Lone Witness

by Rachel Dylan

  “I’ve always wanted to run my own business. My partner, Noah, started talking one day about the idea, and we decided to leave our government careers and give it a try. I haven’t regretted it for a moment. I can still help people and companies, but I also get to experience the entrepreneurial angle, which I enjoy.”

  “What all does your company do?” She seemed more relaxed now that they were on this topic.

  “Personal security services like what we’re talking about right now. That’s my specialty, among other things. Noah is a whiz at all the electronics and forensics. He works with a lot of companies on their security systems, both physical and digital. And Landon came aboard to run our private investigations wing.”

  “I thought Kate said something about him working with you guys, but I wasn’t sure of the details. She’s so busy with all the wedding planning, I haven’t had time to spend with her. Plus, I’ve been acclimating to my new position.”

  “Do you and Kate go way back?”

  “We met years ago through the Atlanta Women Attorneys group. When we started working on the same committee, we really clicked. She’s a few years older than me, but we have a lot in common because we both represent victims—her on the plaintiff’s lawyer side, and me as a prosecutor. She and I became fast friends, and I introduced her to Mia Shaw. Mia and I went to law school at Emory together. The three of us have been a tight-knit group ever since.”

  “Tell me more about what you do now.” He was using this opportunity to gather as many facts about her and what she did as possible. All of that would help him do his job.

  “I work in the White Collar Crime Unit, which is basically a fancy way of saying that I deal with economic crimes—embezzlement, fraud, racketeering. But all in the criminal context, because there can also be civil versions of those things. I just secured a guilty verdict against the CEO of Banton Corporation. That was my first major trial in the division.”

  “Congratulations.” This woman was a force to be reckoned with. She didn’t look like your typical trial attorney, but behind her beauty was some serious brainpower. He had to remind himself that she was off-limits for a million different reasons. “Do you like it compared to your old job?”

  “I do. It’s a different type of challenge, and one thing that’s nice is that I get to devote a lot more time to each case as opposed to being on a wild carousel ride of case after case in court. But I wouldn’t trade those seven years as an ADA, because I learned how to be a trial lawyer. Now I can use those skills and hopefully take it to the next level.”

  Sophie stood up to get more coffee, and he was reminded of how tall she was. Probably only a few inches shorter than him.

  “What are the next steps?” she asked.

  “I’ll need your schedule. Basically, I need to know where you plan to be at all times.”

  “Overkill?” She arched an eyebrow.

  “Maybe at this point, but I didn’t say I’d be by your side at all times. Just that I need the information. And I’d like to make sure you get home all right each night.”

  She groaned. “We need to be discreet. I’ve worked for years to overcome the blond, rich girl stereotype and show that I’m a top-notch prosecutor. I don’t want my colleagues to see me as weak.”

  “Sophie, I don’t see a single thing about you that’s weak. From what I understand, when the shots started being fired, you ran into danger, not away from it.”

  “I was acting on instinct. And in the end, I still didn’t save either of their lives. I run it through my mind over and over and wonder if I could’ve somehow stopped him. Done something more.”

  “You can’t second-guess yourself. He was intent on doing harm. And right now, my approach with you is just being cautious. But because I want to put everything on the table upfront, if there comes a time when things do get more dangerous, then you need to be prepared for a change in course.”

  “You sound like Patrick.”

  “Patrick Hunt. That’s the lawyer prosecuting this case, right?”

  “That’s him. You really think me being a witness is going to put a different type of target on my back?”

  Cooper paused for a second, wondering if he should sugarcoat it or not. But that wasn’t his style. “I do. I can’t begin to tell you some of the things I experienced with this gang when I was with APD. And I’m sure you’ve seen enough gang violence as a prosecutor.”

  She bit her bottom lip. “I guess you’re right. But can we just take it one step at a time? Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, coming up with dangerous scenarios that don’t even exist.”

  “I get it. In the meantime, though, if you can hook me up with your schedule, that will allow me to start planning.”

  “Of course. Give me your email, and I’ll send it to you.”

  He pulled out his business card and slid it over to her. “I understand from your father that you have a top-of-the-line security system here, but I’d love to take a look at it before I leave.”

  This assignment wasn’t going to be easy.

  Ashley Murphy said a few choice words as her heel got stuck in the sidewalk in front of her law office. She’d opened her own firm a few years ago after practicing at Peters & Gomez for five years. She’d gotten plenty of civil defense experience there, but her real passion was criminal defense. High-profile criminal defense.

  No one understood why she took the cases she did, but the adrenaline rush itself was worth it. Not to mention that she only represented those who could afford her incredibly hefty fees. She liked to keep up that reputation, but at the end of the day, the money wasn’t her only driver. She thrived on the challenge of taking the most difficult cases. It was what pushed her to get up every day.

  She wasn’t naïve and knew that the gangs and other criminals she worked for could turn on her at any point. But that was a risk she was more than willing to take. You only lived once, and she intended to make the most out of life.

  As she pushed open the door to her office, she called out to her secretary. “Lane, any calls for me?”

  “Yes, Juan Wade called. He said it was important.”

