‘Juries are badly paid too. They wouldn’t believe it.’
I flicked my cigarette out of the window and shrugged. He was right, of course.
‘How is he, Tim?’
‘Perelli? Not so bad, considering. They didn’t shake his story, and they certainly tried. I think he’d have croaked if Francon hadn’t breezed in. Those two punks, MacGraw and Hartsell, get under my skin. They like nothing better than to be turned loose on a guy in handcuffs.’
‘Yeah. They tried to bash me once. Any chance of my seeing him?’
‘Not a hope. He’s Brandon’s special prisoner. Even the Fed had to get tough before he’d let them look at him.’
I lit another cigarette and passed him the pack.
‘I don’t think he did it, Tim.’
‘Well, you’ll be about the only one by the time they get him before a jury. Wait ‘til you see the morning newspapers. As far as they’re concerned, he’s been tried and found guilty already. The only way to get him off is to produce the real kidnapper.’
‘I’ve got to do something for him. What’ll Brandon do now?’