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“Research. I first talked to your sister and she sent me some educational links on what Elijah should and shouldn’t eat. But then I got an email from Antoine—he’s our IT guru—and I stopped reading about food to read the background checks on all the major players. Antoine sent information on Aaron and Corey Gates, plus anything he could find on Dewey Talley. Which doesn’t appear to be anything more than I’ve already gathered myself over the years.”
“Anything jumping out at you about Aaron?”
She glanced at Elijah, who still slept deeply, before turning her screen so that Kaj could see it more easily. “I’m sure you’ve seen most of what I’ve got here, since you’re prosecuting Aaron.” She scanned the email and froze for a moment, staring at the words on the screen. “Huh. Aaron used to work at Cunningham and Spector, a financial firm in the Quarter.”
“I know.” He regarded her warily. “Why is that upsetting to you?”
“Not upsetting, just surprising. My brother Van worked there, too. At the same time as Aaron. I guess I’m just wondering if they knew each other.” She shook her head, aware of Kaj’s watchful gaze. “Anyway, Aaron resigned six years ago, then opened his own firm.”
She continued reading the information Antoine had sent, pausing at Aaron’s mug shot from last week. His cheeks were dark with scruff, his eyes angry and bloodshot. “I wonder if he started using after his son died or before.”
“I don’t know when he started using, but he was high when he was arrested. It took three cops to subdue him once they’d pulled him off Dr.Singh.”
“I was thinking that he killed Dr.Singh because the doctor was treating his son at the time of his death. Grief can have a terrible effect on logical thinking, especially if he was using.”
“That’s my take. It was a senseless murder on so many levels. I never met the doctor, but he was apparently well loved. My office is still fielding calls from locals demanding we get justice for him, that we don’t let Aaron Gates walk.”
“Aaron’s guilt’s pretty clear,” Val said.
“Yeah. But I don’t want some defense attorney claiming he was lost to grief. I believe Aaron’s actions were premeditated. He saw that Singh was being given a humanitarian award, got into his car, and drove to the ceremony—all of which took a while.”
“He didn’t just happen to see him, then kill him in the heat of the moment.”
“Exactly. Plus a few bystanders said he was calm while waiting for Singh to park his own car. They said Aaron was even joking with the woman he was with. All of that makes a difference when it comes to the charges I can make stick.”
“And what sentence you can ask for. But now you have to worry about the threat to Elijah. Sixth Day wants Aaron out of jail, so whichever way you proceed in his case may anger them into trying to hurt Elijah again.”
He grimaced. “I don’t expect to be on the case too much longer. My boss and I are having a meeting this afternoon and I expect he’ll recuse me.”
“How do you feel about that? And if it’s none of my business, just say so.”
“No, it’s okay to ask. Truth is, I’m torn. A part of me wants to stay on the case and get justice for Dr.Singh. A part of me hates that Sixth Day was able to bully the system by threatening my son, because what are they going to do to the next prosecutor and the one after that? But if they’d been successful, if they’d gotten their hands on Elijah...” He swallowed. “I don’t want to think about what I’d have done. Recusal would be a relief, honestly, because a bigger part of me wants to take a leave of absence and make sure Elijah is okay. It’s not only his safety—it’s his emotional state, too. He’s afraid and traumatized and it’s going to impact his health. It already has.” He pointed to his cell phone on the table. “His sugar levels feed to an app. They’re lower than they were last night, thank God, but they’re still high. That’s why I haven’t left town and hidden him in a safe house. His doctor wants him here, just in case.”
“Why can’t you take a leave of absence?”
He sighed wearily. “I can for a few days, but I have a trial that starts next week that I’ve been preparing for months. I need to be in court, and I need to be focused.”
“Can someone else handle the trial? Or is it not that easy?” she added when he frowned.
“Someone could. I have a second chair. But this is a high-profile rape case. I’ve spent hours talking with the victim, and she trusts me.”
Val’s eyes widened as she realized what he was talking about. “You’re the prosecutor on the Bella Butler case?” It had been in the headlines for weeks, the coverage having intensified in the past few days.
“I am. She deserves justice.”
Val nodded. “She’s brave. It’s hard enough to come forward in a regular courtroom, but knowing that the entire country is following every detail of one of the worst experiences of your life, being dissected on TV and online...” She could hear the tremble in her own voice and cleared her throat. “I respect her.”
He studied her for so long that she thought he’d ask her more questions, but he didn’t. “I respect her, too,” he finally said. “But as much as I want to see Trevor Doyle’s trial through, I won’t choose my job over my son. If he needs me next week, I’ll have second chair step up.”
“I suppose you’ll have to address the biggest threat first,” she said warily, wanting to help, but aware that she was stepping through a minefield. She’d never been a parent, but she could certainly empathize with his very valid concerns. “When will you know if you’re recused from Aaron Gates’s case?”
He glanced at his watch. “In about ten minutes. I have a Skype call with my boss.”
She glanced at the sleeping boy on the sofa, then back at his father. “If you are recused, Sixth Day or Rick Gates or whoever was behind last night’s attempt won’t have any reason to go after Elijah. What will you want to do about protection? I’m not asking for myself,” she hastened to add. “Burke can place me in another job by tomorrow, so this isn’t about me. But you might want to start thinking about what you’ll do, either way, so Elijah knows what to expect.”
Kaj pinched the bridge of his nose. “I have been thinking about it. I’ve done nothing but think about it.”
She folded her hands on the table. “Maybe it would help to talk it out.”
