Crime of Privilege: A Novel (51 page)

“Maybe way up in Northern California,” I offer. “Eureka, someplace like that.”

When she doesn’t respond, I improve the offer. “It’s beautiful at Lake Tahoe,” I say.
“Truckee, Tahoe City, they’re good places to live.”

Of course, we are hampered by the fact that we can only practice law where we are
licensed, which means Massachusetts, plus, in my case, New Jersey. Barbara does not
want to go to New Jersey
.

I tell her there are nice towns in Jersey: Short Hills, Saddle River, Princeton, Morristown
.

She lists nice towns in Massachusetts: Newton, Wellesley, Weston, Sudbury
.

All are places we cannot afford
.

We discuss the various district attorney’s offices around the state and acknowledge
we will probably be blackballed from all of them
.

“Maybe not Worcester,” she suggests. “Or Framingham. There’s a great little town between
those two places called Ashland, where I understand they have services for people
like Malcolm.”

I am doing my best to get to know Malcolm. I try not to freeze when she mentions his
name. I know it will be hard, but I am convinced I can do it. Not because I am paying
dues like Peter Martin, but because I am getting stronger, becoming a better person.
It may take a long time, but I am committed to trying
.

Which is why I am listening to Bill Telford. He comes around now and then, usually
right to my house because I don’t go to Pogo’s anymore now that I see Barbara at night.
He is disappointed that his announcement, his speech, did not change things
.

“The Gregorys have gotten away again,” he tells me. “They are still denying Jamie
killed Heidi and the rest of them just go on living their lives the way they always
have.”

He wants me to write a book
.

I remind him of what Dick O’Connor said, that I don’t really have any hard
evidence, any admission, any eyewitness testimony that constitutes proof beyond a
reasonable doubt
.

He tells me the Gregorys won’t do anything about it except get some family spokesman
to deplore the crass innuendos being peddled for money by some failed attorney, some
would-be, wannabe socialite. Those aren’t the exact words Bill uses, but it is what
he means
.

What Bill Telford wants most of all is for everyone to know
.

I remind him that not everyone wants everyone to know, that there are people besides
the Gregorys who could take legal action: Jason Stockover, Leanne Sullivan, Howard
Landry, Lexi Sommers Trotter, just to name a few
.

He thinks about it. “In that case,” he says, “change the names.”