“Have you read the complaint yet?” Andi put the transcript on the table. “We served it on your client this morning—along with the bail study.”

“Not yet. I wanted to talk to you first.” Ed shifted his tone, turning almost apologetic. “Andi, you and I both know you’re not gonna put the alleged victim on the stand if she’s recanting. Without an accusing witness, you have squat. Why are you talking about bail studies? Your dog ain’t gonna hunt and you know it.”

“I have a surveillance tape.”

“A little pushing in the car, that’s all. So what? They were arguing. Arguing’s not against the law. She’s gonna take the stand and swear he didn’t hit her. Whatever tape you have won’t beat that.”

“Third-degree assault, and I’ll dismiss the rest.”

“I bet you will.” Chappelle almost laughed as he spoke. “Come on, Andi. My client just spent two nights in lockup because his wife’s gearing up for a divorce. Don’t make this thing drag out. We both know where it’s going.”

Ed put the file back into his briefcase and closed it, clicking the tiny hasps into their locks. He started for the door, but then, in a move that looked rehearsed, paused and said, “Listen, Andi, I’ll grant you that Don and his wife had an argument. Like I said, their marriage is on the rocks. If you offered a disorderly conduct, I’d be willing to talk to him about it. I might even recommend it. At least you’d get something out of this.”

Andi didn’t even blink. “Your client has the complaint and bail study. We can talk after you meet with him.”

Ed shrugged and left the conference room.

Andi gave the transcript to Lila to read. “He’s going to be pissed when he finds out we’ve charged Donnie-boy with false imprisonment. In a few minutes, he’ll come storming in here, beating his chest. He’s what we call a gorilla.”

“Gorilla?” Lila said.

“Attorneys like Ed will come at you like a gorilla charging out of the bushes. He’ll yell and throw sticks, jump up and down, but the more he beats his chest, the more I know he’s scared. That’s the biggest tell of them all. You don’t make a big show of it if you have a superior case.”

“He seemed pretty calm just now.”

“He was on his best behavior because he thinks he has the upper hand with that recantation crap, so he’s keeping things understated. That whole I’ll do my best to sell the disorderly conduct crap was an act. He had that in his pocket before we walked in here. Most cases are won or lost before we ever set foot in court. Like a train on rails, it’s just a matter of riding the case to its inevitable destination.”

“And you know the destination for Mr. Gray?”

“I think so.” Andi paused a moment as though collecting a thought. “Here’s the thing, Lila. As prosecutors, we get to choose the battlefield. We get the evidence first. We pick the charges. We have that advantage. The general who chooses the battlefield should almost always win.”