you are, my dear. How could you not be? Isn’t everyone?”
He laughed and said, “If that woman has a drop of Cherokee blood in her, I’ll give you a kiss on the lips out on Main Street.”
“I’ll take a pass on that,” Dantzler said, grinning, “regardless of her bloodlines.”
“Ready for another one?” Montgomery asked, holding up his glass.
“Not just yet. I’m savoring this one.”
“One more for me,” Montgomery said to the bartender. “And keep an eye on this guy. Get him another one when he runs dry.”
“Listen, Sean. What can you tell me about Colt Rogers?”
“He’s an asshole, not to be trusted. Why? Is he representing you on some matter?”
“No.”
“Good. I’d make you buy the next five rounds if that were the case.”
“You don’t like him?”
“Don’t like him or respect him.”
“What’s his reputation within the lawyer community?”
“Mediocre attorney, world-class bullshitter, master manipulator, courtroom coward.”
“Why do you refer to him as a courtroom coward?”
“Because he never goes to trial,” Montgomery said. “He always has his clients plead out. Convinces them they don’t have a chance to win, then has them cop a plea. He scares them into accepting the sentence recommendation rather than fight it out at trial. Then he takes credit for winning while his clients head off to jail without having been given a chance to beat the rap. They get four years instead of six, when, in many instances, with a little luck and a good attorney, they might have been acquitted. And most of them are dumb enough to believe he’s done them a big favor. Poor schmucks.”
“What types of cases does he normally handle?”
“He’ll take on pretty much anything, so long as the money is right.”
“You ever cross swords with him?”
Montgomery shook his head. “We’re both defense attorneys, so the chances of us crossing swords are nil. I have dealt with him a few times, but nothing serious. Like I said, he tends to dodge real challenges. If I did face off against him at trial, I would eat his lunch. Now, that I would savor.”
“Did he take over Abe Basham’s practice?”
“Oh, hell, no. ‘Honest Abe’ would have had nothing to do with a guy like Rogers. Trust me, Abe and Rogers were at opposite ends of the morals spectrum. Abe was revered, Rogers is reviled. They operated in different galaxies.”
“Doesn’t Rogers have an office in the same building where Abe’s practice was located? On West Short Street?”
“Yeah, but Rogers moved in after Abe died. Prior to that, Rogers had an office in Chevy Chase.”
“Has Rogers ever been in trouble?”
“You mean, with the Bar?”
“Any kind of trouble?”
“If he has, I’ve never heard about it. I figure him for one of those slick types who knows just how far to go without going over the line. Caught or not, I’m sure he’s done his share of shady dealings.”
“You know Johnny Richards?”
“Nope. What’s going on here, Jack? Why are you inquiring about a slimeball like Colt Rogers?”
“You remember the Eli Whitehouse case?” Dantzler asked.
“Vaguely. I was a kid when it happened. He was a preacher or evangelist-something along those lines, wasn’t he? Killed a couple of guys.”
“Yeah, well, I’m thinking about re-opening the case. Give it another look.”
“I know you pretty well, Jack. You wouldn’t do that unless you were convinced something was off. Are you?”
“No, I’m not convinced, and won’t be until or unless I find evidence that will convince me. But I do think there is reason for doubt.”
“Who was the lead detective on the case?”
“Charlie Bolton.”
“You’re pissing in the wind, my friend. Charlie
“No. But I talked to him about it, and he admits he was never one-hundred percent certain Eli was guilty.” Dantzler got the bartender’s attention and ordered two more pints of Guinness. “Dan Matthews worked the case with Charlie. It was his first homicide investigation. Dan had no doubt about Eli’s guilt.”
“After you, Dan’s the best homicide detective I’ve ever run across. If he was convinced, and if Charlie didn’t prove the man’s innocence, I’d say you really are pissing in the wind.”
“I don’t know. My gut says otherwise.”
“A cop’s instincts can sometimes be more persuasive than the evidence. We’ve both known that to be the case. And no one has better instincts than you. If you feel it, give it a whirl.”
Dantzler finished off his Guinness, stood, and put two twenty dollar bills on the table. “By the way, Sean. I’ve never asked you what it’s like making your living defending assholes you used to put away.”
Montgomery chuckled. “It’s easy, Jack. I just hold my nose when they hand me the money.”
“Just make sure the stink doesn’t rub off on you.”
Dantzler left McCarthy’s and walked back to the station. He stopped briefly at the front desk, engaged in a few minutes of small talk with Bruce Rawlinson, and then headed for the stairs. When he reached the second floor, he saw Eric standing outside of Captain Bird’s office.
“Hey, Eric,” Dantzler said. “You serious about wanting me to take a look at your novel?”
“Sure. If you have the time.”
“For you, Eric, I’ll make time.”
“Okay, what’s the catch?”
“No catch.”
“Oh, yeah, there’s a catch,” Eric insisted.
“I’d prefer to call it a Hannibal Lecter-type exchange.”
“What?”
“I give you advice, you give me information. You know,
“What information? Specifically?”
“I want you to check the
“What’s this about?”
Dantzler spent the next fifteen minutes bringing Eric up to speed on the Eli Whitehouse case. Eric listened intently as Dantzler gave a quick overview of the murders, his being summoned to meet the Reverend, discussing the matter with Charlie, the threatening phone call, and his intention to re-open the investigation.
Eric shook his head, a look of deep skepticism on his face. “I don’t know, Jack. Sounds to me like you’re fishing for minnows in the ocean.”
“No. The phone call changed everything. It convinced me the Reverend is telling the truth. When a stranger orders me to shut down an investigation I haven’t even begun, it can only mean one thing-something is going on.”
“Any parameters on the obits thing?” Eric said.
Dantzler thought for a second, then said, “Start with males, Lexington or Fayette County residents. If we need to branch out, we’ll do that later on.”
“What do you want me to look for? Besides a criminal background, of course?”