  Ashley looked at her secretary. Lane had a lot of backbone to be able to deal with her. She knew she wasn’t an easy person to work for. “Why didn’t he call my cell if it was important?”

  Lane shrugged. “No idea. I told him I was expecting you in the office before lunch. He said that was fine. I got the impression he might be showing up here for a visit. You know how he is.”

  “Yes, I do.” Ashley had worked with Juan on a variety of cases over the past two years, and he had a tendency to pop up unannounced. “If he comes in, let me know. I’ll be in my office, trying to dig out of emails.”

  Ashley didn’t bother waiting for Lane to respond. They had a less-is-more relationship, and so far it had worked. They’d been together for three years, and Ashley paid Lane very well. Having a loyal and competent secretary was worth every penny.

  This Wade case was the biggest thorn in her side at the moment. She absolutely hated cutting deals and had a strong reputation for taking cases to trial and winning. But she’d never had a prosecutor as a witness before. It threw a unique and riveting factor into the equation.

  She hadn’t ruled out the possibility that she could break Sophie on the stand, but the problem was that given Sophie’s job, she would have built-in credibility with the jury. This wasn’t some vagrant off the street. Sophie was an Atlanta prosecutor. But Ashley had already thought a lot about it and planned to use the fact that Sophie was a prosecutor against her. Ashley intended to show the jury that Sophie was going after Ricky because of his connection to Juan, and that this was a purely opportunistic move on the state’s part.

  It didn’t matter that her client was guilty—the majority of her clients were. That was why she was paid the big bucks. If there weren’t people like her around, then the justice system would completely fail.

  Ashley had only made it through about a third of her email
s before her intercom buzzed.

  “Mr. Wade is here,” Lane said.

  “Bring him to my office.” Juan was not the type to wait on anyone.

  Ashley noted where she was in her long list of emails and then turned her attention to Juan, who was standing in her doorway. She stood to greet him.

  “Ashley,” he said. He walked over to her and took her hand.

  Juan didn’t look like a stereotypical gang leader. He carried himself like a corporate executive. His thick dark hair was neatly styled, and his big brown eyes that matched his little brother’s met her own. At almost thirty years old, he controlled one of the most dangerous gangs in Atlanta. And from what she could tell, it was a thriving criminal enterprise that went far beyond street crimes.

  “Please have a seat, Juan.” She sat back down behind her desk.

  “We need to talk about Ricky.”

  “I figured that’s what you wanted.”

  “I can’t let my baby brother go to prison for the rest of his life. Do you understand that? He’ll have a target on his back. Rival gang members will kill him!”

  “Let’s take this one step at a time. The judge ordered that he be kept out of the general population. Everyone in the prison knows who Ricky is. They don’t want something bad going down on their watch with all the media attention this case has gotten. So for now, Ricky should be safe.”

  “That doesn’t solve my long-term problem.”

  “What did you have in mind?” She knew Juan walked on the dark side. The question was how far she would go with him.

  “No, the question is what do you have in mind? I pay you to make these things go away. And this time it’s personal. There’s no room to screw this up. How in the world is a prosecutor the witness? How did you let this happen?”

  The normally cool Juan was letting his emotions surface. It wasn’t something she was used to seeing from him.

  “Juan, you’re smarter than that. You know I have no control over the fact that Sophie Dawson was at the Quick-Stop that night. It was just bad luck. But we’ll work through it.”

  “Bad luck?” Juan slammed his fist on her desk, causing her to flinch as he let out a string of curses. She was used to dealing with dangerous men, but this particular man frightened her more than most. On the outside he seemed suave and put together, but she knew that behind those good looks was a cold-blooded killer. He probably wouldn’t think twice before putting a bullet through her brain.

  “You do what you have to do,” Juan told her. “Whatever legal machinations you have. Pull a rabbit out of a hat for all I care. I’m giving you an opportunity to handle this your way first. But if your way doesn’t work, then I’ll take matters into my own hands. Are we clear?”

  “Crystal,” she said. His way probably involved more bloodshed.

  “What do you know about this Dawson woman?” Juan asked.

  “She’s known as being a straight shooter.”

  “I took it upon myself to make sure she had some special fan mail. Just trying to get inside her head. Remind her what family she’s up against.”

  Ashley let out a sigh but knew better than to pick that fight as a battle. Letters weren’t going to hurt anyone. There would be more battles to come.

  “What else do you know about her?” Juan asked.

  “Comes from money. Real money. Word is that she doesn’t even need to work. She’s a prosecutor because she enjoys being a crime fighter and a goody-goody.”

  Juan groaned. “I’m liking her less and less. She has no idea what it’s like to live in my world.” He paused. “And you don’t either.”

  “I don’t pretend like I do. I know my place and my job. I’m very good at what I do, but having her as an eyewitness is going to make this trial more challenging. Given the stakes, is there any room in your mind to strike a deal?”

  “Would the deal include prison time for Ricky?”

  “Yes, there’s no way around that. It’s a double homicide.” It occurred to her just how blind Juan was when it came to his little brother.

