“This is crazy. What are you going to do?”
“I’m not sure yet. Just go get Hayley and get somewhere safe. Then call me on your cell, but don’t tell me where you are. It will be better if I don’t even know.”
“Haller, just call the police. They can—”
“And tell them what?”
“I don’t know. Tell them you’ve been threatened.”
“A defense lawyer telling the police he feels threatened… yeah, they’ll jump all over that. Probably send out a SWAT team.”
“Well, you have to do something.”
“I thought I did. I thought he was going to be in jail for the rest of his life. But you people moved too fast and now you have to let him go.”
“I told you, it wasn’t enough. Even knowing now about the possible threat to Hayley, it’s still not enough.”
“Then go to our daughter and take care of her. Leave the rest to me.”
“I’m going.”
But she didn’t hang up. It was like she was giving me the chance to say something more.
“I love you, Mags,” I said. “Both of you. Be careful.”
I closed the phone before she could respond. Almost immediately I opened it again and called Fernando Valenzuela’s cell phone number. After five rings he answered.
“Val, it’s me, Mick.”
“Shit. If I’d known it was you I wouldn’t have answered.”
“Look, I need your help.”
“My help? You’re asking for my help after what you asked me the other night? After you accused me?”
“Look, Val, this is an emergency. What I said the other night was out of line and I apologize. I’ll pay for your TV, I’ll do whatever you want, but I need your help right now.”
I waited. After a pause he responded.
“What do you want me to do?”
“Roulet still has the bracelet on his ankle, right?”
“That’s right. I know what happened in court but I haven’t heard from the guy. One of my courthouse people said the cops picked him up again so I don’t know what’s going on.”
“They picked him up but he’s about to be kicked loose. He’ll probably be calling you so he can get the bracelet taken off.”
“I’m already home, man. He can find me in the morning.”
“That’s what I want. Make him wait.”
“That ain’t no favor, man.”
“This is. I want you to open your laptop and watch him. When he leaves the PD, I want to know where he’s going. Can you do that for me?”
“You mean right now?”
“Yeah, right now. You got a problem with that?”
