The Price of Candy (29 page)

Kagan said, “I’m reluctant to give the
honorable state attorney advice, but all you need do is prove Abby
attempted to murder Toby. Her accidental shooting of Banks then
becomes a felony murder occurring during the commission of the
crime—the crime of attempting to murder Toby. Much more serious
than mere manslaughter.”

“Wow! Very good, Jerry. Felony murder, I
hadn’t thought of that. It was in my textbook, someone dies during
the commission of a crime, and you can get twenty-five years to
life. I bet you didn’t think of that, Mr. Moran.”

“Of course, I did.” Moran was annoyed. “You
two should take this show on the road.”

She continued, “Plus I’m about to give you a
third charge against Abby Olin.”

“I can’t wait,” Moran muttered and rolled his
eyes.

That did it. She visualized moving her arm in
one wide sweep clearing his desk of phone, framed photo, Rolodex,
coffee cup—everything onto the floor. Instead, she stood and
pointed at Moran. “Look Buster! I’ve been running around developing
the solid evidence you need to prosecute. If you were smart instead
of vindictive, you’d start listening. You’re sitting there with
that supercilious smirk on your face making sarcastic comments
while I’m handing you the solution to three of your problems on a
silver platter. If I had my way, I wouldn’t lift my little finger
to save you from burning in hell. You don’t even know where to look
for your first clue. As of right now, I’m taking the Fifth. All
you’ll ever get is hearsay because you’re getting nada from
me.”

Moran's face turned red. He pushed back from
his desk and loosen his collar.

Kagan jumped up. “Sit down and be quiet, Miss
Reid! Larry, please ignore my client. She doesn’t understand how
these things work. She misconstrued your demeanor. You’ve every
right to be skeptical. She was anticipating you’d reject our offer.
The fact is you haven’t turned us down yet. I’m certain you intend
to consider fairly everything we have to offer. I’m sure she’ll
apologize as soon as she cools off.”

He was silent for a long moment. “Okay, I’ll
listen. No promises. Miss Smartass you’re on.” He moved his chair
back up to the desk. “What are the three cases in which you’re
going to be my savior?”

“I don’t know why I’m going along with this.
Without me you’ve got zilch.” She stared him straight in the eye.
Kagan reached over and placed his hand on her arm. “Okay. First,
money was Abby’s motive for attempting to shoot Toby Towalski. I
can prove that motive and it’s strong enough to convict her of
attempted murder, which is what you need to convict her of felony
murder. That’s one case. Second, the money involved was the result
of blackmail of a prominent politician. So you’ll definitely be
able to charge her also with attempted blackmail. And the third
case is—you’re going to love this in spite of it coming from
me—your old Privado beach body case.”

“What prominent politician?”

“You don’t have a clue, do you?”

“What old beach body case—you mean the naked
stripper? God, I’d forgotten that case was still open. Good grief,
don’t tell me Sandra Reid is involved in that case as well.”

“One more thing, Moran. Don’t count on me
ever apologizing to you. Are we through here?”

One week after giving State Attorney Moran
her formal statement, Sandy remained under arrest, although out of
custody. Uncertain of her fate. She had hesitantly disclosed the
valuable information she had developed to fulfill her side of the
bargain with Moran. However, there was no action from him in return
regarding dropping the charges against her. He now claimed she had
misunderstood. He had never agreed to such a bargain, he said,
merely agreed to listen to what she had to offer and then
decide.

Abby Olin had also given her statement to
Moran and he guarded the contents tightly. Nevertheless, a former
girl friend of Chip’s, who worked at the courthouse, gave him the
gist of the statement confidentially. It was critically unfavorable
to Sandy.

According to the statement, Abby would
testify Sandy was fanatical about Banks. That Sandy was once his
favorite plaything at the juvenile rehab facility, but he had
scorned her. She had taken an oath to pay him back. She was going
to get him whatever it took. She had encouraged Abby to entice
Banks to Florida, even gave Abby his current address. She could
even provide Abby a gun if needed. They had discussed various
plans. It was Abby’s duty as a feminist sister to fight together
against all men for women’s rights. According to Abby’s statement,
Sandy would get agitated to the point of shaking physically when
talking about the subject.

