Primal Fear Read Online Free PDF Page A

you, Mr. Vail?”
    Vail smiled. A wise old owl. “No sir,” he said.
    “I don’t get it,” Burnside said to Shaughnessey. “We can make life miserable for this little son-bitch and you know it.”
    “I’m not so sure,” Shaughnessey said.
    “I am,” Malloway said. “We’re gonna nail Pinero for a concealed weapon. That’s a felony and he’s gone down three times already. He’ll do twenty to life. By the time he gets out he’ll be too old to enjoy whatever he gets in the appeal.”
    He leaned back in his chair and smiled. Shaughnessey raised his eyebrows and looked back at Vail.
    “Okay,” Vail said, snuffing out his cigarette. “See you in court.”
    The smile vanished from Malloway’s face. Flederman leaned forward and glared at Vail.
    Shaughnessey looked down at the floor. “Tell them,” he said.
    “You don’t have a concealed weapon case.”
    “Whaddya mean?”
    “It was an illegal arrest. My client was not DUI, thereforethe search was a violation of his rights. The court has already ruled that he didn’t provoke the attack by the officers. Even if you win a depressed judgment, say half, a new jury won’t reverse. So you end up owing Pinero four mil, it costs you another seven hundred to go through the process, and all you end up with is a lot of irate citizens. It’s a bad call, Mr. Malloway.”
    Dead silence fell on the room. Shaughnessey leaned back in his chair and wrapped his fingers over his chest again.
    “You have something in mind?” he asked.
    “Yes sir.”
    “Let’s hear it.”
    “Drop the appeal. The gun case is a dead issue. For the good of the community, we’ll take a reduced judgment of a million-six. City pays half, county and state cough up four hundred thou apiece. We all smile sweetly and Pinero agrees to leave the city forever. He wants to move to California anyway.”
    “I’ll be a son-bitch,” Flederman said, and spat the rest of his tobacco in the brass urn at his feet. Malloway and Burnside stared at Vail openmouthed. Shaughnessey continued to rub his thumbs together.
    “Why don’t you think about it?” Vail said. “Get back to me.”
    “Oh, why not just settle it right now,” Shaughnessey suggested softly. “Before anybody has a chance to screw it up. I’ll take one of those peanuts now, son.”
    After Vail left, Arnold Flederman stood up, his face flushed, and slapped his hand on the desk.
    “That arrogant little prick,” he snapped. “What was all that shit about goin’ first and losin’ and negotiating and compromising? What the fuck’s he talkin’ about?”
    “He was quoting me,” Shaughnessey said with a wry smile. “A lecture I gave about ten years ago when he was a law student.”
    “Yer kiddin’,” Flederman said.
    Shaughnessey didn’t answer. He picked up the phone and punched out a number, waited for it to answer.
    “This is Roy Shaughnessey for the judge … Well, tell him to take a recess, I need to talk to him
now.
I’ll hold.” He drummed his fingertips on the desk while he waited.
    “What’s this about?” Burnside asked.
    “Pay-up time,” said Shaughnessey. “Mr. Vail is about toget a lesson in politics … Hello, Harry. Okay, he took us for a million-six … No, there wasn’t any argument, he could have gone for more … Look, he’s a smart kid, Harry, just needs some humility. It’s all yours. Kick his ass.”

FIVE
    Butterfly Higdon’s; 10:30 A.M.
    Most of the breakfast crowd had drifted out by now. At the circular bar in front, Burt Sheflin, who had long ago drowned a great singing career in rye whiskey, was having his first of the day, lifting a shot glass with both hands to trembling lips. The bartender, Pins, a baby-faced former professional wrestler, if wrestlers are ever professionals, nodded as Vail walked toward the rear.
    Two paralegal types, stripped to their shirtsleeves, were shooting eight ball on the single table beside the bar. One of them knelt, sighted his shot, stood, aimed carefully, and