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The ASA launched into it. “Your honor, the state asks for no bond in this case. Mr. Nowak killed and then decapitated a young woman making him not only a flight risk but a danger to society.”
“Allegedly,” Owen said. “Your honor, the state has no evidence connecting my client to this murder.”
“He has no alibi,” the ASA said.
“The murder took place in the middle of the night on a Saturday. Do you have an alibi?” he asked the ASA. “What about you, Judge, were you sleeping alone Saturday night? Maybe we should lock you up.”
“All right you’ve made your point,” the judge said, then asked the ASA, “Is that really all you have?”
“Of course not. The defendant used his credit card to messenger the body—”
“And not a single credit card has ever been stolen in Chicago?” Owen asked, snidely.
“And we have a witness at Quickie Courier who describes—”
“I’m sorry he’s not actually a witness until he picks my client out of a lineup. The best you can say is that my client fits the description given. Not that there aren’t literally hundreds of men in the city—”
“Yes, thank you, I understand,” the judge interrupted.
“Your honor, we have a lineup scheduled for Monday afternoon.”
“And my client will be there.”
“The seriousness of this crime—”
“What’s her name?” Owen asked.
“Who?”
“The victim.”
“Rita Lindquist.”
Owen knew the victim’s name, of course, he just wanted to start tossing her name around. And he wanted the prosecution to kick that off. He went right for the heart of the matter. “Rita Lindquist is herself a wanted criminal with many, many enemies. If that is indeed who this woman is.”
“What does that mean?” the judge asked.
The ASA answered, “Your honor, we believe Mr. Nowak removed Ms. Lindquist’s head and hands to hinder our ability to identify her.”
“Wait. Are you telling me you’re not a hundred percent sure who the deceased is?”
“We’re fairly certain your honor.”
The judge looked shocked. “Fairly certain?”
“Her license was found hidden in the accused’s office.”
“A license that said Rita Lindquist?” Owen asked.
“Well, no…an alias she was known to use.”
The judge was looking very confused. Owen took this opportunity to step in. “Your honor, Mr. Nowak is a lifelong Chicagoan who has deep ties to the community. He runs his own private investigation agency and has a right to take part in his own defense. I have to point out that over the years he has assisted the police in numerous—”
“—and also ‘assisted’ a notorious mobster, Jimmy English—”
“What’s that?”
“The accused was employed by—”
