Beyond Innocence

by Carsen Taite

  But she had to know. Before she got on a plane and left Eric’s fate in the hands of these new lawyers, she had to know if they too believed he killed Nancy McGowan. She couldn’t ask the question the way she wanted, but she did the best she could. “And what do you believe?”

  Greg’s face reflected compassion and his words, though not what she wanted to hear, were exactly what she needed. “I believe that everyone, regardless of their past and current circumstances, has a right to a fair trial. A trial where all the evidence is developed and presented. I believe that we have a duty to seek the truth. Eric didn’t get his fair shake, and I believe it’s wrong for the state to want to kill a man under these circumstances.”

  His words were exactly what she needed to hear. If Eric actually killed this woman, she wouldn’t want him to die, but not because she didn’t believe in the death penalty, but because he was her brother. She wasn’t sure how she felt about the death penalty in the abstract. Of course, now that it was touching her life, the concept would never be abstract again.

  “Okay, so after all the bad things about Eric’s case you’ve told me, how in the world do you expect to help him get another shot at justice?”

  “We’ll have to review every aspect of the case and find the evidence that was missed the first time. In the first trial, the state had to prove he was guilty; he didn’t have to prove anything. Now, we’re going to have to prove his innocence to even get a second shot.”

  “How do we do that?”

  “We’ll start with the investigator you hired. We need to follow-up on any leads the original attorneys let drop, talk to all the witnesses again, make sure we have all the evidence the trial lawyers should have had. Did I hear Paul say you retained Skye Keaton?”

  Serena opened her mouth to answer, but another voice beat her to it.

  “Did someone call my name?” Skye strode into the room, her black leather jacket a comfortable contrast to the suits in the room. She set an expensive looking midnight blue motorcycle helmet on the table, and slid into a chair. Greg spoke first. “Detective Keaton. When Paul mentioned your name, I wondered…”

  “There’s only one of me.”

  Serena looked between them, reading a slight undercurrent to the exchange. “You two know each other?”

  Skye answered. “Only as adversaries. We’ve tangled in the courtroom on many occasions.”

  Right. Cory had told her Skye was a former homicide detective. At the time, she’d thought Skye’s experience on the other side would give her unique perspective. What she hadn’t considered was whether her former job might put her at odds with Eric’s defense team. Would Cory have recommended her if that were the case? Surely not. She ignored the voice inside her that wondered why she trusted Cory so much and so quickly, and instead floated a question. “Is it easy to shift gears?”

  The question was directed at Skye, but Greg jumped in. “Skye’s been a private investigator for a while now. I’m confident she’s solidly defense oriented.”

  “Well, I don’t know if that’s the way I’d characterize my perspective. Let’s say this. I’ve seen both sides. What you want, correct me if I’m wrong, Greg, is objective information.” She turned to face Serena. “I can’t guarantee you what I find will be good for your brother’s case, but I can guarantee that no one is better than me at getting to the truth.”

  Her assurances sounded sincere, but Serena wanted more. “I can’t help but wonder if you won’t be inclined to side with the police who did the investigation.”

  Skye exchanged glances with Greg before responding. “I was a good cop, but I’m a much better private investigator. The reasons why are long and pretty personal. You have no reason to trust me, and I wouldn’t blame you if you don’t—” A knock on the door interrupted her, and a young woman poked her head in.

  “Greg, the clerk’s office for the Fifth Circuit is on the phone for you.”

  He stood. “Sorry, but I have to take this. It may take a while.” He extended his hand and Serena reached to shake it. “I have your contact information and I’ll keep you posted on our progress. I can’t promise you a specific result, but I do promise you that we’ll do everything in our power to help Eric.” He rushed out, leaving Serena and Skye alone in the room.

