Page 32 of The Guilty Trial

Chapter Seventeen

Law Office of Lindstrom & Associates

Tacoma, Washington

The Law Office of Lindstrom & Associates occupied the eighth floor of a glass tower in downtown Tacoma, its floor-to-ceiling windows offering a sweeping view of Commencement Bay. Allie rode the elevator alone, watching the numbers climb while her mind turned over the fragments of the case.

The elevator doors opened onto a reception area with polished concrete floors and midcentury modern furniture. A young man at the desk directed her down a hallway lined with abstract art. Sarah Lindstrom's corner office sat at the end, its glass walls providing a panoramic view of the water.

Lindstrom herself was already standing when Allie entered. She was in her mid-forties, wearing a sharp blazer in charcoal gray, with blonde hair tucked behind her ears. She had a smile that was professional without being warm. Her office was immaculate, not a stray file or loose paper anywhere. Allie had never been able to understand a desk that clean.

“Agent Bishop. Thank you for coming.” Lindstrom gestured toward a sitting area near the windows where two comfortable chairs flanked a low table. Beyond the glass, ferries cut white lines across the gray-blue water. Lindstrom crossed her legs and folded her hands in her lap, waiting.

“I appreciate you making time,” Allie began. “I'm sure you've been following the news about Thomas Sterling and Judge Vance.”

“I have.” Lindstrom's expression sobered. “It's horrific. I knew them both professionally. Sterling could be intense, but he was thorough. And Judge Vance ran one of the fairest courtrooms I've ever practiced in.”

Allie pulled out her notebook. “I wanted to ask you about the healthcare fraud case you defended, the one Sterling prosecuted before Judge Vance. Can you walk me through the basics?”

“Certainly. It involved a group of doctors accused of overbilling Medicare for surgical procedures. The complainant claimed they were inflating the complexity of surgeries, billing for procedures they never performed, that sort of thing. Sterling brought charges against twelve defendants. Most of them were physicians, though there were a couple of administrators involved as well.”

“How solid was the prosecution’s case?”

“Extremely.” Lindstrom didn't hesitate. “Sterling was aggressive, as he always was, but the evidence was overwhelming. Financial records, billing statements, and patient files all pointed to systematic fraud. My clients were guilty, Agent Bishop. I'm not going to pretend otherwise.”

Allie made a note. “Did you challenge any of the evidence during the trial or on appeal?”

“We filed motions, of course. It's what defense attorneys do. We challenged the chain of custody on some documents and questioned the methodology of the financial analysis. But Judge Vance denied most of our motions, and frankly, he was right to do so. The evidence was clean.”

“And no prosecutorial misconduct? No irregularities in how evidence was handled or presented?”

Lindstrom shook her head. “Nothing that rose to the level of misconduct. Sterling pushed hard, but he stayed within the lines. And Judge Vance was meticulous. If there had been any real problems, he would have addressed them.”

Allie leaned forward slightly. “What about bias? Was there any indication Judge Vance favored the prosecution?”

“No more than any federal judge who's seen too many white-collar criminals walk away with slaps on the wrist.” Lindstrom's tone was matter-of-fact. “He ran a tight courtroom, but he was fair. My clients got their day in court. They just lost.”

“I see that three went to trial?”

“That’s correct. The rest accepted plea deals.” Lindstrom paused. “The ones who went to trial got stiffer sentences, of course. But that’s the gamble you take.”

Allie flipped a page in her notebook. “Where are they all now?”

“Most have served their time and moved on. A few are still incarcerated.” Lindstrom stood up and reached for her desk phone, pressing the speaker button. “Kelly, could you pull together a list of all the co-defendants from the healthcare fraud case? I need their current status, including prison locations, addresses, and employment, if known.”

“Of course,” came the reply through the speaker. “Give me about fifteen minutes.”

Lindstrom released the button and returned to her seat. “Kelly will get you everything we have on file. But I'll tell you right now, Agent Bishop, I don't think any of my former clients are capable of this.”

“Why is that?”

“Because they were motivated by greed, not violence. These were doctors who wanted third homes and luxury cars. They weren't killers.” Lindstrom's voice held certainty. “Most of them have rebuilt their lives. Some lost their medical licenses, some didn't. But none of them made threats against Sterling or Vance. Not during the trial, and not after sentencing. They accepted their punishment and moved on.”

Allie tapped her pen against the notebook. “People can surprise you.”

“They can.” Lindstrom smiled. “I do know that.” She uncrossed her legs and leaned forward, choosing her next words with care. “But I represented these individuals for over a year. I got to know them, their families, their temperaments. Murder requires a different kind of rage, a different kind of desperation. I didn't see that in any of them.” She spread her hands. “That’s not to say, of course, that things can’t change.”

“What about exhibit numbering in the case? How many total exhibits were there?”