by Linda Warren
There was a pause, then Jacob said, “That sounds like you’re not coming.”
“No, an unexpected murder trial came up and I promised to take the case. I have to cancel my vacation.”
“Well, that happens,” Jacob said just like Lucas knew he would.
“You’ve probably heard about it on the news. It’s Sam Logan’s son.”
There was another noticeable pause. “You know who’s kin to them, don’t you?”
Lucas frowned. “No, can’t say I do.”
“They’re Howard’s family.”
“Howard the sheriff?” Lucas asked in an incredulous tone. “The one who arrested you for kidnapping Miranda?”
The daughter of a wealthy oilman, Miranda had been kidnapped and hidden in the Texas Hill Country. Jacob had accidentally found her and kept her safe. But eventually the kidnappers caught them and both were shot and in hospital for weeks. Jacob was arrested for the kidnapping and things weren’t resolved until Miranda was able to tell her story.
“Yep, one and the same.”
“Good God, I didn’t think the man had any family.” Lucas and the sheriff had gone head to head more than once when Jacob was arrested. That was years ago, and now Howard and Jacob were friends, but Lucas knew very little about the hard-nosed sheriff.
“Ava Logan is his older sister. Howard left yesterday to be with the family. He’s very fond of Blake and Blair.”
Lucas swallowed. “Do you know Blair?”
Silence.
“Jacob?”
“What?”
“You didn’t answer my question.”
“I’m just grappling with the way you said her name.”
Lucas closed his eyes. “How did I say her name?”
“Like she meant a helluva lot to you. Are you involved with Blair Logan?”
“Depends what you mean by involved.”
“Lucas, I’ve got two cranky little girls on my hands, so I don’t have time to nitpick with you. You know exactly what I mean by involved.”
“She makes me angrier than anyone I’ve ever met and she makes me say and do things I said I never would. She’s driving me crazy and I can’t stop thinking about her. So if that’s involved, then I guess I am involved with her. But, believe me, she doesn’t know it.”
He could practically hear Jacob’s grin. “Well, well, looks like you’ve met your match.”
“Maybe. But she’s been hurt so bad that all I want to do is protect her and I hardly know her.”
“I’ve had those feelings before.”
“Is that the way you felt about Miranda?”
“Yeah, and it was hell not being able to walk away.”
“I know.” Lucas sighed. “God, I don’t know what to do.”
“Yes, you do,” Jacob told him. “Because you’ve already taken Blake’s case and I have a feeling Blair had a lot to do with that.”
“Probably.”
“Blake has the best defense attorney in Texas, and I know Howard will be pleased when he finds out you’re representing his nephew.”
“We’ll see and—” A baby’s cry interrupted him.
“I’ve got to go, Lucas. Gracie’s awake again and chewing on my shirt. Hang in there and call soon. Let me know how things are going.”
“Okay, and kiss the kids for me.”
“I will.”
Lucas hung up the phone and stared at the clock. Damn, he had to go—it was already six-thirty.
SAM’S OFFICE was in the downtown area, in a modern spindle-shaped glass structure that rose over fifty stories to the Houston skyline. At seven o’clock precisely, Lucas stepped off the elevator onto Sam Logan’s floor. The receptionist wasn’t at work yet, so Lucas walked down the hall until he found the door with Sam’s name on it.
He tapped on the door and opened it. The large room was full of people—Derek, Frank, Theo, Sam, Blair and Howard Tate—Howard the sheriff. He was taken aback. He’d thought the meeting was just between him and Sam. He tried not to look at Blair, but that was harder than he’d imagined. Her hair was loose and she wore a cobalt-blue suit. Even though her eyes were worried, she looked great—to him.
“Lawyer man,” Howard Tate said, and came over and shook his hand. Howard was tall and thin with a no-nonsense attitude. “We meet again and I’ll be damned if you don’t resemble Jacob more every day.”
“Thank you,” he answered politely, his mind working overtime. He felt as if he’d walked into an ambush; he knew Sam was waiting to take control and tell him how he wanted the case handled. He had to disabuse him of that notion, and fast.
