Page 46 of 25 Alive

Manny again did as he was told.

CHAPTER70

YUKI CASTELLANO AND her second chair in the Dario Garza trial, Nick Gaines, took seats at Len Parisi’s conference table.

Parisi said, “Good news only, please.”

Gaines pulled a blueprint from a three-foot-long cardboard tube, unfurled it, and smoothed it out in front of Parisi. Yuki held down one side of the curled paper, Parisi held down the other, and Gaines stood behind Parisi’s right arm with a pencil in his hand.

Gaines said, pointing to the blueprint with his pencil, “This is the overview of Folsom Prison’s ball field and exercise yard, as well as the main building and several storage buildings.”

“And this is for the court?” Parisi was pointing to a rectangular building drawn in a darker blue than other buildings situated in the recreation field.

“That’s it, sir. As you know, it was built for prison staff to use for spending nights or weekends with their families. Nowit’s going to be repurposed for the Dario Garza trial. We’re calling it the Judicial Building.”

Gaines continued: “These squares at the corners of the yard are elevated guard posts. Guards can see the entirety of the Judicial Building and every part of the yard and the prison as well as the access roads. The exercise yard will be closed until the trial is over and the building empty. The building can only be accessed here. Right off the highway, it’s a short drive to the manned gate to the Judicial Building parking lot and then the guarded doors to the ground floor of the building.”

Parisi asked, “How will the defense and the prosecution be separated?”

Yuki said, “The building will be split between the jurors’ half and the court officers’ half. There are two elevator banks on the main floor, two banks of five guards to check IDs.”

“And is the construction finished?” DA Parisi asked.

Yuki said, “Yes. We spoke with the architect and the contractors, and they tell us the structure has been completely finished. Electricity and plumbing are completed. They’ve dry-walled, painted, tiled the bathrooms and kitchen, and are bringing in furnishings today. The elevators have been installed. The judge will have her own suite on the first floor. The courtroom will be on the top floor with doors on the south and the north sides for access to the corresponding elevator banks.”

“And the Garza kid? Where will he be held?”

“He’ll be in the prison, in solitary, of course, with video cameras in the cell and in the corridors. He’ll be escorted to and from the courtroom by armed officers who will also be stationed in the courtroom once the trial begins.”

“Any concerns, Yuki?”

“Hah. I always have concerns, Len. My mother was a worrywart who married a wartime soldier—and I married a homicide cop. It’s all good. Makes me hypervigilant.”

Yuki grinned and Len patted her hand. After he had hired her to join the DA’s office years ago, they had gone out to lunch to celebrate. Len had had a massive heart attack at the table. Yuki had gotten paramedics to the restaurant pronto, and while they’d rarely discussed this after he recovered, every time Len had a birthday, he thanked Yuki for saving his life. And when she had a birthday, he always remembered the date with a card signed “With heartfelt thanks, always, Len.”

Now she said, “The Judicial Building is a maximum-security building inside a maximum-security prison. I will feel very safe staying there.”

Gaines said, “Me too.”

“So,” Yuki added, “all of my anxiety monsters are slain. Len, do you have concerns?”

Len Parisi gave her a long, hard look. “No. Good work. Thank you both.”

CHAPTER71

BAO HAD NARROWLY avoided hitting the dog when her scream collided with a loud, jarring crash that threw Joe sideways against his seat belt and Bao’s shoulder.

The car was rocking from the impact, and Joe was dazed.What is happening?Bao was yelling his name, asking if he was okay. He saw that she had undone her seat belt and was holding a gun.

Joe tried to get his bearings. Their vehicle had stopped rocking, but he remembered the crash. A car had come from nowhere at full speed and T-boned the passenger’s side rear compartment of the SUV.

Bao shouted again, “Joe, are you hurt?”

He couldn’t answer. First one bullet, then another, came through the Honda SUV’s rear window and lodged in Bao’s seat back.

Using the seat back as a shield, Bao fired through the shattered window behind Joe. Joe heard the gun firing again, the sound of more glass shattering, and a man’s yelp of pain.

“Joe. Get down on the floor. Grab your gun,” Bao instructed him.

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