the ladies get the sympathy.'
'Gonna be hard to get a unanimous decision on this,' Naomi said. 'If half the jurors are women, they'll hang that jury up for ever.'
'I think Naomi's right,' Vail said. 'The question here is, what do
'Compassion?' Stenner said, eyeing Vail.
'Expedience,' Flaherty offered. 'I say make the best deal we can, otherwise she may walk.'
'Shana?' Vail said. 'It's your call.'
'First-degree manslaughter. Ten to twenty.'
'Venable won't buy it,' said Vail. 'She'll take her chances with the jury.'
'You're overlooking Edith Stoddard,' said Shana. 'She doesn't want to go to trial. She sure as hell doesn't want what happened in the courtroom this morning to be repeated. Her whole thing now is to protect her daughter and her husband.'
'You think she'll go for manslaughter one ?' Naomi asked.
'I think Janey wants her client to walk out of this courtroom a free woman,' said Vail.
'So?' Shana said.
'So, I think it's time to make a deal,' Vail said.
'And I think no matter what happens, justice is going to get another swift kick in the ass,' Stenner said.
And it was the first time anyone in the room ever saw him smile.
'What the hell are you pulling, Ms Venable?' Judge McElroy asked, scowling across her desk at Venable.
'I swear, I had no idea she was going to say that,' Venable answered. 'She asked if she could be a character witness, to help her mother get bail.'
'I certainly hope so. I don't take kindly to lawyers who try to turn my courtroom into a carnival.' Judge McElroy glared at her for a few seconds more.
'You have my word,' Venable replied firmly.
'All right,' McElroy said. 'What are we going to do about this mess?'
'I think that's up to Ms Venable,' Shana answered immediately.
'Me?' Venable said.
'Yes,' Parver said. 'You can't defend them both. That means Angelica will have to get her own lawyer. Are you prepared in your defence to lay this off on Angelica Stoddard?'
'What do you mean?' Venable answered, her voice getting edgy.
'That's the only way you can walk Edith out of here,' said Parver. 'Either we assume Edith Stoddard is guilty and try to work something out, or you're going to have to convince your client that you should go after her own daughter. Only one of them's guilty.'
'Then we'll go to the jury,' Venable snapped.
'And wash all that dirty laundry in front of the press?' Shana answered. 'I don't think so. We still have a confession, Counsellor. Your client hasn't recanted that yet.'
'No jury in the world will convict Edith Stoddard,' Venable said.
'That isn't the point, is it?' Shana said.
'What is the point?'
'We have a clear case of premeditated murder. We have a powerful civic leader who has a lot of friends in high places. The only way to break that down is to drag Edith through the mud, too. Think about it.'
McElroy leaned back in her chair, making a pyramid of her fingertips and leaning her chin on them. She smothered a smile. This Parver child was slick and tough, she thought. Inwardly, she admired both women. She stood finally.
'If you two will excuse me,' she said, 'I'm going to step outside for a few minutes. I would like to think that when I get back we can resolve this problem.'
She left the room.
'Okay, what are you offering?' Venable said.
'Manslaughter one. Ten to twenty. She could be out in six or seven
