Lone Witness

by Rachel Dylan

“Mr. Hunt, anything else?” the judge asked.

  “No, Your Honor.”

  “Then, Ms. Dawson, you’re excused.”

  Sophie stepped down, and just like that, she had turned the tide. Cooper now thought they might actually have a fighting chance.

  “How could you have screwed this up so badly?” Juan’s voice boomed through Ashley’s office.

  He’d summoned her for a meeting that night, and she knew he wasn’t going to be happy. She couldn’t say she was surprised at his reaction.

  “Juan, you weren’t in the courtroom. How could you possibly understand everything that went on?”

  “I have my people reporting back to me. They said the prosecutor killed it on the stand today and made you look like a bumbling idiot.”

  Ashley leaned forward in her seat. “Let’s get one thing straight. I’ve not once in my life looked like a bumbling idiot. You need to get a grip. My goal was to make this thing messy. Messy means that the jury will have doubts. Doubts lead to acquittals. All I need is one of them to have questions to get Ricky off. I never said this was going to be a walk in the park or that it would be pretty. Your brother shot and killed two people, Juan, and we have a respected prosecutor who saw the whole thing.”

  “You’re supposed to make it go away.”

  “And I’m the only lawyer in town who has a shot at getting that done. My closing statement is going to focus on all of the holes in their case. All the questions that I will put in the jury’s mind. Including the fact that we have an officer at the APD basically saying that there was something nefarious going on.” She paused. “And I’m certain I have you to thank for that. That whole thing could’ve blown up in my face. A heads-up would’ve been nice.”

  “I thought it was better strategically for you to have plausible deniability.”

  She blew out a breath. “Juan, your job is not to think of legal strategies. That is my job.”

  “But how can I trust you and a broken system? You couldn’t seriously think I’d let you just take this entire thing on alone. I’m not stupid. We need every advantage we can get.”

  “I just hope you didn’t push it too far. The jury may think that Gray was paid off.”

  “Nah. I think we’re good on that angle.”

  She laughed. “The only reason you think we’re good is because it’s something that you had a hand in. But I need to prepare you for the stark reality that we could lose this thing. It’s possible.”

  “No, it’s not,” he said. “Push me too far, Ashley, and you will see what I’m capable of. To protect my brother, my family, my empire. There are no limits. I warned you about that from day one. If you can’t get the job done through the legal system, I will step in.”

  She had no idea what he had in mind, but it couldn’t be good. On the other hand, she didn’t want a loss on her record either. How far was she willing to go? Even though Patrick wouldn’t believe it, she still had some lines she wouldn’t cross. She wasn’t like her client. “Closing statements begin tomorrow.”

  “Then you better get to work.” He rose from his seat. “But make no mistake, Ash. If this one goes sideways, I’m holding you personally responsible.”

  A chill shot down her back. “I understand.”

  “Good.” He slammed the office door on the way out.

  Her neck was on the line. She had no doubt in her mind that Juan’s version of revenge might include her ending up dead.

  Chapter

  Nineteen

  Sophie wrapped a blanket around her as she sat on the couch. The safe house was always a bit chilly for her taste. Tomorrow was a big day. Each side in the Wade case would give their closings, and the jury would start its deliberation.

  She had turned her attention back to Shelton and SIB. Her boss’s words kept ringing in her ears. Why was Keith so insistent on her backing off?

  The Shelton trial was rapidly approaching, but she couldn’t imagine that Leland would ever put Shelton on the stand, so she wouldn’t get an opportunity to question him about his accounts. She hadn’t even broached the topic yet of calling Whitney as a witness. Keith really would lose his mind then. But at least Whitney would have an opportunity to set the record straight under oath. Still, there was no way Sophie was going to bring that up until the eve of trial, when she had to provide her witness list. That was part of her master plan—or the closest thing she had to one. They were hitting dead ends on tracing the money, so she had scant proof that any money laundering was actually occurring.

  A part of her wondered whether she should just put Shelton away for many years and forget about any other wrongdoing that had been going on. But that wasn’t her style. She couldn’t act like the ostrich that Keith wanted her to be.

  She picked up another file of documents and started reading them. She couldn’t help but think that the answers she wanted would be in these files. The problem was that there were thousands of pages to comb through. She’d sent Monica a series of emails to make sure she was continuing to work on trial preparation. That part was easier and more appropriate for a newbie attorney.

  Her eyes continued to scan the pages. Numbers weren’t actually her thing, but in this type of work, she had to force herself to take them in.

  Shelton was getting large amounts of cash from somewhere. But that in and of itself wasn’t illegal. She had to figure out what he was doing with the money after that.

  “House is secure.” Cooper walked in and took a seat. “You back to work?”

  Sophie set the pages she was reviewing on the coffee table. “Yes. Now that my part in the Wade case is officially over, I want to shift gears. There’s nothing more I can do at this point except worry, and that’s not going to do me any good. All I’ve got right now is a theory. I’m not buying Keith’s explanation provided through Whitney that it’s natural for employees to move that kind of money in and out of their accounts like that. There’s something more going on here, and the fact that Whitney is so involved only makes me more suspicious.”

