“I did, Harry. I’m not that dense,” Sam added. “Just get this to your lab and let me know the results as soon as you can. I’m guessing we have six to eight weeks before the trial.”
“I’ll have it long before then. I’ll send my crew out first thing in the morning, but I don’t want the media crawling around while they work. It distracts them, and as you well know, it only takes one little distraction to throw an entire case down the tubes.” Harry held Sam’s gaze.
“I understand,” Sam stated. “Thank you for coming over so quickly. Tessa’s very grateful, too.” He turned to look at her, raised his brows, and nodded in Harry’s direction.
“Oh, of course. I am very thankful. It’s very kind of you to battle your way through that.” Tessa directed her gaze to the window.
“I’ll see you two later,” Harry said, then let himself out.
Sam locked the door as soon as he left.
“What security?” Tessa asked. “You said nothing to me about security. Is Cal your security?”
“Part of it. Tessa, surely you didn’t think I wouldn’t take precautions for your safety? You’re major news, and there are those out there who disagree vehemently with the court’s decision to let you out on bond, no matter how high.”
“There is more than Cal?” This news could ruin her plans. She had not given security the first thought, which showed just how poor her planning was, though she had yet to actually act on her so-called plans, if you could call what she had been pondering plans at this stage. This news of security shed a whole new light on everything she had hoped to accomplish over the next few weeks.
“Of course there is more than Cal. He is just one man. We have hired some of the best in the business. Lee and I discussed this and agreed it was best for your safety.”
“And neither of you thought to inform me?”
“Does it really matter? You want to be safe? Do you want to enjoy your freedom once the trial is over?” Sam was pissed; she knew, but couldn’t care less.
“You and Lee are too confident, Sam. I don’t like that at all. I know you’re full of good intentions, but it would have been decent of you to consult with me first.”
“We had your best interest in mind. I never thought extra security would be an issue with you. And I still do not see why it is.” He paused. “Unless you have plans I’m not aware of?”
She sat down on the bottom step, needing to compose herself and put her game face on. Maybe she needed to come clean with Lee. After all, he was her attorney, and they were legally bound to silence. No, she couldn’t tell him of her plan. She knew from being surrounded with jailhouse “lawyers” that if your attorney knew you were about to commit a crime, he or she was legally bound to report you to the authorities.
“Tessa, why don’t you tell me the reason you’re objecting to your own safety? I hope you’re not planning something foolish.”
If he only knew the visions that had gone through her mind the past two months since learning of her new trial. With an unlimited amount of money at her disposal, all she needed to do was put the right people on her payroll, and she would see to it that justice was served. Liam Jamison could not have fallen off the face of the earth. There were ways to locate those who didn’t want to be located. This was one of the many lessons she had learned while in prison. It was one hell of a place for rehabilitation, she always thought. She heard of ways to get around the criminal justice system and not get caught, though considering from whom she was hearing about it, they obviously weren’t foolproof. If they were, she would not be hearing it from people in prison.
Liam Jamison had to know his way around the criminal justice system or he would be serving three life sentences instead of her.
Bastard.
“Tessa?” Sam said, jolting her from her reverie.
She had instantly come up with an explanation. “I’ve been surrounded by guards for over a decade, Sam. Surely you of all people understand my . . . surprise to learn that that hasn’t changed; from my point of view, the only difference is that I’m now a prisoner in my own home.”
He scrunched up beside her. “Tessa, you knew the terms of your release. The ankle monitor doesn’t keep you safe. I took that responsibility when I agreed to act as your guardian. It’s my job to keep you safe, so you can testify at trial if you choose to. Lee and I are both confident we can get an acquittal at your next trial if we cannot find enough evidence beforehand to get the charges dismissed. If you’re harmed in any way, it’s on me.”
“What about Liam? That fucking bastard has been living life as a free man while I . . .” Tessa had no words to finish her sentence.
“I know, I know. But if the bastard has the slightest bit of conscience, he’s been looking over his shoulder for the past decade. Here is what I can do; I can keep you safe; Lee and I can do our best to keep you out of that fucked-up place you’ve called home, and when you’re a free woman, you can hunt the bastard down. But until then, we have to follow the rules. Both of us.
“This is day one. And I don’t know about you, but I am tired. It’s been a very long day, and tomorrow will be even longer. Let’s call it a night, get some rest, and rethink this tomorrow. Deal?” He held his hand out to her.
As much as
