Until Proven Innocent (20 page)

“
Have you had the pleasure of meeting the good doctor before today?”

“
No I haven’t, but several of our law enforcement customers speak highly of her, and I know that she’s a very young, bright person.”

I motion for him to come aboard. He gets his first surprise when the dog comes out to meet him.

“
My goodness, that’s an attractive large animal.”

“
That’s not an animal, that’s the doctor’s associate, Igor. Just walk that way. He’ll take you to the doctor’s laboratory.”

They both disappear into the forward stateroom and the door closes behind them. This completely shuts me out of whatever they’re doing, but that’s the way things are around here. I handle the courtroom part of our business any way that I want to, and she takes care of the office operation. We’re sort of a Mister Outside, Miss Inside kind of team. There are things she does that are beyond my comprehension, and there are things I do that she has no ability to understand, like getting arrested for crimes, getting involved with female criminals, screwing up my marriage to Myra, and other complicated stuff not designed to be appreciated by kids like her.

After about an hour in there, Mister Necktie is led out by Igor. I can’t help but notice that there’s something that looks familiar sticking out of the guy’s folder case. If my first glance is correct, it’s one of our law firm’s checks.

Ordinarily, I let her do anything she wants, but when our money is being spent, my curiosity is aroused. There’s no way I would ever second-guess her decision to spend our money, but this time I’d at least like to have some idea of what it’s for, so I stop him with a smile and offer him a seat on the couch, letting him know that he’s got at least another hour or so before the traffic starts to get heavy. I’d like to know what we’ve purchased, but I also want to avoid looking too stupid.

“
So, how did your meeting with the doctor go today?”

“
Oh, quite nicely. You’re Mister Peter Sharp, the well known criminal attorney, aren’t you?”

That’s it. I already like this guy. I modestly nod, letting him know that his exceptional powers of observation are correct. He goes on.

“
Recognizing people and objects is my life. It’s what I do for a living, and I like to think I’m pretty good at it.”

It looks like this guy has no problem with modesty holding him back. The check in his folder seems to have given him a lot more confidence than he had when first coming aboard, so he goes on.

“
On behalf of our entire organization, I want to thank you for your order, and to let you know that you are now in position to be a leading forensic science firm.”

He has a wonderful way of talking without saying anything that I’m really interested in. All I want to know now is ‘what the hell did we buy, and how much did we spend for it?’

“
On behalf of Doctor Braunstien and myself, I accept your thanks. When can we expect delivery?” I still haven’t exactly asked him what we bought, but maybe his answer to my delivery question will lead to the subject matter.

“
Oh, it’s already here. Because it’s only software, once I received your check, I went to our website, entered the proper authorization code, and gave your office access to the downloading process.”

He looks at his wristwatch. “Depending on the width of your broadband connection, I’d say that it should be completely downloaded in two or three minutes.”

I take another shot at getting some explanation of what we just paid for. “Do you think we’ll have any trouble operating the program? I mean, does your firm offer any technical support if we have a problem? Is there a toll-free customer support number we can call?”

“
Oh, I don’t think you’ll have any problem with that. The doctor obviously has had experience in the past, working with local law enforcement agencies. She knows quite a bit about how to operate both the Facial Recognition and Toolmark Identification segments. I don’t know why she wanted both
Drug-Fire
and
IBIS
, but she must have some need for them both.”

Being the expert he is, he obviously recognizes that I haven’t the slightest idea of what he’s talking about, so he decides to put me out of my misery. “
Drug-Fire
was developed in part by the FBI, and is computerized technology that allows one to investigate and compare characteristics of expended cartridges with others, and those in the law enforcement computer system. Its database has been online since September of 1995 and contains thousands of cartridges and bullets. The system you now have here is also installed in hundreds of crime labs worldwide, is used by almost a thousand firearms examiners and technicians, and has processed close to one hundred thousand cases worldwide.

“
IBIS
is an acronym for Integrated Ballistics Identification System and was developed by our ATF. The program is also known as
‘Bulletproof’
and
‘Brass Catcher,’
and has been online since July of 1996. Between those two systems, your office is now on the leading edge of Toolmark Identification and Ballistic Fingerprinting.

“
MANDRAKE,
Face ID, Face It and
Imagis’ ID-2000
are the leading products in computerized 2-D facial recognition software.
ILEFIS,
the 3-D program, isn’t ready for distribution yet, but when it comes out, your office will be one of the first to have it. I left a beta version of it for her to try out. It works by focusing on 64 facial features, like a chin, nose, lower lip, or eye. The researchers have identified as many as 256 unique shapes for each of the features, and the software program uses a set of numbers, like a number 21 nose, a number 32 eye socket, and a number 34 lip. What we wind up with is a numerical face code.

“
Security cameras scan the peaks and valleys of features, called ‘nodal points.’ The human face contains over 80 nodal points, but only 14 to 22 stable nodal points are needed for a successful match. Stable nodal points are those that don’t fluctuate with weight or expression, like eye socket depth.

“
So there you have it. Your forensics section is now one of the best equipped ones in the country, and the law enforcement agencies that referred us to you will no doubt be paying for your services soon, on a consultant basis.”

So that’s it. The kid bought some detective software. Why, I still don’t know, but being the ultimate armchair sleuth that she is, I’m sure it will come in handy. I hate to do it, but I’ve got to ask one more question.

“
By the way, just so I can keep track of our finances, what did the total of that check come to?”

