Beyond Innocence

by Carsen Taite

  Seeing the words on paper stung. Especially since she knew she hadn’t done anything wrong. Knowing that Julie had penned the apology, formally shoving the blame solely onto her shoulders was another blow. But she’d made the bargain, and no way was she going to back out now. She pulled a pen from her suit jacket, but before she could uncap it, she felt a hand on hers. She looked up to see Melinda with a firmly fixed “we need to talk” expression. She shot back an “I know what I’m doing” look, but Melinda was not dissuaded. She stood and yanked the paper from her hand and, after skimming the lines, announced. “We’ll take a look at this and get back to you tomorrow.”

  Cory followed her out of the office, fuming. She contained her growing anger through the long, crowded elevator ride, but once they reached the steps in front of the courthouse, she let loose. “What was that all about?”

  “I don’t know, pal. Why don’t you tell me? Why are you so anxious to take all the blame for that case while your trial partner stands there sucking up to the new boss? You realize you’re going to have a reputation as an unethical prosecutor that will never go away?”

  “None of your business. It’s my job, my decision.”

  “Is that so? Then why did you have me tag along if you aren’t interested in an objective opinion? You’re a lawyer. Maybe you should represent yourself from now on.”

  Melinda’s frustration was palpable, and Cory bit back an angry retort. After all, Melinda was right. She was the one who’d reached out for help. She’d known what she was going to do when she’d gotten Julie’s call. Why had she felt the need to drag Melinda along to witness her sacrifice her pride one more time? Why was she having mixed feelings when her career was back within her reach? Why now?

  “Look, Cory, I’m sorry I barked, but I get the impression there’s something you’re not telling me. That’s fine. I’m not trying to invade your privacy. You want your job back, and I get that. Obviously, they need you back. Sleeping on it isn’t going to kill you, and my advice is that you do just that.”

  She was right. Tomorrow she could quit the clinic and march into Alvarez’s office and sign the apology. In the meantime, maybe she could figure out why the excitement of returning to work carried a sour tinge.

  This morning, Serena had been in her bed and her future seemed bright and hopeful. Now, she faced the reality that her career as a prosecutor would never be the same. She wondered what else wasn’t as it seemed. Was the writ she filed on Eric’s behalf good enough to give him a second chance? Was the passion she felt for Serena strong enough to sustain a relationship? Part of her wanted to run to Serena’s arms, relive the ecstasy of their lovemaking. For a few hours, they’d managed to block out the painful reality of their tenuous real lives. Would they be as successful in the light of day? Was what she felt for Serena really love, or was it only escape?

  She didn’t know the answers, but she did know that she had begun to question her instincts in a way she never had before.

  Chapter Twenty

  Serena grabbed her ringing cell phone and fixed on the caller ID. Skye. Disappointed, she considered letting it go to voice mail where it could sit with the message she’d gotten from Cory an hour earlier. Cory’s message had been simple, yet vague. Something had come up and she’d have to miss lunch. She’d call later. Serena had imagined many variations of the conversation, but since they all ended with Cory returning to her job, leaving the clinic and Eric’s case, she assumed every version of their talk would end in some form of good-bye. Probably inevitable. She felt foolish for letting herself assume any other conclusion, but after last night, she couldn’t help fantasizing a future between them. Time for the walls to go up again.

  In the meantime, she didn’t feel like talking to anyone about anything. If Skye had information about Eric’s case, she should call Cory. Actually, no, she should call Paul. Did Skye know Cory had probably already left her work at the clinic? Had she known all along that Cory’s first allegiance would be her old job, her old boss? The phone continued to ring, and she answered, angry she’d have to be the one to tell Skye what Cory should have.

  “Hello,” she barked.

  “Hi, Serena, thought you weren’t going to answer. Are you okay?”

  Whatever was going on between her and Cory wasn’t Skye’s fault. She adjusted to a neutral tone. “I’m fine. What’s up?”

  “I have some news for you.”

