Andrew stepped forward. “I’m filing a restraining order.”
She laughed. “Based on what? I’m simply a mother looking out for her children.”
“You’re a bitch who can’t stand that we’re happy without you.” It felt good to unleash the truth on her.
She appeared ready to strangle me. “That’s no way to speak to me, young lady.”
Something in me snapped. I pushed my way in front of my brother and got into her face. “Stay away from us,” I screamed, shoving her shoulders.
She stumbled backward and a flash went off.
Chapter Fifty-Seven
Patrick
“We’re done.”
I set my briefcase on the table, but didn’t sit.
“Abraham, are we back to this? Do you want to retain me as counsel or not?” I sighed, pretended it made me no difference when the truth was that focusing on this case was the only thing keeping me sane.
“You can’t do a good job with all your personal distractions. Besides, I don’t want a creep for a lawyer.”
“We’re all creeps.” I grabbed the handle of my bag. “Good luck. Hope you figure out what I did about Alex.”
My hand was on the doorknob when he called my name. Slowly, I turned.
“What do you know?”
I pressed my lips together. “Uh-uh. You don’t need me.”
“Did he hurt her?” The chains linking his ankles clanged when he stood.
“I wish you the best.” I didn’t care anymore. If the accused couldn’t give me the benefit of the doubt, who would? At the very least, this guy should be on my side.
“Whitley, did he do something to her?” The desperation in his voice, his features, clawed at me. The guy was huge, but a sheen formed over his eyes.
“Do you believe you can get out of here?”
Confusion flitted across his face. “I don’t know.”
“Do you believe I’m the person who gives you the best chance?”
“How can you defend me when you’re in a similar position?”
I sighed. “Twice now, you’ve assumed I was guilty. If you want my help, we’ve got to establish some kind of trust and fast. The trial is in nine days. Either you’re with me or you’re on your own. But if you choose me, no more of this waffling.”
“Is this why you’re a lawyer?” He sank back in his seat.
I strode back to the table and rested my hands on top of my briefcase. “I wanted the accused to know what it was like to have at least one person in their corner. You’re lucky your father believes in you. Not everybody has that.”
“You think I’m guilty.”
“I’ve defended a lot of people who were, even though I believed in their innocence.”
He squinted at me. “You’re bitter about that.”
“Jaded is a better word.”
“Why’d you take my case?”
“You’re my last hope.” I plunked my legal pad on the table.
“How?”
“I need you to be innocent. And if you are, I need to win. To prove I haven’t wasted my entire career.” I dropped my phone on top of the note pad.
“What if I’m guilty?”
“Then I’m just a misguided schmuck.” I already felt like one.
“Would you throw the case if you figure out I am?”
I narrowed my eyes. “Are you?”
“Would you?”
We ended up in a stare-off, until he finally flinched.
“I didn’t do anything to Dara.”
“I’m going to do my best no matter what.”
Satisfied, he nodded. “What do you know about Alex?”
“That he goes to see his sister-in-law twice a week.”
“How do you know that?”
I canted my head. “Did you know that?” He fidgeted his hands in his lap. I lifted my eyes to the ceiling. “Are you sure you want to get out of here? From where I’m sitting, I think otherwise.”
“Shel suspected something, but didn’t know for sure.”
“She thought they were having an affair?”
“Isn’t that what all married people think?”
I wouldn’t know.
“I want to know what she believed.”
“A month or so before we started up, she said Alex told her he was going for drinks after work with a couple of the guys. He didn’t like her seeing her sister, so she took the chance to go check on Kristen. When she got to her apartment, Alex’s car was in the lot.”
This would’ve been nice to know before now.
“Did she see them together?”
“He came out alone about a half hour later.” That could mean anything, even something as simple as giving her money. There seemed to be a lot of sneaking around in that family, but I never made assumptions. Fact finding was an excavation. If I kept digging, I’d find something.
“Why’d she tell you this?”
“I think she needed someone to talk to.”
Didn’t we all? Though at this point, I wished I’d have avoided people at all costs. They left when I needed them most.
“Do you find it odd that she suspects her husband of cheating with her sister and then starts up a relationship with you?”
His jaw tightened. “What are you implying? That she was using me?”
“You’d know better than I.”
“She loved me.”
How could he still believe that? He was rotting in this place, and she didn’t seem to care. I’d checked the visitor logs. She hadn’t been to see him.
“But there’s been no communication since your arrest?”
He pounded his fist on the table. “She thinks I killed her little girl.”
“How does that feel?” I’d just veered into questioning out of personal curiosity. I wondered if my reaction to Wicked was overblown.
Abraham sank down into his seat. “It sucks.”
Guessed I was justified. “If you’re exonerated, will you try to get back together with her?”
“She and Dara are my life.”
“Why would you want to? She doesn’t believe in you. She’s not here when you need her most.” We’d just split when it came to opinions. Marlow, Blake, and Gummy were my life too, but I couldn’t picture a scenario where we were together. I couldn’t be with someone who didn’t back me up. It didn’t seem like a big thing to ask.
“Yeah. She is.” He pointed to his temple.
