Chapter 348
“I just hope this is over soon.” Danny Carter let out a long sigh and poured another glass of wine.
Daisy frowned slightly and advised, “Mr. Carter, I know you’re in a bad mood right now and want to release your stress by drinking.
But don’t overdo it, lest you do something irrational and make the situation worse.”
“Could there be a worse situation? I don’t even know if I still have a chance to play ……,” Danny Carter’s voice was a bit despondent, his career was still on the rise, and when something like this suddenly happened, it would probably be a devastating blow to his career.
Daisy coldly asked, “Do you want to go to jail?”
“No, I’m not going to a place like that. I practiced football hard in the first place to get out of that fate, and if I go to jail now, why did I have to work so hard in the first place.”
“Then listen to me, don’t drink too much and don’t touch anyone, understand?”
Danny Carter nodded, “OK, you’re the Boss.”
Luke tried to ease the atmosphere and changed the topic, “Danny, have you offended anyone lately?”
“Do you suspect that someone set me up?”
“It’s hard to say yet, but I can’t rule it out.”
Danny Carter stood up and walked around the living room, “I’m rather short-tempered, and I did offend quite a few people, but I can’t think of anyone who would do such a thing.”
“Then think about it and call me anytime you think of something.” Luke handed the other man a business card.
“I will.” Danny Carter put away the business card and asked, “Luke, you are also a police officer, rather, you have investigated many big cases, I want to know why the police found me guilty?
I’ve obviously explained myself very clearly, and anyone with eyes can see that Leigh Warwick lied.”
Luke said, “The police look at objective evidence.
If they have enough evidence against you, they’ll use it to get you to sign a plea deal.”
“I didn’t do it, much less plead guilty.” Danny Carter’s tone was firm.
Daisy said, “It’s my understanding that the police are also currently unaware of any evidence that would convict Mr. Carter.”
Danny Carter said, “Then why are the police still holding me?”
Luke said, “The police will be suspicious of all possibilities and won’t just consider the issue from your point of view, they will also take into account the victim’s statement and combine it with the evidence available.
There are usually three outcomes.
The first finds definitive evidence of the suspect’s guilt.
The second finds evidence of the suspect’s innocence and releases the suspect.
The third type is where the suspect has a motive for committing the crime and has actually been to the scene, but there is no conclusive evidence of guilt, the victim and the suspect are on different sides of the story, and the suspect refuses to confess.
After investigating for a period of time and being unable to find new evidence, the police will communicate with the prosecution to decide whether or not to prosecute.”
Luke summarized, “I think it would fall into the third category now.”
Danny Carter asked, “So what should I do now?”
Luke took out his transcript, “Through what you just described, I’ve picked out a few key points that could be off determining factors in whether or not the prosecution decides to prosecute.”
Danny Carter gulped, “What key points?”
“First, the two of you did applaud love and left genetic material behind, a situation where the woman calls the police and you will be very passive.”
Danny Carter said, “As I said before, she was the one who offered to invite me to the house? She volunteered.”
“Do you have proof of that?”
Danny Carter asked rhetorically, “California law is about the benefit of the doubt, shouldn’t they be the ones to provide evidence of my guilt?”
“The so-called benefit of the doubt applies more to court trials.
But during the investigation stage, the police and the prosecution have discretion, even if the chain of evidence isn’t perfect, as long as they think you’re suspected of the crime, they can prosecute you just the same.
Do you want to go to court?”
“No, I don’t want to go to court, it will affect me too much, it might ruin my career, I just hope this matter will be over as soon as possible.
It would be best if the prosecution dropped the case.”
Luke said, “Then you need to find the evidence to prove your innocence to the police and the prosecution, as long as the prosecution drops the case, you’ll be off the hook, you won’t have to go to court, and the public opinion will be on your side.”
Danny Carter looked at Luke and then at Daisy, “I think that’s a great idea.
How do we find the evidence?”
Luke continued, “Is there surveillance at Leigh Warwick’s house?”
Danny Carter thought for a moment, “I don’t know, I don’t think so, at least not that I’ve seen.”
“When the police were questioning, did they ask more specific questions or questions that made you feel uncomfortable or threatened?”
Danny Carter recalled for a moment, “Yes. The guy who interrogated me was a white cop and he asked me if I knew Leigh Warwick had a boyfriend.
I answered, no, Leigh Warwick said she was single.”
Luke said, “From the police questioning, Leigh Warwick would have had a boyfriend.”
Daisy said, “That will go against you a bit if it goes to court.”
