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Brandi looked at the woman dressed in a simple blue suit and smiled a little. Mary had pulled through for her. She'd gotten an attorney and in record time. The officer standing guard by the door shared a look with the attorney and stepped out. Just as she shut the door, Bobby appeared.
"Where are you going? You can't leave her in there by herself."
"I'm not. She's got a lawyer." Bobby peered through the one way glass to see the woman pulling a chair over to sit next to Brandi.
"So…you're my lawyer."
"Looks that way. You can call me Liv." Brandi just nodded. She wasn't sure what to say. She'd already told the police about her involvement with the drugs.
"I'm going to need you to tell me everything you know from the beginning."
"Ok well…I told the cops already about the suitcase and they found it." Liv pulled out a pad and pen from her briefcase and started to scribble down notes.
"My boyfriend, Chuck…well I kind of wish he wasn't my boyfriend but he's big into drugs and selling them. I went along with it for a while…he made some good money and took care of me, you know." Liv nodded, waiting for her to continue.
"Well we he set up this deal out here in New Mexico with a guy and so I flew out a few months ago with the drugs…in my suitcase."
"So you were going to make the sale?"
"He wants me to. But…I just don't feel right about it. Maybe I've been hanging around my sister and Chico too long….they can be a bad influence." She laughed as Liv sat in confusion.
"Your sister and who?"
"Oh…Chico…Raphael…her ex boyfriend. He's cool…for being my sister's ex and all."
"So what made you decide to turn the drugs and yourself in?"
"I guess I just didn't want to do it anymore. I mean Chuck doesn't really love me…he just uses me. I don't' want that anymore." Liv leaned back in the metal chair, looking pensive. The interrogation room fell silent as Liv thought. Outside, Bobby watched them carefully. He didn't know the attorney but he assumed Mary used some of her ties to get her there.
On the other side of town, Mary pulled into her usual parking spot and cut the engine. She'd told Stan she wouldn't be back but she couldn't just sit around and do nothing while Brandi toiled down at police headquarters. So she walked through the front door of the building and up her office. Marshall sat at his desk, his fingers flying over the keyboard in front of him.
"How'd it go with that lawyer?"
"Uh…fine."
"Want to tell me what's going on?"
"Nope." Mary slid into her chair and just stared at the blank computer screen in front of her. How could she be this listless? Mary didn't get restless over family. She just got pissed off. Yet here she was, brooding over her baby sister's fate. Marshall watched her sit there and couldn't keep quiet.
"Come on…something's going on. You know I'll find out eventually." She turned to look at him and let out a frustrated breath.
"It's Brandi. She got arrested this morning." Marshall looked surprised. He did know Brandi very well but from Mary muttered every now and then didn't suggest she was the kind of person to get arrested.
"What did she do?"
"Something to do with drugs. You know…she kept them in the house." He let out a low whistle.
"Not so bright."
"You're telling me. God, I should have known something was up, her just showing up at my door like that."
"What do you think will happen?"
"I'm hoping the lawyer I got her can get her a decent deal."
"Who did you get to represent her?" Mary checked the call log on her phone.
"Liv Serna."
"Good choice. She does a lot of drug cases…she's been involved with a few federal cases." Mary just let out a groan as Marshall turned back to his computer.
Back at the police station, Bobby was pacing back and forth in front of the door to the interrogation room. He'd given them amble time to talk. So with one last look through the window, eh pushed the door open and walked in
"Ready to answer some questions now?" Brandi looked to Live who nodded.
"Yeah…I guess so. Let's do it." Bobby leaned on the table.
"Before you try and get your client out of here, you should know we have the evidence to hold her."
"I understand that, Detective. My client is willing to cooperate as best she can. And given the fact that she came to you first shows considerable good faith in a continued effort." Bobby cleared his throat and stood up.
"Brandi…you seem like a nice girl." Brandi nodded.
"Now…since those drugs cross state lines, this is out of my hands. The case is going to be handled by the Feds. So the US Attorney here in Albuquerque will be prosecuting the case."
"So…what does that mean?"
"It means you'll probably have to spend a night in jail while he reviews the case. Brandi's head landed on her arms on the table.
"Unless you can convince the US Attorney to agree to a meeting set for this afternoon." Bobby ran a hand over his neck.
"I'll see what I can do. For now, we're going to have to bring her to lock up." Bobby motioned for Brandi to stand up. Liv gave her a reassuring smile.
"I'll be back when I hear anything about a bail hearing. Don't worry; we'll have you out of lock up by tomorrow. I promise." Brandi just nodded hesitantly as Bobby led her out of the room. Liv stood in the interrogation room for a moment or two, a thought beginning to percolate in her mind. She would have to discuss it with Brandi but she would be foolish not to take the deal if the US Attorney agreed to the terms.
The afternoon passed by quickly despite Brandi's nerves making her pace back and forth. Around two o'clock, Liv returned with a broad smile.
"We've got a meeting with the US Attorney at two-thirty. Let's get going." Brandi shoved her hands in her pockets as she followed Liv out of the station. She felt odd not carrying her purse but the cops had confiscated it when they'd locked her up.
"Shouldn't the police be bringing me there?"
"I talked to Detective Dershowitz and he said it would be fine for me to drive you. It's not far." Just as Brandi started to drift off, the car stopped moving. She looked around her to see they had arrived at a large white building.
"So what…do I do? I mean do I have to plead guilty or anything?"
"No. We're just going to talk with the US Attorney about the case and see whether we need to take it to trial. I'll do all the talking."
"Ok." Brandi bit the inside of her lip as she walked next to Liv. The walk from the car to the front door felt as though she was somehow walking to her death and that scared her. They stopped at the front desk and Liv signed them in. The woman sitting at the computer looked a Brandi for a moment before handing over visitor's badges.
"We've got to go up a few floors." Brandi just nodded silently and kept up. The usual urge to talk to keep herself calm had failed several hours ago. Brandi had determined it was safer to just not say anything unless directly asked a question. Before Brandi realized it, they walked into a large conference room.
"Why don't you have a seat? There are a few things I'd like to go over before the US Attorney gets here." As she spoke, Liv pulled out some additional notes she'd written to herself and smoothed the edges of her skirt. Brandi slid into one of the chairs next to her. She smiled a little as she wiggled back against the soft leather.
"I'm going to do my best to get the US Attorney to agree to a plea."
"What plea?"
"It would involve your testimony against…" she checked her notes "Chuck and his other accomplices."
"He would kill me!" Her tone conveyed every ounce of fear she'd been holding back since she'd first set foot in the police station that morning.
"Not if I have any say in the matter." Just then there was a knock on the doorframe. Both women looked over to see a tall man with graying hair walk in. He wore a shirt and tie.
"Good afternoon, Counselor." He and Liv shook hands and they shared a small smile. Brandi got the distinct impression that they knew each other.
"I hope we haven't pulled you away something too pressing." He shook his head.
"What are you offering, Counselor?" She pushed a typed document across the table. Brandi craned her neck to try and read it but failed. After another minute or two, he set the paper down and leaned back to look a t Liv, a knowing smile on his lips.