by Carsen Taite
“Everything all right out here?”
Cade spun around to see Brody and Asher standing behind her. Judging by their wide eyes and stunned expressions, they’d heard more than a little of her heated exchange with Emily. Before she could speak, Emily stepped forward.
“Sorry about that,” she said, directing her words to Brody as if no one else was in the room. “I tend to get a bit passionate when I’m talking about a case.” She handed him an envelope. “I came by to drop this off. Not entirely sure if it qualifies as Brady material, but I wanted to make sure you have it in case it comes up at trial.” Brody barely had the envelope in his grasp before Emily started backing toward the door. “I’ll see myself out.”
Cade watched her leave, wishing she wouldn’t, but powerless to say the words that might stop her with Brody and Asher looking on.
“Who’s Brady?” Asher asked.
Cade listened as Brody explained it was a Supreme Court case requiring prosecutors to turn over evidence in their possession that might be helpful to the defense. His explanation was rudimentary, but sound, yet she found herself wanting to interject that in the past, prosecutors weren’t required to turn over this kind of information in advance of trial, but a fairly recent, high profile case had changed the rules. She kept her mouth shut. It was clear Brody knew the law, even if he had little experience applying it to real cases. But everyone had to start somewhere.
Why did she care so much about whether Kevin Miller got a fair shake? She’d never even met the guy, but she’d let her concern about his fate rob her of the opportunity to be with Emily at every turn. Was his freedom worth more than hers?
She interrupted Brody who’d moved on to some other topic. “I have to go,” she said, already on her way to the door. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Asher give her a big smile and a thumbs-up. Damn that kid. She was too smart for her own good, but Cade was unable to resist Asher’s low-key cheerleading, Cade returned the smile and dashed out of the office, determined to find Emily. She needed all the luck she could get.
Chapter Twenty-two
Emily couldn’t get out of Brody’s office fast enough. Not caring who saw, she flew down the steps and around the corner, barely pausing at the intersection before charging across the street. Her office loomed in the distance, representing everything she’d worked for, everything she’d achieved, but right now it felt like an albatross dragging her away from the full future she’d imagined. What good was the job if it stood in the way of the other things she wanted: a comfortable home, a woman to love her, and a family of her own to love her back?
Her purpose for this little walk had backfired, and she wasn’t ready to go back to the office and dive back into her trial prep. What she really wanted to do was corner Cade Kelly and force her to tell the truth about what she was up to, but the level of betrayal she felt kept her in check. She wasn’t ready to put her feelings at risk, and the old trial attorney adage echoed in her head: don’t ask a question if you don’t already know the answer. Maybe it was best to let Cade’s secrets remain so and move on.
But she didn’t want to move on. Move on to what? A Junior Leaguer handpicked by her mother? Becca’s declaration that Cade was the best thing that ever happened to her both rang true and set off warning bells. Cade wasn’t what she’d imagined when she thought about her carefully planned future—too much mystery, too much conflict. But she couldn’t deny the idea of waking up next to Cade every day was a fantasy she’d love to bring to life.
What was holding her back? For one thing, Cade’s disloyalty. She’d openly admitted talking to Brody Nichols about the Miller case, which brought to mind all kinds of questions. Why was Cade so intensely focused on this case? What could she possibly add to the mix? Sure, she was smart and capable, but she wasn’t a lawyer or a cop or a private investigator. She was like all of the other citizens of Lawson County who buttonholed Emily whenever she went out in public so they could give her unsolicited opinions about the cases pending in her office.
Except you actually listen to those folks, and when Cade tried to talk to you about the case, you picked a fight. The first time, yes, Emily acknowledged, but last night she hadn’t fought with Cade. Still, she had to admit, she had sidestepped Cade’s attempts to discuss the case in order to avoid conflict.
Well, that hadn’t worked since she’d only delayed the inevitable. Now she was steeped in conflict again and all she wanted to do was toss the case files in the trash, go back to Brody’s office, and drag Cade away to engage in something that had absolutely nothing to do with Kevin Miller.
