Chapter 22

Standing in the door of her apartment, Jess looked around in flabbergasted shock then she inhaled and shrieked. Rushing toward her bedroom door, she dropped to her knees in front of a shattered urn. With shaking hands, she tried to scoop up her grandmother's ashes.

"No..." her sob broke him.

"I'll get a jar. Don't touch anything else," Andrew snapped in rage.

He flipped the camera on his phone on and began recording, talking as he documented what he was seeing. "I am walking through my client Jessica Johansen's apartment after an illegal search." He carefully walked through the kitchen and was shocked to see the majority of her glassware broken on the countertop, in the sink, or on the floor with her cutlery, pots and pans, and canned goods. The cabinets were empty. The fridge was open, stinking because everything was spoiled. Walking across the open area of her empty living room, he found the bedroom in even worse shape. Clothes and empty drawers littered the floor, and the bed was taken apart. The place looked looted. In the bathroom, he found a bath oil pearls jar that was dumped but not broken and took it to her.

"Here, Jess. Put your grandmother in here. Don't touch anything else, I'll be right back," Andrew went down and knocked on the landlady's door.

"Who is it?" a voice asked through the door.

"Mrs. Schwartz? I'm Jessica Johansen's lawyer, Andrew Hastings. May I talk to you?" He wanted to try to smile at the elderly woman he couldn't see but he knew he would just end up grimacing, so he didn't.

The door quickly unlocked and the door swung open surprisingly fast. "Is she back?"

"Hello, Mrs. Schwartz." Jessica sounded timid for the first time since Andrew met her. "May I borrow your little dustpan and whisk broom?"

"Of course, you know where it is." The woman with kind eyes and salt and pepper hair waved Jessica to go into the kitchen. "Wait here, young man," she insisted then went into another room and came back with an antique marble urn carved with Jewish letters and flowers. "Here, Jessica, put your grandmother's ashes in my sister's jar. She can stay here with me until you get this settled."

Nodding, Jessica sobbed slightly then went back upstairs.

Mrs. Schwartz watched her go then whispered harshly to Andrew, "Take out your phone and record me. My full name is Miriam Ava Schwartz. I have been Jessica's landlady since she moved from Miami."

She waited as he obeyed, stated the date then announced, "Interview with my client Jessica Johansen's landlady Mrs. Miriam Ava Schwartz, concerning the search of my client's apartment after an attempted break-in by an unknown party." He swiped to turn the camera. "Ma'am, can you tell me what happened?"

"After the neighbor across the hall reported seeing a scarred man forcing the door open, I went up and checked. Jessica's apartment was spotless as always. Neat as a pin, that one. The police came for the report, then I heard all kinds of noise. When I went up to see what was going on, they said they were checking for drugs and evidence of prostitution as they destroyed everything. When I told them to stop, they threatened me, told me to go back down and mind my own business or I would be arrested for interfering with a police investigation. This is my building, everything that happens here is my business... Those Gestapo had no reason to do what they did. They even smashed her grandmother's urn on the floor and walked through the ashes. I left everything like it was after they left then I had my great-grandson take pictures. Vandals!" She huffed indignantly, then insisted, "Whatever you need me to sign stating the police did that, I will. I will even testify in court."

"Do you know who was in charge?" Andrew asked, holding his hope for a certain name tight in his chest. "Do you remember the name of the one who threatened you?"

"Oh yes. I may be ninety, but I never forget a name or a face. His name was A.D.A. Todd Kramer and he encouraged them to make a mess." Her eyes were sharp as she insisted, "He claimed Jessica was a prostitute and I laughed in his face. I know what kind of dancing she does to pay her way through college, but she has never brought a man home. She is a decent, hardworking young woman."

"Thank you, Mrs. Schwartz." He ended the recording. "I need to report the vandalism now." He dialed 9-1-1. He gave Jessica's address and reported it as a break in. "Mrs. Schwartz, may Jessica stay with you while I deal with this?"

"Of course. I'll make her a glass of iced tea. Would you like one?"

"No thanks, ma'am."

Less than an hour later, an annoyed looking officer came. "We already took a report for this address."

"Well, you are going to take another one because we are going to sue the officers who were here for vandalism and desecrating a dead body," Andrew announced icily. "We have a witness who stated she heard an A.D.A. who came to the scene after the officers, encouraging them to destroy the resident's property. There are laws against harassing citizens without cause. There are laws about smashing someone's grandmother's urn on the floor and stomping through the ashes."

