Page 40 of Necessary Evil

“Who’s Zane?”

“He’s my business manager.” Chloe raised her chin in defiance.

“Your pimp?” Lucy confirmed.

Chloe shrugged.

“I can get you bonded out so that you can wait for your trial at home with your mother instead of in here.”

Chloe’s eyes filled with hope for a moment and then narrowed in suspicion. “Lenny said he couldn’t do that.”

“Maybe Lenny can’t, but I can. I’ve worked with a few bondsmen who can be more flexible for my clients.” Mostly because they knew her clients were good risks. Lucy hoped Chloe would be a good risk.

Chloe seemed to think it over for a moment. Finally she said, “What do I have to do to go home?”

“Your mother and I will make arrangements with a bail bondsman. She’ll need to put up collateral—maybe her house or a car. If you fail to appear in court, run away, or violate the conditions of your release, she’ll be held liable for the money in the bond and would lose whatever she put up.”

“I won’t hurt my mama like that. I know what the bondsmen do.” Chloe crossed her arms. “But we don’t have that kind of money, even if she hocked the car.”

“Leave that part to me. I can make arrangements with the bondsman.”

“What’s the catch?” she said. “Nothing is free.”

“For right now, I just want you home and off the streets. Part of the deal about being released from here is you can’t associate with your business manager or go back to hooking.”

“How am I supposed to make money?”

“I can see about getting you a job at King Kullen.”

“Work in a supermarket for minimum wage? I can get a day’s pay there in an hour on Grand Avenue.”

Lucy drummed her fingers on the table. “True. But if you get caught, you go back to jail. Plus the last time I checked, no one got any STDs from stocking shelves.”

“Oh man, I can’t even work the register?” Chloe moaned.

“That’s something you can work toward if you want.” Lucy knew the supermarket manager wouldn’t trust her with money until after the outcome of her trial, if even then.

“So the catch is that in order to go home to my mama, I have to work at a grocery store and not see my friends?” Chloe snorted in derision.

“Or you can stay locked up in here for the next ten months.”

Chloe blanched. “Ten months? I thought the trial would be sooner. Lenny said it was going to be an easy one. I would plead guilty, get a suspended sentence, and go home on probation.”

Lucy was appalled. “Chloe, you could get ten years.”

Chloe crossed her arms. “Lenny said the worst would be two years and then I’m out on parole.”

“Lenny can’t guarantee how a trial will turn out. No one can.” Lucy handed her one of her business cards. “But I don’t think he’s got your best interests at heart. I’m going to talk to Lenny today about representing you. We may be co-counsels on this or he may let me take your case.”

“Can you get me off without prison time?” Her eyes darted around and her fingers clenched into fists on the table. “I can’t stay in here for ten years. I’ll go crazy.”

“I don’t know. But I will do everything in my power to do so.”

“Lenny said he could. I trust Lenny. I don’t know you.”

The guard walked over. “Time’s up.”

Lucy looked at her watch. “We should have another fifteen minutes.”

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