  “And if Whitney is involved, she now knows for sure that you’re looking into the money-laundering angle.”

  “You think I should be concerned about that?” She felt the words rushing out.

  Cooper leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “It’s just one more factor to be aware of. Unfortunately, we still haven’t been able to ferret out what Shelton did with the money. But we’ll keep working on it.”

  “That’s why I can’t make a direct accusation against SIB. Not until I have something more. And then if I do find more, I have to decide when to bring in the Feds.”

  “Money laundering is their territory, right?” Cooper asked.

  Sophie shook her head. “Not exclusively, no. We have a state money-laundering statute. But the practical answer is that if a bank is involved in something like this, the Feds need to be involved. I can’t call them in on my gut instincts and some random deposits that set off my radar. There’s still a big piece I’m missing.”

  “What is that?”

  “For this to actually be money laundering, the source of the funds has to have been illegally obtained. It’s not enough for me to show that the bank was passing funds without being able to show the purpose.”

  Cooper nodded in understanding. “You need to be able to demonstrate that the money is dirty. Like it came from some type of criminal enterprise.”

  “Exactly.” Her excitement level started to build. “Which brings up the million-dollar question. Let’s assume for a moment that I’m right and SIB is participating in money laundering. What type of criminal activity could SIB be involved with?”

  “Based on my experience, I’d say some kind of organized crime or drug cartel. Those entities have both the need to launder money and the means to be able to develop a relationship with a bank like SIB.”

  Her heart thumped wildly at his words. “We’re still a long way from making that leap, but it’s something I have to consider. The dirty funds had to come thro
ugh the bank, get cleaned, and then go back out to the initial source or someone connected to that criminal activity. The issue is how to follow the bread crumbs and determine what’s behind the curtain.”

  “You just need to make sure you can get Shelton convicted.” He paused. “How’re you feeling about the Wade trial?”

  “I’ve done all I can do, and now it’s out of my hands.” She looked up into his eyes. “I appreciate your patience with me throughout this whole thing. I know I kind of lost it after I testified the first time. I didn’t mean to be on such an emotional roller coaster and drag you along with me.”

  “You’ve been a trooper. I can’t even imagine how difficult this has all been for you. Don’t be so hard on yourself.”

  Would there ever be a right time for them? While she desperately wanted Cooper to kiss her, she also knew that she’d be taking a huge risk. Would he be able to change his mind about what he wanted? Because if not, then how could she ever give him her heart?

  The next few days passed in a blur for Cooper as they waited for the jury to reach a verdict. At the front of his mind was determining what the next steps would be for Sophie. A lot of the security plan depended on the outcome of the case, but he had a nagging feeling that regardless of the outcome, she’d always be on Juan’s bad side, and that made him nervous.

  But he couldn’t provide her around-the-clock protection forever. At least not in the current form.

  The other night when he’d taken her hand, it had felt so right. Lord, what am I supposed to do here? Can I take this leap with her?

  He didn’t know what he should do. He wanted to be with her. To develop a real relationship, but he was still scared to death about how that might unfold. Was it worth the risk to both of them?

  Sophie walked into the living room, carrying her laptop and a big stack of papers. “What’s going on?”

  “Just thinking about what’s next. Any updates from Patrick?”

  “No. But given it’s Friday, I suspect the jury will render its verdict today. None of them will want to come back on Monday.” She sat down beside him on the couch.

  “We’ll have to figure out your security situation once the verdict comes down.” That was still his top priority.

  “If we get a guilty verdict, I suppose Juan could come after me for revenge. But if it’s not guilty or a hung jury, why would he care about me?” Sophie placed her hand on her chest.

  “Do you think Patrick would retry if it’s a mistrial?” Cooper asked.

  “I haven’t asked him. I didn’t want to put that possibility out there just yet.”

  “Have you prepared yourself for the worst?” He wanted to make sure she wasn’t caught off guard. In his opinion, there was a good likelihood they wouldn’t get a guilty verdict, even given her great performance on the witness stand. There were too many nagging questions that might impact the jury.

  She looked up at him. “Yeah. I’ve been thinking a lot about it, and I’m ready for whatever comes. I haven’t set unreasonable expectations, if that’s what you’re worried about. I’ll be able to keep it together.”

  “I never questioned that.” He took a breath. “Sophie, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking.”

  She looked at him warily. “Should I be worried about what you’re going to say?”

  “I hope not.”

  Her blue eyes widened. “Tell me what’s on your mind.”

  “You,” he said softly.

  And instead of trying to explain and backtrack from all the stuff he’d said previously, he decided it was best to just let his actions speak for themselves. He placed his hand under her chin and gently tilted her head up. He hadn’t been this nervous about a kiss since his first kiss at age thirteen—which was a lifetime ago. But that was because this meant much more to him than just a kiss.

  As he stared into her bright blue eyes, he felt an assurance that he was making the right decision. And when he kissed her, there was surprisingly no sense of fear. Only a huge spark that sent a flood of heat through him. All of his worries and doubts were put squarely out of his mind as he deepened the kiss.

  But after a few moments, she pulled away.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked.

  She shook her head. “I’m sorry. I just can’t.”

