Telling Sam she would be only a few minutes, Stella walked over to the console behind the conference table and picked up the phone. “Holly,” she said, “did you hear the news about Pelham?”
“Of course I did, Stella,” the woman said. “How could I not hear? You’ve been on almost every TV channel. The CBS affiliate here in Houston carried it live. I couldn’t wait to congratulate you.”
“Thanks,” Stella said, “but you know what? Most of what I used was your doing. We filed the same charges, used the same evidence. We tried our best, but we couldn’t come up with anything new. I just dug into your old notes and put a slightly different spin on them.”
“Come on,” Holly said. “It took a lot of courage to do what you did, Stella. I know how you feel about your scars. I think the decision to expose them was a stroke of genius. There’s no doubt in my mind that your strategy influenced the jury.”
“Oh,” Stella said, “no one knows how effective it really was. The jurors might have returned the same verdict regardless, but I guess my little courtroom theatrics didn’t hurt. I wear this face every day, so I decided I might as well get some use out of it.”
Holly said, “You’ll never know how bad I wanted that case, Stella. I got very close to Ricky’s mother, you know. When we lost it and they kicked Pelham free, I felt like I had failed her.”
“She’s a nice lady,” Stella said. Seeing Ben Growman glaring at her, she turned to face the wall. “She asked about you the other day, told me to send her regards.”
“How is she?” Holly asked. “This was so hard for her. Ricky was her only child. Since I have a daughter of my own now, I know how a mother feels.”
“She’s better,” Stella said. “I think now that it’s over, she can finally get on with her life.” Turning introspective, she thought about her own situation. “By the way,” she said, “have you had a chance to look over the old reports on the fire? You’ve got a great eye. Holly, and you might be able to see something the earlier investigators missed.”
“Oh,” Holly said. “I’m sorry, Stella. I was so excited over the Pelham case that I forgot to tell you. Your old boyfriend is back in town. The cops stopped him just last night. He’s coming in tomorrow morning to give us a statement, so maybe—”
“Randall?” Stella said, a hand flying to her cheek. She tapped Growman on the shoulder. “They found Tom Randall, Ben. He’s back in Houston.”
Growman fidgeted in his seat and scowled.
“What time is he coming in?” she asked.
“He’s supposed to be here at nine,” her friend answered. “Listen, Stella,” she said, her voice harsher, “people thought I left the agency because I lost the Pelham case, but I left because Growman sexually harassed me and forced me to resign. Just because the review board didn’t take my allegations seriously doesn’t mean they weren’t valid.” She paused and heavy breathing came over the line. “I know you and he are tight and he’s probably sitting right next to you, but to tell you the truth, I really don’t care.” Before Stella could respond, her friend slammed the phone down in her ear.
“Your biggest fan,” Stella said to Growman.
“Oh, yeah?” he said, tipping his chair back until the legs came off the ground. “Tell me something I don’t know.” A few moments later, he straightened up, seeing the look on Stella’s face. “Randall’s the man you think set the fire that killed your parents? That means he’s the person responsible for your scars, right?”
“Right,” Stella said, her eyes flashing with hatred. “You know how bad I want this man? You have no idea, Ben.”
“What are you going to do about it?”
“I’ve waited sixteen years to find this asshole,” she snarled, “to make him pay for what he did to me. I’m going to nail his fucking ass to the wall.” Her hands locked into fists at her sides. “Not only that, I’m going to enjoy every minute of it.”
Whereas the people gathered at the table had been chatting and laughing among themselves, they now all fell silent. Before today no one except Growman had been aware that Stella’s face was scarred, since she had always concealed the scars beneath her hair.
Brenda stepped back into the room and looked around. “Did I miss something?” she asked. “Did someone just die in here? I thought this was a party.”
Stella’s eyes were glazed over and her mouth set. Her heart was beating like a drum inside her chest. Realizing that the other attorneys were hanging on her every word, she just stood there, overcome with embarrassment.
Sam quickly rose and pushed his chair back to the table. “Come on, Stella,” he said, gently taking her by the arm and leading her toward the door. He could feel her trembling. “I’ll drive you home. Let’s get out of here.”
About the Author
Nancy Taylor Rosenberg has worked in law enforcement in Texas, New Mexico, and California, handling a multitude of sex crimes and murders. Her two previous bestsellers, Mitigating Circumstances and Interest of Justice, are Main Selections of the Literary Guild. Her latest work, California Angel, is also a Literary Guild Selection. She lives in the New York area.
Table of Contents
Title/Author
Publisher
Description
Reviews
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Preview of Trial by Fire
About the Author
First Offense Page 38
