“Walter, this is going to be good. This is going to be where you stop hiding from me. This is where you tell me the whole story. The true story. You see, if I know what you know, then I’m not going to get sandbagged by the prosecution. I am going to know what moves Golantz is going to make before he makes them.”

Elliot nodded as though he agreed it was time to deliver the goods.

“I did not kill my wife or her Nazi friend,” he said. “I have told you that from day one.”

I shook my head.

“That’s not good enough. I said I want the story. I want to know what really happened, Walter. I want to know what’s going on or I’m going to be moving on.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. No judge is going to let you walk away in the middle of a trial.”

“You want to bet your freedom on that, Walter? If I want off this case, I will find a way off it.”

He hesitated and studied me before answering.

“You should be careful what you ask for. Guilty knowledge could be a dangerous thing.”

“I’ll risk it.”

“But I’m not sure I can.”

I leaned across the table to him.

“What does that mean, Walter? What is going on? I’m your lawyer. You can tell me what you’ve done and it stays with me.”

Before he could speak, the waiter brought a bottle of European water to the table and a side plate of sliced lemons. Enough for everybody in the restaurant. Elliot waited until he had filled my glass and moved away and out of earshot before responding.

“What is going on is that you have been hired to present my defense to the jury. In my estimation you have done an excellent job so far and your preparations for the defense phase are on the highest level. All of this in two weeks. Astonishing!”

“Drop the bullshit!”

I said it too loud. Elliot looked outside the booth and stared down a woman at a nearby table who had heard the expletive.

“You’ll have to keep your voice down,” he said. “The bond of attorney-client confidentiality ends at this table.”

I looked at him. He was smiling but I also knew he was reminding me of what I had already assured him of, that what was said here stayed here. Was it a signal that he was willing to finally talk? I played the only ace I had.

“Tell me about the bribe Jerry Vincent paid,” I said.

At first I detected a momentary shock in his eyes. Then came a knowing look as the wheels turned inside and he put something together. Then I thought I saw a quick flash of regret. I wished Julie Favreau had been sitting next to me. She could have read him better than I could.