He glanced at everyone in the room, then let his eyes settle on Sam. “I’ll make this short and sweet. As you heard last night, I’ll take this case, but only if you give me complete control. I make all decisions—no interference from anyone.”
Sam sat at his desk and Blair stood beside him. Lucas couldn’t look at her. He had to do this his own way.
“Blake is my son,” Sam said quietly. “I can’t just turn his life over to you.”
“That’s what this is all about,” Lucas said, his voice equally soft. “You have to trust me and I have to trust you.”
Sam said nothing, just stared down at his hands.
Lucas inclined his head. “Well, then, I guess you don’t need me.” He moved toward the door.
“Just a minute.” Howard stopped him, then he confronted Sam. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
“Stay out of this, Howard,” Sam warned. It was clear the two men were not on the best of terms.
“The hell I will. I’m not gonna let you sacrifice Blake’s life because you can’t relinquish control.”
“Shut up,” Sam growled.
But Howard kept on. “Blake is so confused and mixed up he doesn’t know who he is anymore. And look at you. You’re a mess. In your state you couldn’t even represent a cockroach and win. And these top guns of yours are puppets you control with the flick of a finger.” He ignored the rumble of protest from the other men. “Let Lucas represent Blake. It’s his only chance. Can’t you see that?”
Sam sat as if turned to stone and Blair gently touched his shoulder. “Daddy,” she said softly. “Uncle Howard’s right. You’re the one who wanted Lucas to take the case in the first place.”
He patted her hand. “I’m just so worried….”
Lucas took a step closer to Sam. “If it’ll make you feel any better, I talked with Blake and I feel he’s innocent. I think I can get that across to a jury.”
Sam’s head jerked up. “You’ve talked to Blake?”
“Yes.”
“When?”
“About three o’clock this morning. Why?”
“Derek saw him for a few minutes yesterday, but that was it.”
“Well.” Lucas shrugged lightly. “The guards trust me and I got in without too much of a problem.”
“See, Sam?” Howard slapped Lucas on the back. “He’s a good attorney. He’ll get the job done, even if he annoys the hell outta you.”
The lighthearted words broke the tension in the room, but everyone was still focused on Sam, and Lucas knew he had to draw the line.
“What’s it going to be, Sam?” he asked.
Silence returned, and Blair touched her father’s shoulder again. Slowly Sam lifted his eyes to Lucas. “You have complete control,” he answered in a tired voice.
Lucas waited a moment, then glanced around the room. “Is that understood by everyone?”
A chorus of yes met his question.
Lucas nodded. “Good. Now I guess I’ll get over to the courthouse and see what I can do about bail.”
Sam got to his feet. “You just make sure that bail’s set.” His tone was threatening and Lucas bristled.
His eyes met Sam’s. “I’ve canceled my vacation and taken your case even though I said I wouldn’t. I didn’t do that without a lot of deliberation, so if you think I can’t handle it to your satisfaction, we’d better end this before it
starts.”
“No!” Blair said, startling herself, but she couldn’t let Lucas walk away. With him on their side, she knew she could survive this. Without him…well, she didn’t even want to consider that. She didn’t know how she’d come to put so much faith in Lucas, but she had. “Daddy’s just concerned, that’s all.”
“I can’t stand the thought of Blake spending another night in that cell,” Sam admitted, and the words were an agonizing sound.
“I’ll do everything I can,” Lucas promised him.
“That’s all I ask,” Sam replied. Then, in a stronger voice, he added, “When you get back, you can choose an office and everyone here will be at your disposal.”
In the turmoil, Lucas had forgotten to mention his decision about the job offer. He rubbed the bridge of his nose. “I’ve been thinking about that and I don’t feel it’s a good idea to switch firms in the midst of this crisis. It might look like I was bought by Sam Logan and that doesn’t sit too well with me. I’d prefer to handle things out of my office with my own people. And to be honest, I’m not sure if I’m ready to work for Logan and Associates.”
“Does that mean you don’t want our help?” Derek asked derisively.
