Act of Deceit

Chapter 21

“T here’s no way you’re going to put me on the stand,” Donnally told Blaine over the phone the following morning. He was sitting at his desk in the cafe office. “You’re just covering your ass.”

Donnally had it figured out even before he’d driven a mile from where Deputy Pipkins had pulled him over to serve him with the subpoena. As soon as the judge dismissed the case, Blaine would call a press conference and praise Donnally as the one who exposed it, then hint that it was Donnally’s fault for losing it because he’d refused to testify in support of the DA’s motion to have Brown declared incompetent to stand trial.

Blaine laughed. “Fun, isn’t it? It must remind you of what you left behind when you got out of police work. This is like one of those noir movies from the forties, hard to tell who the good guys are.”

“Maybe I should go all the way and sign on as a defense witness. I’m sure Margaret Perkins would be glad to have me on her team.”

“You missed your chance, pal. We cut a deal late last night.”

Donnally’s body stiffened and he caught his breath.

“You what?”

“Brown pleads guilty to voluntary manslaughter and gets credit for the time he served in the loony bin.”

Donnally’s hand clenched the telephone receiver. “And that means he gets out…”

“The end of next month.”

Donnally pushed himself to his feet, as if the force of his body in motion would deflect the course of the case.

“Is that what a life is worth down there?”

“It’s the best we could do,” Blaine said. “The judge didn’t want to take the political heat for dismissing a murder on speedy trial grounds. The defense gets to wash its hands of the case. And I get a conviction. It works for everybody.”

“It sure as hell doesn’t work for Anna Keenan.”

Blaine snorted. “Well, she’s never gonna find out, is she?”