Authors: Camilla Chafer
"Can you do that?" asked Solomon, narrowing his eyes just enough to make me doubt whether I could. I didn't want Juliet to be guilty, but I sure as hell wouldn't be a party to a crime if she were.
"I want to help her, but I refuse to withhold evidence for her," I said, hoping I sounded as fair as I aimed to be.
"Okay... I thought your case was a stalking victim?"
"It is."
"How did Juliet go from being a victim to a criminal?"
"That's what I was wondering when I bumped into you. You know, it could be simpler than that. Maybe Juliet is still being victimized."
"A stalker would have to be damn clever to set her up for this kind of crime. This isn't lowbrow stuff. This isn't taking sneaky photos, or rolling around in her bed and stealing her underwear."
"I agree. Don't you think it's really weird? You know, my client's life was perfect, then all these strange things started happening. She asked for help in finding out if she's bring stalked and her life goes crazy like this —" I pointed to the station " —and now she's in there, under arrest!"
"Let's say that's all true. She could have known they were onto her. Or, this might be some big setup to give her an alibi, or at least, create a modicum of doubt," countered Solomon.
"Isn't that kind of crazy?"
"I don't know. You tell me. Could Juliet have done something like that?"
I leaned against the wall, wondering if I were using the MPD building as a big metaphor for support in justice... or because Solomon's suggestion threw me so entirely that all I could so was slump. I added one hand to my hip so that I at least looked stylish while I slumped. "It would be elaborate," I admitted. If I wanted him to see my client as being potentially innocent, wasn't it fair that I saw her as being potentially guilty? "But she's smart, so I think it's reasonable to assume she could attempt to pull a big ruse to make us question her alleged guilt."
"What does your gut tell you?"
I learned a lot about listening to my gut feelings in recent cases. Some people might call it a sixth sense, or a subconscious colliding of facts, but Solomon called it gut instinct. Not that it overrode facts; it was more like a sense of direction in sifting through the facts and coming to a conclusion. "That it's too crazy to be an elaborate double cross. Something really weird is going on; and it's going to be hell learning the truth."
Solomon smiled. "I thought you were about to say she's innocent."
"I think she is, but... how the hell do I prove it?"
"Let me think over the merits of sharing our surveillance. I need to talk to my client and Detective Donahue."
"I already spoke to him. Donahue that is."
"What does he think?"
"That their tipoff was good and she's guilty. He has enough evidence to arrest Juliet."
"That's not good."
"He says they have a lot of evidence, but he'll listen if I bring something viable in her defense."
"That's good. You know what I want to know?"
I nodded. "I do now."
"I want to know how Juliet came to be arrested. I only just started investigating, and my client wanted the case all hush-hush. If they didn't tip off the police..."
"Then who did?" I finished.
The next day, I was outside Juliet and Rob's house the moment the dashboard clock turned eight. I knew Rob must have had a long night. Right after Solomon and I parted ways outside MPD, I called him with the bad news. He assured me he was already on the way to MPD with their lawyer. The last I heard, late that evening, was that Rob and the lawyer were still there and Juliet had not been officially charged or released.
When Rob answered the door, after my third bout of rapping, he didn't look like he slept much. His hair was disheveled and he was still wearing yesterday's shirt. "What time is it?" he asked, looking at his bare wrist before softly tapping it against his forehead. "I forgot to put my watch on."
"It's eight. We agreed to meet, but I can wait, if you'd prefer?"
He opened the door, stepping back. "No, it's fine. Come inside."
"How's Juliet holding up?"
"She's okay, but she's very upset and confused. She swears she didn't make those trades."
"What do you think?"
"I don't know. Juliet is really smart and law abiding. She wouldn't make trades like that but..."
"But?" I prompted.
"But her name is all over the records." Rob dropped into the armchair, leaving me to continue past him before taking a seat on the couch. "Even our lawyer is having a hard time arguing that it isn't true."
"Could the records have been falsified?"
"Juliet says they must have, but the police say there's a clear trail leading back to her, and she's just trying to wriggle out of it. It's her word against a bunch of evidence that contradicts her. Please tell me you've found something that supports what she's saying?" he asked, giving me a hopeful glance that belied his deeply-set worry lines.
I shook my head, wishing I had an answer for him. "I'm sorry."
"Do you at least have a plan?"
"My plan starts with making you something eat," I told him, rising. "How do you take your coffee?"
Once I had some food in front of a grateful looking Rob and two coffees, one for him, and a sweeter one for me, I asked a few more questions about what occurred at the police station. "I think it was standard stuff," Rob said between chews, "but I wasn't allowed in the interview room. Our lawyer told me that they asked her a bunch of questions about her job and tried to trip her up a few times, but she stuck true to what she believed. Someone set her up; and she's being made a patsy."
