on the to floor above the two circuit courts. The p administrative offices and the traffic court were on street level. Misdemeanor cases and certain preliminary matters in felony cases were handled in the district court, where the preliminary hearing for Christopher Main mon and Kevin Booth was to be held.
Peter walked up the central staircase to the secondfloor courtroom and found Steve Mancini standing in the hall talking to the cutest thing Peter had seen since mavin g to Whitaker. Peter figured her for five two at the most. She had curly red hair, freckles that made her look like a high schooler and a body that was definitely not adolescent. just looking at her made Peter feel all mushy and downright lascivious at the same time.
Mancini waved Peter over. 'You're here to help Amos wit the prelim, aren't you?'
'Yeah. He wanted me to sit in,' Peter said, fighting to keep from staring at the redhead.
'Then, you should meet Becky O'Shay, Whitaker's so most vicious prosecutor. Becky, this is Peter Hale. Watch out for him. He's a big-city lawyer who's moved to the sticks to prey on innocent young things like you.'
O'Shay looked up at Peter and he swore she was gazing into his eyes with something more than polite curiosity.
'Pleased to meet you, Peter,' she said. Her voice sounded like the trill of clear water rushing over smooth stones in a mountain stream. O'Shay extended a tiny, delicate hand. Peter took it and felt a jolt of electricity.
'Time to go, boys and girls,' M ancini said.
'Are you involved in this case?' Peter asked him.
'I'm representing Kevin Booth, the co-defendant.'
O'Shay entered the courtroom and Peter watched her walk to the prosecution's counsel table. When he tore his eyes from her, he saw Christopher Mammon sitting with Amos Geary at the defense table. The two were chatting as if they were old friends and Geary did not seem the least bit intimidated.
To Mammon's right was Kevin Booth. Mancini's client was a mess. His jumpsuit sagged on him, his dirty black hair was uncombed and pimples dotted his pale skin. The contrast between Booth and Christopher Mammon was amazing. Although they were facing sentences that would keep them in prison for eons, Mammon looked as if he was going to fall asleep, while Booth's prominent Adam's apple bobbed up and down from fright and he could not keep his hands still. When Mancini sat beside him, he jumped.
Peter edged behind Mammon and Geary and sat at the end of the table. His boss looked up at him with bloodshot eyes.
'Good morning, Mr. Geary,' Peter said.
Before Geary could reply, the bailiff rapped his gavel and District Court judge Brett Staley, a short, balding man with thick glasses, ascended to the bench. Becky O'Shay told judge Staley that Earl Ridgely, the district attorney, was on vacation and she was handling the preliminary hearing. Then, she called her first witness, Jeffrey Loudhawk.
A dark-complexioned man with high cheekbones and straight black hair was sworn in. He was wearing the uniform of a Whitaker State campus security pard.
After some preliminary questions, O'Shay askd Toudhawk if he had seen either of the defendants on the evening of May 22.
'I saw both of them.'
'Tell judge Staley how you came in contact with them.'
'Yes, ma'am. I was patrolling around ten o'clock when I noticed the defendants seated in a car at the far end of the parking lot.'
'Was the lot crowded?'
'Yes, it was. Classes were 'just I ti j et ng out and there were a lot of students milling around and a large number of cars.'
'What was it that attracted you to these two gendemen?'
'The dome light came on suddenly and I was able to see into the car. Something about Mr. Booth looked odd. When I came closer I saw a rolled, ten-dollar bill in his right nostril.'
'Why did that attract your attention, Officer Loudhawk?'
'I've attended seminars on narcotics cases run by the Oregon State Police and I know, from my training, that addicts use rolled bills as straws to assist them in snorting cocaine.'
'What did you do after you saw Mr. Booth with the bill in his nose?'
'I radioed for assistance using my walkie-talkie. Ron Turnbull, a fellow security guard, arrived and we approached the car. I went to Mr. Booth's side and Officer Turnbull went to the driver's side.'
'Then, Mr. Mammon was driving?'
'Yes, ma'am.'
'What did you observe when you reached the car?' -Mr. Mammon was sitting behind the wheel of the car with his head against the headrest. Mr. Booth was in the same position in the passenger's seat with his eyes closed.' - Where was the ten-dollar bill?' -I found it on the floor of the car on Mr. Booth's side.' -What happened next?'
,Officer Turnbull told Mr. Mammon to freeze and I did the same with Mr. Booth. They both complied. I looked across Mr. Booth and saw, in plain view, a transparent, plastic Ziploc bag filled with a white powder.'
,Where was this bag?'
'Halfway under Mr. Mammon's seat on the driver's side.'
'Did you see anything else that your training led you to believe was associated with narcotics use?'
'Yes, ma'am. I saw a mirror in a map holder on the driver's side.' -Why did the mirror interest you?'
'I know from my training that users of cocaine will prepare the drug on a mirror before snorting it.'
'What happened after you saw the bag of powder and the mirror?'
'I asked Mr. Booth what the powder was. He said he didn't know. I accused him of snorting cocaine and he denied it. Then, I placed both men under arrest and radioed the Whitaker police for assistance. When the police arrived, I turned over the prisoners, two bags of cocaine, the mirror and the rolled bill.'
'Nothing further.'
Peter thought the case against both men looked open and shut. Geary asked a few perfunctory questions of the witness, but his heart was not in it. Then, it was Steve Mancini's turn.
'Officer Loudhawk, how far from Mr. Mammon's car were you when you saw Mr. Booth with the bill in his nose?'
'It's hard to say.'
'Several car lengths?'
'About six. 'And you saw no mirror when you observed Booth with the bill in his nose?' Mr. 'No, sir.'
'Out of curiosity, was a test administered to Mr. Booth to determine whether or not there was cocaine present in his blood?'
'Not that I know of.'
'No further questions.'
Booth leaned over to Mancini. He was upset.
'Is that all you're asking? Why didn't you make him say he didn't see me with any coke? He's lying. They planted the dope and the bill. Call him back.'
'Calm down, Kevin. Let me do my job.'
'But he said he saw me snorting coke.'
There were beads of sweat on Booth's forehead and his eyes were dancing everywhere.
'Will you shut up? I've got to concentrate and I can't do it with you whining in my ear.'
Booth chewed on his lip for a moment. Then, he said, 'Okay. I'm sorry. I just don't want to go to jail for something I didn't do. I'm innocent. This is all bullshit.
I didn't even have that bill in- my hand.'
'Right, Kevin, I believe you,' Mancini answered sarcastically. 'Now how about letting me listen to this witness.'
Miles Baker, a chemist with the Oregon State Poll ice, finished testifying about his qualifications. Then he explained how he determined that the substance in the two bags was cocaine. Geary did not cross-examine.
'Mr. Baker,' Mancini said, 'the evidence log lists several other items that were turned over to you, including a ten-dollar bill and a mirror. Did you test the bill and the mirror for traces of cocaine?'
'No, I did not.'
'Thank you. No further questions.'