Lucas studied Derek and saw that the other man was having a hard time with the fact that Sam had chosen Lucas instead of him. Lucas was the outsider and he knew he had to smooth a few ruffled feathers or this case was doomed to failure before it started.
“That’s not what I meant at all,” Lucas told him. “We’re going to need everyone in this room to achieve justice and I was hoping that you’d be second chair. Your experience and advice would be invaluable.”
A complete change came over Derek’s taciturn face, and Blair had to smile. Lucas knew how to work people, and he was working Derek right now. He was making sure everything would run as smoothly and efficiently as possible.
“Sure, I’d be happy to,” Derek agreed readily, his resentment forgotten.
“Great,” Lucas said, moving toward the door. “Good seeing you again, Sheriff.”
“You haven’t seen the last of me, lawyer man. I’ll be watching you.”
Lucas grinned. “Somehow I knew you would.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
LUCAS ARRIVED at the courthouse in time to talk to Carl Wright and Evan Holt, and it was clear they weren’t willing to budge on their decision to oppose bail. But Lucas had other ideas. He was going to fight to get Blake out and he hoped they had a sympathetic judge. Lucas walked into the courtroom ready for battle.
Blair, Ava, Sam and Howard sat behind him and he realized they were waiting for Blake. They wanted to grab this moment to see him. The side door opened and two guards brought him in. He still had on his prison orange and his hands were cuffed, his feet in shackles.
He heard a choking sound and knew it came from Blair. He had to mentally force himself not to turn toward her. When the guard brought Blake to the defense table, Blair immediately jumped up and threw her arms around him.
“I’m sorry, sis, I’m sorry,” Blake cried. “I couldn’t tell you. I just couldn’t.”
“It’s all right,” Blair told him, wiping away a tear.
“Lucas will get you out of this,” Howard added, patting him on the shoulder.
Sam and Ava embraced their son. “Don’t worry, I—”
The arrival of the judge cut Sam short and they resumed their seats. The guard uncuffed Blake and he took his place beside Lucas.
Lucas was pleased to see Judge Higgins. She was tough but fair, and Lucas felt they stood a good chance with her.
“Mr. Wright, what have you got?” the judge asked.
Carrying a folder, Carl walked to the bench. “Murder in the first degree and rape, Your Honor,” he replied. “A sixteen-year-old crime.” He set the folder in front of her. “Bonnie Davis was murdered and raped on May tenth. Todd Easton was convicted of that crime, but there was skin tissue from two different people under her fingernails and we were never able to identify the other assailant—until now. Through new DNA testing, we were able to identify Blake Logan.”
“I’m impressed,” the judge said, paging through the folder.
“We also have eyewitnesses who saw Blake Logan with Todd Easton and Bonnie Davis that night, and we also have a witness who saw him get into a car with them.”
The judge closed the folder. “What’s the bottom line, Mr. Wright?”
“Mr. Logan lives in London and has done so for the past sixteen years. We consider him a high flight risk and we ask that you deny bail.”
The judge glanced at Lucas. “Well, Mr. Culver, it’s nice to see you.”
Lucas smiled. “It’s always a pleasure to see you, too, Judge.”
Blair listened to this interchange; she used to hate it when Lucas used his charm on the judges, but she wasn’t hating it now. She was glad Lucas had a good rapport with Judge Higgins. It could only help.
“How do you plead, Mr. Logan?” the judge asked.
Blake’s back was straight and his voice firm. “Not guilty, Your Honor.”
“So, Mr. Culver, give me a reason not to deny bail.”
“Your Honor, this crime is sixteen years old and now the state says they have evidence that proves my client’s guilt, but until everything’s proven conclusively in a court of law, I see no reason to keep Blake Logan locked up. He is not a threat to society.”
“DNA is pretty conclusive, Mr. Culver,” the judge remarked, and Blair felt her stomach tighten.
Lucas shoved his hands into the pockets of his slacks. “Your Honor, my client will turn in his passport and—”
“Your Honor, please,” Carl implored. “This is ridiculous. Mr. Culver is grasping at straws. The fact is that Blake Logan’s a flight risk. If you grant bail, his father will get him out of the country and we’ll never see him again.”