"Can you think of why anyone would want to set up your fiancée?"
Rob shook his head. "No, she's the sweetest person I know. She's kind and helpful and everyone likes her."
"Apparently, not everyone," I pointed out.
"Then I don't know why."
"What's the first thing that springs to mind? If you looked at Juliet as an outsider, yet knowing everything you do about her life, what would piss you off?"
Rob dropped the toast crust onto the plate, picked up his coffee cup, and walked over to the window that overlooked the lawn. After a moment, he looked back. "Jealousy."
"Jealousy? Tell me why someone would be jealous of Juliet?"
"She's got... I don't know... it must look like a charmed life. We own this beautiful house. She has an amazing job and is also a very successful businesswoman. She has lovely friends and a family that adore her. She's smart and pretty and kind and wonderful. She has beautiful clothes and things and she gets invited to a lot of A-list events. Parties, dinners, charity stuff. But it's just her, you know? It's because she is the kind of person she is, and not for any other reason. Juliet worked hard to earn her education and her job. She got lucky and inherited some money that we used for this house... our home! And she reciprocates all the efforts of her friends and family and me, which she eagerly returns. She works hard for everything she has."
"You sound like you admire her."
"I do. I really do. When I met Juliet, I'd been single a couple years; and I never thought I'd meet someone like her. She's wonderful to my son and she's going to be a great stepmom and mother to our child too. We do so much together, just the two of us and my son. My life is so much better with her in it. She makes me the man I want to be," he finished, but the smile at the thought of Juliet was clearly hard to keep on his face as he looked away.
"Tell me about that... about your relationship."
"Let's see. Just after we met, I wanted to go for a promotion that I was really nervous about. I had to give a presentation to the big boss and Juliet helped me study for it and I aced it! I got the promotion and a big pay raise. More responsibility. I don't know I could have done that without her help. She's so supportive and encouraging in every aspect of my life. She never tries to hold me back, or guilt trip me. She's generous in ways other than giving her time too. I mentioned once that I always wanted to try skiing and she surprised me with a ski trip for my birthday. We had the best week and I learned how to do something I’ve wanted to do since I was a kid. I even quit smoking! I... I can't believe I'm telling you this... but I want to do romantic things for her all the time, and she loves the things I do so much that it encourages me to do more. I have never been in a relationship like ours before."
"Not even with your son's mom?"
"No, that was kind of doomed from the start. Let me be honest, Lexi, even though it sounds awful. I never really expected we would be a couple; it kind of just happened. And then she got pregnant and... we had such a volatile relationship. I was never truly happy, and I don't think she was either. Things kind of settled down when our son was born, but it never improved or became what I wanted it to be. In the end, we realized we were just kidding ourselves and both agreed to end it. Robbie was only three years old."
"Was it an acrimonious split?"
"No. I moved out and it soon became all about Robbie. We play our parts well. I make sure to contribute financially, and she never messes around with my visitation. She was a stay-at-home mom for a long time, and I'm really grateful she's such a good mom to our son. We get on well now. Much better now than when we were together."
"How does your ex feel about Juliet?"
"Oh, she thinks Juliet is great. I'll admit it was a little awkward at first. I kind of bungled the introduction. I wish I'd told her before we ran into her; but we were on a date and we all just rose above that initial awkwardness; and now we're all friends," said Rob with the easy-breeziness of a man who did not understand women. I hoped he was right, but I had to wonder if everything was quite as peachy as he made it out to be.
"When Juliet came to me, she said you've been really supportive, but you weren't convinced about the stalker. I'd like to know what you really think."
"Truthfully, I don't know what to think. I can see why someone might be jealous of Juliet, but to stalk her? It seems so crazy. Like, that happens to famous people, but not to us."
"But you installed the security system?"
"For her security as well as ours. Just in case. Look, maybe she is being stalked and she's right, weird things have happened, but I can rationalize them to all kinds of things. It doesn't mean there's some creep out there targeting her."
"Juliet mentioned various wedding orders that she hadn't made..." I trailed off, waiting for Rob to fill in the blanks.
"Okay, yeah, that stuff is weird. Expensive, too."
"Have you ever seen anyone hanging around the house, or getting too close, or randomly appearing multiple times when you've been out? Someone who seemed to be taking a lot of interest in Juliet in particular?"
"No, and I've been thinking about it a lot. I just can't think of a time like that, but maybe I'm wrong. Maybe someone is watching her. Juliet thought you could find out whom, or at least, put her mind at rest. She has no problem being wrong. She just needs to know if she is. We both do."