  “Then no. We’re gonna win this thing, or like I said, I’ll go down other paths.”

  “Well, whatever paths you’re thinking about, don’t you dare tell me. Attorney-client privilege doesn’t protect future crimes. You got that?” She was looking out for her own hide as much as his. She’d taken off her rose-colored glasses a long time ago.

  “Yes. But I’m paying you good money to make this go away.”

  “Understood. I do have a question.”

  “Shoot.”

  “What was Ricky thinking?”

  Juan blew out a breath. “He wasn’t thinking. Ricky’s not supposed to be in the business. At all. I have other plans for him, like college. That’s what my mama would’ve wanted. She trusted me with him before she got sick and passed.” He took a moment.

  Ashley realized that Juan might actually have a semblance of a soft spot where his family was concerned. Although that only made him more dangerous, given the circumstances.

  “But some members of a rival gang talked Ricky into it. Tried to make him feel like he had to prove himself. Taunted him for being my baby brother. Believe me, I’m dealing with them separately. Ricky should’ve never taken the bait. I thought I’d taught him better than that. I do what I do to make a better life for him and my family.”

  She needed to make one thing clear for his own good. And for Ricky’s. “No more bodies, Juan. Not right now. The microscope is too focused on you. The last thing you need is to start a gang war.”

  He gave a tentative nod, but she didn’t believe her words would deter him for a moment.

  “I’m serious, Juan. I’m trying to look out for your best interests here. Don’t make the problems worse than they already are. Give me some time to do my work. You’ll have plenty of time to get revenge later. Let’s focus on Ricky first. All right?”

  Juan stood up. “You can’t fail me on this one, Ashley.”

  “I know,” she said.

  But as he walked out of her office, fear shot through her. How in the world was she going to get an acquittal on this case?

  Chapter

  Five

  Sophie sat in the courtroom at her counsel’s table, waiting to start a status conference on the Glen Shelton fraud case. The other side had requested the conference, and she had only gotten notice of it a few days ago.

  “Hello, Sophie.”

  Sophie looked up, and her stomach dropped. This was the last thing she needed. Leland Kingsley.

  “Leland, what’re you doing here?”

  He gave her a wide grin. “I’m taking over Shelton’s defense. He deserves the best.”

  She held back what she really wanted to say. “I see he can afford the best.”

  Leland cocked his head. “No need to get testy, Sophie. I thought you were always up for a challenge. You were number one in our class, after all, but I was number two. And arguably should’ve beaten you, if you hadn’t become Professor Grimes’s teacher’s pet and scored that A+ in legal ethics.”

  She’d earned that grade fair and square. Her law school classmate was known as “the gunner” for being hypercompetitive, and he had made quite the name for himself on the defense bar.

  “You need to let that go, Leland. That’s ancient history. This case is quite clear,” she said flatly. “Your client stole from his clients. Case closed.”

  Leland patted her on her shoulder like she was a puppy. “Maybe when you were dealing with that half-wit lawyer Shelton had before, you thought this would be a cake walk. But there’s a new sheriff in town, and that’s why I wanted to have this status conference. I want to get everything calendared and give you and the court notice that I will be filing a series of motions.”

  “For what?”

  “For starters, a motion to change venue.” His hazel eyes locked on to hers.

  She rolled her eyes. “You’re really going to waste our time with that? I know you represent some high-profile clients, b
ut this guy isn’t exactly at the top of your list. You won’t be able to prove the requisite bias to get this case moved out of Fulton County.”

  “That’s your opinion, and I obviously hold a different one. This is just the beginning, Sophie. Unless you want to save us all a lot of time and effort and give us a reasonable plea offer that I can take back to my client. The operative word being reasonable. I don’t want to hear any outlandish offers.”

  Leland had some nerve. “That’s not going to happen, so we should get on with it.” She would have to convince her boss not to plea bargain, but there was no way she was showing any sign of weakness in front of Leland.

  “Then let the games begin.” Leland strode confidently over to his table.

  Later that afternoon, Sophie pored over the Shelton files, more determined than ever to take him down. The conference had largely been ministerial and uneventful, but it showed her one thing: Shelton was ready to fight hard. Leland wasn’t messing around. He was seeking an aggressive schedule and a speedy trial.

  Shelton had been arrested but had immediately made bail. He wasn’t working, though, because he’d been fired by SIB. Even the hint of impropriety was enough to cause him to lose his job.

  She looked at her watch and saw that Keith would arrive at any moment. He was the one who had assigned her to this file. In the back of her head, there were always questions about why Keith had chosen to move her over to White Collar. She worried that he thought she wasn’t tough enough to be a senior ADA in the general trial division. That the crimes were too heinous for her to handle. She had a reputation for getting emotionally involved in her cases, but that was the only way she knew how to operate. She’d always been a very empathetic person. Dissociation wasn’t in her vocabulary.

  She wanted to prove Keith wrong by doing a first-rate job in this new position to show that she could thrive in any unit doing any type of work. And that was exactly what she planned to do.

  Keith rapped his knuckles on the doorframe to her office. “Sophie, you wanted to talk?” He shut the door behind him and took a seat.