We all met at Brown University, thirteen years ago. Mac chose Brown because the Ivy League education allowed him to pursue his dreams and escape the blue-collar town of Poughkeepsie. Ashley chose it because Providence was near her Boston home and she considered it a “hip college town.” I went to Brown because my aristocratic mother patterned her life after Jackie Kennedy, and if Brown was good enough for her son John Jr., then it certainly was good enough for Jack Lawson.
Having grown up at the corner of rich and delusional, I rarely interacted with real people. This changed when I met my college roommate, a sophomore named Mac Cirillo. He was nothing like anyone I had ever met before. He was funny, comfortable in his own skin, and wasn’t overly concerned what others thought of him. He is known for being a little “out there” with his offbeat theories that he calls Macademia—combining his name with academia, because in his words, he is educating us. I more associate the term with macadamia nuts, which I think might be a better description of Mac. His belief that man never landed on the moon is the one he is most passionate about.
The big favor I did for Mac was introducing him to Ashley Armstrong, a gorgeous leggy blonde with grace, style, and pedigree. In other words, way too good for him. Ashley will be the first to admit she is girly, but if you call her high maintenance you’ll have a fight on your hands. She can fish and talk trash with the boys as effortlessly as she can pick out a pair of designer shoes. Her father owns a private airline company called Armstrong Airlines, and Ashley is an accomplished pilot herself, giving lessons on the weekend. But most importantly, she has always been my biggest source of support—a support I’ve needed the last couple of years.
I consider them to be my real family. So when I took a leave of absence from my family’s firm, Lawson Baird & Gentry, I ultimately migrated here. It’s where Mac returned the favor by reintroducing me to a great love of mine—the law. It’s the one great legacy of my family’s incessant shove in that direction. But I don’t love the “Lawson Law” of money, schmoozing wealthy clients, and making partner. The law I fell for was the one that represents justice, and speaks for those who can’t speak for themselves. Which is what led me to stay in Cooperstown, and take the job as Chief Assistant District Attorney for Otsego County.
The Trials of Max Q: US / UK
Table of Contents
Title Page
Description
Chapter One
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 58
Chapter 59
Chapter 60
Chapter 61
Chapter 62
Chapter 63
Chapter 64
Chapter 65
Chapter 66
Chapter 67
Chapter 68
Chapter 69
Chapter 70
Chapter 71
Chapter 72
Chapter 73
Chapter 74
Chapter 75
Chapter 76
Chapter 77
Chapter 78
Chapter 79
Chapter 80
Chapter 81
Chapter 82
Chapter 83
Chapter 84
Chapter 85
Chapter 86
Chapter 87
Chapter 88
Chapter 89
Chapter 90
Chapter 91
Chapter 92
Chapter 93
Chapter 94
Chapter 95
Chapter 96
Chapter 97
Chapter 98
Chapter 99
Chapter 100
Chapter 101
Acknowledgments
Excerpt from The Trials of Max Q
The Truant Officer v5 Page 34
