"Mariah Stewart - Final Truth" - читать интересную книгу автора (Stewart Mariah)

"So that means you have a plan?"
Booth nodded, his lips pursed, giving the appearance as always of listening carefully, though Lester Ray often wondered if he was maybe doing something else in his head, like making up a shopping list or thinking about what movie he was going to see that weekend.
The attorney's large, pale hands lay perfectly still atop the file that sat unopened on the table between them. His face was equally pale, with little sign of having been touched by the sun, odd for one who lived in the Sunshine State. He wore thick glasses with round tan frames that looked almost feminine. He always wore the same seersucker suit and dark blue tie.
PROLOGUE 7
"You do know that Fremont was the lab that did my DNA testing, right?"
"Of course. I know that."
Right
"I want my DNA tested again. I want it done now."
"I'll certainly look into this for you, Lester Ray," Roland Booth told him solemnly. "But you understand, of course, that even if it is the same lab that tested your DNA, and even if the lab tech under investigation was the same one who testified at your trial, and even if we can prove there were some irregularities, there have probably been dozens of appeals filed already. This could be backed up for a long time."
"I don't give a shit about them." Lester Ray leaned forward, his dull eyes flat and cold. "And I don't have a long time. I'm on death row here. I have barely two months left and I don't give a crap about anyone but me, you understand? You're my lawyer. You're supposed to be working on my appeals. That means you work for me, right? I'm the client."
He was almost in Booth's face, as close to the lawyer as he'd ever been.
"I want that DNA test done over. ASAP. You find a way to make it happen, and make it happen fast. They're not going to put me down like some sick dog without a fight, you hear?"
"I hear you, Lester Ray." Roland Booth had tried to maintain his cool, but it was clear to Lester Ray that he'd rattled the attorney when he'd gotten too close.
Lester Ray made a mental note of that fact.
"I'll see what the criteria are for retesting, see if there are grounds to have your results reviewed." Booth looked as if he was about to break into a sweat.
"Reviewed, retested, reevaluatedтАФwhatever it is they're doing, I want mine done, too."
"I'll see what I can do, but I can't promise anything. Like I said, others have most likely filed already."
8 PROLOGUE
"I don't think we're communicating very well here. Booth. As my lawyer, you have a moral obligation to do whatever it takes to protect my best interests. The way I see it, my best interests are in staying alive and getting out of here. Now, you tell me what we have to do to get my name moved to the top of that list."
"I can request that, since the date has been set for your execution, your petition for review be given priority consideration, but there's no guarantee ..."
"What else?" Lester Ray asked impatiently.
"That's about it. I don't know if the courts .. ."
"Then find out, for Christ's sake. If you don't know, find out. And fast." Lester Ray shook his head in disgust. "Maybe we need to go to the governor. What's the best way to get his attention?"
"I don't know, Lester Ray." Booth looked at him with growing irritation. "Maybe you should look for some celebrity to take up your cause."
"You mean, someone famous?" Lester Ray's eyes narrowed. "You mean, find some famous person and get them to talk me up?"
"Pretty much, but hey, I was only ..."
"How do I do that?" Lester Ray ignored Booth's attempts to explain. He'd already figured out that Booth's suggestion had been made sarcastically. Lester Ray, however, saw the potential. "How do I get someone to go to bat for me?"
"I don't know. I guess you need publicity about your case. Then you need to convince him or her of your innocence. Then, I suppose, you .. ."
"That's it?" Lester Ray stared at the scratched tabletop as if the answer would be found somewhere in the midst of the random marks.
"Look, Lester Ray, it isn't going to be easy to getтАФ"
"I don't give a shit about easy. You think it's easy, sitting here, every day and every night, thinking about what's gonna happen to me come the middle of June?" Lester Ray was about to explode. "Way I see it, it's your job to make sure it doesn't happen. So you go on TV, and you talk about how I'm innocent and I only have a cou-
PROLOGUE 9
pie more months and how the state of Florida has to let me have this chance to prove I'm innocent."
Lester Ray stared directly into Booth's eyes.
"You should be able to do that, piece of cake."
"Well, first I have to petition for the retesting. Then, I guess it would help to get someone to give me some print."
"Print?"
"Get a reporter to write the story, hope it gets picked up by the AP, get public opinion on our side."
Booth's long thin fingers stroked his chin.
"It's not going to be easy. The DA is going to fight this every step of the way. You know he believes you killed not only that Preston woman, but I heard he was looking at you for a couple of others, too. He's not going to stand by and let you walk without raising holy
"Let him." Lester Ray snorted. "Look, all they had was this DNA test, right? The lab guy testified at my trial that the DNA in that girl matched mine. They had no eyewitnesses, no one to put me anywhere near that girl that night. They had no other evidence, Booth."
Roland Booth sat quietly, his face a mask of concentration.
"They had the neighbor who was out walking her dog," Booth reminded him. "She testified that she saw you outside Carolyn Preston's apartment."
"She said she saw a man who looked like meтАФmedium height and build, had brown hair, and was wearing a khaki jacket." Lester Ray's smile was slow and sly. "How many men in central Florida do you suppose match that description?"
Booth nodded almost imperceptibly.
"Maybe. Maybe," he said. "I can try Harvey Crane from the Journal. Maybe he'll run with this. Maybe ... if I can convince him .. ."
"That's your job, Booth." Lester Ray sat back against the chair and studied the younger man's face.
"I'll see what I can do."
10 PROLOGUE
"You'll give it your best shot?"