  It was like the air had been knocked out of him. But it was even worse than that, because he knew why she felt that way. It was because of what he’d told her.

  “Unless you’ve changed your mind?” she asked expectantly. “Unless you can look me in the eyes and tell me that you want the same things I want?”

  As much as he wanted to be able to do just that, he couldn’t. At least not yet. He couldn’t commit to something that he himself wasn’t sure of. “As I sit here today, I can’t tell you that. I’m sorry. I never should’ve done this. I let my emotions and the chemistry between us cloud my brain. That wasn’t fair to you.”

  Her eyes misted up. “I’m sorry, too. Maybe for now we should just focus on work.”

  Guilt ate at him. He never should have kissed her unless he was one hundred percent sure that he could give her what she wanted. He should have been stronger. “My first priority is still your safety, and I’m not going to let down my guard. I think you need to be prepared for multiple contingencies, because we just don’t know how this will all play out.”

  “As long as you stick around, I’ll be fine with that.”

  He wasn’t so sure that was true. Especially after what had just happened. “Don’t worry. You’re stuck with me.”

  Her cell rang loudly, and she picked it up off the coffee table. After a short conversation, she hung up. “The verdict is in. Let’s go to the courthouse.”

  “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

  “I want to be there.”

  “Let me call in reinforcements.” There was no way he was going to take Sophie to the courthouse without backup.

  Patrick clenched his fists as he waited for the verdict to be read. They’d overcome a lot of obstacles in this case, but he still had a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach.

  He turned and looked over his shoulder into the courtroom audience. Sitting on the defense side in the first row was none other than Juan Wade himself. He’d been conspicuously absent during the trial, but now that the jury had deliberated, it was time for him to flex his muscle.

  Patrick made eye contact with Juan, who gave him a menacing wink. A chill shot down his spine. None of this felt right to him. He didn’t think justice was going to be served today.

  He looked at the defense table, where Ashley sat with an air of confidence about her. Beside her, Ricky slumped, unmoving. Patrick knew the kid had to be worried. But at the end of the day, reasonable doubt was a tricky thing, and he felt sure Juan had done whatever it took to take care of his brother.

  Patrick still hoped for a guilty verdict, but he wasn’t naïve. This wasn’t his first rodeo.

  Ashley’s confidence troubled him, because it was a bit much even for her. Which in his mind meant she might know something that he didn’t. Had Juan bought off someone on the jury?

  When the judge entered the courtroom, you could hear a pin drop. Members of the media were present, perched to jump on the story no matter which way it went. There wasn’t a single empty seat in the courtroom.

  “All right, please bring in the jury,” the judge said.

  Patrick’s heartbeat sped up. Yes, he’d done this a million times, but this case was definitely one of the most unique he’d ever had.

  As the jurors filed in, most of them avoided eye contact with anyone. He couldn’t read their faces. He’d just have to wait.

  Judge Turner cleared his throat. “I’ve been informed that after ample deliberation, the jury cannot reach a unanimous decision. As such, I have no choice but to declare a mistrial.”

  The courtroom was abuzz with reaction. The judge banged his gavel a few times to silence the room.

  Patrick realized his fists were still clenched
. He loosened his hands and looked over at the victors. Ashley wore a broad smile, but Ricky just sat there, expressionless. Patrick could only hope that the kid had learned his lesson, but he wasn’t so sure.

  The judge thanked the jury, and Patrick sat trying to put on a brave face.

  “Patrick.”

  He turned and saw Sophie walking up to him. He stood, and she wrapped her arms tightly around him in a warm embrace.

  “I’m so sorry,” she said.

  “I should be the one apologizing.” Patrick couldn’t help feeling like he’d let her down.

  “This isn’t your fault.” Sophie shot a glance in Juan’s direction and then scowled. “I knew this was possible, but I was still holding out some measure of hope that justice would actually prevail.”

  “I feel the same way.”

  “You know you’ll have to face the media.”

  “Unfortunately, yes. But it comes with the territory, as you know very well.”

  She looked toward the back of the courtroom. “Okay, Cooper is giving me the eye. He probably wants to get out of here ASAP. The security situation has him concerned.”

  “Yeah, try to stay out of the media’s path. Let me handle them.”

  “Of course.” She nodded and walked toward Cooper.

  Patrick turned and started packing up his stuff. He crammed his notepad and his laptop into his bag.

  “Can’t win them all.” Ashley stood in front of him at the table.

  Great, let the gloating begin.

  “I hope you’re satisfied with yourself.”

  She crossed her arms. “I did my job. Just like you did yours. And today I just happened to come out on top. You don’t have anything to be ashamed of.”

  She had some nerve. “Who said I was ashamed?”

  “You’re clearly upset. You’re flushed. You’ll want to take a few minutes to calm down before you face the wolves.”

  “I wouldn’t dream of going first anyway. The media is your deal, Ashley, not mine.”

  “The media serves a purpose. I seem to recall you using them earlier in the case.”

  “True.” She had him there. “So tell me, exactly what did Juan do? Was it direct threats or a payoff?” He could feel the anger bubbling up inside of him as the words left his mouth.