Page 148 of The Lincoln Lawyer

“Then destroy him.”

“I will. But I have to know. Is there anything else he knows that could come out? Is there anything I need to stay away from?”

Roulet whispered slowly, as if explaining something to a child.

“I don’t know because I never talked to him. I’m not that stupid as to have a discussion about cigarettes and murder with a total fucking stranger!”

“Mr. Haller,” the judge prompted.

I looked up at her.

“Yes, Your Honor.”

Carrying the tape and the paper that came with it, I stood up to go back to the lectern. On the way I took a quick glance across the gallery and saw that Kurlen was gone. I had no way of knowing how long he had stayed and what he had heard. Lankford was gone as well. Only Sobel remained and she averted her eyes from mine. I turned my attention to Corliss.

“Mr. Corliss, can you tell the jury exactly where you were when Mr. Roulet supposedly made these revelations to you about murder and assault?”

“When we were together.”

“Together where, Mr. Corliss?”

“Well, on the bus ride we didn’t talk because we were in different seats. But when we got to the courthouse, we were in the same holding cell with about six other guys and we sat together there and we talked.”

“And those six other men all witnessed you and Mr. Roulet talking, correct?”

“They woulda had to. They were there.”

“So what you are saying is that if I brought them in here one by one and asked them if they observed you and Mr. Roulet talking, they would confirm that?”

“Well, they should. But…”

“But what, Mr. Corliss?”

“It’s just that they probably wouldn’t talk, that’s all.”

“Is it because nobody likes a snitch, Mr. Corliss?”

Corliss shrugged.

“I guess so.”

“Okay, so let’s make sure we have all of this straight. You didn’t talk with Mr. Roulet on the bus but you did talk to him when you were in the holding cell together. Anywhere else?”

“Yeah, we talked when they moved us on out into the courtroom. They stick you in this glassed-in area and you wait for your case to be called. We talked some in there, too, until his case got called. He went first.”

“This is in the arraignment court where you had your first appearance before a judge?”

“That’s right.”

“So you two were talking in the court and this is where Mr. Roulet would have revealed his part in these crimes you described.”

“That’s right.”

“Do you remember specifically what he told you when you were in the courtroom?”

“No, not really. Not specifics. I think that might have been when he told me about the girl who was a dancer.”

“Okay, Mr. Corliss.”