The hunters were closing in for the kill at the Criminal Courts Building of downtown Manhattan. 

The 1)quarry, Michael Moretti, sat at the 2)defendant's table, a silent, handsome man. Attacking him was Robert Di Silva, the 3)fiery District Attorney. Di Silva was a fiercely ambitious man, a 4)gutter fighter who neither forgot nor forgave.

Michael Moretti was front-page news, the son-in-law of Antonio Granelli, capo di capi, head of the largest of the five eastern 5)Mafia Families. Moretti had beeninvolved in dozens of crimes ranging from 6)mayhem to murder, but no district attorney had ever been able to prove anything.

Robert Di Silva had taken no chances. He prepared the case against Michael Moretti with 7)meticulous care. The key to the case against Moretti was Camillo Stela, and Di Silva's star witness was heavily protected. No one was allowed to get near him.

It was the morning of the fifth day of the trial. It was Jennifer Parker's first day at the trial. She was seated at the 8)prosecutor's table with five other young assistant district 9)attorneys who had been sworn in with her that morning. Jennifer Parker was a slender, dark-haired girl of twenty-four with a pale skin, an intelligent, mobile face, and green, thoughtful eyes.

The District Attorney walked over to the witness box where Camillo Stela had been sworn in.

“Mr. Stela, Michael Moretti is on trial for the murders of Eddie and Albert Ramos. Were you present when they were killed?”

“Yeah.” His whole body seemed to twitch.

“Who did the actual killing?”

“Mike.” For a second, his eyes caught Michael Moretti's eyes and Stela quickly looked away.

“Michael Moretti?”

“That's right.”

District Attorney Di Silva looked at the faces of the jurors and what he saw there told him he had won the case. He turned to Thomas Colfax. “Your witness for cross.”

Thomas Colfax rose gracefully to his feet. “If it please Your Honor, might I request that the court 10)recess for lunch now and I'll 11)cross-examine this afternoon?”

“Very well.” Judge Lawrence Waldman rapped his gavel on the bench. “This court stands 12)adjourned until two o'clock.”

Everyone in the courtroom rose.

Jennifer watched as a man said something to Di Silva, 13)detached himself from the group around the District Attorney, and hurried over toward Jennifer. He was carrying a large manila envelope. “Miss Parker?”

Jennifer looked up in surprise. “Yes?”

“The Chief wants you to give this to Stela.” He handed the envelope to Jennifer and she looked over at Di Silva. He remembered my name, she thought. It's a good omen.

After delivering the envelope to Stela, Jennifer passed the open door of a deserted courtroom. She could not resist stepping inside the room for a moment.

She was part of the system now and, standing there, Jennifer was filled with an 14)overwhelming feeling of pride. She would do everything she could to honor it, to help preserve it. She stood there for a long moment, then turned to leave.

From the far end of the hall there was a distant hum that grew louder and louder, and became 15)pandemonium. Alarm bells began to ring. Jennifer heardthe sound of running feet in the corridor and saw policeman with drawn guns racing towards the front entrance of the 16)courthouse.

It was bedlam. Far down the hall, Jennifer saw the District Attorney Robert Di Silva wildly issuing instructions to half a dozen policeman, his face drained of color.

She pushed her way through the crowd. As she approached, one of the deputies who had been guarding Stela looked up and saw Jennifer. He raised an arm and pointed to her, and five seconds later Jennifer Parker found herself being grabbed, 17)handcuffed and placed under arrest.

“You have the right to have an attorney before you make any statement,” Judge Waldman informed Jennifer, “and you have the right to remain silent.”

“I don't need an attorney, Your Honor! I can explain what happened.”

Robert Di Silva was leaning so close to her that Jennifer could see the 18)throbbing of a 19)vein in his temple. “Who paid you to give that package to Camillo Stela?”

“Paid me? Nobody paid me!”

Di Silva picked up a familiar looking Manila envelope from Judge Waldman's desk. “No one paid you? You just walked up to my witness and delivered this?” He shook the envelope and the body of a yellow 20)canary fluttered onto the desk. Its neck had been broken.

It's all a nightmare, Jennifer thought.

“Where do you stand, Bobby?” asked Judge Waldman, “is Stela still willing to be cross-examined?”

“Cross-examined? He's a basket case! Scared out of his wits. He won't take the stand again.”

Judge Waldman looked at Jennifer and said, “Whatever the motivation, the consequences have been extremely unfortunate. I am going to request that the 21)Appellate Division 22)undertake an investigation and, if it feels the circumstances 23)warrant it, to begin disbarment proceedings against you.”