"So who are you? Her boyfriend?" His snide comment made Andrew smirk.

"Worse. I'm her lawyer." He held out his card. "This is a crime scene and I want a crime scene team because if I have to hire one, I will bill the city and go to the press. Call your duty sergeant."

Andrew waited by the door of the apartment then his phone rang. "Dammit, Hastings, what are you playing at?"

"District Attorney Sweeney, Happy New Year's to you."

"Same. Now, get to the point."

"Is it common practice for your A.D.A.s to use patrol officers to vandalize a residence and desecrate dead bodies?" Andrew announced calmly. "Because I have a witness who is willing to testify that the apartment in question was clean and orderly when the police arrived, and she heard Kramer tell them to ransack it."

"You are making a very serious accusation."

"I am aware. You need to come see this or send someone you trust from I.A.." He took a picture of an ashy footprint that had been swept up as well as it could be but was still obvious, then he sent it. "That is a picture of where the resident cleaned up her grandmother's ashes after the urn was smashed and I will be including it in my official complaint. There was no reason for walking through someone's ashes other than harassment. I am still waiting for the warrant details that authorized this illegal search and a list of items taken from my client's home."

"Fine, I'll send someone over."

The D.A. hung up before Andrew could respond. He glanced at his phone then walked around the apartment taking still pictures before he went to knock on the neighbor's door. "Hi, my name is Andrew Hastings, I am your neighbor Jessica's lawyer. I was wondering if you were home the other night when..."

"Oh hell yes. I'm Katrice Longotti. I was here. Some guy with a striped mask on his face," the trans-woman drew lines across her face in the air with her fingertips, "Tried to get in, but I hollered at him, and he took off, then the police came and trashed the place. They never asked me or my husband Paolo about the guy just told us to mind our own business while they were smashing things up."

Her husband came to stand beside her. "Is Jessica in some kind of trouble?"

"No," Andrew answered honestly. "But she is just being harassed by someone."

"Is it that prosecutor Mrs. Schwartz was talking about?" Paolo scowled as he asked. He came back this morning and pounded on the door, yelling at her to open it."

"Really, and you're certain it was him?" Andrew asked and got the tipped heads and cool rebuff only a gay couple could manage in perfect sync. "Then it was. Was he the same man who broke in?"

"Can't say but it seemed like that guy might have been taller. He was wearing one of the medical masks and a beanie, but he had blond eyebrows," Paolo revealed. "It was dark and late; he took off as soon as we opened the door."

"Thank you," Andrew responded.

"If you need us to talk to one of those cops for cops about that," Katrice waved her manicured nails toward the door. "We will. Jess is the best neighbor we've ever had. We were so happy that Mrs. Schwartz held her apartment for her while she was in jail."

"Did you ever meet her sister Lily?" Andrew asked out of curiosity.

"A few times. She moved out after Jess was convicted and moved... where did she move?" Katrice asked Paolo.

"To the dorms, I think. She said she couldn't pay the rent alone," Paolo answered, shaking his head. "Jess was so hot about her marrying some guy she met over spring break that Lily left and never came back. We were so surprised when Jess went to see her then flew home to be with her for Christmas but sisters always find a way to make up."

"Except yours," Katrice frowned as she said.

"She's a vrenzola, mio amato, she can't help it," Paolo smirked.

"A what?" Andrew asked in confusion.

"He said she's an Italian Karen," Jess called up the stairs then she stopped in front of their door and hugged Paolo first. "Thanks for watching my place."

"So how was your trip?" Katrice asked as they hugged. 

"Cold."

"Mr. Hastings, D.A. Sweeney is here," the police officer called out from the bottom. Andrew tried not to look shocked that the D.A. would come herself, but he realized it was her lunch break time.

"Can you take her inside?" He glanced at the couple, but Katrice was already pulling Jess inside as Paolo folded his arms over his chest and glared down the stairs.

"Send them up." Andrew waited at the door and breathed a small sigh of relief that Sweeney came herself. He knew she would be livid. "Cynthia, I was looking forward to seeing you tomorrow."

"She's pretty," Cynthia announced without preamble. "No wonder she's a stripper and call girl."

"As I told you on the twenty-sixth, she's a client, and for your information, she has never been a call girl. I can get you the background I have on her from Conklin Security and Investigations. It will show she has never done anything illegal."

