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Outside the courtroom, Dan spotted an elderly man in a wheelchair. He approached slowly, extending his hand. “Sir.”
The elderly man raised a weak arm. Bolo tie. Patches of gray hair on a mostly bald head. Missed a button on his shirt. Blanket over knees. Tremble in his voice. “Mr. Pike, I’m Zachary Coleman. Hoped to catch you here. Could I have a word?”
“Of course. Do your attorneys know we’re talking? I’m not supposed to interact with—”
“They know all about it. They didn’t like it and frankly I don’t care.” He wheeled to the far end of the corridor where they might have a tiny bit of privacy.
“I’m sorry for your loss, Mr. Coleman. Losing a son—”
The elderly man waved a dismissive hand. “Not the first time I’ve had to deal with that. This family has been cursed, and it’s probably my fault.”
“I don’t know what you—”
“I’m concerned about this boy you’re representing.”
“How so?”
“I want him to have the best possible defense.”
“You don’t think he’s guilty?”
“I—” His head drooped. “I hope not. But I want to make sure he isn’t railroaded. Cops don’t like people who come in our color.”
“I’m sure that’s not true of all police officers.”
“No.” He made a grumbling sound. “But a hell of a lot of them. And probably the DA as well.”
“Have you been in contact with DA Belasco?”
“Tried. Offered a campaign contribution. He turned me down. Can you believe it? Turned me down flat.”
No, actually, he couldn’t believe it. A candidate turning down money? “You have no need to worry, sir. My team is one hundred percent behind Ossie, and we will do everything imaginable to make sure he isn’t railroaded. I don't believe he committed this grisly murder. I don’t think he has that kind of cruelty in him.”
“That’s good to know.” Coleman’s voice cracked.
“Forgive me for saying so, sir, but I had the impression your family had...mixed feelings about Ossie. The way he suddenly appeared and staked a claim to the family fortune.”
He wasn’t sure if Coleman was nodding his head trembling. “We had our doubts, sure. The way it happened, appearing out of nowhere. Damned irregular. But...I always loved Ossie. Broke my heart when he disappeared. This kid doesn’t look exactly the way I remember my grandson, but—I’m old and what the hell do I know? If this is Ossie, come back to us by some miracle, I want him to take his proper place in the family.”
His eyes watered as he spoke. He seemed genuinely moved. Dan supposed this could all be an act. This man could be a master thespian—but he doubted it.
“Does the rest of your family share your feelings?”
He laughed bitterly. “No.”
“Do you have any insights about what happened?”
“You mean who killed Harrison? No idea.”
“Any enemies?”
“Harrison? I doubt it. Mild-mannered to a fault. A little too nice, if you take my meaning. Preferred to read plays and hang out with swishy theater folk. Didn’t want to be involved in the family business. He removed himself from all positions of influence.”
“There’s a lot of money at stake here.”
“Don’t I know that. I made every penny of it. By working like the devil every single day of my life.” He fussed with his hands, tugged at his blanket. “I never believed Ossie was dead. Even when the cops told me he must be. I never believed it.”
“You had faith. That’s a good thing.”
“That is what matters most.” Zachary inhaled deeply. His breath seemed forced, labored. “You know I loved Ossie’s daddy. Carl. My oldest son. Didn’t approve of his marriage but—how could I? No one was good enough for my boy. Cheap uneducated thing from the poor part of town, no family, no sense—but that’s all water under the bridge now. Carl died and she died and Ossie disappeared and my whole world shattered. Just burst apart like a big piñata. I went from king of the world to a broken man.”
“You have a keenly successful business.”
“Yeah. And you know what that’s worth? Not a damn thing. All this money, and what did it get me? Did it heal the family? No. We split apart. They all hate me. They’re just sitting around hoping I’ll die so they can get their hands on my money.”
“I’m sure that isn’t true.” Against all odds, Dan felt himself actually feeling sorry for the man.
“It is. And you know what? I deserve every bit of it.”
“You’re being too hard on yourself. If nothing else, you’ve ensured no one in your family will ever have to worry about paying the bills, and that’s no small thing.”
“Money. That’s where losers always go, because they have nothing of actual value to brag about. It’s true, I amassed a fortune. Not for me. I never spent much. Didn’t need much. Preferred to invest in the future. Watch the money grow. I did all this for them, not me.”
“I’m sure they understand that.”
He laughed, so abruptly it was startling. “They understand nothing. Why should they? They’ll get what they want soon enough. I’m sick, Mr. Pike. Very sick. Payback for all those cigarettes I inhaled when I was younger. I’ll be gone, and they’ll be rich. And I—” His voice choked. “I don’t want my legacy to be...wrong. I don’t want anyone cheated.”
“I’ll make sure Ossie is treated fairly.”
“Just make sure he isn’t locked away for a crime he didn’t commit. He seems like he has a decent heart, whether he’s Ossie or not.” He reached out and grabbed Dan’s hand. “Don’t let the bastards lock him away. Or execute him. We’ve had enough pain in this family. We don’t need any more.”