  Serena looked at her watch. She needed to leave soon or she’d miss her flight. One day hadn’t been long enough. She wished she could see Eric again, but the prison didn’t allow frequent visits, and not enough time had passed since she’d last seen him. At least she would leave knowing Eric had a decent attorney on his side. And a seasoned investigator. Yet, after yesterday, she’d envisioned Cory hard at work on Eric’s case. She’d imagined the calls Cory would make to keep her updated. She’d been looking forward to something that wasn’t going to happen no matter how long she stuck around. Time to head back to Florida, to her safe and secure life. She stood. “I need to get going. Thanks for agreeing to work on Eric’s case. You can send your invoices directly to me. I don’t have a lot of extra cash, but I want to be thorough. Just let me know if your retainer runs low.” As she headed to the door, Skye reached out and touched her arm.

  “Wait. I want to finish what I was saying before.”

  Serena didn’t need to hear whatever Skye had to say. She trusted her own instincts. If Cory trusted Skye, she did too. “I trust you to do everything you can to help my brother. Enough said. Okay?”

  “Okay. Do you need a lift to the airport?”

  “No, I rented a car.” Serena did her best to act nonchalant. “Did you happen to see Cory when you came in? I wanted to tell her thanks for her help before I leave.”

  “She was in the office down the hall when I came in. I’ll walk you there.”

  Serena hesitated. She wanted a moment alone with Cory, but wasn’t comfortable saying that. “Thanks, I’d appreciate it.”

  As Skye walked her down the hall, her stomach began to twist. The source was hard to pinpoint. She wanted to see Cory, but she was apprehensive about why she was no longer working on Eric’s case. Would Cory want to see her? Had she offended her the evening before? She couldn’t get on the plane without answers, but she knew Cory wasn’t likely to give her answers with Skye in the room.

  “She was in here when I came by earlier.” Skye pushed on the door that was already slightly ajar.

  Serena’s hope fell when she saw the room was empty. “I guess she’s gone.”

  “I’m right here.”

  Cory’s voice was soft, close. Serena imagined she could feel her breath against her neck. She tensed against the onslaught of emotions. How could this woman she barely knew take her to such heights? She turned and met Cory’s steady gaze. Sparks flashed between them and she became lost in the moment. Cory reached a hand out and Serena waited, trembling with anticipation. Her adrenaline dropped when Cory pushed the door open and invited both of them inside.

  “It’s small, but you’re welcome in my tiny office.” She set a cup of coffee down and motioned to two folding chairs set up on the opposite side of the table.

  Serena considered leaving. She didn’t need another minute in Cory’s presence to know that her self-control was waning. Better to get on a plane and fly back to the familiar than test this uncharted ground. But Skye, standing behind her, eased her into the room, and she found herself seated across from Cory, wondering if she felt any of the raging emotions that Serena was experiencing.

  Skye saved her by speaking the first words. “What are you working on?”

  Cory pointed at the dozens of files scattered on the table. “Intake. All of these are requests for assistance from the clinic.” She waved at a stack of boxes behind her. “Those too.”

  Serena gasped. She’d had no idea so many waited in line. “There are so many. How in the world did Eric’s case get accepted so quickly?”

  Cory shifted in her seat, obviously uncomfortable with the question. “The clinic uses a set of factors to prioritize cases. Eric’s case scored high on the list.”r />
  Of course. Cory may be too delicate to speak the words, but Serena knew what she meant. His execution date could come any day now, at which point the clinic’s work would do him no good. She nodded. “I understand.”

  Cory reached a hand across the table and grasped Serena’s hand in her own. Her eyes held pain, sympathy. “I know the clinic will do everything they can for your brother.”

  “And you?” Serena couldn’t help it; the words came tumbling out before she could censor them. “I understand you’re not going to be working on Eric’s case.”

  Cory looked uncomfortable again. She drew back her hand and crossed her arms in front of her chest. “I’m not here in that capacity, but I’m confident Greg will do a great job representing your brother.”

