Wild Justice Read Free Page A

Powers around and I thought that he was about the sweetest thing I ever did see, so young and shy. All those friends of mine he d busted said he was polite and treated them like ladies. Not like the other police. And, well. . . Yes? LaTricia cast her eyes down. When she spoke, her voice was barely audible. The truth is, I fell in love with Officer Powers and I confessed my love as soon as I shut the door to my room. The jurors leaned forward. Someone in the back of the room giggled. I know that sounds crazy, LaTricia said, directing her comment to the spectators, and I know Officer Powers didn t say nothin bout my confession when he was on the stand. I don t know if he left that out because he was embarrassed or because he didn t want to embarrass me. He s such a gentleman. LaTricia squared her shoulders and turned back to the jury. Soon as we was alone I came clean and told him that I knew that he was a policeman. Then I told him that I knew that I was just an old whore, used up by life, but that I had never felt about any man the way I felt about him. Officer Powers, he blushed and looked like he wanted to be anywhere but with me, and I can understand that. He probably has himself a fine white woman, someone foxy. But I told him that all I wanted was one night of love with him and that he could take me to jail when it was over, because one night of his sweet love would be worth an eternity of jail. A tear trickled down LaTricia s cheek. She paused, drew a handkerchief from her purse, dabbed at the tear, then said, Scuse me, to the jurors. Do you want some water, Ms. Sweet? asked Amanda, who had been swept up in the drama of the moment. Rodney Dart leaped to his feet. Objection, Your Honor. This is too much. Oh, I don t spect you to believe any of this, Mr. DA. An old bag like me trying to find love with a man half her age. But can t I dream? Your Honor, Dart begged. The defendant is entitled to put on a defense, Mr. Dart, Judge Robard answered in a tone that let the jurors know that he wasn t buying LaTricia s act, but several of the jurors were casting angry glances at the prosecutor. Ain t much more to say, LaTricia concluded. I gambled for love and I lost. I m ready to take what fate has in store. But I want you to know that I never wanted money from that man. All I wanted was love. Frank Jaffe, the senior partner in Jaffe, Katz, Lehane and Brindisi, was a big man with a ruddy complexion and black curly hair that was streaked with gray. His nose had been broken twice in his youth, and he looked more like a teamster or a stevedore than an attorney. Frank was in his office dictating a letter when Amanda walked in waving the Sweet file. How could you do this to me? Frank grinned. You won, didn t you? That s beside the point. Ernie Katz was in the back of the courtroom. He said you weren t totally awful. You sent Ernie to watch me be humiliated? He also said that you looked scared to death. I was, and giving me this insane case didn t help. You d have been scared no matter what case you tried first. When I tried my first case I spent the whole trial trying to remember the words you say when you want to introduce a piece of evidence. I never did get it right. Thank you for sharing. Hey, I lost my first trial. I knew you d have a fighting chance with LaTricia as your client no matter how badly you screwed up. I ve been representing her for years, and she usually comes out okay. Ernie said the jury was back in twenty minutes. Twenty-two, Amanda answered with a grudging smile. I have to admit winning was a rush. Frank laughed. Ernie also said that your closing argument was a doozy. Especially the part where you told the jury that you had scoured the statutes of the state of Oregon and had been unable to find love defined as a crime. Amanda grinned. It had been a great line. Then she stopped smiling. I still think you re a bastard. You re a warrior now, kiddo. The whole office is waiting at Scarletti s to celebrate. Oh, shit, they