The corridor echoed with our feet pacing to and fro and Gerry Sinton chipping his pinkie ring on the walls.
“Is he always like that?” he said.
“Pretty much. Look, he doesn’t want to make a decision that somebody could appeal. The public defender can’t object to taking a case, and we can’t appeal that decision either. He doesn’t want to decide either way. Why don’t you leave it with me? Child’s in good hands. I’m very experienced. I can offer him the best representation.”
Gerry folded his arms. “What kind of resources do you have? I’ve got two hundred lawyers and a team of experts that I can work around the clock. How many support staff do you have?”
“You’re looking at the support staff and the typist and the cleaner.”
“This is a mistake, Flynn.”
“I’m not so sure. I know the judges and how to play them. You might have a dozen attorneys on this, but that won’t stop the DA handing you your ass because you don’t know what you’re doing. Although, the manpower is always handy in a murder trial…”
“You have no idea who you’re dealing with. Just take the money.”
I remembered that Sinton needed the case just as much as I did. If David Child could hurt Harland and Sinton as much as Dell hoped, then the firm needed to represent him at all costs—so they could watch him. And make sure he didn’t cut a deal by handing his lawyers over to the feds in exchange for a light sentence.
“I don’t want money. I want the case. This will be a huge media-hungry trial. This can make my practice. It’s my case. I’m not backing down. I’ve got nothing to lose. Since we both can’t represent him, we may as well just go tell Knox to call the public defender.”
I took three steps and put my hand on the door handle to Knox’s office. Sinton reached out to stop me.
“Wait, wait. That’s interesting. You said we can’t both represent him. Why not? I’ve got the resources; you’ve got the experience. You take the role of special adviser, or consultant, whatever you want to call it. We’ll handle the case up front.”
“No way,” I said, turning the handle.
“Wait! You could take second chair. That’s—”
“Nice meeting you,” I said, opening Judge Knox’s door a crack.
“Hold on,” said Sinton through gritted teeth. “Okay, first chair. But we’re a team.”
“Whatever,” I said, stepping into Knox’s office.
Knox was playing Angry Birds on his cell phone. A fresh cup of coffee was growing cold in front of him.
“Your Honor, we have a compromise. The firm of Harland and Sinton will serve as my co-counsel in this case.”
The judge nodded but didn’t take his eyes from his smartphone.
“Glad to hear it, gentlemen. Bail hearing in five minutes. Just wait outside for the prosecutor.”
Gerry Sinton had swallowed the bait. Christine was in this mess because of Gerry Sinton and Ben Harland. I wanted to be close to these guys. Maybe I could find something to satisfy Dell, enough to get Christine off the hook and enough so that I wouldn’t have to talk David Child into a prison sentence. I had my chance now. I felt pretty good that this was the right thing to do. I couldn’t force Child into prison without at least trying something else, trying to get Christine clear another way.
Gerry Sinton put his back to the pale corridor wall and breathed slowly. He’d gotten his client back.
I’d bought Christine a chance.
And probably signed my own death warrant.