There’s a knock on the door. I turn and spot Stacy’s attorney.
“Oh, I thought we were meeting,” she says.
“We are,” DA Winters says. “Please have a seat.”
She sits and eyes me suspiciously.
“Ms. Tanner, this is Mr. Charles.”
I reach out and offer my hand. She shakes it.
“Now, Ms. Tanner sent in a copy of a motion to vacate Stacy Hawthorne’s murder conviction. Instead of responding to it, which would then make it part of the public record, I called you in here as a courtesy.”
“A courtesy?” Ms. Tanner asks, confused.
“Yes, we have your client on record admitting she wasresponsible for Mr. Hawthorne’s death. Furthermore, she’s also confessed to more to Mr. Charles here. I think you’ll want to listen to this.”
Winters then plays the recorded conversation between Stacy and me from the day I visited her at the prison. Apparently, she was unaware that conversations were recorded. Or she was so convinced she’d get out, she didn’t care.
After it finishes, I glance over at Ms. Tanner. All color has drained from her face.
Winters clasps his hands. “Now, if my office responds to some of your more colorful claims, we will be forced to reference this conversation and likely make it public. You and I both know, you won’t win your motion.”
Ms. Tanner runs her hand along her leg, smoothing her pants. “I’ll need to confer with my client, but I’ll likely file to have the motion dismissed.”
Winters smiles. “Yes, I believe that is what you will do. Please notify me once you have done so. You have three days before I respond to the motion.”
After Ms. Tanner leaves, Winters smiles.
“Thank you for getting her to say all of that. I knew she was guilty and that the podcast was bullshit.”
“Will your office put out a statement about this?”
“I don’t see why we need to. Once the defense dismisses its own motion, that should speak for itself. Unless, of course, that podcast guy continues to lie.”
“I don’t think he will. He has his own issues to deal with.”
The video of Peter and Savvy from the café went viral,and public opinion turned against Peter. Not to mention, the cartel is likely waiting for him to resurface.
Winters stands up. “Good.” He reaches out, and I shake his hand.
Instead of going home, I head toward Savvy’s office building. I need to see her. A block away, my phone rings. I don’t recognize the number.
“Hello?”
“Mr. Charles, don’t hang up.”
“Peter?”
“Yeah, I need your help.”
I can’t help it. I laugh.
“I’m serious,” he says. “The cartel is still after me, and I need protection.”
“I thought you were with Myers.”
Myers and Peter both disappeared around the same time. Agents went to Myer’s apartment to arrest him and discovered his closet was empty, and his phone and passport were gone. He also emptied his savings account. The FBI was able to track him to Spain, but then, they lost him. Stevens thought Peter was with him. I wasn’t as sure, but it did seem possible.
