“I’m sure she is, and that’s what I was hoping to speak with you about. Victoria’s remains were recently identified by the medical examiner’s office here in New York, and that started me onto her story. The rest of her history came as a surprise.”

“I hadn’t heard about the identification until you called. It certainly brought back a flood of emotions.”

Avery nodded, and could only imagine what those recollections entailed. Roman Manchester had been in the World Trade Center when the first plane flew into it. He must have terrifying memories of that day.

“Can you tell me about your relationship with Victoria?”

“She initially contacted me to represent her in the Cameron Young murder investigation. We hadn’t gotten too far into her defense before she died. I knew the case better than I knew the client.”

“Can you tell me about it?”

“I’m seventy-one now, and still active on high-profile cases. Although today I’m extremely selective. Back then I was everywhere and in high demand. Victoria Ford reached out to me in the summer of 2001. I reviewed the case, and as soon as I understood the gravity of the charges against her, I agreed to help. I had back then, and still do today, a personality flaw. The more challenging a case, the more likely I am to take it on.”

“And Victoria Ford’s case was challenging?”

“Extremely. It became quite a fiasco because of the victim’s notoriety. I was working through the details when . . . well, 9/11 happened right in the middle of it all, as you know. But prior to that point, I was collecting my initial documents on the case. Discovery hadn’t yet come to me from the district attorney’s office, so at the time of 9/11 I was advising Mrs. Ford on her options more than I was preparing an actual defense. It was just too early.”

“What was your advice?”

“To find a lot of money so she’d stay out of jail while we prepared a defense. Maggie Greenwald, the district attorney who was running the prosecution, had compiled a substantial case against Victoria and had convened a grand jury to determine if the case had merit. It did. The grand jury was just a formality. I was working with Victoria to figure out if she had the funds to post bail.”

“The case was that strong?” Avery asked.

“For that stage in the process, yes. It was strong enough to secure an indictment and justify formal charges and an arrest. I hadn’t gotten into the weeds or rooted through the details to determine if any of the evidence was challengeable. I only knew what they had, not how they had obtained it or how credible it was. On the surface, though, it was solid.”

“Can you go over some of that information?”

Manchester opened a folder and thumbed through a few pages before he found what he was looking for.