Chapter Forty-four

“I have great news,” Bobby Schatz told Ron Tolliver as soon as the guard closed the door to the contact visiting room. “The government is dismissing your case.”

Tolliver stared at his lawyer as if he had not understood what Schatz had said. Bobby chalked it up to shock. He smiled.

“By the end of the day, you’re going to be a free man, Ron.”

“They’re letting me out?”

Schatz nodded. “Remember our first meeting? The prosecutor was taping everything that was said in the interrogation room. When I came in to talk to you, I demanded that he stop because it’s illegal for the government to record a conversation between a lawyer and his client.” Schatz grinned. “We got lucky, Ron. Crawford broke the law. He kept taping our conversation. There are a ton of cases that hold that this type of conduct is presumed to be prejudicial. In your case, there’s no question that your case was prejudiced, because I laid out our trial strategy during the meeting.

“This morning, one of Crawford’s superiors phoned me. He’s in big trouble, and the DOJ doesn’t want its dirty linen aired in public, so they’re not fighting my motion to dismiss. You’ll be out of here today.”

If Schatz thought that Tolliver would thank him, the prisoner disappointed him.

“Where am I going to go?” he demanded.

“Maybe home to Ohio?” Schatz suggested.

Tolliver looked incredulous. “Are you insane? You don’t know my father. He’s ex-military and a flag-waving patriot. I’d be lucky if he didn’t shoot me. And if he doesn’t, someone else is bound to. Everyone in America has heard that I tried to kill ninety thousand people. As soon as I step out the door, I’ll have a target on my back. Every nut job will be out to kill me, and I don’t think the CIA will take this lying down. They probably have a hit squad waiting for me.”

“Ron, my job is to win your case. I did that. It’s your job to figure out what to do with the rest of your life.”

Schatz lowered his voice and leaned close to his client. “Maybe you should call your friends. They got you into this. Maybe they’ll help you out.”

Tolliver looked at the tabletop. Schatz could see he was thinking hard about his predicament.

“Is there anything else you’d like to discuss?” Schatz asked.

Tolliver shook his head.

“I’ve left clothes and money for you,” Schatz said. “I wish you good luck.”

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