A Matter of Life and Death by Phillip Margolin (ereader with dictionary TXT) 📕

will know about you is that you’ve murdered someone. To convince them that you shouldn’t be executed, I have to show the jurors that you aren’t a monster; that you may have killed someone, but you are still a decent person. I’m going to have investigators interviewing you and everyone who has ever known you. We are going to create a biography of your life from the time you were born until the day of the trial.”

“Is there anything I can do to help?”

Robin smiled. “I was just going to get to that. I want you to write your life story for my investigators, starting from your earliest memory. Don’t sugarcoat it. If there is something awful in your background, I have to know about it, because you can be certain that the DA will uncover it.

“What you write is protected by the attorney-client privilege, so you can tell me everything. If you experienced sexual or physical abuse as a child, include it, even if it’s embarrassing. I also want a list of witnesses who will have good things to say about you and any way you can think of that we can get in touch with them. When in doubt, include the information. We’ll decide who to call and who to leave out. Think you can do that?”

“I’ll start as soon as you leave.”

“Vanessa told me that Carasco’s husband and a deputy district attorney have made a positive identification. They’re the people who were in the car that drove up when you were leaving the judge’s home. Vanessa also told me that they found your prints on the wall and light switch in the room where Betsy Carasco’s body was found. They’ve also matched shoe prints inside Judge Carasco’s house to the tread on your running shoes.”

Joe sighed. “I knew they would. What else do they have?”

“I’ll know soon. You’re going to be arraigned on the indictment after lunch. Vanessa has to give me the discovery in your case as soon as she indicts. I’ll get you a full copy when Vanessa gives it to me. I’ll want you to go over it and tell me anything you think will help your case.”

“Will do.”

“Do you have anything else you want to talk about right now?”

“One thing. Are you going to see Maria and Conchita?”

Robin nodded. “I haven’t talked to Maria because I didn’t want to bother her until she was settled in. But she may be an important witness in a penalty phase.”

“When you see them, tell them I love them.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

When Robin entered the courtroom for Joseph Lattimore’s arraignment, she noticed a tall, elegantly dressed woman sitting among the spectators. The woman stood out in a crowd composed of poorly dressed criminal defendants and attorneys wearing the suits they could afford on a public defender’s salary, but Robin was too preoccupied to give the woman more than a moment’s thought.

The arraignment was over quickly. The judge read the charging document, Joe pleaded not guilty, and the guards took him back to the jail. When the next case was called, Robin left the courtroom. She was heading for the stairs to the street when the well-dressed woman stepped in front of her.

“Ms. Lockwood, my name is Helen Raptis, and I am Elizabeth’s mother.”

Robin had run an internet search on Betsy Carasco. Her mother had featured prominently in the profile. Robin knew that Raptis was worth millions and had a reputation for ruthlessness in business affairs.

“I’m so sorry about your daughter,” Robin said. “This must be impossible for you.”

Raptis stood ramrod straight. “What is impossible for me to bear is seeing the man responsible for Elizabeth’s death walking around without a care. Your client may have taken Betsy’s life, but that bastard is the person who ordered him to do it.”

“Who are you talking about?”

“Anthony Carasco ordered my daughter’s murder.”

“That’s quite an accusation. Have you told the district attorney what you just told me?”

“Cole doesn’t take me seriously. She says she’ll look at Carasco, but it’s obvious that she thinks I’m a bitter, grieving mother who’s striking out at the world.”

“Why are you talking about this to me? I’m representing the man who’s accused of killing your daughter.”

“Mr. Lattimore is a puppet. That monster was pulling the strings. If your client tells Cole that Carasco hired him, he can testify for the state and cut a deal.”

“I’m interested in hearing why you think Judge Carasco hired my client. Would you like to come to my office?”

“Most definitely.”

Leo Boyce followed his boss to Barrister, Berman, and Lockwood at a discreet distance. Helen didn’t bother to introduce her bodyguard even when everyone was in Robin’s office.

“Anthony Carasco is a parasite,” Raptis said. “He latched onto my Elizabeth like a leech, and he’s been sucking her trust accounts dry. I tried to talk sense into her when she told me she was thinking of marrying that bastard, but she wouldn’t listen.”

“How did Elizabeth and Carasco meet?”

“Cocaine brought them together.”

“Your daughter was a user?”

Raptis nodded. “It wasn’t pretty. She was ravaged by her addiction.”

Helen’s icy façade cracked, and Robin glimpsed her pain.

“Very few people knew what was going on. We kept Elizabeth’s problem under wraps. She was enough of an actress to fool her society friends. The visits to the rehabilitation centers were ‘trips to Paris’ or ‘safaris in Africa.’ But that bastard made sure she stayed addicted so he could control her.”

“You’re saying that the judge was supplying her?” Robin said.

“You sound surprised. You shouldn’t be. As soon as Elizabeth started seeing that … that thing, I had him investigated. Anthony Carasco is a common criminal. He grew up in a slum and associated with scum all his life. He has connections to people he’s known since childhood who are drug dealers and members of biker gangs. He protects them if they are arrested, and he has police officers who work with him.”

“How did Carasco convince your daughter to marry him? There’s a big age difference between them.”

“I suspect