10th Anniversary (Women's Murder Club 10)

Tears jumped to her eyes.

I muttered, “Crap,” under my breath. Was I ever going to learn to be the good cop? Conklin took the bag and said to Lafferty, “We need you to come to the station, okay, Ellen?”

“But — you’re not arresting me, right?”

Conklin said. “We want your signed statement to what you just told us.”

I hung back as Conklin walked Ellen out to the street. I called Yuki but got her voice mail.

I waited out the beeps, then said, “Yuki, I need a search warrant for Ellen Lafferty’s premises. Yes, we’ve got probable cause. Call me back ASAP. Uh — I think you’re going to thank me for this.”

I hoped I was right.

Chapter 90

YUKI SAT BESIDE PHIL, the two of them in matching leather chairs across from Judge LaVan’s leather-topped desk. The room had been decorated in fox hunt-style: old prints of people in red coats on bay horses, and heavy wooden furniture against forest-green walls.

The judge’s eyes were red behind his glasses, and he explained in the fewest possible words why he had been out for three days.

“My mother had lung cancer,” he said. “She died. Badly.”

He nodded his head as the two attorneys said that they were sorry for his loss. Then he cleared his throat and went on.

“I don’t want any more of the crap that’s been going on in this trial. Ms. Castellano, you know how to ask a question without turning it into a summation. Mr. Hoffman, you know how to rein in your witnesses, so for God’s sake, just do it.”

Yuki wanted to object, but the judge was leaving no doubt about his intentions. He wanted the trial streamlined, and he wanted it over.

“Here are the new rules on objections,” he said, as if he were reading her mind.

“If you have an objection, stand up. I’m a smart guy and I was a trial lawyer for twenty years. If I can’t figure out why you are objecting, I will not acknowledge you. In that case — sit down.

“If I know why you are objecting, I will tell opposing counsel to knock it off. I don’t expect to have to do that.”

“Your Honor,” Yuki and Hoffman said in unison.

“No theatrics. No drama. No stupid lawyer tricks. I will levy fines. I will find either or both of you in contempt. Do you understand me?”

Neither Phil nor Yuki answered.

“Good. I’ll see you in court,” said LaVan.

“This is a joke,” Hoffman said to Yuki as they left Judge LaVan’s chambers and walked down the hall toward the courtroom. “He can’t tell us not to object.”

“Apparently he can today,” said Yuki.

Hoffman smiled at her and then said, “I’ve got a meeting. See you inside.”

Chapter 91

PHIL HOFFMAN got to his well-shod feet, straightened his shoulders, and said, “The defense calls Caitlin Martin.”

At that, Candace Martin leapt up and screamed in his face, “No! Don’t you dare put my daughter on the stand! You have no right!”

LaVan slammed down his gavel and shouted, “Bailiff, please remove the defendant from the courtroom.”

“Candace. Sit down,” Hoffman said. “Your

Honor, give me a word with my client, please.”