Danny Carter argued, “She lied, she clearly told me at the time that she didn’t have a boyfriend.”
Luke pressed, “Where did she say that? Do you have proof?”
“Said it in the car, my car has a car recorder, it should have recorded our conversation.”
Luke made a note in his book and continued, “Any other questions?”
“The police also asked me if I had offered to go to Leigh Warwick’s house for coffee at that time.
I answered no, it was Leigh Warwick who offered to invite me.”
Luke said, “If I’m not mistaken, Leigh Warwick should have claimed in her statement that you offered to go to her house.”
“She lied, she invited me.”
“Do you have proof of that?”
“I stopped the car at the time and she said the same thing from the car.”
Luke nodded, “Now it looks like the way to prove your innocence is to find the car you had stolen.”
“If I find that car, will the recording in the car recorder prove my innocence?” Danny Carter showed a flash of anticipation.
“No,” Luke shook his head, “You were playing poker at Leigh Warwick’s house, not in the car. So, the car recorder can’t fully prove your innocence.”
Danny Carter was a little chagrined, “Then what’s the point of finding the car?”
“It could prove that Leigh Warrick is lying.” Luke analyzed, “Although I’m not sure about Leigh Warrick’s statement, since the police arrested you, they think you’re suspected of rape.
Then Leigh Warwick must have made some statements of criminal intent when describing the behavior about you.
For example, she explicitly told you that she had a boyfriend, which amounted to a rejection, but you didn’t care.
Second, after you dropped her off at her door, you initiated the request to go to her house rather than her initiating the invitation.
In the evening, you strongly requested to go to the victim’s house knowing that she had a boyfriend, which is your criminal intent.
And the criminal intent continues to develop to form your motive for the crime.”
Luke paused and continued, “As long as the car’s tachograph can be found to prove that Leigh Warwick was lying, then your motive for the crime is not established.
On the contrary, Leigh Warwick lied, and the police and the prosecution will be skeptical of all her confessions and testimonies.
The police and prosecution are human, and no one likes to be lied to.
And with the discretionary power in the hands of the police and prosecution, once they become skeptical of Leigh Warwick’s words, they will be more inclined to take your confession.
Eventually dropping the case against you for lack of evidence.”
Danny Carter squeezed out a bitter smile, “So it’s not that we’re not competing to see who’s better, we’re competing to see who sucks.”
Luke said, “You can suck, but don’t suck at the police or the prosecution.”
In fact, Daisy also understood these things, it’s just that Daisy, as a lawyer, considered them in a different way and from a different perspective than Luke.
These words were also more convincing when said by Luke.
Because Luke himself was a police officer, he also handled cases in the same way, and he was familiar with the police’s case handling process and psychology.
Danny Carter said, “But the police didn’t find my car.”
Luke said, “I will help you find your car.”
“Are you sure you can find it?”
“I’ll do my best.”
Daisy said, “Even if we don’t find the car, there’s still us, so we can do both.”
Danny Carter looked aside at Daisy, “I don’t want to go to court.”
Daisy said, “It’s possible to settle out of court and get Leigh Warwick to drop the case.”
“Settle how?”
“Give the other party some compensation.”
“Haha ……,” Danny Carter revealed a sneer, “In the end, she’s just trying to blackmail me for money.”
“Many similar cases are settled with compensation to minimize the impact, which is the best for you and the team.”
“NoNoNo, I’m not going to give that woman my hard-earned hard-earned money, that’s why I hired you.
And if I choose to settle now, wouldn’t I be admitting that I raped him.
How am I going to face the people around me, how am I going to face the fans, and how am I going to represent LA in the future.
I will never compromise.” Danny Carter sounded a little agitated and looked over at Luke, “Luke, please make sure you find that car, I’m willing to spend whatever it takes.”
Luke still had the same sentence, “I will try my best.”
Inside a black Mercedes G500.
Daisy got into the hair cab and shook her head, “He’s being irrational, reconciliation is the best way.”
Luke asked rhetorically, “If you were fighting a settlement from the beginning, why did you bring me into the case?”
Daisy wiggled her fingers, “It’s in an attorney’s best interest to go to trial, but in the case in question, it’s in the client’s best interest to settle.
If the client doesn’t want to go to trial, opting for a settlement can be done once and for all.
As for you, either going to trial or settling is important.
As long as you find clues that are favorable to the client, we can take the initiative in the settlement and keep the compensation as low as possible.”
Luke said, “As long as we find the client’s lost car, the contents in the car recorder can make the police and the prosecution drop the charges, the effect is the same, and it can also help the client save a fortune.”
