“Shawn? Is that you?” says a female voice on the other end.
“Mrs. Holcomb?” Shawn covers the mouthpiece and whispers Shit shit shit.
“Yes, Shawn, it’s Elaine. Wally kept calling your name and was about to hang up, but I said, ‘Hell no, lemme talk to him.’ What the fuck is going on, Shawn?”
Quite the normal reaction from Lennox’s mom, Shawn thinks. Shawn not only knows Elaine and Wallace Holcomb personally from when Lennox and Shawn were best friends at Harvard, but he also knows of Elaine’s reputation since.
A no-nonsense lawyer who speaks her mind no matter the cost, Elaine Holcomb was a New York County Assistant District Attorney for well over a decade before she ran for mayor last year and narrowly lost to the Democratic incumbent. Shawn, along with the rest of Manhattan’s legal world, hold her in high regard as the Queen Bitch of Manhattan’s judicial system, and even call her that to her face. Shawn knows firsthand that she’s proud of the nickname. He also knows that she’ll stop at nothing until there’s justice for her son.
“I’m sorry, Elaine. I’m here at the police station and couldn’t talk inside. I just called to see how you two are doing. I’ve been thinking about you both.” The gesture seems empty, but he decides to run with it.
“What are you doing at the police station? You need some help? They don’t think you had anything to do with it, do they?”
“No, no, I’m here to see Micah. He’s been arrested.”
“About goddamn time. You know I never trusted that boy.”
Shawn thinks her resentful statement is unwarranted. Before this emotional reaction, all Shawn had seen was Micah and Elaine’s unmentioned respect for one another—Micah for Elaine’s forthrightness and cunning intellect, and Elaine for Micah’s resolve and unwavering commitment to her son after the affair. Apparently, she’s changed her mind and become fixated on Micah as the killer. Great, that’s all I need, Shawn thinks.
“What do you mean?” he asks.
Rather than let her know he is defending her son’s husband, he’s chosen a different route. Shawn knows how Elaine works. He’s heard stories from attorneys at his firm who have gone up against her in many a court proceeding. She is meticulous and is not afraid to skirt the boundaries of the law, and she knows the system too well to let it get the best of her. Shawn knows Elaine is already two steps ahead of him. No doubt she is already talking to the new prosecuting attorney and may have information he needs to know. This could be his last chance to get any information she may attempt to hide in the future.
“What do you mean ‘What do I mean’? You’re a lawyer, aren’t you?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“I’m sorry, dear.” She takes a deep breath. “I know you loved my son, I should be more considerate.”
“It’s okay, Mrs. Holcomb. But I’m curious, I thought you cared for Micah.”
“I tried to, yes. Before he killed my son.”
“But isn’t that a little far-fetched? I mean, we both know Micah. He loved Lennox. Like, really loved him something special.” Shawn knows this is pushing a little hard and could give him away, especially to someone as smart as Elaine Holcomb. But he also means every word.
“You know, I wanted to believe that for the longest time,” she answers. “But let’s go through the facts, shall we? One, we have the Lennox and Josh affair, which my son fully admitted to. However, Lennox told me about the subsequent confrontation with Micah, and if you ask me, some psychiatric files need to be pulled on this man. Two, this was a brutal murd—”
She stops. Shawn wonders if he has lost the connection, but then hears a soft clearing of the throat on the other end of the line. Could this be the stoic Queen Bitch actually feeling something? Could this be…
“A brutal, unforgiveable murder,” she continues as if she never stopped. “And we all know what that means. Crime of passion. I don’t think he ever forgave my son, or maybe Lennox was involved with someone else, or maybe Micah thought he was. Whatever. Micah had motive. Three, apparently Lennox wasn’t the only one Micah threatened because the prosecution has the testimony of that poor Josh fellow on video saying he felt so threatened that he didn’t leave his apartment for an entire six weeks. Four, Micah beat my son to death even after knowing that he was still alive. Lenny was still alive. And finally, here’s the kicker: turns out my son has a life insurance policy worth one point five million. One point five. And you’ll never guess who the sole beneficiary is.”
Silence.
“Now tell me again how much he loved my son.”
Shawn doesn’t speak. He’s trying very hard to write all of this down without her hearing his pencil scratching on his legal pad.
“Mrs. Holcomb.”
“Elaine.”
“Elaine. All of that happened over two years ago, including the life insurance. I helped them with that myself. And I hear there might be other leads, other suspects. I truly think Micah was trying to help Lennox.”
“Believe what you want, Shawn. I’m sure you could cook up quite the defense …”
Her voice trails. She knows.
“Elaine, there’s something I need to tell you.”
“You’re defending that sonofabitch.”
“Yes.”
((Click.))
C h a p t e r 1 5
“Mr. Shawn Connelly, I’m Detective Bronson Penance. You wanted to see me?”
Shawn is leaning back on what he has now deemed his green chair in the foyer of Precinct Seven. Almost two hours have passed since Lennox’s mother hung up on him. He’s just finished writing two highly detailed lists, one of the evidence and potential theories the prosecution may use to convict his client, and one of potential leads to mount an ironclad defense, leads that perhaps the detective doesn’t know about.
“Yes, detective, I remember you,” Shawn answers. “I want to see my client, but I have a few questions first.”
“No need, counsel. I’m sure you know that the