  “You should probably call Paul. I think Cory’s already left the clinic to go back to the DA’s office and Paul is going to handle Eric’s writ from here on out.”

  “Sorry, what?”

  “Cory filed the writ this morning, but then she was headed to a meeting with her old boss. I haven’t heard from her, but I got the impression from Paul that her work at the clinic is done and she’s going back to her old job.”

  “Well, that’s odd, but I’m not calling about Eric’s case. I have information on that other matter you asked me to look into. I think you’re going to be very interested in what I found out.”

  Serena spent a moment reflecting until she finally remembered what Skye was talking about. The Nelson case. Did she still care about what had happened with that case? If Cory was going back to work at the DA’s office, the furor must have blown over. Whatever Skye had learned about the Nelson case wouldn’t matter, at least as far as Cory’s future was concerned. But it still mattered to her. She’d sensed all along, whenever Cory talked about the case she’d held something back. And now, even after they’d shared such closeness the night before, Cory was still holding back. She’d blown off their lunch, wiped her hands of Eric’s case, and was headed back to her former employer. And Cory hadn’t felt the need to discuss any of her decisions with Serena.

  Why should she? A night of torrid sex was not a new event in Cory’s life, definitely not something she would treat like a major milestone. Serena wished she could feel the same way, affecting nonchalance instead of deep-seated desire. Sleeping with Cory had changed everything, including how she felt about her past and her future. She’d come to think her past limited the future. But if it weren’t for her past, she never would have met Cory, faced her fears, and taken the plunge. What had been the ultimate test of fate for her, had apparently been nothing more than a night of fun for Cory. If Cory didn’t care for anything more than a fling, why should she?

  But she did. She never would have gone to bed with Cory had she not trusted her, had she not had deep feelings for her. And she knew what those feelings were, even though she was feeling them for the very first time. She loved Cory, and no matter what happened between them, no matter whether Cory returned the emotion, she knew she always would.

  “Serena, you still there?”

  Skye. Waiting to tell her a secret. Cory’s secret. Would knowing make a difference? Would it change how she felt? She knew it wouldn’t, but she wanted to know anyway. She wanted to know everything about Cory—what she liked to read, her favorite color, who she most admired. But most of all, she wanted to know what motivated her, and she knew that whatever Skye had learned would give her a glimpse. Maybe a glimpse was the start of something more, or maybe it was all she would ever have.

  She’d take that chance. “I’m here. Tell me what you found out.”

  *

  Cory had picked up the phone to call Serena four times, but she didn’t have a clue what she would say so she’d disconnected each time before the call could go through.

  She had to figure out a way to ignore the feelings she’d allowed to slip in over the course of the last several weeks. Her initial attraction to Serena’s outer beauty had quickly deepened, and she knew she was in love, for real, for the first time in her life. But what she felt didn’t—couldn’t—matter. It was time to get her life back in order, and cutting ties to anything, anyone connected to the detour of the past couple of months was the best way to get back on track. She never should have slept with Serena. She’d taken advantage of her vulnerability, and she had to find a way to d
raw back, as gently and as quickly as she could.

  She took a deep breath and punched in the numbers. Serena answered on the first ring and Cory winced at her anxious, “Hello.”

  “Serena, we need to talk.” Why had she started with the calling card of bad breakups? That may be what this was, but she didn’t have to be so damn obvious. She scrambled to cover. “I’m sorry I missed lunch today. A lot’s happened.”

  “I know. Paul told me you got a call from the DA’s office.”

  There it was. The perfect opening to tell Serena she was headed back to her old life, a life Serena didn’t understand, wouldn’t want to be a part of. She knew moving on would be more painful if she drew it out, but she wasn’t ready to let go. Not just yet. “I’m taking a day to consider their offer, but basically, they’re ready for me to come back. I have the work on Eric’s case to thank for that. Alvarez, the new DA, is a big supporter of programs like the Justice Clinic. He thinks my work there will help smooth over any flack he’ll get over bringing me back on board.” Cory cringed as she listened to the playback in her head, and she rushed to assure Serena the work had meant more to her than a simple PR stunt. “Working on Eric’s case gave me a fresh perspective. I think I’ll be a better prosecutor for it.” That didn’t sound so great either. She needed to end this conversation before she said anymore truly stupid things.

