Chapter 21: The Payment
The emergency hearing resumed after a twenty-minute recess, and the benches in Courtroom 4A were fuller than before. Judge Ruth Callahan looked down at the sealed subpoena return on her desk.
"Ms. Renaud," she said, "you asked this court to compel production of certain financial records. They have arrived. Why do they belong in this proceeding?"
"Because Peter Lang told this court he acted on impulse," Camille Renaud said, standing. "Impulse does not usually invoice anyone, Your Honor. If Mr. Lang was paid days after September twenty-fifth, then his alteration of Exhibit 18 was not a private mistake. It was work. Work has a buyer."
ADA Steven Krol was on his feet. "Objection. Counsel is testifying, and she is fishing. Mr. Lang's bank records are not on trial here."
"Neither is Mr. Ross's freedom, apparently, when the State certifies evidence it never checked," Camille said.
"Ms. Renaud, one warning," Judge Callahan said. "Mr. Krol, sit down. The audit log places a credentialed access at 2:41 a.m. on September twenty-fifth, inside a file the State certified as untouched. If money moved because of that access, this court will see it. Open the return, Ms. Castellano."
June Castellano broke the seal, removed the certified bank response, and handed the first pages up to the bench. The judge read in silence, then read again, more slowly. "Mr. Lang," she said, "you will retake the stand."
Peter Lang sat, affirmed that he remained under oath, and fixed his eyes on a point above Camille's shoulder. She placed the bank summary where he could see it. "Mr. Lang, do you recognize the account ending in 4417?"
"Yes. It's mine."
"On September twenty-ninth, four days after the access recorded at 2:41 a.m. on September twenty-fifth, that account received a deposit of nine thousand five hundred dollars. Do you see it?"
His mouth worked. "I see the line."
"Not a payroll deposit. Your county payroll looks nothing like this. This was a wire. The originating account is listed on the next page. Read the name, please."
Lang turned the page. The courtroom was quiet enough to hear the paper. "Greer Investigations LLC," he read.
"Owned by whom, to your knowledge?"
"Martin Greer. He's a private investigator."
"Had you ever received money from Mr. Greer's firm before September twenty-ninth?"
"No."
"Have you received any since?"
"No."
Camille let that sit. "Nine thousand five hundred dollars, Mr. Lang. A number just under a threshold that triggers additional reporting. Who chose that amount?"
"I don't know anything about thresholds."
"That was not my question. Who chose the amount?"
"It was just what was offered," Lang said.
"Offered for what?"
Silence opened around the question. Judge Callahan did not fill it. Officer Bradley Foss, who had smiled when the cuffs went on Camille, was not smiling now. At last the judge said, "Mr. Lang, you will answer."
"For the work on the file," Lang said. "For making sure a segment came out clean, so the export wouldn't flag. For not putting anything in writing."
"Which file?" Camille asked.
"You know which file."
"The record does not know. Say it."
"RIVERVIEW_PARK_CAM_0923.MP4. Exhibit 18."
"And the segment you removed was how long?"
"About forty seconds."
"About, or exactly forty seconds, from the middle of the recording, as the audit log Ms. Castellano preserved already shows?"
"Exactly forty."
Krol stood again. "Your Honor, the State had no knowledge of any payment."
"Mr. Krol, you will have your turn," Judge Callahan said. "Ms. Renaud, continue, and stay on the records."
Camille had memorized every line the night before. Precision was not a talent. It was a practice. "Mr. Lang, the wire memo field. Read what Mr. Greer's firm typed in that field."
Lang looked down. "'Services rendered, Riverview matter.'"
"Riverview," Camille repeated. "The name of the parking structure in the State's central exhibit. Mr. Lang, you first said you opened the file by accident. Did Mr. Greer pay you nine thousand five hundred dollars for an accident?"
"No."
"Did he pay you before or after you altered the video?"
"After. He said payment only came when the certified copy matched. I didn't understand that at first. Then I did."
"Matched what?"
"The version the prosecution was going to use. The one without the forty seconds."
Camille stepped back. "Your Honor, the defense asks that the bank return and wire confirmation be admitted for this hearing, and that Mr. Greer's firm be directed to preserve all engagement records connected to the Riverview matter."
Judge Callahan looked over her glasses at Krol. "Any objection to preservation, Mr. Krol? Choose carefully."
Krol's polished voice, the one juries had believed for years, came out quieter. "No objection to preservation, Your Honor."
"So ordered," the judge said. "Certified on the twenty-third at 5:17 p.m., altered on the twenty-fifth at 2:41 a.m., and paid for on the twenty-ninth. Court will recess until tomorrow. Tomorrow, we will learn who hired Mr. Greer."