Easy Innocence

Chapter 40

GEORGIA WAS cleaning her apartment. She'd been fantasizing about cooking a dinner—lamb roast, baby potatoes, a vegetable, probably broccoli, and salad—and had stopped in at the grocery store earlier that morning. She wasn't sure who she was cooking it for, but the notion was surprisingly appealing. The phone rang in the middle of sweeping the floor. She'd been thinking about salad dressing, a balsamic vinaigrette. She picked up the phone.

"Cam Jordan's BCX is back," Paul Kelly said. "It's not good."

"BCX..." The behavior clinical exam. The fantasy dinner melted away. "It came back fast. Didn't you just ask for it?"

"Less than a month ago. At the arraignment, first week in October."

"So what does it say?"

She heard paper rustling. "I'll read it.'Pursuant to your Honor's order, the undersigned'.. yadda, yadda.. Hold on. Here it is.'Based on the above examination and review of pertinent records it is my opinion with a reasonable degree of medical certainty that Cameron Jordan is presently fit to stand trial. He does not manifest any active symptoms or signs of any mental disorder which would—"

"No signs of 'disorder'? Is that a joke?"

Kelly snorted. "Listen.'He is cognizant of the charge, understands the nature and purpose of the court proceedings and shows the ability to cooperate with counsel if he chooses to.'"

"That's bullshit. The guy doesn't know what day of the week it is."

"I told you before. Mucho heat on this case."

"But Ramsey's out."

"Doesn't mean squat. It's still a heater case. Maybe even more now that everyone knows his daughter was there. Who knows who's really calling the shots, anyway?"

"Who did the testing? Who wrote the report?"

"Says here a shrink from Forensic Clinical Services."

"I don't get it. How can they come back with something so—inaccurate?"

"You can't tell me you're surprised."

"I guess not." She sighed heavily. "What happens now?"

"I'll ask for a second opinion, of course. From a private shrink. But I don't know if the judge will grant it or how long they'll have to put it together."

"What's your best guess?"

"A few weeks. Maybe a month." He cleared his throat. "But I don't think we can ignore the signals. We've got to start dealing the cards we have."

"What are you saying?"

"I start talking plea."

"But he didn't do it."

"We still can't prove it."

"You don't have to. Cam's home, and public opinion's swinging our way. Put Ruth Jordan in front of the cameras."

Kelly harrumphed.

"Actually, we're closer than we were." She told him what she'd learned about Sara Long and the teenage prostitution ring.

Before she finished, Kelly interrupted. "So the girl really was a whore."

"Yes."

"You're sure?—you can't make that kind of allegation without proof."

"I've got it."

"What?"

"More like who. The girl who was running her."