Free Apex Predator by J. A. Faura Page B

right? That was a nice outcome on the Jordan distribution and conspiracy case. I represented the co-defendant and we didn’t get a much better deal. It was a nice play getting the cop to doubt the source of the container at the preliminary.”
    Now it was Drew’s turn to try to look nonplussed and confident. He actually felt pretty good, so it wasn’t all that hard, “Thank you, Max. It wasn’t that hard really, the guy’s report and notes were crap from the beginning. I just had to get him to admit that on the stand to the judge.”
    Zeidler nodded, smiling, “Sometimes that’s not as easy as it looks. Good work anyway.”
    Drew finished packing his files and went up to shake the man’s hand, “Thanks again. Hey, good luck with Pedroza.”
    Zeidler rolled his eyes toward Logan and made a low gesture with his hand as if to say ‘We’ve got it in the bag,’ but what he actually said in a low voice was, “If you ever think about joining a firm, a no holds-barred, balls-to-the-wall firm, you make sure you give me a call first.”
    Drew turned to leave, “I appreciate the offer, it is an absolute honor, but I just hung out my shingle not too long ago, you know how that is.”
    Zeidler smiled, “I do, do I ever. Just keep it tucked in your back pocket. You never know.”
    Drew turned and started to walk out of the courtroom. He had no doubt Logan had caught that whole exchange and could almost feel his eyes boring a hole in the back of his head.
    Just before he reached the door, Willis heard Zeidler say to Logan, “Oh, and Bart, since this delay is caused by the people’s busy schedule, you won’t oppose a motion to reduce bail for Mr. Pedroza, will you?”
    Bart waited a couple of seconds and looked at the clerk before stammering, “Well, ah…”
    Drew had reached the door to the courtroom and made his way through it quickly lest he start laughing out loud in the courtroom and really screw up his relationship with Logan.
     

     
    Grady was back from talking to Mia Reynolds’ family members. Nothing to really note or bear down on. Father was rock solid, mother and sisters were typical upper middle class. He had also talked to the detectives talking to the teachers for both girls and had not come up with anything promising. Both girls went to private school and had teachers with significant credentials and meticulous backgrounds that could be verified. All had checked out.
    Most of them were women anyway. The ones that were males could not be more different from the profile they were working off of. They were mostly over their mid-50s, mostly of European descent and most had very mundane lives that could also be traced back almost minute by minute during their time away from school. They had families of their own with which they spent a great deal of time or clubs they belonged to or organizations they were a part of, all of them able to account for their time almost down to the minute.
    They had also talked to the custodial staff. There they had actually developed a couple of possibles. Two of the yard maintenance workers had done some time and completed probation, but neither was a violent offender nor any type of sex offender.
    Both were Hispanic and had agreed readily to speak with the detectives on the case. Both offenses had to do with having relations with an underage girl, usually 16 or 17, when they themselves were 20 and 21 years old. They’d been cleared immediately.
    He had also had an opportunity to speak with Mark Mullins and had gotten pretty much the same story from him.
    Even with the profiles they were working from, there just didn’t seem to be anyone within the girls’ known circle that could be their guy. Extended family was next, all the uncles, cousins, second cousins, close friends, anyone that had spent time with them or even been at the same party was being interviewed as well.
    The Reynolds family was planning on coming by the station later with Mrs. Reynolds’ sisters and