Chapter 12 12

Ask a simple question.Alice said.Is it possible for domestic violence to be so covert that relatives and friends are completely unaware? I have no idea.Li Qi said.I have little experience. Me too. They were sitting around the table at the back of the law office. It was already noon, and the murderous heat put the whole town into a deep sleep.No one was outside unless absolutely necessary, and the office was almost empty except for Alice, Reacher, and another lawyer twenty feet away.The indoor temperature is at least over one hundred and ten degrees, and the humidity is also increasing. It seems that the ancient air conditioner on the door is not functioning at all.Alice changed back into her shorts and slumped on the chair with her hands on her head as she bent away from the wet and sticky back of the chair.She was sweating profusely from head to toe, her tanned skin looked greasy, Li Qi's shirt was soaked, and he was reevaluating whether the three-day lifespan of the dress should end early.

This is a dilemma.Alice said.The domestic violence you know is not carried out in secret, and the real covert domestic violence will make you think that nothing happened.For example, my dad never hit my mom, but maybe he did, who knows?And you? Li Qi smiled and said: It's unlikely.My dad is a Marine Corps officer, tall, not particularly polite, but you should see what my mom looks like, maybe my mom is beating my dad. So are Carmen and Sloup related? I believe what she said.Li Qi said.There is no doubt about it. Do you believe it anyway? I believe what she said.He said it again.Maybe she's lying about everything else, but Sloop did hit her, that's my opinion.

Alice looked at him, the lawyer's question appeared in her eyes. No doubt at all?she asked. Absolutely not.He said. Well, but a case that was not easy to handle suddenly became more difficult just now, and I hate it the most. Me too.He said.But difficulty is not the same as impossible. Are you thoroughly familiar with the proceedings here? He nodded.It's not a difficult university question.Her situation was truly dire, from every point of view.If the domestic violence is real, it will not benefit because the premeditated intention is too obvious; if the domestic violence is not true, it will become a first-degree murder, and there is no room for bargaining.And in either case, what she said was unreliable because she lied and exaggerated.If Walker hadn't wanted to choose a judge, she would have finished the game.

standard answer.Alice said. Do you think it's okay to rely on Walker alone? inappropriate. I think so. Morally inappropriate, practically all the same.Alice said.Because here, anything is possible, maybe Walker gave birth to a child outside and suddenly it was exposed, or he was found out that his hobby is having sex with armadillos, then he would have to give up running for judge.In short, there is still a long time until November, and it is definitely not an option to bet all hopes on his candidacy.In other words, his technical approach against Carmen may disappear at any time, and she still needs a solid defense strategy.

Li Qi smiled again.You are smarter than I thought. I thought you were going to say I was smarter than I looked. I think more lawyers should learn how to dress like you. You should avoid testifying in court, she said, it was safer for her.Don't write any recognizance papers either. If you don't show up, the pistol is the only thing left that can be associated with premeditation.We should be able to argue that buying a gun is not necessarily absolutely related to using a gun. It can be said that she bought a gun for another purpose. Li Qi didn't speak. They're testing the guns now, she said, comparing ballistics and fingerprints in the lab.They said there were two sets of fingerprints on it, I guess one set was hers and the other was her husband's, maybe they had a fight and the whole thing was an accident.

Li Qi shook his head.The second set of prints must have been mine, because she asked me to teach her how to shoot a gun, and we went to practice on the terrace. when? Saturday, the day before he goes home. Alice glared at him.God, Li Qi.she says.You mustn't testify in court, okay? That's my plan. What if the circumstances change and they summon you? Then I should be lying! Really? I have also been a policeman for thirteen years, which is not a big deal. How do you explain the fingerprints on the pistol? I'd say I found the pistol lost somewhere and naturally gave it back to her, making it look like she had hesitated after buying it.

Are you okay with lying? If you have to do whatever it takes, that's fine, that's what everyone here does anyway.The problems Carmen created for herself are proof of that, don't you think? She nodded.A case like this, I suppose!I don't care about her lying about her background, people here do it all the time for all sorts of reasons, so all that's left is the premeditation part, and in most other states premeditation isn't an issue.They will not ignore reality. A woman who has suffered domestic violence may not fight back on the spot. Sometimes she has to wait until he is drunk or asleep.In other words, waiting for the opportunity, which is plentiful in other jurisdictions.

