The Reversal

in it for him if he doesn’t.”
    “Your Honor!” Royce cried. “I object to Mr. Haller infecting the record with such prejudicial pap directed solely at the media in attendance. My client has no other purpose at this point than—”
    “I understand, Mr. Royce,” Firestone interjected. “But I think you did a fair amount of playing to the cameras yourself. Let’s just leave it at that. Without objection from the prosecution, I am releasing Mr. Jessup on his own recognizance once he provides the clerk with documentation of residence. Mr. Jessup is not to leave Los Angeles County without permission of the court to which his case is assigned.”
    Firestone then referred the case to the clerk of the court’s office for reassignment to another department for trial. We were now finally out of Judge Firestone’s orbit. He could restart the assembly line and get home for dinner. I picked up the files Maggie had left behind and left the table. Royce was back at the seat at the railing, dumping files into a leather briefcase. His young associate was helping him.
    “How did it feel, Mick?” he asked me.
    “What, being a prosecutor?”
    “Yes, crossing the aisle.”
    “Not too much different, to tell you the truth. It was all procedure today.”
    “You will be raked over the coals for letting my client walk out of here.”
    “Fuck ’em if they can’t take a joke. Just make sure he stays clean, Clive. If he doesn’t, then my ass really will be thrown on the fire. And so will his.”
    “No problem there. We’ll take care of him. He’s the least of your worries, you know.”
    “How’s that, Clive?”
    “You don’t have much in the way of evidence, can’t find your main witness, and the DNA is a case killer. You’re captain of the Titanic, Mickey, and Gabriel Williams put you there. Makes me wonder what he’s got on you.”
    Out of all that he said, I only wondered about one thing. How did he know about the missing witness? I, of course, didn’t ask him or respond to his jab about what the DA might have on me. I played it like all the overconfident prosecutors I had ever gone up against.
    “Tell your client to enjoy himself while he’s out there, Clive. Because as soon as the verdict comes in, he’s going back inside.”
    Royce smiled as he snapped his case closed. He changed the subject.
    “When can we talk about discovery?”
    “We can talk about it whenever you like. I’ll start putting a file together in the morning.”
    “Good. Let’s talk soon, Mick, yes?”
    “Like I said, anytime, Clive.”
    He headed over to the court deputy’s desk, most likely to see about his client’s release. I pushed through the gate and connected with Lorna and we left the courtroom together. Waiting for me outside was a small gathering of reporters and cameras. The reporters shouted questions about my not objecting to bail and I told them no comment and walked on by. They waited in place for Royce to come out next.
    “I don’t know, Mickey,” Lorna confided. “How do you think the DA is going to respond to the no bail?”
    Just as she asked it my phone started beeping in my pocket. I realized I had forgotten to turn it off in the courtroom. That was an error that could have proven costly, depending on Firestone’s view of electronic interruptions while court was in session.
    Looking at the screen, I said to Lorna, “I don’t know but I think I’m about to find out.”
    I held up the phone so she could see that the caller ID said LADA.
    “You take it. I’m going to run. Be careful, Mickey.”
    She kissed me on the cheek and headed off to the elevator alcove. I connected to the call. I had guessed right. It was Gabriel Williams.
    “Haller, what the hell are you doing?”
    “What do you mean?”
    “One of my people said you allowed Jessup to walk on an OR.”
    “That’s right.”
    “Then I’ll ask again, What the hell are you doing?”
    “Look, I—”
    “No, you look. I don’t know if you were just giving one of your buddies in the defense bar what he wanted or you are just stupid, but you never let a murderer walk. You understand me? Now, I want you to go back in there and ask for a new hearing on bail.”
    “No, I’m not going to do that.”
    There was a hard silence for at least ten seconds before Williams came back.
    “Did I just hear you right, Haller?”
    “I don’t know what you heard, Williams, but I’m not going back for a rehearing. You have to understand something. You