  Serena had taken reading people’s expressions to an art form. She both felt and saw the sea change in Cory’s demeanor. The subject of what she could and would work on was off limits. Didn’t matter. Everything about Cory was off-limits. A crush on a striking woman, whose life was a world away, was a silly consideration. Serena had no time in her life for silliness. Not now, now ever. Time to catch that plane.

  She stood. “I just wanted to say thanks for your kindness. For putting me in touch with Skye. I have to leave if I’m going to catch my plane.”

  Cory stood and walked her to the door, but her arms remained crossed, signaling the new distance between them. “Good luck to you and Eric.”

  “Thanks, but I think we’ll need a little more than luck to get us through.” Serena turned and strode back down the hall. She was almost out the front door of the clinic when she realized Skye was at her side. She didn’t say a word as Skye accompanied her to her car and took the keys from her shaking hand.

  “Are you sure you’re okay?”

  Serena sighed. “It’s all so hard.” A vague, but all-encompassing statement.

  “Yes. It is. Too bad Cory’s not working on Eric’s case. I think she’d be great.”

  “You do?” The question was a throwaway. She didn’t want to talk about Cory anymore, but then again, she did. She hung on Skye’s next words.

  “I do. As a prosecutor, she has a unique perspective. Who better to know what the state should have done, didn’t do, and may have hidden from the defense? I know my experience as a—”

  Serena cut her off mid-sentence. “What you said about Cory—did you mean she’s a former prosecutor?”

  Skye looked first puzzled, then uncomfortable with the question. “Well, I may have spoken out of turn. Cory’s on leave from the DA’s office. Maybe you should talk to her about her specific situation.”

  Or maybe not. Serena had heard enough. Cory worked for the other side. No wonder she wouldn’t be working on Eric’s case. Representing the downtrodden wasn’t her thing. What was she doing here at the clinic? Serena wanted to know and she didn’t. She’d trusted her. Why? Because she’d mistaken her own attraction for something more on Cory’s part. She’d been a fool.

  Time to leave. Go back home. Try to assume some normalcy in her life. As if that were possible with Eric’s death looming and newly awakened feelings stirring in her soul. Being miles away would make the difference. She hoped.

  Chapter Eight

  Three weeks in and Cory couldn’t wait for the end of her sentence. It wasn’t the atmosphere. Everyone at the clinic had been nice to her, but the work was draining, and not in a way she was used to. Every day, all she did was read submissions and scale them. She was the gatekeeper, but she didn’t feel a part of the process. While the activity of reading each packet and grading it on a scale of priorities was rote, the substance behind it was what was really wearing her out.

  Every letter requested the same thing—help. A last chance. Desperation poured off the pages. It didn’t matter that she worked for the other side. The desperate pleas would penetrate even the hardest heart. She’d begun to dream about the cases that consumed her days. Dark dreams with inmates reaching through bars, clawing at her as she walked the corridors of the penitentiary.

  Completely unrealistic dreams. She’d have no personal contact with these people. Just like when she was a prosecutor, she would have a shield between her and the person she sought to put away. Except she had had personal contact with one of them. Even though she wouldn’t be working on Eric’s file, she’d reviewed it in-depth. On some level, she felt she owed it to Serena to know all the facts in case she ever saw her again, in case Serena ever asked. She’d known Serena had only been in town for a day or two, but her departure had still seemed abrupt. Her number was in the file. Cory could call her, feign some case-related reason to talk, but what would be the point? Their brief encounter wasn’t real. She knew better. Whatever feelings had passed between them had more to do with circumstance than reality.

  Besides, she’d be back at the job soon enough. Julie had promised, and despite the complicated mix of feelings she had toward Julie, she knew she didn’t make idle promises. Two months. Almost half of it complete.

  The buzzing of the phone on her desk startled her. Besides weekly staff meetings, she barely had any interaction with the rest of the staff. Paul passed it off as the nature of the work she was doing, but she secretly wondered if the lack of contact was more about who she was. She lifted the phone and answered the call.

  “A Melinda Stone is holding for you.”

