Page 68 of More Than a Hero
“Couple of names, but none that match your guy. Still, I’ll run it through my informants, see if anyone’s seen this mole-faced mystery man. Might take a day or two.”
Pete tapped his pen against the desk. “Appreciate it, Russo. Keep me posted.”
“Yeah, yeah. And Bolton—” Russo’s tone dropped, all humor gone. “Watch your back. If Lashawn’s pushing into new territory, it means someone bigger is letting him. That’s the guy you need to worry about. My guess is that he’s recruiting down there.”
Pete met Jeremy’s gaze, the weight of Russo’s words settling between them. “Noted. Thanks.”
The line went dead, and Pete leaned back, exhaling slowly. Jeremy pushed off the desk, his expression unreadable. “So we wait?”
Pete nodded, closing the file with a snap. “For now. But I hate the idea of someone down here.”
“I wonder if it’s the guy Robert saw?”
“If so, we need to make sure no trail leads back to him.”
“When do you want to talk to the DA?” Jeremy asked. “’Cause I’m ready now.”
Pete grinned. “Same here.”
28
The Commonwealth Attorney's office occupied the top floor of the courthouse. Cedric McCalister sat behind his imposing desk, his silver hair perfectly styled despite the late hour. Jeremy and Pete sat in the leather chairs facing him, their expressions neutral but alert.
A knock on the door preceded a woman entering the room. Pete recognized Sandra O’Neill, one of the attorneys from the Legal Aid office.
"Sandra, good of you to come on such short notice." Cedric's voice carried the authority of three decades in prosecution, though his tone remained cordial. "I believe you know Detectives Pickett and Bolton."
Pete nodded toward her as she settled into the remaining chair.
"The Reeves boy," Cedric continued, his weathered hands steepled before him. "You had called me saying you knew his mother.”
Sandra nodded. “Yes, she works part-time as a cleaner for our offices, and I’ve had the opportunity to get to know her, and on occasion, Robert, as well.
Cedric looked down at the file in front of him. “Sixteen years old, found in a vehicle containing enough narcotics to suggest distribution."
Sandra straightened her back. "Mr. McCalister, with respect, from what I’ve been told by his mother, Robert Reeves was a passenger in that vehicle. He had no knowledge of the drugs, no involvement in their distribution, and no criminal history whatsoever."
Pete leaned forward, his frustration evident. "Yes. Clean record. Wrong place, wrong time. Yeah, he got into the car with the wrong person, but he’s cooperating. Giving us real information on Lashawn Tate, who is a Blood and is running through the Shore."
"The initial report had him in the vehicle at the scene of a crash," Cedric countered, his tone measured but firm. "Narcotics in the vehicle. That's more than 'wrong place, wrong time.'"
"He wasn't driving,” Pete said. “He wasn't carrying. He wasn't high. The blood work came back completely clean. We’ve had time to dig, and there’s no evidence he knew what was in that damn car. He’s just a kid, Cedric. And we know he’s not the kind you make an example of."
"Legally, I could argue he was in possession by proximity," Cedric replied, though his voice lacked its usual conviction.
“Legally, you could argue a lot of shit that doesn’t make sense,” Pete retorted.
"Constructive possession requires knowledge and intent," Sandra said, her gaze on Cedric. "Two things the Commonwealth cannot prove because they don't exist. This boy got a ride home from school with someone he thought was a friend. He had no idea what was in the trunk of that car."
Pete offered her a smile, approval in his chest. She leaned forward, her brown eyes meeting Cedric's steady gaze. "This isn't someone who belongs in the juvenile justice system. Prosecutinghim doesn't serve justice. It destroys a promising young life for the sake of statistics."
Cedric was quiet for a long moment, his fingers drumming against the leather-inlaid desk blotter. “You three are really pushing for this kid.”
“Because it’s the right call,” Pete added.
Cedric's weathered face remained impassive, but Pete caught the slight softening around his eyes. “Fine. No charges. But I want updates, and if he puts one toe out of line, I expect to be the first to know.”
Jeremy nodded and said, “Appreciate it.”