  Serena spoke up. “Cory, before you make any big decisions, I think there’s something you should know. I asked Skye to look into the Nelson case, and you’re not going to believe what she found out.”

  “You asked Skye to do what?” She was pretty sure she’d heard Serena correctly, but she couldn’t quite process the words. Why would Serena have asked Skye to look at anything that wasn’t related to her brother’s case, let alone a closed case? Why would she have Skye look into her closed case?

  “I’m sorry. I should’ve told you. It’s just I felt you were holding something back. I was wrong. I think there’s something you don’t know, but you should, before you make any decisions about your future.”

  Serena’s words were a blur, and all Cory could see was betrayal. Serena hadn’t trusted her. She’d gotten Skye to dig into her past. Had Skye discovered she had taken the fall for Julie? Old news now, and it didn’t matter anyway. She’d done the right thing by taking the blame. Julie had stayed in Alvarez’s good graces, and she was getting her job back because of it. It had all worked out for the best, but the fact Serena hadn’t accepted her version of what had happened stung. And the sting was the perfect catalyst to end what she never should have started in the first place.

  “I don’t want to hear whatever it is you have to say. I’m going back to work at the DA’s office tomorrow. I wish you and your brother the best of luck.”

  “Hold on a minute. After what we shared last night, that’s all you have to say?”

  “I had a great time with you, but…” Cory knew the right words, but she wouldn’t speak them. Instead, she stuck with safety. “But what happened between us was the result of circumstance, and nothing else. I don’t regret what we shared, but it’s time for both of us to go back to our respective worlds.”

  “Our respective worlds? You mean where you’re the white knight prosecutor and I’m the sister of a convict? Damn you, Cory Lance. Last night meant something to me. No, that’s not right. It meant everything to me. I knew you’d do anything, say anything to get what you wanted. I just made the mistake of thinking you wanted me. You want me gone? Consider it done.”

  “Serena, wait!” Cory shouted into the silence, but there was no response. Serena had disconnected the call, disconnected completely the connection they’d shared. She told herself it was what she wanted, but she knew it wasn’t true.

  *

  Cory strode through Sue Ellen’s. She wanted a drink, but she’d wait until she’d finished what she came for. She needed to be sober for this little chat. She made a lap around the downstairs floor, and then headed upstairs. Skye was waiting on the upper balcony.

  “Hey, Cory, what’s up?”

  “Don’t play with me, Keaton.”

  “You’re the one who wanted to meet at a bar in the middle of the day.”

  “If you had a real office, we could’ve met there.”

  “What the hell are you so pissed off about?”

  Should’ve been an easy question to answer, but it stopped Cory cold. She was mad, for sure, but she hadn’t paused to consider exactly why. Serena had hired Skye to look into how she’d handled a case. She loved Serena. Serena didn’t trust her. She loved Serena. She’d sent Serena packing. Serena had barely protested. She loved Serena and Serena didn’t love her. End of story.

  So why had she stalked across town to take out her anger on Skye? She gave the most honest answer she could. “I don’t know.”

  “I don’t blame you for being pissed. If it was me, I’d want to strangle that bitch.”

  “Holy shit! You better back off.”

  “I can’t believe you’re defending her, even now. She never had your best interests at heart.”

  “Maybe not at first, but she tried to tell me what was going on and I didn’t listen. I was just so mad that she’d asked you to look into it.”

  Skye’s expression morphed from indignant to puzzled. “Wait a minute. I’m not sure we’re talking about the same thing. Serena told you about Julie, right?”

  “Julie?” It was Cory’s turn to be puzzled. “What about her?”

  “The Nelson case? Julie hid evidence. I told Serena I didn’t think you knew anything about it. She agreed and insisted on telling you what I’d found out.”

