Counterpart - Robert F. Clifton (uplifting novels .TXT) 📗

on Bader's face and said, “What's wrong?”

“What's wrong? I'll tell you what's wrong. Where shall I start? The beginning is always a good place. Let's start there.

When I first met you I told you not to bullshit me and I believed you when you said you wouldn't but you did. Right now I'm pissed off not at you so much but pissed off at myself for being so damn gullible. I defended you because I thought and believed that you were innocent. The truth is your as guilty of killing Wanda Brewer as it could possibly be.

Here's how I see it. Wanda Brewer made the mistake of entering the diner on a Saturday instead of the usual Sunday morning. On a particular Saturday as the swinging kitchen door opened you saw her seated at the end of the counter. Your interest in her peaked. You found it necessary to use the men's room that's just off of the dining room. That gave you the opportunity to really look her over. You did and you wanted her.

Then, you played it cool, asking the waitresses and Sally Burns about the girl that wanted her thermos filled. They told you that she was a frequent customer who came in on Sunday mornings and then went jogging on Mullica Run. Sometime after that, you checked out the jogging trail. When you did you found a place to sit and wait for her to run by you. You also knew that you could grab, lift and carry her into the high weeds and brush. Then, your intention was to rape her. You attempted to pull her shorts off but she fought scratching the back of your hand, the hand that Violet Beal bandaged for you. Injured, you now became angry. You then choked her to death. Even after killing the girl you were not worried. That's because if any evidence came back that would accuse you there was an out. The out was DNA. You always knew that you and Thaddeus Lofton shared the exact DNA profile. Knowing that at an early age allowed you to commit other crimes. When you were caught, arrested and processed you gave the name, Thaddeus Lofton. You even spent three years in the Trenton Penitentiary posing as Thaddeus Lofton. Clever, very clever but you made one mistake in talking with me. You gave me your exact date of birth, July 14, 1986.

This then took us to the adoption agencies that handled your adoption by Sonia Pearl. It also opened the door for us to examine the records of Thaddeus Lofton. Here's what we found today. Thaddeus Lofton was hit and killed by an automobile on  November 17, 1996. He was ten years old.

Knowing this Thaddeus Lofton could not possibly be the convict serving time in prison. Therefore it has to be you. As I have said, whenever you were caught in a bad situation you used your twin brother's name and social security number. How did you do this? You got all the information you needed by requesting to look at you and your brother's adoption records.

And then finally there's this. I was able to produce evidence in court that the DNA in identical twins is exactly the same. Do you know what is not exactly the same? Fingerprints. I checked the fingerprints of Thaddeus Lofton against those of Ronald Pearl and they are exactly the same. fingerprints don't lie and your charade is over.

So that now brings us to today. I managed to get a mistrial. That means a tie so to speak. The prosecutor has already informed me that he's going to trial again with this case. Fortunately for me, I won't be defending you the next time. Someone else will. Unfortunately for you that someone will have all the information about you posing as your twin brother. That information will be seen by Charles Belcamp under what is referred to as the right to discovery. Now, after I call for the guard to take you back to your cell let me remind you that Belcamp has also removed the plea bargain. I imagine life in prison is a very hard long time.”

Back at the Public Defenders, Office Adam was met by Nancy. “How did it go?”, she asked.

“I'm done. Walter can assign another lawyer to represent Pearl. Just as soon as I clean out my desk I'm resigning,” said Bader.

“What are you going to do?”, she asked.

“Practice law but not criminal law. How would you like to be partners?” he asked.

“I'd be interested,” Nancy replied.

“Good, I'll look for office space in a mall and contact a sign painter.”

“Why?”, she asked.

“To have the name of our new firm painted on the window and door,” Adam said.

“How will it read?”

“It has to read Milner and Bader or M&B Law. One thing's for certain it can't read BM law firm,” said Adam with a smile.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Imprint

Publication Date: 06-24-2017

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