So where do we start? Start where you have to.Alice said.Tough as it is, the circumstantial evidence in this case is overwhelming, they call it Res ipsa loquitur, which means the facts speak for themselves, her bedroom, her gun, her husband lying dead on the floor, it's first degree murder.If we leave it like this, the jury will convict her on the first vote. so? So we have to rule out the premeditated problem, and then use the medical report to prove that domestic violence is real.I've started the paperwork and will be subpoenaing all Texas hospital records with the Attorney's Office, including neighboring states.This is standard procedure when dealing with domestic violence, because sometimes people drive long distances to try to hide the truth.Generally speaking, the hospital will deal with it immediately, so it only takes one day to get the report, and then the facts tell everything. If her scars were really caused by violence, then the report will at least say that it may be caused by domestic violence, but this can only be regarded as Prepare Yi.Then she will go to court, describe the domestic violence process, and endure the scars of the past being uncovered, but as long as we are skilled enough, there is a good chance.There is no shame in being a prostitute and wanting to do it all over again, and we can use that to gain sympathy.

It sounds like you're a good lawyer. She smiled.For such a young lawyer? oh?Are you just two years out of school? six months.she says.But I learn very quickly here. Obviously so. In short, as long as the jury is carefully selected, at least half can be found to be innocent and the other half not guilty.The innocent half affects the innocent, and it only takes two days to fix it, especially when it's hot like it is now. Reacher pulled the soaked fibers of his shirt away from his skin.It shouldn't be this hot forever, right? Hey, I'm talking about next summer.Alice said.She has to be lucky enough, maybe it will be the summer after next year.

He stared at her.You are kidding. She shook her head.The record here is four years of incarceration before a court session. What about Ellie? She shrugged.I can only pray that the injury report will show good results. If there is, there may even be a chance for Walker to give up filing a complaint completely. In fact, he has a lot of room. With his current situation, Li Qi said that he shouldn't need to be forced. So be optimistic!This whole thing could be over in a few days. When are you going to see her? Later this afternoon.I had to go to the bank to cash a $20,000 check, put the money in a shopping bag, drive out, and deliver it to a happy family.

good.Li Qi said. I don't want to know how you got the money. I just asked him for it. I do not want to know.she said it again.But you should come with me, drop by and see them, and be my bodyguard too.It's not like I can run around the Great West every day with twenty thousand bucks and be cooler in the car. good.Li Qi said again. The bank didn't have any special reaction to exchanging 20,000 yuan in cash and banknotes. The counter clerk handled it like a routine matter. She counted the money three times and carefully put it in the brown shopping paper bag prepared by Alice.Li Qi took the money back to the parking lot for her, but in fact he didn't need it at all, and there was no risk of being robbed at all.The astonishingly high temperature has basically cleared the street, leaving only two or three kittens, and each one is sluggish and listless. The temperature inside the Volkswagen car was too high to get in the car immediately. Alice started the car, turned on the air conditioner, and left the door open until the fan lowered the temperature by thirty degrees before getting in the car.There was still about a hundred degrees in the car when they got in, but it already felt cool, and everything was relative.Alice drove the car to the northeast, her skills were good, better than his, and she didn't turn off the engine once. The storm is coming.she says. Everyone tells me that.He said.But I don't look like it at all. Have you ever been in such a hot situation before? maybe!He said.Once or twice, in Saudi Arabia, in the Pacific Ocean.But Arabia is drier, and Pacific is much wetter, so it's not exactly the same. The sky ahead was pale blue, almost white because of the heat, and the sun spread into a blinding blaze that seemed to be everywhere.There was not a single cloud, and Li Qi kept squinting his eyes until the muscles on his face became sore. It's a new experience for me.she says.Never seen it before, I knew it would be hot, but it was completely beyond my imagination. Then Alice asked him, when did he go to the Middle East and the Pacific Ocean?So Li Qi expanded the autobiography into a ten-minute version, because he found that he liked chatting with her.The first thirty-six years are very simple to talk about, and it has always been like this. This stage is a very simple linear progression, from children to adults, achievements and progress, interspersed with military