Tossing the case wasn’t an option, but she could be the bigger person. She could go back, talk to Cade, and tell her how she felt. She squared her shoulders and turned to look back across the street, careful this time to watch for cars. When the road was clear, she started to take a step, but a strong hand on her arm held her back. She swiped at the hand and jumped away. “What the hell?”
“Calm down. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
Sheriff Nash stood next to her with his hands in the air and an amused smile playing at the corner of his lips. Emily wanted to smack him, but she was already embarrassed at her reaction to his manhandling display. “What do you want, Sheriff?”
“I went by your office, but they didn’t have a clue where you were.”
His tone was accusing, and she struggled to keep her temper under control. “I was delivering an amended investigative report to opposing counsel. Seems your deputies were playing a little fast and loose with some of the facts from the crime scene.”
“I’m sure you had your reasons for delivering that report yourself,” he said, a smug undercurrent in his voice. “You may have all day to cater to the murdering bastard’s lawyer, but I need to talk to you in my office and it’s pretty important.”
“About the case?”
“Nope.” He rocked back on the heels of his snakeskin boots. “Well, maybe.”
Emily didn’t try to hide her frustration. “Sheriff, I don’t have time for games. Tell me.”
He preceded his words with a dark frown. “This information is obviously not for public consumption, but I thought you’d like to know the woman you’ve been keeping company with—the one who’s been spending time over at Nichols’s office? She isn’t who you think she is.”
Emily went cold at the words that confirmed her fears, but she had to know more. She had no desire to follow Nash back to his office, but she didn’t want to hear the details here on the street where anyone could witness the effect the news would have on her. “Your office now. I want to know everything.”
*
Cade stood at the end of the street, her head swiveling in all directions, but Emily was nowhere in sight. Damn, she’d waited too long and now Emily was probably already back at her office. Cade debated whether she should look for her there. On one hand, it seemed like a bad idea to show up at her work to discuss something very personal, but on the other hand if she chose not to she wasn’t likely to have another opportunity until the trial was over, and despite what she’d told Emily in the park last night, she didn’t think she could wait that long. Her mind made up, she started walking toward the courthouse.
“Where are you going?”
Kennedy was standing a few feet away. Her presence was disconcerting since, except for the time Kennedy came by her work, she’d rarely seen her in public. Silly as it was, she felt Kennedy’s presence exposed her. “Where did you come from?”
Kennedy stepped closer. “We need to talk.”
“So talk.”
“Not the kind of conversation you want to have in the middle of town.” She pointed across the street to her Jeep. “Let’s go for a ride.”
Cade shook her head. “Sorry, can’t. I’m going to work.”
“Sure. As soon as we talk, you can go wherever you want.”
Kennedy’s face was fixed in a firm scowl, but Cade didn’t care. Everything she did was voluntary and it was time her keeper
s remembered that. “You can’t make me go with you.”
“Cade, please.” Kennedy sighed. “Look, you’re right, I can’t make you do anything, but this is important. Trust me.”
Cade stared at her, trying to get a read on what was up, but she got nothing. She might not like having her life micro-managed, but Kennedy had always acted in her best interest, and she had no reason to assume she wasn’t doing so now. “Okay.”
A few minutes later, they were in the Jeep, driving toward the outskirts of town. They’d spent the first few minutes of the drive in silence, and Cade was tired of waiting for whatever Kennedy had to say. “You wanted to talk, so talk.”
Kennedy kept her face forward. “In a minute.”
Frustrated, Cade stared out the window at the now familiar Bodark landmarks. The grain refinery. The signs for Lawson Lake. The maroon water tower emblazoned with the mascot of the local high school, the Bodark Lions. For the first time since she’d arrived here, she realized she would miss this place if she had to move. Not just Emily, although she was definitely what she’d miss the most, but the quaintness of the little town. Becca’s secret coffee bar, the Purple Leaf Cafe, Ambrosia, Monica, Asher, Jordan College. The list was long—longer than she’d known. All of these places and these people had become part of who she was, and she couldn’t imagine a life without them. The very idea she might never see any of them again sent her mind racing. “Is this your way of spiriting me off to another location where I have to start all over again?”
