The 37th Amendment: A Novel Read Online Free PDF

ask the California Supreme Court for a stay of execution. Until the U.S. Supreme Court rules in the Owens case all executions in California are stayed.”
    “You know as well as I do,” Jackson said, “where the Court is going to come down in the Owens case. This Court will never find that Congress has the authority to re-write California’s criminal laws.”
    Howe sighed. “A man can hope,” he said.
    Sergeant Thomas Blandon peered through the wire-reinforced window in the steel door at the 24-year-old girl sitting alone at the conference table. “Who is she?” he asked.
    “Her name is Bara Salvacion.” Officer John Avery looked disgusted. “She was arrested an hour ago selling heroin in the parking lot of the New Greek Theater. She says she has information about the Maria Sanders murder and she wants a deal.”
    “A little late, isn’t she?” Blandon laughed. Robert Rand’s arrest and identification by an eyewitness the day before had ended a three-month siege of nightly overtime and canceled vacations for the officers of the LAPD.
    “That’s what I told her,” Avery said. “But she says she has information so I thought I’d better bring it to you.”
    Blandon frowned. “Well, I’m not the one who’s going to make that decision,” he said. “We’ll have to take it to Whitfield.” He pulled a wireless out of a loop on his belt and keyed in a number. “This is Blandon,” he said after a moment. “We just brought in a heroin dealer who says she’s got information on the Sanders case. Yeah. Room A34. Right.” He pressed a key and replaced the wireless on his belt.
    It was less than a minute later when Whitfield, nearly out of breath, joined them in front of the door. “I knew drugs were involved,” he said, with something like smug satisfaction. “Then I thought maybe I was wrong when Rand, if that’s his name, didn’t show up in the DEA’s computer, but I should have trusted my first instinct.”
    Officer Avery nodded deferentially. “She says she wants a deal for information,” he said. He handed Whitfield a file folder with a report clipped to the top.
    Whitfield glanced at it, smiled, and pressed two keys on the wireless that was clipped to his belt. “Lilibet, it’s Cal,” he said after a moment. “Is the chief in? No, that’s okay, don’t interrupt him. Just let him know we may have another witness in the Sanders case. I think he might want to call the mayor.” Whitfield listened for a moment, then laughed. “I know,” he said. “Well, he’ll be happy to hear about this. Right. No problem.” He pressed a button on the wireless, nodded to the officers and opened the door.
    Bara Salvacion was rail thin and rather attractive. Her dark hair, long and straight, was parted in the middle and tossed back behind her shoulders. She wore a pair of tight-fitting bright blue jeans and an oversized man’s white dress shirt, fully unbuttoned to expose augmented breasts spilling over a beaded bra top. “You’re Detective Whitfield, aren’t you?” she demanded.
    “I’m Detective Whitfield,” he answered, pulling out a chair and sitting down opposite her.
    “I saw you on television,” the girl said.
    “Mm-hmm,” Whitfield nodded.
    “If I help you with the Maria Sanders case, can you get me probation?”
    Whitfield was leafing through the file that Avery had given him. “I don’t know,” he said. “Quite a record you’ve got here.”
    “I don’t want to do no more time,” the girl said. “I can tell you how Robert Rand killed Maria Sanders, why he did it, and how he got away. Interested?”
    Whitfield studied her face. Her eyes were narrowed. “Possibly,” he said.
    “I want your word you’re gonna get me probation. Otherwise I’m gonna call a lawyer.”
    “Call a lawyer if you want,” Whitfield said. “It’s not going to change anything.”
    Bara’s gaze fell. “I don’t want to do no more time,” she repeated.
    “Bara,” Whitfield said. “Tell me what