glory, promotion and medals.In the last few years, it was difficult to talk about it. It was like this every time, and it was all aimless and wandering around.He took it as a sign of a successful escape, but he knew the others didn't think so, so as usual, he finished the story, answered some awkward questions, and let her think. After the lecture, she also reported back with her autobiography, which was basically the same as Li Qi's, but somewhat parallel.Li Qi is the son of a soldier, and Alice is the daughter of a lawyer. She has never seriously wanted to leave the family business, just like Li Qi.I have been fascinated by it since I was a child, so I also entered this industry, just like Li Qi.She studied at Harvard for seven years, while Li Qi had four years at West Point.She was twenty-five years old this year, almost equal to an ambitious second lieutenant in the legal profession.At the age of twenty-five, Li Qi was also an aspiring second lieutenant, and he still clearly remembered that feeling. What's next?he asked. After this is over?she says.I'm supposed to go back to New York, maybe Washington, and I'm a bit interested in politics. Don't you miss these grassroots experiences? Probably will!And I'm not going to give up completely, maybe I'll come back and volunteer for a few weeks every year, but I'll definitely pay for it.This is also our current source of funding, sponsored by some conscientious companies in big cities. Glad to hear that, someone has to step up and do something. Of course. That Heike.What about Walker?he asks.Can he really change the situation? She shrugged at the steering wheel.I don't know much about him, but he's got a pretty good reputation, and anyway he couldn't make it any worse, could he?This whole system is rotten.I mean, I am a democrat and a member of the Democratic Party, so in theory, I am absolutely in favor of electing judges, but that is only in theory, in fact, it is not necessary at all. What strength? don't know. Come to think of it, basically we're talking about Pecos County, because most of the voters live here, just put up a few posters, put up a newspaper, add a few homemade TV commercials, run it on a station here, so small In the market, it takes a lot of effort to spend more than five figures in the campaign, but the political donations these guys have received are as high as hundreds of thousands, or even millions.According to the law, if the political donations are not spent and there is no need to return them, you can keep them to pay for future expenses, so it is equivalent to collecting bribes in advance in disguise. Law firms, oil companies, and some people with interests will Pay now for future assistance.Electing judges in Texas can really make a fortune, because if you are elected, you will obediently perform official duties during your tenure, and you can be directly hired by a large law firm as a partner after retirement. Many large companies will invite you to join the board of directors.So it's not about choosing a judge at all, but about choosing a prince, like becoming a prince overnight. So will Walker change things up?he asked again. If he wanted it, he could, it was as simple as that.And now, he has to be Carmen.Gurriel changes the status quo, and that's what we're going to focus on. He nodded, and Alice slowed down and prepared to turn.They went to the wild farm again, and Li Qi guessed it was probably near Brewer, although they couldn't recognize any specific scenery at all.The land in front of me was very dry and extremely hot, as if the parched trees would catch fire at any moment. Does it bother you that she tells those lies?Alice asked. Li Qi shrugged.Yes and no.I don't think anyone likes to be told a lie, but if from her point of view she's reached the conclusion that Sloop must be got rid of, she's just taking action. So the element of premeditation is really high? Should I tell you about this? I'm on her side. He nodded.It has been planned for a long time.She said she'd seen a hundred guys and tested a few of them before picking on me. Alice nodded.In fact, it sounds a little better, at least a little bit of proof of how bad things are for her.No one would do it unless there was an urgent need. I think so too.He said.Feel the same. She slowed down again, turned the car onto an industrial road, and after ten yards, there appeared what looked like an old farm gate, but it was much different from the ones she had seen elsewhere, basically just a few four-foot-long , two-foot-wide unpainted lumber nailed square, and leaning slightly to the left.There was a name written on the horizontal board, which is not clearly visible now because the strong sunlight has faded the writing.Behind the door are several acres of fields, rows of overturned fields and a set of irrigation equipment made of simple parts and local materials.Here and there were piles of rough stones, neat wooden frames tied with wire, supporting shrubs that no longer grew.Everything was dry, brittle, lifeless, and spoke of months of hard work in the hot sun that ended