Keri? There was definitely something going on there, every time she looked at him. Every time he felt those gorgeous blue eyes burning into his. It had a profound effect on him, one he’d probably best not even think about.
Or was he just being stupid? Sure, she was his client now, but this case wouldn’t last forever. Of course, she was about half his age, but if she didn’t mind, why should he?
What a dolt he was, he thought, as he galumphed off to his bedroom to cash it in for the night. As if she would be interested in him. As if anyone would.
Still, as he turned out the lights and stared, eyes open wide, into the darkness, he had to ask himself—Wouldn’t it be better than this? Wouldn’t anything be better than spending the rest of his life alone in a tiny apartment with a spoiled and—
He felt a furry nuzzling under his chin. Giselle was boring her way into the warm cranny betwixt chest and chin. Which was odd. She didn’t usually do that. She didn’t normally want anything to do with him at night, preferring her own cushioned wicker bed in the kitchen.
What made her come in here today? Did she sense how he was feeling? Did she know what he was thinking?
Don’t be ridiculous, Ben told himself. Next you’ll have her herding sheep or singing like Judy Garland. Still …
The cat snuggled in closer, and at long last, Ben closed his eyes. Someday, he had to take time out from solving other people’s problems and fix his own life. After all, he thought (and these were the last thoughts he had before he drifted away), he didn’t want to spend the entire rest of his life in a small apartment with a spoiled and, well, perhaps not totally indifferent cat.
13
JONES AND PAULA WERE squabbling over a chair.
“C’mon, punkin,” Jones said. “I need to check my e-mails.”
“E-mail, puddin’ pie. The plural doesn’t take an s.” She brushed him back. “I’m on WestLaw. I’m trying to find a precedent for the Dalcanton reversal.”
“But I’m expecting a very important message.”
“From whom? Some cyberbimbo you met in a chat room?” Jones and Paula had first met in an Internet chat room, and everyone in the office knew it.
“It’s about the case, Paula. I sent out several research requests and I need to check for replies.”
“I’m not going to log off till I’m done,” Paula said. “There’s no point in incurring additional charges.”
Jones grabbed her chair and swiveled it around. “I’m telling you, I need that chair!”
“And I’m telling you, no!”
Loving emerged from his office. “What in tarnation is goin’ on out there?”
Jones coughed. “We’re, uh, having a disagreement regarding the, uh, seating arrangements in the exterior office.”
“Are you two geeks squabbling over the computer again? Jeez Louise, I’m gonna have to enroll you two in some twelve-step program for people who can’t pry themselves away from the Internet.”
“I’m trying to finish a report,” Paula said huffily. “Ben said he wants it when he comes in.”
“I’m trying to finish my research,” Jones shot back. “Ben’s going to want to know what I found, too.”
Loving thrust his hands into his pockets. “Did I miss something here? I thought you two were supposed to be madly in love.”
Jones and Paula looked at one another dubiously.
“Whoever heard of people madly in love fussin’ over some silly gray box? You should be interactin’ with each another, not some stupid Web browser.”
“You know, he’s right.” Jones laid his hand gently on Paula’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, sweet’ums.”
“I’m sorry, too. I don’t know what came over me.” She stepped out of her chair and hugged him. “You’re more important than some silly report.”
“And you’re more important than my research. I love you, punkin.”
“I love you, too, puddin’ pie.”
“Good God,” Loving growled. “I’ve created a monster.”
Ben entered the office. Keri Dalcanton was barely a step behind him.
“Staff meeting,” Ben announced, as he passed through the central office. “Conference room one. I want everyone there. Now.”
A few minutes later, the entire staff had gathered in the largest conference room in Ben’s office. He was still unaccustomed to having so much space and relative luxury at his disposal. After years of toiling away in his dive office downtown, these spacious new Two Warren Place digs seemed luxurious. Of course, compared to the jail cell he’d been residing in of late, his old office seemed luxurious.
Christina was the last to arrive. “How’s the jailbird?” she said, smiling. “You’re looking great for a guy who just got out of stir. I think I liked you better in orange, though.”
Ben nodded graciously, but didn’t smile. He couldn’t, not with Keri right beside him. Her situation was too grim, and the possibility that she would be back in orange coveralls herself was all too real.
“As you probably already know,” Ben began, “Keri’s case is active again. The Court of Appeals has sanctioned a new trial. We’re appealing that decision, of course, but I don’t think our chances are good and in the meantime, the trial proceeds. Given the extraordinary circumstances, we’ve been able to keep Keri out of jail on bond, but we can’t be sure that will last.”
Paula shook her head. “This is asinine. She’s already been through this once.”
“But we have no recourse,” Ben said. “We have to get ready. Let’s face it—if the prosecutors fail again, they’ll look like absolute fools. So they’ll be pulling out all the stops to get a conviction.”
“And LaBelle is going to handle the trial himself,” Christina added.
“Which gives us even more to worry about.” Ben turned slightly and saw Keri shrink back into her chair, like a frightened child trying to disappear.
He took her hand and squeezed. “But we’re as good as any prosecutors. We’ve beaten the D.A.’s office before. And we’ll do it again.”
Keri tried to return his confident smile, but not much emerged. Ben could understand that. He only wished he could be half as confident as he sounded. But he knew La-Belle’s reputation—and future political career—would be riding on this case. The eyes of the world would be upon them. The scary truth was, Ben had never had a case in which the prosecutors had shown such a willingness to do anything to get a conviction—or where he had so little to work with.
“The problem is, these charges pending against me, stupid as they are, create a potential conflict of interest. I know some defense attorneys will never represent codefendants because their interests may conflict; imagine the potential conflicts when the defense attorney is the codefendant. Keri has volunteered to waive the conflict; just the same, I can’t try this case if I’m still a potential defendant. We need to get rid of the charges against me as soon as possible.
“And we’re going to have to reopen our investigation,” Ben continued. “Last time Keri was charged, we didn’t have to put on a case. This time, we almost certainly will.” He took a thick file folder out of his briefcase. “It’s clear at this point that everything that’s happened is more than just coincidence. Someone is actively trying to frame Keri.”
“And you,” Christina added.
Ben pressed ahead. “We have a couple of possibilities for who could be behind this. Keri thinks some of Joe McNaughton’s buddies on the force may be behind it. She thinks it’s possible McNaughton’s widow, Andrea, may be pulling the strings.”