Zehra didn’t have to force herself to concentrate on the final trial preparations—fear did it for her. On Friday afternoon, she finished the final work on the case. She sat with Jackie at a large conference table in the public defender’s office. Her ears still rang occasionally but were getting better. The memory numbed as the days went by.
“I’m so scared we won’t be ready by Monday,” Jackie said.
“We’ll do our best. Because no matter how much you think you’re ready, there’s always something odd that pops up in the trial. All you can do is think on your feet.”
Stacks of papers, briefs, law books, half-empty coffee cups, three laptops, and scattered chairs filled the room.
Jackie sifted through layers of notes. “BJ got all the subpoenas served.” When she looked up quickly, her hair fluttered to the side of her face. “What about Dr. Stein?”
“Payment? I’ve had a running battle with Mao about coughing up the money for Stein. At first he didn’t want to pay anything, until I pointed out that Stein’s test could benefit all public defenders. Then he got the point.” Zehra crossed her eyes. “Duh—”
“Okay, so he’s coming in for sure.” Jackie twisted her hair in her fingertips. “How do we handle our client if he still insists on going pro se without our help?”
“We still have to be prepared.” Zehra waved her hand. “Every time I’ve had a pro se client, once they see the twelve mostly-white jurors, they always tell the judge they want their lawyer to take over.”
“Hey, Josh has been so sweet, making food every night. He’s so cool I may just marry him.” Jackie looked up into the air. “What about the suppression motion?”
“First line of the defense. If we can get Goldberg to toss the clothing and knife out of evidence, we’re winning.” She pictured the knife in her mind.
“But it’s just a knife.”
“The knife looks dangerous. It’s not a Boy Scout campfire knife. I think it’ll scare the jury.”
“This is like a wicked smart chess game.”
“Yeah. We’ve got to anticipate the different ways Harmon can go and prepare for all of them, just in case. And if El-Amin chooses to testify, that could really scare the jury.”
They both buried themselves in the work and remained silent. When Jackie wasn’t looking, Zehra reached into her bag and pulled out a chocolate cupcake. She leaned down and took a quick bite. Probably go straight to my thighs, she thought, but justified it by all the pressure on her.
Jackie interrupted the work. “Is this the toughest case you’ve ever had?”
Zehra pushed back her chair. “No, I think the toughest are when you’re sure the client is innocent. Since the prosecutors win about ninety-five percent of their cases, it puts a lot of strain on the defense lawyer to win. Sometimes, it’s actually easier when you know the client is guilty. If he’s found guilty, at least you know justice was done.”
Looking at her phone, Zehra said, “Hey, where’s Denzel?” She called him.
After four rings, he answered. “Z, I’m sorry. I’m on my way to Chicago. Momma’s got some problems.” His voice had a sharp edge to it—worry. “I’ll be back Monday for sure.”
“Take care of her. You’ve done the heavy lifting already.”
“Hey, girl, you see that friend of yours, be sure to let someone know where you are.”
“Denzel, I told you to butt out. Besides, I’ve got an FBI agent out in the lobby. It’s worse than having my mother with me.”
“Here’s the problem. My sources can’t find any record of this guy. If he’s a famous scientist at that company, wouldn’t he have some history? Some trail we could find?”
“He’s Egyptian. There’s probably a lot about him in that country.” Her mind felt like it would collapse from the weight of everything. “Look, I’ve got the trial to think about. I promise to tell people where I am. Good luck with your mom.”
Jackie stood up and carried a four-inch-thick notebook to Zehra’s side of the table. “Here’s the trial notebook. Everything. And I got it all backed up on my laptop.” She opened it across the table. “See, I’ve got all the legal motions right here, the pleadings, complaint here.” Jackie flipped through a few pages to demonstrate.
“Good work. I know it’s tedious, but we have to know every detail and every fact of the case. During the trial, we won’t have time to learn it. I remember a case I second-chaired a few years ago. Our client had been charged with strangling his wife to death—first degree murder because of the premeditation. He had lots of time to think about what he was doing while he choked her, so premeditation.”
“Sounds like it to me.”
“Until the medical examiner testified that the victim’s neck was broken within seconds from the pressure of the husband’s hands. After that, the next ten minutes didn’t count. Since death was almost instantaneous, he didn’t premeditate. Jury found him guilty of second-degree murder instead. It was a good lesson about how every trial can go off the tracks before you know it.”
“How should we handle Judge Goldberg?”
“I’m happy to get assigned to him. He’s honest and great to work with. Trying a case is hard enough without having to fight with a judge. If we had a more sympathetic client, we’d be in great shape with Goldberg.”
Jackie frowned.
“Before going to law school, he was a social worker. He’s always had a soft spot for people in trouble. Our problem is, El-Amin isn’t sympathetic in any way. I think our strategy is to keep him quiet. The less Goldberg hears from our client, the better.”
“How do you keep this all going?”
Zehra sighed. “Sometimes it’s like keeping four plates spinning in the air at once.” She stretched her arms into the air, ran them through her hair, and thought of Michael. She wanted to see him. In spite of BJ’s concerns, Zehra hoped the relationship could work. Michael was attractive, intelligent, and so considerate of her. There must be something good inside of him.
Still, along with Denzel’s warnings, Zehra had seen odd things he’d done, nasty attitudes about other things, and a sometimes condescending attitude toward women. Maybe Zehra could work on those things. Change him.
She turned to the window and watched the growing wind whip the trees like it was shaking out some laundry. A storm was coming. The air had a metallic color that warned of bad weather.
Zehra was anxious to meet Michael tonight. A break in the trial work would be wonderful. The Science Expo sounded interesting and fun. How would Michael react around the students? It would be revealing to see that side of him.
Then she remembered her promise to Denzel. Maybe she should call Paul. She didn’t want to talk with him now, so she texted him a message. Zehra told Paul she was meeting Michael Ammar, the event, and the location of the school. Probably not necessary, especially since she had the FBI escort. So was there really any problem?
Chapter Thirty-Nine