"You seem pretty invested in someone who is just a client," Cynthia's eyes narrowed as sarcasm laced her tone.

"Jessica is my sister-in-law's sister. You know Ian's happiness is of the highest priority to me."

"She's a stripper."

"She works as an exotic dancer because it pays better than waiting tables while she goes to college full time. She's getting a double master's degree this year in business tax law and forensic accounting," Andrew announced. "And before you ask, I filed the proper paperwork for her to leave the state for a medical emergency so she could give blood for her sister. I have been with her the entire time. Todd Kramer's vendetta against her because she wouldn't let him rape her has gone far enough." He held out his hand, "My warrant copy and the list of items removed please."

She was silent for a minute as the CSI following her tried to make himself invisible. "There wasn't one and I don't know where Miss Johansen's property is, it wasn't logged into evidence. Can you prove it was Kramer?"

Andrew kept himself from smiling by grinding his teeth, then he walked across the hall and pushed open the door. "I have three witnesses that will confirm he was here and ordered the officers to do this. They can also vouch that the apartment was clean and orderly after the burglar was chased off."

Cynthia inhaled sharply as she looked into the living room area and toward the kitchen were she could see dishes smashed on the tile. There was a large pale area on the floor near the bedroom door and several ashen footprints onto the carpet.

"Sorry about disturbing the crime scene, but my client wanted to clean up her grandmother's desecrated ashes."

She swore under her breath, then snapped, "Belks, call I.A. now, then start processing the scene. Tell the duty sergeant to find out who responded that night and that I want them in my office with their union rep at nine in the morning." She turned to face Andrew then admitted, "I came here to talk you out of suing the city because Kramer said she was a prostitute and liar."

"Kramer is the only liar in this case."

"You don't seem very fond of your old college buddy," Cynthia responded as she tipped her head at him. She looked so much like her daughter, Andrew wondered how his ex-girlfriend was. He was grateful they parted amicably.

"I never liked him nor the fact that his grandfather paid a half dozen girls to keep quiet about his actions. Save your department a headache and get rid of him as quickly and quietly as possible, D.A. Sweeney." Andrew folded his arms over his chest as they watched the CSI moving through the rooms and putting down evidence markers.

"I am doing a lot of housecleaning in both the D.A.s office and the Public Defenders' office since I was appointed two years ago," Cynthia revealed. "You should join us, I can always you someone with your moral compass."

"No, thanks. I would lose my temper and punch someone," he declared. They were silent for a few moments before he inquired casually, "Last time I saw Katherine, she said you might take a run at State Attorney General in a few years?"

"I can't think about that right now. There is so much tension between law enforcement and the citizens. We are ranked the twentieth safest city in the country and the Sheriff and I intend on keeping it that way," she started down the stairs, then turned back, "Please apologize to Miss Johansen on my behalf for the treatment of her grandmother. I would like to meet her after this matter is resolved. I don't have anyone with her qualifications in my office."

Andrew nodded, watching her go, then stepped into the door and asked Belks, "When can my client return for her personal effects?"

"I'm sorry, this is a crime scene until the D.A. releases it. I'll try to gather the rest of the grandmother's remains."

"Thank you." Across the hall, Andrew knocked and Paolo opened the door. From the look in the Italian's eyes, he knew Jess told them what happened. "I know, am going to be apologizing to her for the rest of my life."

"At least, you are man enough to admit when you are wrong." Paolo let him in.

"Jess, your apartment is a crime scene and D.A. Sweeney apologizes for the way your grandmother was treated." Andrew put his hands in his pockets so he didn't reach out to her. "And she wants to interview you for a job after you graduate."

"See, everyone can see how fabulous you are." Katrice cackled as Jess stared at him with her jaw dropped.

"What about my conviction?"

Andrew smirked, "Todd is about to be under investigation, he didn't have a warrant to back his order to ransack your apartment, and that will make overturning your conviction much easier."

Jess wrung her hands for a moment, then looked at him. "When will I get my apartment back?"

"A few days, a week," He shrugged.

Jess slumped. "I need my work wardrobe and to start looking for another job."

"Don't worry about that right now. I will be putting you up in a hotel and the city will be reimbursing me when they pay your settlement." He smiled as he added, "And they will offer one because they do not want the bad press." He didn't tell her that most of her workwear was probably in a dumpster somewhere. She was having a bad enough day.