shove a fifty-page affidavit and a draft warrant under your nose ? How many times did you read that affidavit cover to cover, and the warrant, line by line ? You’re not telling me the DA isn’t smart enough to sneak this by a judge who’s not paying attention.’
Leaning forward, Stoker thumped his elbows onto the desk and locked his thick fingers together, like it was a stance. A position for him to lodge a blistering attack.
‘Do you have any evidence to back up this very serious allegation ?’ he asked.
‘No, I have none whatsoever,’ I said.
‘If you do come across solid undeniable evidence that your phones are tapped then file a motion and I’ll deal with it then.’
‘I can’t file a motion because I’d have to serve it on the DA’s office. I’d be tipping them off.’
‘Mr. Flynn, our justice system is not perfect, but we have rules of procedure for a reason.’
‘Just grant me this one thing, if I find solid proof our phones are tapped you’ll make a ruling that I get those records.’
He smirked, said, ‘If you get me that evidence, I will make that order. Now, stop wasting my time. We have a trial to run. Your client show up yet ?’
‘She’s not in court, but I am confident we can get her here before the trial concludes. I can say no more on that …’
‘Of course, because of attorney-client privilege. I see …’
I got up and left.
In the hallway, on the way back to the courtroom, my phone vibrated. A text message from Betty.
The text gave me a name.
A time.
A location.
And Betty had confirmed it was accurate.
I started running.
Back into court, I jogged down the steps from the judge’s bench, and right to the defense table. My phone was in my hand. Harry got up, and as we passed the prosecution table I said, ‘If the judge comes out, tell him I had to make an urgent call.’
Drew White’s eyes widened, and I noticed he turned in his chair and met the gaze of Bill Seong. They both knew I was up to something, but they had no idea what that might be.
Harry and I moved swiftly to the exit, through the doors and out into the corridor.
‘Where’s Peltier ?’ I asked.
‘He’s in the coffee shop across the street, waiting to be paged by the DA.’
Assistant District Attorney Drew White insisted his witnesses wait outside the court building, so that they do not hear any part of the trial before they are called to provide testimony. They are given a pager and told to go get coffee. Peltier had attended court this morning to see us before the trial started. Now he was off campus.
I dialed his number and he picked up straight away.
‘I have a source, I can’t say who it is, but Carrie Miller is going to meet her private banker at the Commodore restaurant at one-fifteen. Private table at the back behind the fish tank. We need to talk to her and bring her in. You ready for that ?’