"After saying all that, with all the good things you know about Juliet, is she the type of person to fall foul of insider trading? Or make something like this up?"
Rob shook his head just as the phone rang, causing us both to jump. I hadn't realized how tense our conversation had become, but now I could feel the hairs on my arms were raised, and my posture was one of someone who was anything but calm. I couldn't imagine how Juliet must be feeling. "No, she isn't."
He grabbed the phone, raising it to his ears. I couldn't make out what the other person was saying, but Rob suddenly relaxed and smiled. "That's great news!" he said. "You'll be here soon? Okay. Yes. Great. Thank you!" Placing the phone on the coffee table, he gave me a bright look, the worry lines around his eyes fading. "That was our lawyer. He got Juliet out on bail. They weren't too keen to release her, but they managed to arrange an ex parte hearing in front of the judge based on compassionate grounds. She's coming home now."
"Compassionate grounds?"
"Juliet didn't tell you?"
"Tell me what?"
"Juliet's pregnant."
I nodded, remembering Juliet's happiness at her news. "Yes, she mentioned it was supposed to be a secret for now."
"We were planning a dinner party soon to tell our families."
"Do you think they'll be pleased for you?"
"Ecstatic. And Robbie is thrilled to finally get a little sister or brother."
"I'll bet. When do you plan on telling other people?"
"After we tell our families. We agreed we wouldn't tell anyone at work yet because Juliet was worried about losing clients."
"Is that likely?"
"Well, a couple of Juliet's peers at her office have recently had babies, and they were all fine, but you hear stories about pregnant women getting sidelined at work... She just wanted to be cautious."
"Sounds like a good idea."
"You see what I mean about our charmed life? We have everything; we have the dream! And now we're getting a baby too. The icing on the cake. We could lose everything and Juliet could lose her freedom."
I wanted to reassure him that they wouldn't, and nice people like Rob and Juliet didn't work that hard just to lose everything, but it seemed futile to offer bland platitudes and I didn't know if I could keep her out of jail. So instead, I asked to wait until Juliet arrived home. When talking with Rob began to go around in circles, I filled in the time with simple conversations about their lives. By the time Juliet arrived, her lawyer in tow, I had a good picture of the couple; and it was a happy one.
"I can't believe I'm home!" Juliet said, her voice muffled against Rob's chest as she clung to him. She wore yesterday's clothing but her hair was brushed, and she obviously wanted to keep herself looking smart. "I thought they would keep me there until my trial."
"Trial?" I asked the lawyer, reaching a hand over to shake his.
"Looks that way. Trial is set a month from now and there's plenty of evidence from what Detective Donahue produced. Allan Dale of White and Dale. Call me Allan," he added, shaking my hand in a firm grip. I'd heard of the firm. They had expensive offices a few blocks from Solomon's agency, but I never conducted any business with them. For Juliet to have called in one of those partners, she had to be paying top dollar.
"I didn't do it," Juliet sniffed as Rob led her to the couch, sitting beside her, their hands entwined. "But everything says I did. All the online trades have my access codes and there's paperwork with my signature on it. You have to believe me that I didn't do it."
"We do, honey," said Rob as Juliet shook her head, looking miserable.
"And you?" she said, lifting her eyes to me.
I didn't hesitate before answering. "I think you're being set up."
"If you can't prove that, we'll lose this house. I had to put it up as collateral for the bail. I also had to surrender my passport. I'm under curfew! Look." Juliet pulled up her pant leg, revealing a slim bracelet around her ankle.
"What is that?" I asked, peering at it.
"It's an ankle bracelet to monitor her movements and location. Bail conditions stipulate that Juliet remain at home until the trial," said Allan.
Juliet dropped her pants leg over the cuff. "I'm being treated like a criminal! I could go to prison."
"Could she?" Rob asked, looking from me to the lawyer.
Allan nodded. "Yes, it's very possible."
"How possible?" I asked.
"Let's not put odds on this one," he said, his voice as uncomforting and grave as it could possibly be.
"Tell me straight. What's going to happen?" asked Rob.
The lawyer took a deep breath,
preparing to deliver the bad news, I
thought, although he didn't seem to take any pleasure in his words. "Based on the evidence, Juliet could be facing ten to twenty."
"Months?" asked Rob.
"Years."
"Oh, God!" Juliet dropped her face into her hands. Rob wrapped an arm around her shoulder as she began to shake. "Why is this happening to me?"
"Juliet, is it at all possible you made those trades? Maybe you took advice from someone you shouldn't have? If we enter a guilty plea..." started Allan.