*****

Mister necktie has been gone for about a half hour, and I’m still sitting here in shock. I’m no computer expert, but I appreciate the value of good software programs. When the guy told me how many thousands of dollars we just spent, it really surprised me. In the past, the kid has never charged anything for helping out her cop friends, but maybe she can get hooked up with some private labs and start getting fees for us.

I go to the galley, get out the dog biscuit box, and shake it. If Bernie is anywhere within about a half mile radius, it’ll get him front and center in less than a minute, and this time it only took about four seconds. I reward his attendance with one of the biscuits, and tuck a note into his collar with only one question on it: “Dr. Braunstien, did we really have to spend that much money on the software?”

It only takes a few minutes before I get a response to my dogmail. The reply note has only one sentence on it. “If it doesn’t work to solve any of the cases we’re now working on and pay for itself by the end of the year, then the total cost will come out of my end.” Well, I guess that tells me something. I tip the messenger with the customary pat on the head and ‘good boy’ compliment, and he returns to his home base.

Next to Stuart, Suzi is the sharpest businessperson I’ve ever encountered. For her to offer payment of this software out of her portion of the firm’s income, she must be pretty sure that it’ll pay off on our cases. Unfortunately our only open one is Tony’s, which I believe is a no-fee job. Suzi gets so much help from the local cops, that whenever they have a problem, she offers our services. Most of the time all we have to do is help fill out paperwork for different things like divorces, retirement, and auto accidents, but this time we got stuck on a murder defense. I’m sure the kid will figure some way for us to wind up getting money out of this case. She usually does. And if I know her at all, she’s already got driver’s license photos in her computer for every person that Tony’s team talked to. The kid stayed at Myra’s house recently while I was vacationing in the La Verne City Jail, so she no doubt she now also has Myra’s law enforcement passwords and can access all of the criminal records databases usually reserved for use by cops only.

It’s nice to know how well equipped our modest law firm is. With this new knowledge I feel relaxed enough to sit back, flip on the flat panel television screen, and watch the Dodgers pre-game show.

The local news practice of ‘if it bleeds, it leads’ seems to have worked its way into sports coverage too, because they open the show with news of a dead body that was found in the trunk of a car in the parking lot of Dodger Stadium. He couldn’t have been a ticket scalper, because the Blue Crew hasn’t been doing so well lately and there’s no problem getting a seat at one of their home games.

The phone rings. It’s Stuart calling. I don’t even have time to say hello, because as soon as I take the phone off the hook, I hear his excited voice.

“
Peter, you’ve got to meet me this afternoon. I got a phone call from the FBI. They want me to come in to their West Los Angeles office. I’m supposed to be there in two hours. Please, can you meet me there?”

* * * * * *

Chapter 13

I haven’t the slightest idea why the FBI wants to talk to Stuart, but it can only be for one of the two things he’s currently involved in that touches on their jurisdiction. Either his Thai girls import service or his interstate gambling scheme. Whichever one it might be that raised their curiosity, it’s unlikely they’d call him in to talk about it, because that’s not the way they work. Their usual method is to first build up an airtight case against their suspect and then with the television cameras watching, storm his office and take him away in handcuffs. That’s a lot more fun for them, and gets more press coverage.

“
Calm down, Stuart. Did they tell you anything about why they want you to come in?”

“
Yes, they said they’d like my assistance in a case they’re looking into. That means I’m not in trouble, right? All they need is my help. Right?”

“
Wrong. The FBI doesn’t need your help, Stuart. They don’t need anyone’s help. They’ve got a big budget and plenty of employees. If they need your help, it’s only to give them enough information to arrest you for something.”

Stuart doesn’t respond. “Listen, Stuart, I’ll meet you there, but in the event that you get there before I do, it’s imperative that you don’t say anything to anyone. You know that warning they give people who get arrested? The one that has words like ‘anything you say can and will be used against you?’ Well they really mean it. Don’t say a word to anyone unless I let you know that it’s okay.”

“
Peter, I really appreciate this, I mean your meeting me on such short notice. I want you to know that your meter will be running from the time we hang up the phone. Is that okay?”

“
No Stuart, it’s not okay. The meter started running when I picked up the phone.”

With all of his business enterprises running so successfully, Stuart is doing quite well now. He’s scared out of his wits, and that’s the best kind of client to have, because when they’re that scared, they have more of a tendency to hide behind you and let you run things the way you see fit.

The Marina is about fifteen miles closer to the West Los Angeles Federal Building than Stuart’s office is, so I’m having no difficulty in getting there before he arrives. I give my card to the receptionist and in just a few minutes one of Snell’s drones comes out to escort me back to his boss’ office. When attaching a visitor’s pass to my pocket, I ask the agent to tell the receptionist to please call Snell’s office when Stuart arrives.

As usual, Snell is not very excited to see me.

“
Hello Sharp, what brings you in here today? I hope it’s to give me some additional info on that movie piracy gang.”

“
Not quite. You called a client of mine and asked him to come in this afternoon. For some strange reason he felt intimidated by your request, so he asked me to hold his hand while you try to beat some information out of him.”

“
Very funny, but he really doesn’t have that much to worry about, because it’s a murder that we’re investigating, and in no way do we like him for the actual crime. We do think that he’s had some connection with the victim, and that’s why we want to talk to him.”

“
That’s interesting. I didn’t know that the FBI investigated murders in this town. Isn’t that local police business?”

Our friendly chat is interrupted by Snell’s intercom. He picks up his phone, gets the message, and nods at his assistant, who then leaves the room.

“
Your client is here.”

Stuart is led into the office and he’s as white as a ghost. He sits down in a chair next to me and the look on his face tells me that he’s too frightened to talk. Snell starts in.