CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

United States Attorney Freddy Simpson seemed irritated to be meeting on the case again. “I thought I told you to handle it however you thought appropriate,” he said, staring at Carmen Garcia as she finished her briefing.

Simpson and Carmen sat in oxblood leather wing chairs facing each other across the length of a coffee table, which rested on a different rug now. Nora, Benny, and Jessica were squeezed together on the couch down the long side of the rectangular table, like tennis fans watching a match between the two leaders. As tight as it was, though, Benny still managed to get comfortable, resting his left ankle atop his right knee, holster and gun visible on his sockless lower leg.

Nora was looking down, avoiding the angry glare of their boss. New rug doesn’t tie the chairs and carpet together nearly as well as Georgene’s stolen rug did, she thought.

“Yes, sir,” Carmen answered, “you did, but we’re about to take a significant new step with this indictment. This will be the United States Department of Justice saying the DA is prosecuting an innocent person. I didn’t know whether you wanted to give the DA any kinda heads-up or anything before we launched.”

Simpson’s eyes swept the room, pausing almost imperceptibly on Benny’s ankle. “You’ve already told them we think they have it wrong, as I recall.”

“Yes,” Carmen said, “and they were, uh, uninterested in what we had to say. But in fairness, our case against Gina Cufaro has gotten a lot stronger since then. I could imagine them agreeing to not retry Kyra Burke if they saw all our evidence, maybe even wanting to do a joint announcement with you.”

That seemed to flip a switch in Simpson. “They might want to do a joint public announcement that we have brought to justice the most notorious Mafia killer of the modern era? After they indicted, tried, and intend to retry an innocent woman for that killer’s work? I’ll be damned if I’m going to let Henry Stern film another ad for his reelection. He’s in a one-party town anyway. More likely to be an oppo ad against me someday.”

Carmen wasn’t following this. “Sir?” she asked.

“Forget it, forget it,” Simpson said quickly. “Just thinking out loud. Go and indict it. Get a draft of the indictment and some talkers to the press office and we’ll schedule my press conference.”

They filed out of the United States Attorney’s office in silence, although Benny couldn’t resist turning his head to Georgene and mouthing “Nice rug.” She beamed but said only, “Have a nice day!” as the four of them went out into the hall and down the fire stairs to four.