“What?” Kennedy turned her head. “No. Hang on.” She jerked the Jeep to the right and pulled off the road near a sign promising a historical landmark. Cade recognized the place from one of her drives around town. The landmark consisted of a plaque dedicated to the settlers of Bodark surrounded by a trio of picnic tables.
Kennedy drove up next to one of the tables and killed the engine. “I need to stretch my legs.” She didn’t wait for a response before she jumped down from the Jeep and paced around the picnic area. Cade watched from the vehicle for a moment before deciding if she was going to get any idea about what they were doing out here, she’d have to follow.
“Okay, if you’re not moving me to another location, what’s with all the cloak-and-dagger?”
Kennedy motioned to one of the tables and they both sat down. “No one’s been able to locate Fontana. We had been able to track his general whereabouts by triangulating cell signals, but he must have caught on because he’s not using the same number anymore. He could be back in Chicago or he could be right around the corner. We have no way of knowing.”
“You brought me out here to tell me you don’t know anything? Now I know why people complain about government inefficiency.”
“Hey, watch it. I’m not calling the shots here. My job is to keep you safe. The FBI is the one hunting Fontana, and they’re in charge of the investigation. All of the decisions from here on out are theirs. Remember that when you hear what I have to say.”
Cade tensed at the warning, but she concentrated on keeping a cool head. “And just what do you have to say?”
“It’s normal protocol to notify local law enforcement authorities about the transfer of a protected witness into their jurisdiction. It’s a courtesy to let the cops know we’ve moved a criminal into their jurisdiction because most of the witnesses we deal with are criminals.”
“Are you saying the sheriff’s office has known about me all along?”
“No, I made the decision to override protocol and not inform the sheriff. Because A, you’re not a criminal, and B, Bodark is a pretty small town and I thought it was best not to tell anyone for fear the word would get out.”
Cade let out a breath in relief. The idea that pompous Sheriff Nash would have any power at all over revealing her true identity made her skin crawl, and she was relieved to hear Kennedy had vetoed telling him. But her relief was short-lived as the words Kennedy had spoken earlier came rushing back. “But wait, you said the FBI is calling the shots now.”
“Yes, they are. And this morning they told Sheriff Nash about you. Not only that, they told him your theory that Fontana murdered Sam Wade.”
“What?”
“You heard me. Apparently, they finally got the wiretap order, and on Fontana’s last check in with the boss, he got an earful about his carelessness and it sounded like it wasn’t the first time. I don’t know all the details, but the FBI agent-in-charge thinks Vincente was talking about Wade’s murder. It’s probably only a matter of time before Nash talks to Sinclair about it. In fact, I have a feeling they may be talking about it right now. I saw them run into each other on the street just before you came running out of Nichols’s office.”
“No.” Cade banged her hand on the solid wood of the picnic tabletop and stood up. “Take me back to town.” She slapped the table again. “Right now.”
“Cade, listen to me. Your best bet now is to stay out of sight. I’m not going to relocate you, but I am going to put you in a hotel for a few days, somewhere out of town. I grabbed the duffel bag from your bedroom…”
Kennedy kept talking, but Cade tuned her out. For all she knew, at this very moment asshat Nash was telling Emily she wasn’t who she claimed to be. How would Emily feel when she learned that everything Cade had told her during their brief courtship had been a lie? From a purely professional standpoint, Emily had to understand why Cade couldn’t tell her the truth, but nothing about their relationship had been professional. The falsehoods paraded through her mind: her education, her occupation, her family, and the hunting accident. That last one had been the worst since she’d delivered the deceit during the most intimate lovemaking of her entire life.
She knew exactly what she needed to do. She leaned over the table until she was inches from Kennedy’s face and emphasized each word. “Take me back to town or I will walk there on my own. If I get there under my own power, everything I do from here on out will be my call, not the FBI’s, not Waverly’s, not yours. Are we clear?”
