Final Exam: A Legal Thriller (39 page)

“Why did he break up with her?”
 
Ben asked.

“I don’t remember exactly,”
Dorlund
said.
 
“He may have found somebody else, I’m not sure.
 
I’ve been thinking about that ever since this thing happened and your client was arrested.
 
I honestly don’t remember.”

“Do you know of any other students with whom Greenfield had a sexual relationship?”

“By name?
 
No.
 
I mean, I know there were probably others, but I preferred not to know who they were.
 
I only really know about your client because Daniel told me about it years later.
 
I didn’t even know her name at the time.”

“Okay,” Ben said, “I assume you told this to the prosecutors?”

“Of course.
 
If your client had something to do with Daniel’s murder, I want to make sure she’s caught and punished for it.”

Ben nodded.
 
“What about professors?” Ben asked.
 
“Did Daniel Greenfield ever have any sexual relationships with other faculty members?”

“Maybe, but I’m not sure.”

“What about Angela Harper?”

Now
Dorlund
laughed heartily.
 
“Angela Harper?”
 
He threw his head back.
 
“I’m not sure Angela Harper has sex.
 
I don’t think Daniel seriously pursued any relationship with her, let alone had one.
 
Like I said, I don’t think she has it in her.”

“Well, she is married, isn’t she?”

“Yeah, I think her husband must be a eunuch.
 
She wouldn’t get near anyone who has any real balls.
 
I can’t imagine how they managed to have a kid together - artificial insemination probably.”

“They have a child?”

“Yeah, a son, I think.
 
Must be four or five by now, maybe a little older.”

They talked until
Dorlund
had to leave for his class.
 
Ben felt that
Dorlund
had more or less leveled with him, a healthy dose of skepticism notwithstanding.
 
Although he probably hadn’t told Ben everything, the basic story seemed about right.
 
Ben wished he knew who that other woman was, even though he knew that she may not have had anything to do with Greenfield’s murder.
 
After all, that relationship took place almost ten years ago.
 
The basis for the murder almost had to be something more recent than that.

After he left
Dorlund’s
office, Ben pulled out his cell phone and called Mark.
 
“It’s a fucking zoo out here,” Mark said.
 
“The phone’s been ringing off the hook starting about ten minutes after you left.
 
The secretaries are really getting pissed.
 
I heard them talking about bringing someone in just to answer the phones and charging it to this case.”

Ben shrugged, “God damn it,” he said.
 
“I’m not sure we could even do that.”

“We’ve
gotta
do something or better said, you’ve
gotta
do something.
 
If you’re not careful, there’s
gonna
be a mutiny.”

“Okay, okay, I’ll think about it.”

“Did you get anything out of
Dorlund
?” Mark asked.
 
Ben described his conversation with Professor
Dorlund
telling Mark that
Dorlund’s
story seemed fairly consistent with Megan’s.
 
“At least that’s some good news,” Mark said.
 
While talking to Mark, Ben had made his way to the elevators.
 
A bell rang signaling that the doors were about to open.
 

“Look,” Ben said, “I’m about to get on an elevator, so I have to let you go.
 
I’ll talk to you later.”
 
The doors opened and Professor Sarah Berman stepped out.
 

“Mr.
Lohmeier
,” she said with a sly grin, “your celebrity status grows by the day.”

“Great,” he said.
 
“That’s all I need.”
 

She pulled him off to the side looking around to see if they were alone and spoke in a very quiet voice.
 
“Is it true?
 
What I heard on the radio about the paternity test?”

Ben groaned.
 
“Shit,” he said.
 
“No comment.
 
You can’t believe everything you hear on the radio.”

“That doesn’t mean it’s always wrong,” she said.

“No,” he agreed, “not always.
 
Say, as long as I’ve got you here, I’d like to ask you a couple of questions if you’ve got time.”

“Sure,” she said, “why don’t we go back to my office?”
 
Ben followed her back to her office.
 
She closed the door behind them and sat down behind her desk, while Ben remained standing.
 
“So what is it?” she asked.
 

“Angela Harper,” Ben said.
 

“Well, I think I told you before, Angela and Daniel did not get along, to put it mildly.”

“Did they ever actually sleep together?”

She laughed.
 
“I doubt that.
 
I doubt that very much.
 
He probably suggested it, but I can’t see that it ever would’ve happened.”

“So I’m told,” Ben said.
 
“Any other problems between the two of them that you’re aware of?”

“No, not specifically.
 
All I know is that he made a lot of inappropriate comments and they didn’t really get along.
 
It may have also been something to do with the law school, or it may have been something else, I just don’t know.
 
I’m sorry.”

“Okay, I wasn’t sure if you knew anything, but I figured it was worth asking.
 
Would you keep your eyes and ears open for stuff like this, whether it’s with Angela Harper or someone else on the faculty?”

“Of course, but I’ve got to ask you.
 
I didn’t like Daniel Greenfield either.
 
You don’t seem to think I could’ve had something to do with his death.
 
Why is that?”
 

Ben reached for the handle on the door seeming to ignore her question.
 
Then he turned and looked back at her as he broke into a broad smile.
 