in tragedy. A hundred yards behind the last row of overturned land was a house that didn't look too bad, a small bungalow, with wooden framing, painted dull white and cracked by the sun.Behind the house there was a windmill and a barn with the irrigation pump going through the roof and a damaged three-quarter ton truck was parked beside the house with the gate closed and Alice parked her Foss in front of it . Their last name is Gacia.she says.I'm sure they are home. The twenty thousand dollars in the bag had an effect he had never seen before, and it was, in fact, a life-saving gift.There are five people in Gacia's family, two generations, two old and three young.The whole family seems to be short and dirty.My parents were around forty, the eldest was a girl, about twenty-four years old, the two youngest were boys, one was about twenty-two and the other was twenty, they all stood quietly at the door of the room.Alice greeted them warmly, walked right past them into the house, and dumped the money on the kitchen table. He has changed his mind.She speaks in Spanish.He decided he was going to lose money, finally. Gacia's family formed a semicircle around the table, looking at the money quietly, as if the money represented a great turn of fate, which made them completely unable to respond.No one asked questions, they simply accepted the fact that it was finally happening, they paused for a second, and then burst out with a bunch of plans.It starts with reconnecting the phone line so you don't have to walk the eight miles to your neighbors to make calls.Then connect the electricity, and then pay off all the money borrowed from friends.Then buy diesel and get the irrigation pumps back on.Then the truck needs to be repaired and the drive to town to buy seeds and fertilizer.That's when they realized that they could plant another crop, harvest it, and sell it before winter came, and the family fell silent. Li Qi stayed behind and looked around.This eat-in, movable kitchen opens onto the front living room.The living room was hot and airless, and contained a yard-long set of encyclopedias and a collection of religious figurines on a low cabinet.There was a photograph on the wall of a boy, taken in a studio, about fourteen years old, with a premature mustache above his lips.He was wearing a white firm robe and smiled shyly.The frame was black, surrounded by a dusty black fabric. my oldest son.said a voice.That photo was taken on the eve of our departure from our village in Mexico. Li Qi turned around and saw Mama Gacia standing behind him. He was killed, on the way here.she says. It was twelve years ago, and his name was Roll.Gacia. The way she called the name seemed to honor the dead. How did it happen?Li Qi asked. The woman fell silent for a moment.Terrible past.she says.They chased us for three hours at night, we were walking and running, and they were driving a truck with really bright lights on it.We got separated and couldn't find each other in the dark, and Luo Er was with his sister, protecting her.At that time, my sister was only twelve years old, and my brother told her to go to one side, and he went to the other side, walking towards the light.He knew it would be worse if the girl was caught, so he sacrificed himself, but they never tried to arrest him, they shot him without even asking, and walked away.The car drove near where I was hiding, laughing so loudly that I could hear it.They regard killing as a sport. I regret.Li Qi said it again. The woman shrugged.That sort of thing was common in those days, the wrong time, the wrong place, and we found out later that either our guide didn't know or he didn't care.We later learned that over twenty people were killed on that route in a year, and it was purely for fun.Some ended badly, and Roll was lucky enough to be shot.Some people's screams can be heard for miles in the dark desert, and some girls even disappeared after being taken away. Li Qi didn't speak.The woman looked at the photo for a while, turned her head away with great effort, forced a smile, and signaled that Li Qi should join the celebration in the kitchen. We have some tequila.she said quietly.Saved especially for today. There were shot glasses on the table, and the eldest daughter was pouring them.The girl Rohr gave her life to save is now a grown-up, and the younger son passes the wine glasses around.Li Qi took a cup and waited.Papa Gacia motioned for everyone to be quiet, and raised his glass to Alice. Kudos to our lawyers.He said.Because she proved that what the great French writer Balzac said was wrong. He once said: The law is like a spider web. The big insects fly over, but the small ones stay on it. Alice's face was slightly red, and Gacia smiled at her, then turned to face Li Qi.To you too, sir, for helping us when we were most needy. De nada.Li Qi said, No hay de qu (you're welcome). The tequila was strong and everyone was thinking about Rolle, so they stopped having a second shot and let the Gacias celebrate.Once again, they had to wait for the temperature inside the vehicle to