“Tessa,” she said in her heavy Southern accent. “I’m sorry, honey. I hate meeting like this, but . . . well, we both want answers.”
Never in a million years had Tessa expected Rachelle to be so . . . kind. She had planned to launch a tirade the moment she laid eyes on her, but now, she was so taken aback, not only by her physical appearance but her kind words, and they were so sincere. Either that, or she was the best damned actress alive.
And it was this final thought that gave Tessa the courage she needed to speak. “I have been rotting in a prison cell waiting for answers. I have been plotting what I will do to your low-life, piece-of-garbage son if I was ever fortunate enough to have the opportunity. It looks like maybe the Florida Supreme Court has finally given me the opportunity.”
Her heart was beating fast, and she felt a bit of the nausea she had experienced earlier, but she didn’t care. She had fantasized about this moment, and no matter how Rachelle appeared, she was not going to let it pass without saying what she truly believed.
Rachelle just sat there, nodding, tears rolling down her face.
“Don’t you have anything to say? An excuse? Your poor little son has been missing all these years. That is utter bullshit, and we both know it. Don’t we?” Tessa said, her voice rising as the verbal blasts poured out of her.
“Lee, you need to have your client calm down,” Michael Chen said, finally speaking.
Tessa hadn’t paid him any attention once she had set her gaze on Rachelle. Now, however, she looked at him and saw that he was pretty much the same greaseball he had been more than ten years ago, during her trial. If he’d aged, it only showed in the graying hair, or at least what little hair he had. He was still fat, and she would swear that she smelled the same sour-onion miasma from all those years ago as he stood by her table at the trial.
“I think my client has the right to speak her mind. This isn’t a trial, Michael. Just us. Sit down, and let’s allow Tessa and Rachelle to talk to one another before we get formal.” Lee put extra emphasis on the word talk.
Before taking a seat, Michael Chen helped himself to a number of pastries from the platter on the table and a large mug of coffee. No wonder he’s so overweight, Tessa thought. He’d piled enough pastries on his plate for at least five people. He disgusted her. She hadn’t liked him at trial, and she didn’t see that changing now, regardless of how agreeable he might be. Still, since whether or not she had to go through another trial might well depend upon his decision, she was in no position to come out and say anything that might antagonize him. She would try as best she could to be polite to this man, whom she despised and for whom she had no respect whatsoever.
“We’re all civilized people, here, right, Mrs. Jamison? Mrs. Jamison?” Michael Chen looked at Rachelle, then Tessa.
Tessa felt dirty just being in the same room with the pig, but it’s something she had to tolerate if she wanted justice for herself and the opportunity to get justice for her family. She wanted to tell him that she had lived with uncivilized women for almost a fifth of her life but knew it wouldn’t win any brownie points, so she kept her thoughts to herself.
“Some of us are,” Sam answered.
Tessa wanted to give him a huge smile, or a thumbs-up sign, anything to let Sam know she was grateful for those four little words.
“Well, well, Mr. McQuade, you are quite the aggressor this morning, aren’t you? I thought we were here to . . . chat. To examine that new evidence you’re all so excited about. Personally, I’m not one hundred percent sure it will matter, but I am the district attorney, and it is my duty to the citizens of Lee County to see that justice is served, no matter what my personal opinion is.”
Michael Chen took a huge bite from one of his pastries, crumbs from which fell on his dingy white shirt, which looked as if it hadn’t been washed since it came out of the package.
“Let’s not start arguing. We’re all here for a reason. Rachelle, if you wouldn’t mind, as soon as Darlene sets up, I’m going to ask you a few questions, and Tessa as well, just for the record. Are you both okay with that?”
Tessa turned around and saw Darlene for the first time. The woman was petite, with pure white hair worn in a fashionable pageboy and dark eyes. She looked as professional as a woman could. She was wearing black slacks with a frilly red blouse and matching red flats and just enough makeup to enhance her features. Classy was the word that came to mind. She and Jill were on the same page, fashion-wise. Tessa smiled at her, and Darlene smiled back. “That dress looks lovely on you, Miss Tessa.”
“Thank you, Darlene. I can’t tell you how grateful I am for all that you have done for me.”
“Ladies,” Lee interrupted. “There will be time to get to know one another later. Sorry, Darlene.”
“No need to apologize, Mr. Lee. I am here to work, but I do think that floral print looks quite lovely on Miss Tessa. Now that I have seen her wearing it, I just wanted to tell her how lovely she is. Right, Mr. Sam?” She winked at Tessa.
“Darlene, I know what you’re
