The Mendoza Memo (Daniel Mendoza Thrillers Book 3) - Daniel Maldonado

A Riveting Legal Thriller

The Mendoza Memo (Daniel Mendoza Thrillers Book 3) - Daniel Maldonado

Book excerpt

“Good day, you’ve reached West End Central Station. How may I help you?”

The receptionist was busy fielding calls. Normally, calls involved security stops, business checks, requests for extra patrol, an alarm going off, or an abandoned vehicle. But she also served as the information hub for city residents. Her desk was on the bottom floor of the six-story building on Savile Row. On the top floor was the criminal investigative unit dealing with major incidents like the 999 call involving Dr. Shirvani.

“Yes, I can assist you.” The receptionist confirmed the assignment on her computer before letting the caller know. “Detective Inspector Brian Mosley is assigned that investigation. Do you want me to transfer you to his desk?”

The caller declined the invitation and abruptly ended the call.

Moments later, John Davis and Robin Blake entered the police station still wearing their outfits from the day before. It had been a long night. Neither of them had gone back to their hotel room to shower and change. Although they looked worse for wear, the adrenaline from the incident involving Dr. Shirvani was finally wearing off. They were both tired and hungry and needed to meet with their boss who already arrived at the police station about half an hour ahead of them.

“We’d like to meet with Detective Inspector Mosley,” Robin requested. She was the first to reach the receptionist desk given her youth and stamina compared to the older, now fading John who waddled across the floor.

“May I ask why?” the receptionist inquired. “Do you have an appointment?”

“Not exactly. We were told to meet the detective inspector this morning. He wasn’t able to interview us yesterday.”

A part of Robin wanted to just leave and avoid the whole encounter, but she knew it was inevitable and only a matter of time before she and John were tracked down to ensure they gave their statements. They might as well get it over with now.

This time the receptionist called the detective inspector and he confirmed that the two attorneys were in fact needed. She gave them the directions to his office. After taking the elevator to the sixth floor, Robin and John walked down the hall towards the cubicle at the far left. Standing adjacent to the detective inspector’s desk was Daniel Mendoza, tense yet understanding.

“Yes, Detective Inspector. I don’t mind being questioned without a barrister. I’m an attorney… barrister myself,” Daniel agreeably explained.

“You do have the right to a local barrister appointed to you. Will you agree to waive that right?” Detective Inspector Mosley asked as he grabbed Daniel’s elbow, faced him towards the interview room, and escorted him there. From his vast experience, he anticipated Daniel’s response.

“There’s no need for a criminal attorney. I want to be cooperative.”

“Wait… boss… are you sure? You know the saying…” John implored.

“I know. A lawyer who represents himself has a fool for a client,” Daniel interjected with a sense of irony before John could finish.

“Let me or Robin represent you. This way you’re not alone in there. You know,” John felt like his suggestions were falling on deaf ears, but he needed to be persistent. It’s what Daniel taught him over the years. It was also what was needed under the circumstances.

“I’ll remind you,” Daniel looked at both Robin and John as he spoke to emphasize his explanation. “You’re not licensed to practice law in London.”

Daniel previously informed them they could attend the depositions in London although they weren’t licensed there because it was an American lawsuit and not a British one. They weren’t going before a British court but gathering information for their case in the States. A criminal investigation was a totally different thing. Daniel knew it but his associates did not.

“Remember, the both of you were also at the deposition,” Daniel continued. “I’m sure the detective inspector would agree with me that you have a conflict and can’t represent me even if I wanted you to.”

Robin and John’s expressions dropped as the detective inspector grinned and concurred, “He has a point.”

The detective inspector continued escorting Daniel into the interview room as John and Robin watched helplessly. They ultimately decided to sit down in the waiting area before they were eventually escorted into separate interview rooms.

“Please sit, Mr. Mendoza. Would you like some water?”

The detective inspector placed a plastic bottle of water in front of him, pulled out a wooden chair, and sat down. He leaned back in his chair to relax as Daniel watched him play out this charade to put Daniel at ease. Daniel felt like he was on an episode of a crime drama television show. But he refused to let his imagination play with his exhausted mind.

As the door to the interview room opened, a second detective, Lindsay Warner, walked in and sat down next to her boss. She did so without making a sound, just nodding to Mosley and eyeing Daniel in the process.

“I hope you don’t mind,” Brian said. “I have a new recruit. She’s learning the ropes and I told her she could sit in if that’s okay with you.”

He smiled to lighten the mood.

“Sure, I don’t care. I totally understand. It’s part of the job. I do it too in my line of work,” Daniel confessed as he outstretched his arm to pick up the bottled water.

Before he reached it, Daniel hastily retracted his arm. All the while both detectives eagerly watched Daniel’s actions with anticipation. They were disappointed at the outcome but were still hopeful for the best.

Instead, Daniel crossed his legs and folded his arms. And then it began.

“Mr. Mendoza, we understand you’re here for a deposition,” the elder detective said to ease into it while his partner patiently listened.

“Yes. Yes, I am.”

“We understand that the deposition was yesterday.”

Daniel nodded. It was clear where the detective inspector was going with his interview.

“I’m sure you enjoyed London before the deposition.”

“Well, to be honest, I was only here for a day. Less than a day actually. My flight arrived in the early evening.”

“Hmm…interesting. And your associates, where were they before the deposition?”

It was the first question the detective inspector actually asked. All others were statements. Daniel knew the detective inspector slipped up. He wondered if it was just a one-off or whether the detective inspector wanted to stop the cat and mouse game and cut to the chase.