cool down before getting into the car for the return trip to Pecos. feels good.Alice said.Seems like I finally changed something. You did change some things. Even so, it is because of you that these things can happen. It is because of your hard work.He said. Still, thank you. Were those Border Patrol officers under investigation?he asks. She nodded.Very thorough, that's what it says in the records, because it caused a lot of uproar.Of course, there were no concrete results, but the public opinion was enough that they had to start an investigation. Then what? Then there was nothing, trying every means to cover up the truth, and no one was prosecuted. But it didn't happen again? She nodded again.It was as sudden as it started, so obviously they had been warned. This is generally the case.He said, I have seen it before, in different places and in different situations.The so-called investigation is actually not a real investigation, but more like a warning, an encrypted message, which seems to say that if you commit another crime, you will not be able to get out, so no matter who you are, it is best to stop as soon as possible. But justice has not been served, Li Qi.More than two dozen people died, some horribly, like a mass murder, which lasted for a whole year.Someone should pay the price. Have you heard the famous quote of Balzac just now?he asks. certainly.she says.Anyway, I also went to Harvard. Then you know Herbert.Marcuse (Note: 1898︱1979, philosopher and social theorist.)? He was a latecomer, right?Philosophers, not novelists. He nodded.Born ninety-nine years later than Balzac, he is a socialist political philosopher.He once said: Law and order exist to protect the existing class system. fart. Fart of course.He said.But it is what it is. They were back in Pecos in an hour, parked directly outside the office, and had only to endure ten feet of heat.But the short distance alone was too much for them, and the ten feet felt like walking through a blast furnace with a hot towel wrapped around their heads.When they returned to Alice's desk, they found a large pile of handwritten notes taped to it.Alice tore off all the note papers, picked them up and looked at them one by one, and then put them all away in the drawer. I'm going to see Carmen now.she says.But fingerprints and ballistic reports are out, Heike.Walker wants to talk to you, it sounds like there is a problem. I think so too.Li Qi said. The two walked to the door, paused, and then mustered up the courage to step out onto the sidewalk again.The two broke up at the gate of the court, Alice continued to walk towards the gate of the prison, and Li Qi walked up the gate steps to enter the court.There is no air conditioning in the public areas and stairwells, so climbing to the second floor made him sweat profusely.The intern behind the desk quietly pointed to Heike's office. Li Qi walked in and saw that he was reading a technical report. The expression on his face seemed to say that if he read it enough times, maybe he could change the above. the result of. It was she who killed him.He said.Everything fits, the ballistic alignment is perfect. Li Qi sat down at the table. Your fingerprints are also on the gun.Walker said. Li Qi did not answer.If you want to lie, you have to wait until the critical moment to do it. Your fingerprints are stored in a national database.Walker said.do you know? Li Qi nodded.All military members have it. So maybe you just happened to find the gun lost somewhere.Walker said.So you put away the randomly discarded guns, because there are children in the house, it is very dangerous.Maybe you just picked it up and put it in a safe place. maybe!Li Qi said. Walker turned a page of the file. But it's actually worse, right?He said. Yeah? do you pray Won't.Li Qi said. Then you should really pray, you should kneel down and thank others. Like who? Let's say state troopers, let's say Bro Sloop, because he called the sheriff. Why? Because they saved your life. How to say? You happened to be in the patrol car when it happened and it was on the road.If they keep you in a dorm, you're prime suspect. Why? Walker turned another page. Your fingerprints are on the gun, he said again, and on every cartridge case.It's on the magazine, and it's on the box, you put the bullets in there, Leech.They think you probably tried to fire it before reloading and finishing the preparatory procedure.She bought the gun, so it's technically hers, but judging from the fingerprints, it's actually your weapon. Li Qi didn't speak. So get it?Walker asked.You should put up a shrine to the State Troopers and thank them for waking up alive and free every morning.Because to me, the most obvious target is to catch you directly.You can probably crawl from your dorm to your bedroom, easy and simple, because you know exactly where your bedroom is, don't you?I talked to Bobby and he told me you slept there the night before.Do you really think he will squat in the stall obediently?Maybe he's still watching you two do that through the window. I didn't sleep with her.Li Qi