Sandy met with Jerry Kagan in his office when
they learned of Abby’s statement. “All that, Jerry, plus that damn
incriminating file they found on my laptop can also be interpreted
to support such a scheme. Several times, I put down I was going to
get him. Of course, I meant legally after I became a lawyer.”

“You could land back in jail at any time. He
now has enough to go back before the judge and have your bail
rescinded.”

“I wondered about that, Jerry. Why hasn’t he
put me back in jail? I’m a co-conspirator to second-degree murder.
Why am I out running around?”

“The question really is why doesn’t he want
Abby in jail?”

“That’s right. If he denies me bail, then he
must also deny Abby bail. Do you think he’s made some kind of deal
with her? He’s keeping her out of jail in return
for...something?”

“He’s up to something. You really ticked him
off the other day, Sandy. It’s not in your best interest to keep
doing that. He who has the power makes the rules.”

“I know, sometimes I just can’t resist. But
right now, I’m playing it straight and he’s dirty dealing. He
accepted and is using all that significant information I gave him.
But he’s not giving me anything in return. He has me on a hook. How
do I get off?”

“I’m not certain what his game is unless he’s
unsure of what to charge Abby with. In any case, he has nothing to
lose by keeping you waiting.”

“You’re being too kind. He’s a bastard and
he’s stringing me out to get back at me. He knows he’s thrown my
life into limbo.”

In the deposition Sandy gave Moran under
oath, she reluctantly disclosed the involvement of Congressman
Kidde in the beach body affair. The disclosure was inevitable. In
spite of Freddy asking her to keep it all quiet, she had no choice
but to reveal his name when questioned by the state attorney.
Revealing the blackmail scheme led to answering who was being
blackmailed, and this led to explaining the reason for the
blackmail. That identified Kidde and placed him right on the beach
with the dead stripper. It put on view his leaving the scene and
failure to come forward the next day with what he knew. She had
warned Kidde all this could happen if he didn’t come forward
voluntarily and preempt any disclosure.

In her statement to Moran, she mentioned that
Kidde told her he’d simply given the stranded girl a ride. She
didn’t elaborate further. There remained a slight chance that the
full details of the saga of the unattainable Betty Jo and the
obsessed Freddy could stay hidden. That much, at least, would
certainly be to his benefit. Perhaps, she thought, she’d write a
book about it someday.

Moran wasn’t totally convinced that Sandy was
being truthful, that she had all her facts straight, and was making
the correct assumptions about what she had learned. The
deconstruction of Congressman Frederick J. Kidde started when
Moran, unconvinced of Kidde’s involvement, decided to follow up and
verify what Sandy had disclosed.

He innocently invited Freddy Kidde and his
attorney to Park Beach for an informal conference. When Kidde and
his attorney arrived quietly at the rear entrance of the
courthouse, they suffered incredibly bad luck. Renaldo Gitano a
reporter from the Gretchen Henson show on CNN was there with a
cameraman to greet them. Gitano was the same TV reporter who
happened to have covered the Privado beach body affair back when it
was first news in November. Some blogger had tipped off Gitano to a
possible link between Kidde and the old Privado Beach affair.

The consequences were inevitable. The
national news media rehashed the entire affair. They dug out,
edited, and reedited old TV file film to create fresh breaking
news: What had happened on that beach that night? Who was the
woman? Who mistreated her dead body?

Now the media also enjoyed the added
bombshell of blackmail. Allegedly, the congressman paid to cover up
his involvement. In addition, as if any icing was necessary on
that, someone had murdered the alleged blackmailer. Any part of it
was dream-come-true stuff for the media.

Within seventy-two hours, there were no hotel
rooms available within a hundred miles of Park Beach. The satellite
TV trucks seemed evenly divided between the courthouse and the
Freddy Kidde residence in Jensen Beach. The scandal held Breaking
News status on TV for weeks. Reporters approached everyone within
eyesight asking for their opinion.

