Last Breath (The Good Daughter 0.5)(34)

Charlie met his smug grin with a smirk. “Do I need to explain to you the difference between a financial entity set up through common law jurisdictions and a minor child?”

Coin’s expression remained unchanged. “Do I need to explain to you about collusion to commit fraud?”

“I think you mean civil conspiracy, which you would know if you’d gone to a law school that wasn’t housed between a massage parlor and a Panda Express.”

Coin stood up, fists clenched, and walked out the door.

Charlie knew he was pacing the hall. She had seen him do this before. His fuse burned quick, but the explosions tended to be of the premature variety.

Roland ignored the antics, asking Flora, “Did you see a map or a drawing on Mark’s desk? Is that how you figured it out?”

“Nope.” Flora knew she had lost Charlie, so there was no point in pretending anymore. “If I did what you’re saying, which I didn’t, I’d tell you that I’ve got two eyes in my head. Anybody can see that land needs a right-a-way.”

Roland had the pleased look of a man who understood that criminals loved to brag about their bad deeds. “How’d you find out who owns the property?”

“It’s all at the courthouse. Anybody could look. If they wanted to, I mean. Not that I wanted to. But if.”

“And you recognized the old widow’s name?”

“Mrs. Piper?” Flora shrugged. “I could sell her the moon if I wanted to.”

“And?” Roland gave her a second before prompting, “Keep going, little bit. Tell me how you worked it. I mean, if you worked it.”



“No,” Charlie said, because Flora seemed to think her ifs were some kind of legal krypton. “Flora, my advice as your lawyer is to shut the hell up.”

Flora cut her with a look, her eyes flashing like a snake’s.

Charlie suppressed a shudder that could’ve shaken her out of her chair.

“Charlotte, let’s figure this out together.” Coin stood in the doorway. He had one hand tucked into the waist band of his shiny slacks. His anger had been chased away by his idiotic belief that she could be persuaded to throw her client under the bus. “You need to talk your client into taking a deal or she’s gonna be too dried up for anything by the time she breathes free air again.”

Charlie said nothing.

Coin tried another track, talking to Roland instead. “I gotta give it to her: gal’s got the nose for property.”

Roland nodded. “Too bad she didn’t know Mark Patterson’s broke. He can’t afford to pay her market value for the highway access, and nobody wants the apartments without Mark’s land attached to the deal.”

Flora could not quell her grin. “Good thing I’ve got the cash to buy Mark’s piece when he goes into foreclosure.”

“Flora,” Charlie tried, literally the least amount of trying she could do. “You need to stop talking.”

“I will, Miss Charlie. But you can see they ain’t got nothing on me.” Flora crossed her arms. She told Coin, “You heard my lawyer. I’ve talked about as much as I’m gonna talk.”

“Good, because I’m tired of pussy-footin’ around your bullshit.” Coin leaned over the table. He told Flora. “We’ve got you dead to rights on the drug trafficking, peanut. Come clean and maybe we can shave some time off your sentence.”

“I know my rights,” Flora shot back. “You gotta charge me or let me go.”



Charlie felt her head swivel around so hard that her neck popped. “What did you say?” Flora started to speak, but Charlie held up a hand to stop her. “You’re not in cuffs. Did they fingerprint you?” Flora shook her head. “Did they take your photograph?” Flora shook her head again. “Did they ever say you were under arrest? Read you your rights?”

Roland sighed. He switched off the recorder.

“Flora?” Charlie prompted.

“No. None of that.”

Charlie asked her, “Why did you change into jail clothes?”

“They told me to because my other ones were dirty from being on the ground.”

“But they let you keep your sneakers and your necklace.” Charlie gave Ken Coin a furious look. “You fuckwad.”

Coin shrugged.

She remembered the first full sentence that had come out of his mouth.

“You’re gonna be charged …”

He hadn’t said that he was actually charging Flora. Charlie had been so stunned by the possible prison sentence that she hadn’t noticed, but now she understood that the district attorney had played her almost as well as Flora had.

She told Roland, “You were part of this. Don’t think I’ll forget that.”

Roland gave another labored sigh.

“I hate men who sigh instead of telling me to fuck off.” Charlie told Flora, “Get up.” When Flora didn’t stand, Charlie pulled her up. She practically dragged the girl to the door, telling Coin, “This is shitty, even for you.”

“She ain’t gonna be free for long,” Coin said. “Only a matter of time before she screws up.”

“Unbelievable,” Charlie muttered. She kept pulling Flora down the hallway. She punched the buzzer so the desk sergeant would open the door to the lobby.