  Thank God. A friendly voice. “Thanks, please put her through.”

  Melinda didn’t wait for her to say hello before launching in. “You, me, lunch. I’ll pick you up and we’ll go someplace swanky.”

  Swanky wasn’t in Cory’s budget right now. She wasn’t being paid either from her old job or her new one. But she knew once Melinda had her mind set, it wasn’t worth fighting. “Sure, but you’ll have to pick up the tab. I’m still living off my piggy bank.”

  “Deal. See you in thirty minutes. We have reservations at Capital Grille.”

  Melinda was a foodie of the highest order. When they arrived at the restaurant, Cory wasn’t surprised when the maître d’ greeted her effusively and led them to one of the best tables in the place. The waiter practically genuflected, and Cory had no doubt Melinda tipped as well as she ordered.

  Once they placed their orders, Melinda started in. “How’s life among the less fortunate?”

  “Aren’t I one of the less fortunate?”

  “I suppose. I hope you’re not still mad at me. When the attorney for the bar suggested this as a way for you to keep your license, I figured you’d jump at the chance.”

  “I am grateful, just sulking. I hate it. I’m assigned to intake. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, but on the first day, they had me meet with a new client. I guess I thought I’d actually get to do some substantive work.”

  “Back up, sister. New client? I thought all their clients were wards of the prison system. Did they really send you out to the pen on your first day?”

  Cory laughed at Melinda’s attempt to speak the slang of criminal lawyers. “Pen? No. Actually, I met with the new client’s sister.”

  “Dish. What was it like meeting with the family of a murderer? Did I guess right, the guy’s a murderer, right?”

  Melinda was goofing, and Cory knew it, but her words stung. She didn’t like hearing Serena’s brother reduced to “murderer” and Serena as the “murderer’s sister.” She didn’t know anything about Eric beyond what Serena had told her, but she knew Serena’s layers went deep.

  She missed her. Silly, really. How could she miss a person she’d only known for a day?

  But it had been a long day, full of disclosures and confidences. She and Serena had talked for hours before they parted, and Cory had hung on to the hope they’d talk again. They had shared more in that single day than she’d shared with Julie during the whole of their relationship. She and Julie barely discussed anything that wasn’t related to the cases they’d worked and which hotel would be good for their next meeting. Naked, but never really intimate. She’d felt more intimate with Sere
na in the few hours they’d spent together than she’d ever felt with Julie.

  Cory jerked back to the present when Melinda snapped her fingers under her nose. “Hey, where’d you go? You’re missing this wonderful plate of calamari, and I’m not waiting on you.”

  “Just thinking. You know, the woman I met wasn’t what you would’ve expected.”

  “I’m sure.”

  “No, really. Her brother’s on death row for murder. Looking at his rap sheet, you’d think he’s a piece of shit. Graduated from petty crimes to robbery to rape and murder. I don’t know him at all, but I met his sister and she seems perfectly normal.”

  “So what do you think happened?”

  “Well, I do know they were separated when they were young. Druggie mom, both kids went into foster care. Serena turned out great. Eric’s sitting on death row.”

  “Serena, huh?” Melinda put down her fork and stared Cory down.

  “What’s with the tone?”

  “Nothing. Just the way you said her name. All gentle and sweet. She’s the sister of the murderer, right?”

  “There are so many things wrong with what you just said, I don’t know where to begin. She’s the sister of a guy on death row. The clinic’s trying to prove he doesn’t belong there. I didn’t say her name any particular way, I was just trying to tell you she’s nothing like I would have imagined.”

  “Of course she’s not. You’re used to dealing with the more obvious victims, not the ones who get burned by your scorch-the-earth prosecutions.”

  “What the hell’s that supposed to mean?”

  Melinda speared a circle of calamari and peppers and dragged the forkful through the tasty sauce. “Maybe it’s as simple as you’ve never considered the other side before. Maybe that’s why working at the clinic may be the best thing that’s ever happened to you.”