Imperfect Strangers

CHAPTER 30

Sandy sat on a bench in the Nineteenth Precinct and waited. He'd have much rather spent Sunday morning in bed with Cara, but he felt an obligation to be here.

A young man wearing sweatclothes and carrying a legal pad under his arm walked into the precinct house. He looked to be in his late twenties and very fit; he was carrying the latest in graphite squash racquets. He walked over toward Sandy's bench. "Mr. Kinsolving?" he asked, choosing the only person in the room who could possibly be Sandy.

"Yes," Sandy said, standing up.

"I'm Murray Hirsch." The two men shook hands. "Let's sit down here for a moment, before we see Mr. Wills."

Sandy sat back down. "How is Thomas?"

"Somewhat distressed," Hirsch replied. "That's understandable."

"Under the circumstances," Sandy agreed.

"I saw him yesterday for more than an hour."

"And?"

"He's very nearly convinced me that he's innocent."

"As he most certainly is," Sandy said emphatically. "We've all known Thomas for a long time, and he's not the sort to kill anybody."

"I've told him that you and the other occupants of the building feel that way," Hirsch said, "but we're going to have to deal in reality here."

"Explain the reality to me," Sandy said.

"The reality is that the police have enough evidence to get Mr. Wills indicted for the murder of your wife and the battery of the chauffeur. But, if Mr. Wills decides that he doesn't want to plead, that he wants to go to trial, then I think I have a pretty good chance of getting him off."

"Only a pretty good chance?" Sandy asked.

"Mr. Kinsolving, a criminal trial-especially one involving a black servant accused of murdering a popular socialite-is a fluid thing. Tides run one way, then another, and a conviction or an acquittal will depend a lot on the jurors we get and a dozen other factors that I can only partially control."

"I'm perfectly willing to testify on Thomas's behalf," Sandy said.

"That could be very helpful, if we get that far," Hirsch replied. "What I'd like to do is to try and get the charges dropped before the matter comes to trial."

"And how will you do that?"

"Mr. Kinsolving, you say that the other occupants of your building all support Mr. Wills. Have you actually talked to them about it?"

"Well, no," Sandy admitted, "but I have no doubt that they will."

"The first thing to do is to write a letter to the district attorney, resoundingly supporting the innocence of Mr. Wills, and get every occupant and employee of the building to sign it. Do you think you can do that?"

"Yes, I think I can."

"Good. What we want to do is to put as much pressure as possible on the D.A. to drop charges. I know a couple of people at the newspapers, and I think I can get some space for him there along the lines of, 'High-class co-op residents, the rich and famous,' as it were, 'support innocence of old retainer. Husband of murdered socialite agrees, says man is innocent.' You get my drift?"

Sandy got it all too well; he was going to have to get this letter signed before stories like that appeared in the papers. The other occupants would shrink from that kind of publicity. "If you think that's the way to go," Sandy said.

"I do. This way, if it works, will also save you some major money. I understand you're footing my fee."

"That's right; and now that you mentioned it, what is your fee?"

"If I can get the charges dropped prior to trial, twenty-five thousand dollars; if we have to go to trial, fifty thousand. Appeals, we can discuss later; I hope they won't be necessary."

"Agreed. Can you get Thomas released on bail?"

"Are you willing to put up bail?"

"Of course; what is it likely to be?"

"A hundred thousand, or so; that's if I can demonstrate your support, show roots in the community, steady employment, etcetera."

"You may say for publication that the widower of the murdered woman is putting up bail, and I will state, as president of the co-op board, that Thomas still has his job."

"That will be a big help. There'll be a bail hearing tomorrow, and I'll put all that before the judge. Now, shall we go and see Mr. Wills?"

"First, I think there's something you ought to know," Sandy said.

"What's that?"

"From the very beginning, I mean since my wife was murdered, I've had the impression that the investigating detective, Duvivier, thinks that I may have had something to do with the murder of my wife."

Hirsch's eyebrows shot up. "I've read the clippings; as I understand it, you were talking on a car phone at the time of the murder and that was verified by a number of witnesses."

"I think Duvivier thinks I hired someone to kill her."

"Why?"

"As I say, it's only an impression, but he knows that I benefitted from my wife's will. He also knows that at the time she was murdered I thought I had practically been left out of her father's will. He died a few days before she did."

"I see," Hirsch said. "So you think Duvivier believes Wills to be innocent and that he's arrested the man just to put pressure on you?"

"Something like that; I think it's a possibility."

"Mr. Kinsolving, speaking within the bounds of client-attorney privilege, did you have anything to do with your wife's murder?"

"Absolutely not," Sandy replied firmly.

"Then I take it you are not willing to confess to her murder in order to get Thomas Wills released on bail or even acquitted at trial?"

"Of course not; I want to help Thomas simply because I believe he is incapable of murdering anybody."

"Good. I'll let the D.A. know about Duvivier's suspicions. Now, let's go and see Mr. Wills."

Sandy stood up as Thomas Wills walked into the little room where he and Murray Hirsch were allowed to meet him.

"Thomas," Sandy said, extending his hand, "I want you to know that I don't believe for a moment that you killed my wife, and neither does anybody else in the building."

Wills shook his hand and sat down heavily. He was trembling.

"I appreciate that, Mr. Kinsolving," he said, "but that policeman that talks funny says he's going to put me away."

"That's Duvivier," Sandy said to Hirsch. "He's Haitian by birth and has an accent."

"I've heard about him," Hirsch said. "He has a reputation of being very intuitive about cases, so his superiors and the D.A. will listen to him, but nobody's going to trial with just his intuition. He's going to have to present solid evidence, and I believe I can knock down just about anything he's got."

"You see, Thomas," Sandy said. "Everything's going to be all right, so don't you worry. Mr. Hirsch is going to try to get you out on bail tomorrow, and then you can come right back to work."

"You think all those folks in the building are going to want me back?" Wills asked.

"They certainly will, when they hear what I have to say," Sandy replied. "Is there anything I can do for you? Any family you'd like me to contact?"

"No sir, I don't have no family."

Hirsch spoke up. "Just about the only real problem I've got at the moment is substantiating Mr. Wills's story about where he was when the murder occurred," the lawyer said. "He lives alone, and he has told the police he spent the evening reading his bible and watching television. I'll have an investigator canvas his building to see if we can get some backup. Incidentally, expenses of that sort are additional to my fee."

"That's fine," Sandy said. "Thomas, I want you to relax and not worry. We'll try and have you out of here tomorrow."

"I can't stay in jail, Mr. Kinsolving," the man said. "I been in jail before, and it does something bad to me. I can't stand it again." His hands were still trembling.

Sandy put a hand on his shoulder. "I won't let them keep you in jail, Thomas," he said. "I'll get you out." It was the very least he could do, he thought. He couldn't let the man pay for his own mistake.