“Calm down, Mr. Wright,” the judge said, and looked at Lucas. “Mr. Culver, what I need is a guarantee that Mr. Logan will not flee this country.”
Lucas knew he had to pull out all the stops. It was going to take nothing less than a miracle to make this happen. He took a step closer to the bench. “How well do you know me, Your Honor?”
“Too well, Mr. Culver. Too well.”
Lucas inhaled deeply. “I give you my word that Blake Logan will be here when the trial starts. If he isn’t, you can have my license.”
“This is hogwash, even for Mr. Culver, Your Honor,” Carl shouted. “We can’t let criminals go because some attorney gives his word. That’s absurd.”
“You never cease to amaze me, Mr. Culver,” the judge said.
“I keep trying,” Lucas remarked charmingly.
The judge addressed Carl. “Normally I would agree with you, Mr. Wright, but I know Mr. Culver and he means every word he’s saying.”
“Your Honor,” Carl protested.
The judge peered at Blake through narrowed eyes. “Mr. Logan, I hope Mr. Culver’s faith in you is justified. Don’t let him down. Bail is set at five hundred thousand dollars.”
OhmyGod. OhmyGod. Lucas did it was all Blair could think. She gave her father and mother a quick hug, and as Lucas came back to the table she threw her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. “Thank you, Lucas. Thank you,” she whispered.
Lucas was still reeling from the judge’s decision, but when Blair touched him, his emotions went in a completely different direction. His face felt hot—his whole body felt on fire—and all he wanted to do was hold her. However, she’d already turned to Blake and was hugging him. Lucas was surprised by his own reaction. He’d been kissed before, plenty of times, but he’d never felt this alive—and it was only a peck, a touch. He began to see that he was more involved with Blair than he’d ever thought possible. And he wasn’t sure how that had happened.
When Lucas left the courtroom, he saw Blair talking to Roger Collins. Suddenly she hugged him and then ran out, following her parents. An alien emotion ran through him but he knew exactly what it was—plain old
jealousy. He wondered how involved Blair and Roger were; he intended to find out for his own peace of mind.
He caught up with Roger and shook hands.
“Hey, Lucas, you pulled it off.” Roger smiled his congratulations.
“Yeah.” Lucas smiled back. “I think Judge Higgins has a soft spot for me.”
“I just hope this wasn’t a mistake.”
Lucas frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Sam Logan isn’t going to let his son be sent to prison and he’ll prevent that from happening by whatever means necessary. I hope your career doesn’t get destroyed in the process.”
In that moment, Lucas knew that Roger didn’t love Blair. If he did, he would be wholeheartedly behind her family—the way he was. The thought hit him out of the blue and he pushed it from his mind. He couldn’t think about it right now; too many other things needed his attention.
“Don’t worry about my career,” he said cryptically. “I’ll survive.”
“I’m sure you will,” Roger commented, then glanced at his watch. “I’ve got to run. I promised Blair I’d get her car back to her.”
“Roger?” Lucas called as he walked away.
“Yes?” Roger turned to face him.
“Did you find anything on Blair’s car?”
Roger looked surprised. “She told you?”
“About the message? Yes.”
Roger shook his head. “I can’t believe it. Blair was so adamant that you not find out. She didn’t want you involved.”
“A lot of things have changed in the last forty-eight hours,” Lucas told him.
“I know, but still, Blair doesn’t share things easily.”
“This isn’t about sharing. It’s about her life,” Lucas said shortly.
“That’s what I tried to tell her, but she wouldn’t listen to me.”
“She didn’t listen to me, either, but I’m concerned about her. We have to find out who’s doing this.”
“We found nothing on the car. I’m still questioning Raye’s gang, though.”
“And I’ll talk to Raye.”
Roger’s eyes narrowed. “You sound more than concerned.”
I am, so stay away from Blair.
“I am because she won’t tell her parents,” Lucas replied instead. “And I know Holt isn’t going to pursue the incident.”
