Brother from another mother

Trevor [Part-4]

Mike was positively bursting with questions, but it seemed Harvey was hardly in the mood for talking. Without even waiting for acknowledgement, the older man started heading back into the county jail.

"I'm sorry, sir," the receptionist at the desk said, "Visiting hours for the general public are over."

"I'm an attorney," Harvey said shortly. "According to your sign, I have twenty-seven minutes."

"I'll need to check your identification - "

"And now twenty-six minutes."

The receptionist looked at Harvey nervously. "If you'll please leave your driver's license at the desk, I can let you in now. Who is your client?"

Despite himself, Mike suppressed a smile as he followed Harvey and a security guard through the county jail facilities. Harvey certainly had a knack for getting his way, there was no doubting that.

Once inside one of the visitation rooms, Harvey nodded curtly at the lone picnic table. "Sit."

Obediently, Mike sat down. The other man didn't appear any more receptive to talking, but he licked his lips anyway and tried, "Look - "

"Not now."

The buzzer at the door sounded, and Trevor appeared, escorted by the security guard. "Twenty four minutes," the guard said, before locking the door.

Trevor's eyes swung wildly between Mike and Harvey, and then to Mike's utter surprise, he blurted, "Harvey, man, you've got to give Mike his job back. I swear I never would have asked for his help if - "

"Here's what's going to happen," Harvey interrupted, his tone as frigid as ice, "You are going to stop talking right now. If your mouth moves, it better only be to answer any and all questions that I have. And you are going to answer them all honestly."

Trevor's mouth snapped shut and he nodded.

"Good. I'll make no secret of the fact that I'd rather be prosecuting you than defending you," Harvey said, folding his arms across his chest, "But circumstances have forced my hand. So since I'm putting my reputation on the line for you, if I later find out that you lied to me and made a liar of me, I will personally throw you in prison and ensure you stay there for the rest of your sorry life. Is that clear?"

For the first time in his life, Mike saw Trevor mute.

With speed and precision, Harvey led him through recollecting the testimony. Every now and then he paused Trevor's recanting of events every once in awhile to ask for clarification. Trevor's story matched exactly the details that Mike remembered. That, at least, lent credence to the idea that Trevor could be telling the truth. His friend had never been good at maintaining consistent lies.

"Are you going to help me?" Trevor said, at the end, when Harvey's questions ceased.

Mike recognized the expression on Harvey's face at the question, the look that was Harvey's patented that-was-such-a-stupid-question-I-don't-even-know-what-to-say look. And predictably, Harvey didn't deign to respond. He simply gathered his notes into a file folder, tucked it under his arm, strode to the door, and called out for the guard.

Trevor swung his gaze to Mike, desperate. "Is he?"

"He wouldn't have come here for no reason," Mike said.

"Does that mean yes?"

"It means we stand a chance."

He caught up with Harvey outside the county jail.

Without slowing his pace, the older man said, "File a subpoena for the 911 audio tape."

"We have the CAD transcript."