Free Motion to Suppress by Perri O'Shaughnessy Page B

the past four years, at Rothman, Akers, and Teeter in San Francisco, my practice has emphasized criminal law as well as family law. Although my criminal trial work hasn’t specifically included a homicide to this point, I have handled appeals of people convicted of homicide. I argued the appeals in the First District Court of Appeals and in the California Supreme Court. I’m current on the law."
    Tengstedt did not seem impressed. "You defended people convicted of murder?" he asked finally, his voice thin. She could see it in his eyes, hear it in his voice. Her office was too small. Her secretary looked like a refugee from the homeless mission. Looking at herself through his eyes, she saw a young woman with brown hair that was too long and a skirt that was too short. No gold jewelry, no Mont Blanc pen, no Chanel suit, none of the trappings of a rich and successful businesswoman. Even his coffee mug advertised the local Thrifty. He wanted bigness, a deep voice, an impression of physical power. For him, the physical and mental power showed up together. Nina blamed Raymond Burr.
    "Well, I would like to get some references."
    "Sure," Nina said.
    "And I’d like to know how much you would charge."
    "Twenty-five thousand dollars as an initial retainer, billed against my usual hourly rate of two hundred dollars per hour. Plus expenses," Nina said. "Including the investigator’s time."
    "I’m sure you can understand we need to talk to Michelle about this," Tengstedt said.
    "You know, she can also request a public defender. You aren’t obligated to pay for her attorney," Nina said. "And it appears she may have some funds of her own." If she could get into Anthony’s bank account.
    "No, no, we can help her. We just ... need to know where she stands. You say she has already asked you to represent her. Do you think that’s a good idea?"
    "I don’t have the same amount of felony trial experience as, for example, Mr. Riesner. But other factors in a particular case may balance that out. For one thing, your daughter has expressed confidence in me, and—"
    "She hasn’t got a clue about people," Carl Tengstedt said. "Look who she married."
    "Let me finish," Nina said. "I believe that she has told me the truth, at least as she understands it, about the events surrounding Mr. Patterson’s death."
    "So?"
    "Some of the things she has told me are, frankly, hard to believe. And another lawyer, who does not believe her, might be inclined to handle the case in a very different way than I would."
    "So?"
    "I think it is important to her case that her ideas and feelings not be disregarded. We have established rapport— that could mean the difference between success and failure in a situation like this one, where there’s a lot of confusion to clear up."
    Tengstedt’s frown had been deepening as she spoke. "Sorry," Tengstedt said. "You’ve lost me. We’ll talk to her and get back to you."
    "Please keep in mind that I have not agreed to represent her yet. I told her I will let her know tomorrow. There is a bail hearing coming up and I would suggest that I at least cover that for her, since I’m familiar with what’s going on."
    "That would be helpful," Tengstedt said, seeming to soften slightly. They talked about the no-bail recommendation for several minutes.
    "Fresno is three hours’ drive from here," Nina said then. "If I do represent your daughter, I’ll need to ask you to come up again very soon to meet with me."
    "I run an auto dealership specializing in four-wheel-drive vehicles. I’m my own boss. I can come up anytime," Carl Tengstedt said with some pride. He seemed to be weighing something in his mind.
    "Me too," Misty’s mother said. She looked down at her hands. "I have arthritis, and I don’t drive anymore myself."
    "My mother had an arthritic condition too." Nina said. "Thank God for aspirin."
    A deep silence greeted this pronouncement. Nina remembered, too late, that the Tengstedts were Christian Scientists who usually