Kennedy answered by holding up her keys and pointing to the Jeep. Cade could almost swear she saw a flash of admiration pass over Kennedy’s face, but she didn’t dwell on it. The only person’s approval she wanted was Emily’s, and she was going to do everything in her power to make things right between them.
*
Janice called out as Emily walked by her desk, but she waved her off and shut the door behind her. She’d apologize for being rude later. Right now, she was doing everything she could to hold it together after the bombshell Nash had dropped on her.
She tossed a file onto her desk, slid into her chair, and dropped her head into her hands. Cade Kelly aka Cade Deluca, an assistant state’s attorney from Chicago had been shot at point-blank range by Leo Fontana, capo for the Oliveri crime family. Cade had testified about her experience in front of a federal grand jury, and then been whisked away to hide out until the feds found Fontana and brought him to trial.
As if that weren’t crazy enough, Cade believed Fontana was the person really responsible for Sam Wade’s death, and the FBI had provided Nash with a dossier full of information to back up Cade’s assertion, a copy of which was now sitting on her desk. Nash had summarized the facts, but she should read it for herself. She would, but first she had to get past the feeling she’d been duped.
The Cade she knew had been a fiction. Not a librarian, but a lawyer. She hadn’t moved here because of a layoff at her former job. She moved here to escape a cold-blooded killer. Emily sorted through all the things Cade had told her, and wondered if there were grains of truth in anything she’d shared.
Professional Emily knew Cade hadn’t had a choice in the matter. The lies Cade had told were necessities, made up to protect her life, but on a personal level, Emily couldn’t help feeling betrayed because what had happened between them had been intensely intimate. If the feelings between them had been real, why hadn’t Cade trusted her enough to share who she really was?
A knock on her door roused her from her round
of self-pity. She wanted to tell whomever it was to go away and leave her alone. She wanted to spirit herself out of the office, to her house, where she could hole up and lick her wounds outside the gaze of the prying public. But that wasn’t the life she’d chosen. She had a job to do, and after spending a year scouring the county for votes, she owed it to her community to buck up and do what they paid her to do. She placed a hand on the folder Nash had given her and vowed to tackle it as her very next thing. “Come in.”
The door opened slowly and Janice poked her head through. Emily waved her in. “Sorry about earlier. I’m having a bad day.”
“I occasionally have those,” Janice said with a warm smile as she walked into the room. “Just a couple of things. The grand jury on the Jansen case is set next week and Elena asked me to let you know. Defense counsel brought over a packet he’d like to present, and it’s on your desk.” She pointed to a tabbed black binder. “Do you want me to have Seth look it over?”
Emily shook her head. “No, I’ll go through it. What else do you need?”
Janice produced a plain white envelope and held it toward her. “Asher Risley brought this by. She made me promise to put it directly into your hands.”
“And you like taking orders from college kids?”
Janice shrugged. “Not really, no, but she seemed so darn serious about it. Like it was a matter of life or death.”
Emily took the envelope from Janice. “I’ll take a look at it.” She set the envelope on the far corner of her desk. “If there’s anything on my schedule for the rest of the day, cancel it. I’ve got a full plate.”
“Anything you need me to do?”
“No, I’m good for now. Thanks.”
Emily waited until Janice was out of the room, opened the folder Nash had given her, and started skimming the contents. The first few sheets of paper contained bullet point summaries of similar crimes in other jurisdictions, all believed to have been committed by Leo Fontana. She had to admit it seemed like more than coincidence that the signature method employed by a mob enforcer would have been used by a transient looking for a few bucks from a stranger. She scoured the rest of the documents—wiretap transcripts that contained cryptic conversations between mob boss Vincente Oliveri and Fontana. Oliveri was scolding Fontana for not using discretion, but other than that she wasn’t sure what to make of it. Nash had told her the feds were fairly confident Cade’s theory was correct, but what possible motive could Fontana have had to kill Sam Wade?
