School Days

Chapter 6

FRESH FROM MY TRIUMPH with the Chief of Police, I thought I might as well go and charm the kid's lawyer, too. Richard Leeland had an office in a small shopping center, upstairs over the village grocery. From his window you could look at the eighteenth-century meeting house which lent New England authenticity to the town common, so you wouldn't get confused and think you were in Chicago.

"Wow," he said, "a private eye. We don't run into many private eyes out here."

"Your loss," I said.

"I'm sure," Leeland said. "May I ask you a question?"

He was a tall, slim man with a well-tanned bald head. He looked like he'd be good at tennis or bike riding.

"Sure."

"Who hired you to try and clear Jared?"

"You don't know?" I said.

Leeland smiled.

"It's why I'm asking," he said.

I thought about it for a minute. It made no sense that he didn't know, and it made no sense for me to keep secrets from my client's lawyer.

"His grandmother," I said.

"Oh, God," Leeland said, "Lily."

"Oh, God?" I said.

"She means well," Leeland said, "but she's beginning to allow her age."

I nodded. Leeland was silent, his left hand at his mouth, looking at me, squeezing his lower lip between his thumb md forefinger. I waited.

After a while he said, "Jared confessed, you know."

I nodded.

"The Grant kid says Jared was with him."

I nodded.

"Doesn't that seem like you really have no case?" Leeland said.

"I have a case," I said. "I just don't know the outcome."

"The boy's guilty," Leeland said.

"Mrs. Fllsworth thinks otherwise."

"For God's sake, Spenser. She wouldn't believe it if she saw him do it."

"So you're going to plead him?"

"Guilty, see if we can bargain."

"How about insanity?" I said.

"He knew what he did was wrong," Leeland said.

"Irresistible compulsion?" I said.

He shrugged. "Won't fly," he said.

"You have a shrink talk to him?" I said.

"We have the Dowling Academy consulting psychologist."

I nodded. "Name?"

"Why do you want to know?" Leeland said.

"I want to talk with him or her."

"I don't know if I should tell you," Leeland said.

"You think I can't find the name of the Dowling Academy consulting shrink?" I said.

Leeland shrugged.

"Her," he said. "Dr. Blair, Beth Ann Blair."

"See," I said, "how easy that was?"

"Mr. Spenser," Leeland said. "The boy is guilty. I know it, his parents know it, everyone knows it."

"Except Mrs. Ellsworth," I said.

Leeland ignored me.

"My job," he said, "quite frankly, is to try and soften the consequences the best way I can."

I nodded.

"Have you ever tried a murder case?" I said.

"Not really."

"Not really? How do you not really try a murder case?"

"I guess I meant no, I haven't," Leeland said.

"Do you know who's prosecuting?"

"Bethel County District Attorney's office."

"Know the prosecutor?" I said.

"His name is Francis Cleary."

"Be interesting to know how many murder cases their guy has tried."

"I'm a damned good lawyer," Leeland said. "I resent what you're implying."

I nodded. Spreading good will wherever I went.

"No offense," I said. "Did you get him a deal for copping?"

"Excuse me?"

"Did he get anything from the prosecution for confessing."

"He confessed without coercion or enticement," Leeland said, "to the Chief of Police."

"Cromwell," I said.

"Yes. You've met him."

I nodded.

"Fine law officer."

I nodded.

"How about the other kid," I said, "Grant. He get any kind of deal for fingering Clark?"

"I don't represent him," Leeland said.

"Who does?"

"Firm in Boston-Batson and Doyle."

"Who's the attorney?" I said.

"Alex Taglio."

"You and he talked?"

"We have," Leelund said. "We don't entirely agree."

"What's his plan?"

"I'm afraid that's confidential among attorneys."

"Sure," I said. "How's the kid doing?"

"He seems very withdrawn," Leeland said.

"I can see why he might," I said. "I'll need to talk with him."

"He really doesn't have much to say," Leeland said.

"Maybe he will," I said, "if he talks to someone who can at least entertain the possibility that he's innocent."

"I'd prefer not," Leeland said.

"You won't set up a meeting?"

"His parents have requested that he see only them and me," Leeland said.

"They think he's guilty, too," I said.

"They have taken him at his word," Leeland said.

"Trust is a wonderful thing," I said.