“Simple,” he said, “you just don’t have it in you.”

33

Once again, Ben and Mark drove down together for the Court appearance, Ben not wanting to run the gauntlet of reporters by
himself
.
 
As expected, a throng of media types in all shapes and sizes swarmed them as they approached the steps to the Criminal Courts Building.
 
Mark led Ben through the crowds like a pulling guard leading a halfback through a hole, while Ben smiled coolly and muttered the occasional “no comment” as they ascended the steps.
 
Once inside, the Sheriff’s deputies helped keep the reporters at bay as Ben made his way through the metal detector, having still failed to get his pass.
 
As Ben stood at the far end of the metal detector slipping his belt back into his pants, Bridgett Fahey approached from the south end of the complex where the State’s Attorney’s Offices were located.

“Good morning, Counselor,” she said approaching civility.
 
“I see you need to get a pass so you can skip the metal detectors.”

“Yeah,” Ben said, “I’ll get around to it before trial.”
 
His eyes narrowed.
 
“Nice job with all these reporters.
 
What did you do, give them a copy of your motion?” Ben asked as they walked.
 
Mark chuckled alongside him.
 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.
 
I hope you’re not suggesting that I leaked anything to the media.”

“Oh no,” Ben said sarcastically, “you would never do something like that.”
 

She stopped and faced him directly.
 
“No, I wouldn’t and I didn’t.”

“Pardon me, Bridget, if I don’t believe you.
 
Either you did it or one of your little minions did.
 
I know you, remember?
 
You know as well as I do that we certainly didn’t say anything about it.
 
I barely had the damn thing in my office before the phone started ringing.”
 
Ben started walking again.
 
“I’d come up with a new story before Judge Wilson asks you about it though.”
 

Ben and Mark strolled off ahead of her and grabbed the first elevator heading upstairs, leaving Bridget Fahey and one of her assistants lagging behind.
 
Once in the courtroom, Ben and Mark went to their counsel table, while Fahey went to hers.
 
There would be no other small talk this morning.
 

Judge Wilson came out on the bench and made them wait through his entire call before his clerk finally called the case
.
 
When counsel reached the bench, the Judge looked down on them and said, “I understand we have a motion here brought under seal by the State.”
 
His lips formed the slightest of smiles as he gazed over their heads out at the gaggle of reporters filling the gallery section of his courtroom.
 
Point made, Ben thought to himself.

“I don’t think we need to go into the details of this particular motion,” the Judge continued, “nor do I really think that there is any kind of an emergency present here.
 
Nevertheless,” he said turning to Ben.
 
“Mr.
Lohmeier
, if you’d prefer to address this matter now rather than come back again, I’ll be happy to entertain this motion.
 
It’s your call.”
 

Ben took the high road.
 
“As long as we’re here, Judge, I’d just as soon let them present it today.”

“Fair enough,” the Judge said.
 

Judge Wilson gave Ben fourteen days to file a written response to the State’s motion and Bridget Fahey seven days thereafter to file a reply.
 
The matter was scheduled for hearing in a month.

Ben and Mark walked quickly from the courtroom.
 
As they pushed through the door and out into the hallway where a throng of reporters waited, a hand reached out and grabbed Ben’s left arm.
 
He jerked his head to the left and locked eyes with Sally
Brzycki
, another former classmate from law school.
 

“Ben, hi,” she said.
 
“Can we talk for a minute?”
 

Sensing an opportunity to avoid the reporters, Ben quickly agreed.
 
“We’ll walk and talk,” he said.
 

Sally
Brzycki
was a tall woman, a shade under six feet and not particularly attractive.
 
Her straw-colored hair was cut short just above the shoulders, which did nothing to soften her harsh, almost masculine features.
 
In law school, she had displayed an aggressive and overbearing personality, likely to step over or on anyone who stood in her path.
 
Ben always figured her lack of interpersonal skills merely masked long-held insecurities, at least he thought that when he was in a psychoanalytical mood.
 
He had to admit, however, that she was a very good student.
 
He had never liked her much and wouldn’t have wanted to talk to her under normal circumstances.
 
He nevertheless made a snap judgment that talking to Sally
Brzycki
seemed marginally preferable to fending off the crowd of reporters.
 

“How’ve you been?” she asked as they pushed their way toward the elevators.
 
He shrugged and gestured toward the members of the media still peppering him with questions even as he ignored them.
 

“Not too bad, busy mostly.”

When the elevator doors closed behind them, Ben turned to Mark and said:

“Mark Schaefer, this is Sally
Brzycki
.
 
Sally, Mark Schaefer.
 
Sally and I went to law school together.”

“It’s Sally
Renfroe
, actually.
 
I’m married now.”

“Oh,” Ben said, “I didn’t know that.
 
Congratulations.
 
Is this a recent development?”

“No, we’ve been married since not long after law school.
 
My husband has a restaurant in Lincoln Park.”
 

Sally and Mark shook hands.
 
“Nice to meet you,” Mark said.
 

“So, what brings you down here to the dregs of society?” Ben asked.
 
“I didn’t know you did any criminal work.”