M Is for Malice

help. I wasn't aware of anyone bringing food or calling to ask if there was anything to be done. Maybe the Maleks were the sort who didn't invite such familiarities. Whatever the reason, it looked like they were coping without the comfort of friends.
    Christie was still chatting, processing Jack's arrest. I've noticed that people tend to drone on and on when they're unnerved. "When I saw Detective Robb on the doorstep, I honestly thought they were coming with information and then they asked if Jack was in and I still didn't think anything about it. I don't even know what's supposed to happen next."
    We moved into the library, where I sank into a club chair and Christie paced the floor. I said, "I guess it depends on what he's charged with and if bail's been set. Once he's booked in, the DA has twenty-four hours to file his case. Jack has to be arraigned within forty-eight hours, excluding Sundays and holidays, of course. So this is what, Thursday? They'll probably take him before a magistrate today or tomorrow."
    "What's arraignment? What does that mean? I don't know the first thing. I've never known anyone who's been arrested, let alone charged with murder."
    "Arraignment's the process by which he's formally charged. They'll take him into court and identify him as the person named in the warrant. He'll be told the nature of the charges against him and he'll be asked to plead guilty, not guilty, or no contest."
    "And then what?"
    "That's up to Lonnie. If he thinks the evidence is weak, he'll demand a preliminary hearing without waiving time. That means within ten court days – two weeks – they'll have to have him in there for a prelim. For that, the prosecuting attorney's present, the defendant and his counsel, the clerk, and the investigating officer, blah, blah, blah. Witnesses are sworn in and testimony's taken. At the end of it, if it appears either that no public offense has been committed or that there's not sufficient cause to believe the defendant's guilty, then he's discharged. On the other hand, if there's sufficient evidence to show the offense has been committed and sufficient cause to believe the defendant's guilty, then he's held to answer. An information's filed that's a formal, written accusation – in Superior Court, he enters a plea, and the matter's set for trial. There's usually a lot of bullshit thrown in, but that's essentially what happens."
    She paused in her pacing and turned to stare at me, aghast. "And Jack's in jail all this time?"
    "He's not allowed to post bail on a homicide."
    "Oh my God."
    "Christie, I've been in jail myself. It's not the end of the world. The company's not that great and the food's off the charts when it comes to fat content – hey, no wonder I liked it," I added in an aside.
    "It isn't funny."
    "Who's being funny? It's the truth," I said. "There are worse things in life. Jack might not like it, but he'll survive."
    She reached out and placed a hand on the mantelpiece to steady herself. "Sorry. I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you."
    "You better have a seat."
    She did as I suggested, perching on the edge of the chair next to mine. "You must have come for some reason. I never even asked what it was."
    "Lonnie was hoping you'd know who was at the club that night. We need someone who can verify Jack's presence at the pairings' party."
    "That shouldn't be too hard. I guess the police are already talking to people at the country club. I'm not sure what the deal is on that. I've gotten two calls this morning, one from Paul Trasatti, who says he needs to talk to Jack, like pronto."
    "Were they together Tuesday night?"
    "Yes. Jack picked him up and took him to the club, I'm sure they sat at the same table. Paul can give you the names of the other eight sitting with them. This is all so crazy: How can they possibly think Jack's guilty of anything? There must have been tons of people there that night."
    "What's Paul's number?"
    "I don't know. It's got to be in the book. I'll go look it up."
    "Don't worry about it. I can check that out in a bit. Once he confirms Jack's alibi, it should go a long way."
    Christie made a face. " 'Alibi.' God, I can't stand the word. Alibi implies you're guilty and you've cooked up some story to cover your ass."
    "Can I use your phone?"
    "I'd prefer it if you'd wait until Donovan or Bennet check in. I want to keep the line free until I hear from them. I hope you don't mind."
    "Not at all," I said. "You mentioned the police picking up