The media got out the drums and brass bands
quickly and the circus paraded into Park Beach. Although State
Attorney Moran would later plead that he had no interest in
investigating Kidde, at the time it seemed in his best interest not
to clarify the situation, but just get out in front of the
parade.

The media inundated Moran with interview
requests. The national news ran his photo along with Kidde’s each
night. They looped it all again on cable news and the Internet for
days. Moran started giving briefings on the courthouse steps. He
loved it. He’d hit the publicity lottery. His political ambition of
running for the Senate from Florida now seemed within reach.
Privado Beach has punched Moran’s ticket to ride. Although
strutting on the media stage he never exactly stated what he was
taking credit for.

Kagan commented, “Do you notice, Sandy, his
briefings never contain any new information? He keeps saying he’d
love to say more, but unfortunately he can’t comment on an ongoing
investigation.”

“Sure, and leaving everything open to
speculation is exactly what the media wants. They can fill in the
blanks with sensational guesswork.”

“Contrary to those reports, Sandy, I believe
Moran has no interest in prosecuting Freddy Kidde for anything.
It’s clear from what you’ve told me, Kidde was on the beach when
the woman choked, but there was no crime there. My sources tell me
the police have filled in the name Toby Towalski and closed the
case. So they’re not going to get Kidde on that.”

“So, the solitary thing left is failing to
report the death. That’s so minor it’s ridiculous,” she added. “So
where’s he going with all this. Why is he keeping Kidde and me
hanging?”

“He needs your testimony. He needs to prove
Abby intended to shoot Toby. She wanted him out of the way for the
money. So, Kidde testifies Abby told him Toby was out of the
picture. And you testify she yelled his name as she fired. Once all
that is established he’s got Abby nailed for the felony murder of
Bruce Banks.”

“But I’ve already agreed to testify and
cooperate with the deposition. Moran just wants to strut and fret
his hour upon the stage.”

“I know, it isn’t fair, but he could keep you
hanging until Abby’s trial.”

“Her goddamn trial might not be for two or
three years. And the Florida bar exam is in July!”

Silence.

“Wait a minute, that’s it. Moran has the
power to keep me from becoming a lawyer.” She was stunned. “I can’t
be licensed, probably can’t even take the bar exam, while I’m under
arrest for conspiracy to commit murder. That’s what’s behind
this.”

“That’s what I call wicked retribution. He
gets back at you and has the last laugh. He has you trapped and no
reason to set you free.”

“I have to find a reason for him to set me
free.”

“You have another problem to worry
about.”

“My entire career might be on hold for three
years. Nothing could be as bad as that. Oh, you mean finding Jamie,
or my love life?”

“Something else came up. You are being sued
for the wrongful death of Bruce Banks.”

“Me? You’re crazy! You just explained why
Moran has to drop the phony charge against me eventually. Wrongful
death actions are civil not criminal. Who the hell cares anyway if
creepy Banks comes down here sniffing around Abby and gets himself
accidentally shot?”

“Apparently his widow.”

“Oh, my God!”

“She’s retained Martin Bronner, a local
attorney, and he phoned me today. They’re meeting with Moran
tomorrow morning and then coming to my office to see us.”

Juanita Banks was small and neat and could
have been a pretty package; perhaps under other circumstances she
would have been. She was merely a couple hundred dollars away from
a contemporary hairstyle, newer clothing, and those indescribable
extras that can bring women out of the shadows. Apparently, she
didn’t have the money for enhancement of any kind. She did have a
great smile. Which she offered to Jerry Kagan but not to Sandy.

They were standing around the long table that
together with eight sturdy oak chairs took up the majority of the
space in Kagan’s small conference room. Just enough space in the
room to accommodate the principals in a real estate closing or a
few nervous heirs for the reading of a will. A side door led to
Kagan’s adjoining office, and the other door opened out to the
front reception area where Sandy’s ancient desk and squeaky chair
were positioned. It was a suite of three small rooms adequate for
no more than a solo practitioner. The office had sufficed for Kagan
for over fifty years. He had purchased the entire building years
ago with the large fee he’d received from a successful wrongful
death suit. Consequently, he had no landlord and no rent to pay. A
life-saving financial situation that had made all the difference
during his many lean years.