  Cory slid into a seat as her confusion spun out of control. “She didn’t tell me anything other than she asked you to look into the Nelson case. I didn’t give her a chance to say anything else. Julie did what?”

  Skye pulled a piece of paper from her jacket and handed it to Cory. “Read for yourself.”

  She skimmed the lines of the sworn affidavit signed by retired Dallas police detective, Russell McCoy. He was on the team that had investigated Nelson and had retired a few months after Nelson’s conviction. She didn’t need to read it all to get the gist. He’d personally handed over all the evidence the police had amassed in the Nelson case to the district attorney’s office, including the taped statements and supplemental report that had never been turned over to the defense counsel.

  “Maybe he just said all this to protect the police department.”

  “What’s his motivation? You already took the fall. Besides, he has proof. He kept copies of his files. He has a copy of the signed receipt from the day he brought the evidence, and the missing items are clearly listed. Guess which assistant DA signed for the evidence?”

  She didn’t have to guess. She knew. She should’ve known it all along. “Doesn’t matter anymore.”

  “What do you mean it doesn’t matter? Julie Dalmar has her job while you work pro bono cases. Doesn’t seem quite fair to me.”

  “Actually, I’ve been offered my job back.”

  “Well, that was sudden.”

  “Not really. My suspension is almost over. Julie promised she’d keep my job open.”

  “Of course she did. You kept quiet for her. She’d likely do anything for you.”

  “Wait a minute. I didn’t know anything about this.” Cory waved her hand at the affidavit. “I just thought one of us was likely to go down, and I’d suffer the least if I took the blame.” Hadn’t seemed like such a bad decision when she thought Julie had clean hands. Now, the events of the morning—the apology Julie had crafted for her to sign, Julie’s clear attempts to suck up to the boss—hammered home the extent of Julie’s betrayal.

  And Serena. Serena had tried to tell her about Julie, and she’d accused her of betrayal. Serena, who’d been nothing but honest since they’d met. She’d shared her deepest secrets, trusted Cory with her most tender feelings. Yet, she’d chosen to place her loyalty, her future with Julie, who didn’t deserve her,
rather than Serena, whom she wasn’t sure she deserved.

  Time to right the wrongs.

  “Skye, you willing to share what you found out, on a wider scale?” Skye may have left the force, but the force was strong. Detective Russell may have given a fellow former cop this info, but that didn’t mean he or Skye was willing to go public.

  “Russell doesn’t care what we do with it. He’s got proof he didn’t do anything wrong. He’s pretty pissed that Nelson got to walk because the DA’s office fucked up. I made it clear to him you didn’t know. You didn’t know, right?”

  Of course she had to ask. In her attempts to protect Julie, Cory had compromised her own reputation, personally and professionally. For once in her life, personal mattered most. She had to find Serena.

  Chapter Twenty-one

  “You plan on working all night?”

  Serena looked up from the files she’d spread all over the conference table. She’d been poring through the Rinson County DA’s files on Eric’s case for the last few hours, but so far, hadn’t found anything helpful. Paul’s eyes were kind, and she detected a hint of concern. “I keep thinking there must be something here. Otherwise, all the effort you’ve put into his case isn’t worth it.”

  “Everything we’ve done was worth it. The truth is always worth fighting for, even if it isn’t what you expect or want it to be.”

  “You really believe that, don’t you?”

  “Have to or I wouldn’t be able to do this kind of work.” He sat across from her. “Besides, we already know the police mishandled the investigation, or at the very least, did a slipshod job. At the risk of sounding cliché, where there’s smoke, there’s fire. All we have to do is find it.”

  Serena had been trying to do just that all evening. Paul had called to let her know that, thanks to Judge Fowler’s sternly delivered discovery order, they’d been able to copy the files late that afternoon and could use some help sorting through the materials. He’d given her a quick lesson on what to look for, and she dove into the project, relieved to have something to take her mind off Cory.