A Long Road to Redemption

Chapter 13

It was late that morning when Sidney entered the same small interrogation room as before. Inside sat a medium-sized man in a suit and tie with dark-rimmed glasses. "Sidney, how are you holding up? Oh, I'm so sorry I couldn't get her sooner. Your parents called me this morning, and I tried to get here as fast as I could."

"It's nice to see you again, Mr. Brady. I guess I'm okay," she responded.

"I know it's been a tough day, but we need to talk about your case. I haven't spoken to the DA yet, but they're going to push for First Degree Murder, I think. Of course, they won't get that to stick, but Second Degree is very likely, and you've probably already guessed the Piersons will come after you hard for this."

Sidney hadn't thought about how the Piersons might react. She met Lawson's parents several times, and she knew they were very influential people. "What," she paused, "what am I looking at? Will I be able to go home?"

"Well, not today, I'm afraid. Because of the severity of the crime, you have to have a bond set by a judge. Unfortunately, the court is adjourned for today, so it will be at least Monday morning before you see a judge."

"But you think I can get bailed out?"

"Can yes, but will Judge Corley allow it is another thing. Most importantly, we must prepare your defense, so you need to tell me everything that happened."

Sidney began to recount everything to him. She told him all she could remember about the flash drive and the other women. "Well, that's a heck of a story. Where is the flash drive now? Please tell me you didn't take it with you?"

"No, it's safe in...."

"Stop. Write its location on this," Brady said as he produced a small notepad. "These guys think I'm a bad lawyer, but I know a thing or two. Not to mention, a lot of my cases are nearly unwinnable. These rooms are not supposed to be bugged, but it never hurts to be careful."

Sidney wrote down the location of the flash drive and handed him back the notebook. "Now I need to know, are you locked up by yourself?"

"Yes."

"Okay, good. Don't say anything to anyone about your case without me present, and I will tell you what to and not to answer. If I say don't answer, then don't. Don't say a word about your case if you get a cellmate, especially if they move you to county jail. You're going to have to be less trusting and more paranoid if you're going to get out of this."

"What do you think will happen to me?" she asked.

"Well, that's hard to say. The Piersons are going to want to lock you up for life. I doubt that will happen, and I will do my damnedest to see that it doesn't." He looked at her closely, "But you need to be prepared for the possibility of a long prison sentence. I will take this to trial, but at the end of the day, your best bet may be to try to work out a plea deal. If this trial becomes a media frenzy, the DA may want to resolve it quickly. Which means he may be willing to work with us. Maybe."

She sat silently, running over everything in her head again. "I don't want to go to prison. I wish I'd never met him now."

"I understand, but we can't change what happened. We can only shape how this plays out now. Focus on that and leave the rest to me. Get some rest, and we'll talk again after I meet with Cooper."

"Okay, I will."

"Remember, be polite, but don't discuss your case."

"I won't. Thank you."

Sidney must have drifted off because she was startled by the cell door opening. "Miss Lewis, DA Cooper, and Mr. Brady are in the conference room waiting for you," said an unfamiliar male officer. Sidney got up and followed him into the conference room. Cooper sat on one side of the table, and Brady sat next to an empty chair meant for her.

Cooper began, "I think you know you are in a lot of trouble, young lady." He started to lean toward her ever so slightly, "This isn't something you're just going to walk away from. After consulting with Detective Taylor, the DA's office intends to charge you with Second-Degree Murder."

"That's ridiculous, and you know it, Cooper," answered Brady. "My client has already told you that she didn't intend to kill Mr. Pierson, and we intend to prove self-defense. Also, the extenuating circumstances of what he did to her, his level of intoxication, and the heated method of their exchange make this a clear manslaughter charge at the most."

"She may not have had intent, but she tried to hide her involvement in the crime and did not call for help immediately after he fell. That's murder two if ever I've heard of it."

"And you've never had to deal with all she has over the last several days. I can make a clear case for manslaughter based solely on her mental state at the time, and with her record, have her out of jail before the ink dries on her parole papers."

"That's not going to happen," Cooper replied. "This whole thing will end up being a shit show by the time a trial is over. So, against my better judgment, I have a proposal."

"We're listening."

"She pleads to murder two. The sentence is 25 years and serves 15 of them."

"You have to be kidding."

"Like hell I am. I take this to trial. I'll push for 25 to life."

"No jury in the world would go for that. Especially once we show the contents of that flash drive to the world."

"All right, we're done here," Cooper said. "My offer is good until trial. After that, all bets are off. If you want a shit show, you'll get one, but it will ultimately cost you. You better think about that young lady."

Cooper left them. "As much as I hate to say it, you may want to consider that offer."

"Why? You just said that you could plead insanity or manslaughter."

"I was trying to get him to budge. He's a real jerk, but he's not wrong. Even with this week's events, there's no guarantee a jury will buy it. And knowing Leonard Pierson, he's liable to buy the jury."

"Can he do that?"

"Not legally, but that won't stop him."

"So that's it then? I waste away in a cage for the rest of my life."

"Look, I told you I would do everything possible to avoid letting that happen. Sometimes, you have to lose a battle to win a war. Just because you take the plea doesn't mean we stop fighting. I wish I had better news."

"So, how long do I have to decide?"

"Cooper wants to arraign you Monday morning. Legally, they can hold you for 72 hours before I can file habeas corpus and try to get you out. You have until then. If you do decide to take the deal, then make sure you don't sign anything until I've had a chance to read over it."

He could tell the news was not what she hoped for, and he wished he could do more. "Sidney, I need you to stay strong. These next several days are not going to be easy. I will do everything possible to prepare for a trial, but I must be honest. We are up against tough odds. Leonard Pierson runs this county, and that alone makes him dangerous. Just know I believe your story, and I will continue to fight for you no matter what. I owe that to your mom and dad. Speaking of which, I'm going to see them as soon as I leave here. Anything you want me to tell them?"

"No, just let them know I'm okay."

"I will. It will probably be tomorrow before I return, so remember what I told you. Stay positive, and I'll see you tomorrow."