Page 13 of Necessary Evil
He turned one of the chairs around and straddled it. “I had an informant. Kid by the name of Steve. He was a gangbanger. I’m not going to lie—he did some bad things. But at the core he was a good kid. He got gunned down in a drive-by.”
“I’m sorry,” Lucy said. It could have been how her brother’s story ended had he gone into a gang instead of selling drugs.
“I wasn’t making a damn bit of difference as a cop. I couldn’t even save my own snitch.”
“You made a difference,” she said fiercely.
“Really?”
Lucy nodded.
“Thanks for that.”
They stared at each other, and the intimate moment soothed her ragged edges. Lucy blinked away tears. Being with him made her feel so raw.
He looked away first. “You have to know when it’s time to get out, otherwise the job eats you. So I retired. But Steve left behind a sister. I keep an eye on her. Chloe’s a working girl.” Evan looked at Lucy to see if she knew he meant a prostitute.
“How old?”
“Eighteen.”
“Damn it.” Lucy shook her head. “You couldn’t stop her?”
Evan glared at her, and she realized how unfair she was being.
“Sorry.” She lowered her gaze to her feet.
“I tried. She wouldn’t stay in school after her brother died. I gave her mom some money, but it didn’t help.”
“Sorry,” Lucy repeated, forcing herself to look at him.
He nodded, as if accepting her apology. “Chloe got arrested recently, but not for turning tricks. She got caught with five kilos of heroin.”
“Shit.” Lucy dropped her head back against the couch. “What the fuck was she doing with that much smack?”
“Mule,” Evan said.
Lucy was already shaking her head. Chloe had agreed to smuggle it for someone. “She’s looking at ten years.”
“She has an asshole for a lawyer. Her pimp hired him. Chloe needs someone better. She needs you. You can try for a deal. She rolls on the actual suppliers or on the dealers it was intended for, in exchange for a reduced sentence.”
“I can’t just snatch a case away from another attorney.” But the wheels in her head were turning. She might be able to swing it. Pursing her lips, she tapped her fingers on her leg. “She’ll have to dump him and get me appointed.”
“She’s too afraid of her pimp to fire him.”
“Then she’s going to be too afraid to turn state’s evidence,” Lucy said.
“You can get her immunity?” Evan leaned in closer to her.
“You know I can’t promise that.” Lucy sighed. “Chloe could still get a sentence of several years, even with me representing her. And if she won’t give names and dates, forget about any leniency.”
“You let me handle that part. You need to get this case from the lawyer. He’s not going to want to make a deal. His job is to let her take the fall and try for probation.”
“He won’t get it.” Lucy shrugged. “Well, he might. She’s young, and if this is her first offense…But I wouldn’t bet his client’s life on it. I’m not even sure how to go about getting this case. This lawyer isn’t going to just abandon the case because I ask him nicely. You want me to talk to the pimp instead?” Lucy wouldn’t mind giving the piece of shit a piece of her mind.
“Stay away from the pimp,” Evan warned.
Lucy stuck her tongue out at him, but regretted it when his eyes grew hooded.