said.I sleep on the couch. Walker smiled.Do you think the jury will believe you?Or trust a former prostitute?I don't believe it.So we can easily prove the murderous motive by saying that you sneaked into the bedroom the next night, took out a pistol from the drawer, shot Sloop to death, and then sneaked back.It's just that the inference doesn't work, because at that point in time, you happened to be in the back of a police car, so you're lucky, Richie.At this critical moment, a white male shooter is invaluable, and you alone can end segregation on death row.Lock a white guy like you between a bunch of blacks and Hispanics and I'll be the most righteous prosecutor in Texas, and I won the election before it even started. Li Qi didn't speak, Walker sighed. But unfortunately, the murderer was not you, he said, it was her.So now what am I left with?Even worse is the premeditated part, which is now almost a fact.Apparently she thought it over and even got an ex-soldier to do weapons training for her.After we found your fingerprints, we also found your file. You have won the shooting competition championship for two consecutive years, and your performance as a shooting coach is remarkable.My goodness, you loaded her with the bullet, so what am I supposed to do? Go ahead with the original plan.Li Qi said.Wait for the inspection report to come out. Walker fell silent, then sighed again, and nodded. It will be out tomorrow.He said.do you know what else i didI hired a defense expert to look at the material, you know some experts only do defense?Usually we don't go near such people because we want to know how much can be dug out of it, not how much can't be dug out.But I still hired a defense expert, because if Alice.If Allen could afford it, she'd hire this guy too.I needed someone to convince me that there was still a small chance that Carmen could be honest, so that I could let her go naturally without looking too outrageous. Then take it easy!Li Qi said.It's over tomorrow. I hope so, too, Walker said, and it's still possible.Al.Some financial information from Eugene's office, he's been in charge of helping Shlope with these things, so if there's no financial motive and the medical report looks good, then maybe I can breathe a sigh of relief. She didn't have a dime on her.Li Qi said.This has always been her big problem. Walker nodded.Good, he said, because her big problem can solve my big problem. The office was silent, and the air-conditioning compressor was running continuously.The back of Li Qi's neck was cold and wet. For the sake of the election, you should be active.He said. Yeah?How to do? Do something exciting. for example? Let's say reopening the Border Patrol case, the people would love to see that.I just went to see a family whose son was murdered by those guys. Walker was quiet again, then shook his head and said.That's ancient history. But not for those families.Li Qi said.Two dozen people were killed in one year, and most of the survivors probably lived around here, and they should all be able to vote by now. The Border Patrol case has been investigated.Walker said.That was before I took office, the investigation was thorough, I had looked at those files years ago. Do you have those files? Of course, most of it happened in Echo Town, and all those files will be sent here.Obviously, the group of bad-behaved police officers were too presumptuous. The investigation back then was probably only used to warn them, and there should be no recurrence.The personnel of the Border Patrol was changed a lot later, and those bad guys don't know where they are going now, maybe they have all left Texas.Immigrants aren't the only ones going north. This will add points to your image. Walker shrugged.I think so too.Many things will add points to my image, but I also have principles, Li Qi, doing so is just a waste of public money, purely grandstanding, I know very well.I assure you, it won't have any effect, because people and things are different, and that's ancient history. Twelve years ago was not considered ancient history. Here, even twelve years, things change quickly.What I pay attention to now is what happened in Echo Town last night, not what happened twelve years ago. All right!Li Qi said.It's your decision anyway. I'll be calling Alice tomorrow morning and maybe we can wrap up before lunch once we have the information we need. Let us embrace such hope! yes!Walker said. Li Qi walked outside through the suffocating hot air in the stairwell, but the temperature on the sidewalk was higher than inside, so hot that it was a little difficult to breathe, and it felt like all the oxygen molecules in the air had been burned up.He crossed the road and walked to the office, sweat streaming into his eyes. He pushed open the door and went in, and saw Alice sitting behind the table by herself. So fast?Li Qi asked a little surprised. She nodded. Did you see her? Nod again. What did she say? said nothing.Alice said.Just one thing, she doesn't want me to be her lawyer. What's the meaning? That's what I meant, and actually