“Don’t think about saving money in this kind of case.
Even if the police don’t consider pressing charges, Leigh Warwick is just as likely to file a civil suit to claim damages from Danny Carter, and civil suits aren’t as strict about evidence as criminal suits.” Daisy sighed.
“The bottom line is that Danny Carter is a public figure, and the longer this case drags on, the more it will affect him.
If it drags on for three or five years, Danny Carter’s career will be ruined regardless of the final outcome.”
Luke said, “I’m not against a settlement.
If Leigh Warwick does file a civil suit for damages, a settlement can be made in order to end this farce as soon as possible.
But only if Danny Carter is proven innocent first.
Danny Carter’s innocence can be proven by finding enough evidence for the police and the prosecution to drop the case against Danny Carter.
I think that’s important, no team or fan would like a rapist.
As far as civil lawsuit settlements, does anyone know what’s going on?
A settlement at this point would still have everyone on Danny Carter’s side, thinking Leigh Warwick was blackmailing and fairytale jumping, and no one would sympathize with her.
Danny Carter is a public figure and a good reputation is good for him in the long run.”
Daisy said, “I’ve looked up a lot of similar cases, and most of my clients choose time over right or wrong.
You may have a point, but there are risks all the same.
A few million dollars in damages is nothing compared to what they’re worth.
Get this case known as soon as possible so they can get rid of the bad press and put all their energy into their careers.
A player’s prime is only three or five years ……
From the perspective of risk and reward, a settlement is the most favorable.”
“OK, I’ll be responsible for finding the stolen car, and as for how to use the clues and evidence after I find them …… you guys discuss it with Danny Carter.
I just need to get a commission.”
“How are you going to investigate? Utilize the resources of the police department?”
“No, since Danny Carter has already called the police, the police will definitely track the whereabouts of the stolen Porsche car, the fact that the car has never been recovered shows that this way is not efficient.
It has already been proven that this way is ineffective, why should I repeat it again.”
“Then how are you going to investigate?”
“Just send me the details of that car and wait for news.”
“OK.”
Luke dropped Daisy back at the law firm and called to ask Blackie to meet him for dinner.
If the police’s way of finding the missing car was nothing more than checking the surveillance and locating the car’s position, but the fact that the police hadn’t been able to locate the car meant that neither of those two ways had worked.
Only another way can be found.
Seafood Hot Pot Restaurant.
Luke ordered a mandarin duck pot with butter and curry, and had just ordered the dishes when a knock sounded on the door of the private room.
“Come in.”
The door opened and Blackie walked in with a smile, rubbing his hands, “I love this restaurant, not only does it have delicious hot pot, their staff is full of enthusiasm, next time I have the chance, I will definitely bring Julian here to savor it.”
Luke glared at him, “Don’t show love in front of single men, it’s immoral behavior.”
The two men toasted a beer.
Luke put a plate of hand-cut lamb on the table and said, “How’s the team been these past two days?”
Blackie somewhat clumsily stirred the dipping sauce with his chopsticks, “Everything is normal, still going through the closing procedures. How was your vacation? Miss me so soon?”
“Heard about Danny Carter of the Los Angeles Rams?”
“Yeah, I had a crush on him, big strong little guy, who I had thought was also a scumbag, No, an asshole to be exact.
His brute strength shouldn’t be used on a woman, and a female fan at that, it’s shameless.”
Luke said, “I talked to him today, he said he didn’t force himself on the female fan, that the two were applauding for love out of choice.”
“Did he lie?”
“I didn’t see it.”
Blackie had partnered with Luke and knew that he could analyze micro-expressions and had a very high accuracy rate of judgment, with his experience it was impossible for that limber kid to fool Luke.
“Why did that female fan falsely accuse him?”
“I’m not involved in this case as a police officer, but as a detective, so I didn’t have any contact with that female fan.”
“Danny Carter hired you?”
“After I talked to him, I thought he might have been wrongly accused, and the commission was substantial, so I accepted the commission.”
“Sounds good, what do you need me to do?” Xiao Hei grabbed a chopstick of mutton and took a big bite.
“On the night of the murder, Danny Carter went to his female fan’s house, his car was left in front of her house, and when they finished playing poker, the car was stolen.
The car’s tachograph recorded the conversation between them, and it could very well affect the whole case.”
“You want me to find the car?”
“Is there anyone better than you?”
Blackie gave a look like you still know me, “What car?”
“A Porsche 911.”
“Wow …… I like it.”