They discussed whether to hand out the police sketch or restrict its distribution. There were arguments to be made on both sides.
"Channel Six wants an interview. That would be a chance to show the sketches. But we need a lot more before we can name the redhead as a suspect. Meantime, she sees herself on TV, she could get spooked and run."
Aaron agreed that for the time being they should keep the sketch to themselves. Then he said he was starting to wonder about Dietz. "I've been talking to his brother. I think there's something wrong there.
Like maybe the executive-recruiter story wasn't quite the truth and there was another reason Dietz came to New York."
"You following up?"
"Sue's on it now. She's talking to his company. Ray's out showing the sketch around the hotel and the neighborhood." Aaron lowered his voice.
"How did it go with Kit?"
Janek shrugged. "One minute we're pals: ' you can do this, Frank." Next she's the boss and I'm the errand boy." He exhaled. "By the way, we're reporting to Deforest.
Sue came into the room.
"I just got off with Dietz's boss in San Jose-Eliot Cavanaugh, chairman of Sonoron Corp. I should say former boss. Seems Dietz was an executive there until six days ago, when there was a big blowup and he got fired.
Cavanaugh says that on his way out Dietz may have stolen some kind of valuable prototype computer chip from a high-security area of their research lab. They think he brought it here to sell to a foreign competitor."
"Well, there you are, Frank. Whoever killed him tossed his room to find the chip." "Did they report him for stealing?" Janek asked.
"They didn't have any proof it was Dietz, so they just reported it as a robbery. Cavanaugh said at first they were expecting Dietz to offer to return the chip in exchange for a heavy-duty severance package. When they didn't hear from him they figured he was out to screw them. Now Cavanaugh wants to send his security guy here. I got the impression he could care less about Dietz, that all he cares about is getting back his thingamajig."
Janek instructed Sue to run a check on all known KO girls and outstanding KO cases. He made a date to meet Aaron for dinner at Peloponnesus, then phoned Meg Chang. He tried to convince her that the Dietz story wasn't worth her time, but she wouldn't let go. Finally, he agreed to give her an interview in front of the Savoy at eight the following night. Then he called Netti Rampersad.
"Hi! I hear you got goodies," Netti said.
"Goodies for you could be bad dies for somebody else."
She laughed. "You're funny, Janek. A witty fellow. Come on down. I could use a chuckle or two."
The address for her office was on Canal Street, within walking distance of the Criminal Courthouse, but the building, on the edge of Chinatown, was mostly occupied by Asian import-export firms and garment manufacturers inhabiting lofts designated by signs in Chinese characters.
Hmmm, this is curious, Janek thought as he mounted a steep stairway to the fourth floor. He was almost out of breath when he reached a bright red fire door. A neat little sign on it said RAMPERSAD amp; RUDNICK, CRIMINAL DEFENSE. Janek pressed the buzzer. He heard a click.
Someone was examining him through a peephole. Then he heard several locks being unlatched. A moment later he was facing Netti, who was standing in the doorway wearing a black tanktop, red sweatpants and immaculate white sneakers. Her face, arms and chest were slick with sweat.. "Ah-so-you come velly fast," she said in the same imitation Chinese accent she'd used when she'd said goodbye to him at the safe house.
Her office was as surprising as her clothing: a vast open space broken up by columns and decorated with old framed posters for Tangier, Port Said and other exotic ports of call. A home Nautilus machine and a Stairmaster were arranged like sculptures on a bright yellow platform.
On one side of the loft a pretty young woman was working at a computer.
On the other, a middle-aged gray-bearded man wearing a yarmulke was talking into a phone.
"That's my partner, Burt Rudnick," Netti said, gesturing. "This is our secretary, Doe Landestoy." Doe looked up and beamed.
"What's with the Chinese-waiter accent?"
"You don't like it?"
"I don't understand it."
Rampersad shrugged. "Just seems to come out of my mouth sometimes."
Maybe you should learn to restrain yourself, Janek thought. He peered around the room. "I've never seen a law office like this."
"It used to be a karate school. It folded and we picked up the lease.
The clients like it, those who get to visit us. Mostly, of course, it's us who visit them… in jail, prison, wherever." Rampersad grinned. "I like it here. These old walls have seen lots of pain.
Ever do karate?"
Janek shook his head. "Too much chop-chop."
She smiled. "Now that you've met everybody and checked out the joint, let's see what you got."
He handed her copies of Tania's affidavits, had her sign a receipt for them, then watched her as she read. She might, indeed, have strange mannerisms, but now, in defense attorney mode, she was all business.
"My client's going to be pleased," she said when she finished. "You've just handed me his passport out of hell."
"Think you can get him bail?"
"If I get him a new trial, bet your ass he'll be on the street."
"I don't know." Janek shook his head. "He's a rich guy.
He might make a run for it."
"He's served hard time. He's no threat to society.. Anyway, what's it to you?"
"He killed a cop." "Oh, sure," she said, turning sarcastic. "Howard Clury.
How could I forget?"
At that she launched into a little tirade, working herself up as she went along like an actress delivering a curtain speech. Janek didn't much like her tone, but he was impressed by her passion. Toward the end she was spitting out her words:
"No one ever brought charges against Mendoza for that, did they? Maybe because there was no evidence. But still he had to be a cop-killer, didn't he? So, what did you guys do-excuse me, some of you guys?
Cooked up as phony a chain-of-evidence story as this town has ever seen, probably even talked some lame-brained boxer into slicing his wrists while taking a bath. But that didn't matter because it brought the Great Cop-killer down. That was the only thing that mattered… except maybe to a few of us who happen to believe in the rule of law."
Janek stood back from her. Then he clapped. "Nice summation, Counselor."
"Never hurts to rehearse."
"I'm curious-do you see yourself becoming a legal heroine out of this?"