that's the only thing she said to me, and I'll tell you exactly what I said: I refuse you to be my lawyer. Why? Didn't say anything, didn't say anything.I told you just now, she just said she didn't want me to help her. Why not? Alice could only shrug and said nothing. Has this happened before? Alice shook her head.I have never encountered it, and the lawyers here have no recollection.They often hesitate to bite off your hand or suffocate you with hugs and kisses. So what happened? I don't know, she's very calm and rational. Have you tried to convince her? Of course there is!to some extent.But I have to get out before she gets out of control and yells like that, and if anyone hears her say that, I lose all ground, and then she's really in trouble.I plan to go back and try it later. Did you tell her I sent you there? Of course, I gave your name. Li Qi said this and Li Qi said that, but it was useless. She just said one word and didn't want a lawyer.She repeated it many times, maybe three or four times!Then there is a corresponding ignorance. Can you figure out why? Alice shrugged.Can't figure it out in this case.I mean, although I'm not Perry.Mason (note: the defense lawyer in Erle Stanley Gardner's Detective Story), may not inspire much trust in the victim, although I walked in with few clothes on and sweating profusely, But if this is Wall Street, I can understand someone taking a look and thinking: Wow, this guy, I'll forget it.But this isn't Wall Street, this is the Pecos County Jail, and she's a Hispanic woman, and I'm a hard-charging lawyer, so I'd go and she'd have to laugh. why? It's completely inexplicable. What should we do now? I can only use a more tactful approach to persuade her to accept me to help her appear in court before other people hear it. What if she still doesn't want to? Then I'll deal with my own business and let her fend for herself.Wait until six months later, when the indictment comes down, and wait for a judge's best friend to send another useless person to see her. Li Qi was quiet for a while.Sorry, Alice, I didn't know this was the case. it's not your fault. Make another run around seven o'clock, okay?He said.When the upstairs office is closed and the woman on the night shift has not appeared, she should be more difficult to deal with than the one in the daytime. She probably won't pay much attention during the daytime, so you can put a little pressure on Carmen and ask her to call, if she really If you want to call. Well, she said, just seven o'clock.Today is really exciting, going up and down is like riding a roller coaster. like life.Li Qi said. She smiled briefly at him.Then where can I find you? First motel over the highway. Do you like to listen to the sound of traffic? I like cheap ones.Room 11, use Miller.Fillmore's name is registered. Why use this name? Habit.He said.I like to use a pseudonym, incognito. That miller.Who is Fillmore? President of the United States, Lincoln's first two terms, New Yorker. She was quiet for a moment.Should I dress like a lawyer?Do you think this is bad? Li Qi shrugged.I don't think so.Look at me, I look like a scarecrow, but she never has an opinion. Alice smiled again.It's kind of like that.When I saw you walk in this morning, I thought you were a client, homeless and in trouble. This set is already new.Li Qi said.I just put it on today. She glanced at Li Qi again, but said nothing.Li Qi left her to do paperwork and walked to the pizzeria south of the courthouse.It was almost full inside, there was a huge air conditioner running above the gate, and there was a lot of water dripping on the sidewalk, obviously it was the coolest place in town, so it was the most popular at this time.He walked in and there was the last table left.The waiter kept pouring ice water, and he kept drinking it, and then ordered an anchovies pizza.There is a lot of fish in the pizza, and he thinks his body needs salt. While he was eating, a new order came to the assassination team via the phone.The call was deliberately routed to Dallas and Las Vegas, and then to a motel a hundred miles away in Pecos.The caller was a man, not loud, but very clear, the content described the details of the new target, male, first said his full name and age, followed by a summary of his appearance, and the next forty-eight hours. , all possible locations of his actions. A woman answered the phone, and she called the other two partners to dinner.She kept no records, she was always careful not to leave any written evidence, and her memory was excellent because of constant training.She listened carefully until the other party stopped, and then quoted the price.She speaks very freely because, through a purchased electronic device, her voice can be made into that of a robot with a cold.開價之後，另一端寂靜無聲，那傢伙在考慮要不要殺價。不過他沒有，只說了好，然後掛斷電話。女人微笑。聰明人！她的團隊不接小案子，吝惜金錢的態度只會將所有負面可能暴露出來。 李奇吃完披薩後再吃冰淇淋，然後多喝了些水和咖啡。在合理範圍內，他盡可能多待了一會兒，然後付錢走回旅館房間。享受了一小時清涼乾爽的時光後，熱氣逼人的程度更加嚴重了。他在微溫的水流中沖了很久的澡，然後在水槽裡把衣服洗了洗，用力把皺摺甩掉，再晾在椅子上等它自然乾。然後他把冷氣開到最大，躺下來等愛麗絲。他看看手錶，想著如果她八點以後才到，那就表示事情有轉圜，因為如果卡門決定要認真處理這件事，那至少要談上一小時。他閉上眼，想小睡一下。