“I have no idea. I wasn’t here in London when they arrived. I know we met with our client the night before, but anything besides that you’ll have to ask them yourself. They’re here as you know.”

***

“Where’s my lawyer?” James Goodwin yelled so loud that it not only permeated through the walls but echoed into the hallways for the other detectives and personnel to hear. They looked on in amazement.

James sat alone, tired and hungry, in an interview room on the opposite side of the floor. Daniel Mendoza couldn’t hear him shouting. Luckily.

James stood up and paced the room like a caged animal. He wasn’t used to being treated this way. Not that he was chained or mistreated by the British police in any way. The gall that they would even question a prestigious attorney upset him more than it should. His overinflated ego got the better of him.

The door rushed open. Detective Inspector Mosley entered the room, shock enveloping his face.

“Finally, I’ve been here for hours,” James exclaimed even though it had only been thirty minutes. “I’m an American. I have rights. I know my rights. Where’s my lawyer? Why is it taking so long?”

“Mr. Goodwin. Please calm down. We got a hold of the barrister you specifically requested. He should be on his way. Once he gets here, we can then start the interview because you requested his presence. Until then, my hands are tied.”

Detective Inspector Mosley gave James a sly look. He was relishing seeing this American attorney seething with anger and frustration. In fact, Mr. Goodwin’s attorney was on the first floor. He was getting the runaround by the receptionist. His delay was purposely orchestrated by the detective inspector.

“If you want, I can get you a snack from the vending machine. My treat,” the detective inspector glanced at the door as if he expected someone to suddenly enter. But that was just another ploy.

When no one approached the interview room, James Goodwin sat down. His face was downtrodden and aimlessly looking towards the table.

“I just want this to end. I don’t know why you guys are questioning us. I don’t know what happened.”

The detective inspector pulled up a chair and sat across from the attorney.

“Well, if you do know something, this can end quickly if you just tell me.”

In the hopes of not dissuading the witness from revealing anything, the detective inspector controlled himself from looking at the door again.

“I really don’t know anything,” James whimpered. “I don’t know what happened. Maybe the poor guy was sick. Who knows? Everything was fine.”

“Why were you deposing him today? Did he have something against your client?” the detective bluntly asked.

“No, not at all. We considered him a friendly witness. Dr. Shirvani was on our side as far as we knew. I didn’t have any reason to doubt that. Nor would my client. Why do you ask? Is he okay?”

The detective inspector walked towards the door without saying a word.

“I said is he okay?!”

***

“Janice, you know the drill. Let me do all the talking. Don’t answer any questions unless I specifically instruct you to. Okay?”

She nodded while her barrister, another member of her firm, Michael Kirby, sat in the chair next to her. Michael clasped his hands together and stared straight ahead, eagerly awaiting someone to question his client.

Janice Chance sat quietly as she wondered whether her own client, Dr. Shirvani, was okay. The last time she saw him, he was whisked away in the gurney to the hospital. She had no idea why he began convulsing. She was unaware of any medical condition her client had. Dr. Shirvani had never mentioned any. Why would he? The legal engagement was limited. Saddington and Chance was retained to defend him at the deposition only after it was scheduled by Mr. Goodwin’s firm. It wasn’t as if Dr. Shirvani was a long-term client with the firm. He became a client through a solicitor at the firm who was familiar with the personnel at the British Cancer Research Institute.

When Detective Sergeant Lindsay Wagner entered the interview room, she smiled at both barristers. Detective Inspector Wolsey watched through the other side of a two-way mirror as the detective walked across the room and sat across from the two barristers. This was her opportunity to display her interview tactics. There was no need to include the bottled water trick because Jessica was a licensed barrister. Her fingerprints and DNA were already on file as part of the process of becoming a barrister.

She firmly shook both barristers’ hands before sitting down.

“Thank you for meeting us today. We wanted to express our condolences,” Detective Sergeant Wagner revealed in a sheepish voice to draw attention to her words. “Dr. Shirvani just recently passed away.”

“Oh no,” Janice mourned as her body started shaking.

Her barrister gently pressed her leg to encourage Janice to stop speaking.

“He died from arsenic poisoning,” Detective Sergeant Wagner confirmed while watching for Janice’s reaction. Detective Inspector Mosley also observed Janice for any telltale clues. None were forthcoming.

“Arsenic poisoning. I’m surprised. That’s unusual. Do you suspect foul play?” Michael Kirby asked.“At this time, we don’t know. That’s why we are questioning everyone present at the deposition to see if there was anything suspicious, anyone out of the ordinary.”

“I can assure you that my client was not involved. She has no motive. Dr. Shirvani was her paying client,” Michael explained with the expectation the detective wouldn’t just take his word for it. Surprisingly, she did.

“Well, if you’re client doesn’t have a motive, who would?” the detective asked.

“How would Ms. Chance know?”

The detective wasn’t sure if her barrister would let Jessica answer any questions directly. But she took a stab in the dark, nevertheless.

“Well, Ms. Chance, do you know anyone who had any issues with Dr. Shirvani?”

Mr. Kirby nodded at his client as a sign she could answer the detective’s questions.

“I really don’t, Detective Sergeant. He’s a new client,” Ms. Chance explained.

“Do you know if any of his coworkers had any issues with him?

Jessica Chance gave the detective a blank, puzzling stare which clued the detective that perhaps she did know something. 

Book Details

AUTHOR NAME: Daniel Maldonado

BOOK TITLE: The Mendoza Memo (Daniel Mendoza Thrillers Book 3)

GENRE: Thriller

SUBGENRE: Legal Thriller

PAGE COUNT: 306