“No. I ruined a man’s life.” Drew’s fingers curved around hers as if he sought her touch. Sought her strength.
Like so many of her clients before him. Yet Drew’s touch was different. Never before had she considered how right someone’s hands felt in hers. Molly tightened her focus. “We’re going to get Van’s life back and yours.”
“Now that the key eyewitness has recanted his testimony given at the trial, we know witness tampering did occur. I’m sure it was the original prosecutor on the case who pressured the man. Cory Vinson needs to answer some serious questions.” Drew squeezed his eyes closed. “But I have no evidence, only suspicion that the district attorney is guilty.”
Molly tugged on his hands and pulled his gaze back to hers. “Trust me to find the evidence we need.”
Drew released her to run a hand through his hair and paced away. “I don’t know where to look for the proof.”
“You’re too close to it.” Molly picked up her legal pad and studied her notes. “There were no rumors about Cory before or after he was elected district attorney. After all, he won after Van Solis’s conviction.”
“I was deep into Van’s trial during most of the campaign. If it was related to the case, I listened. If not, I tuned the chatter out.” Drew strode from the kitchen to the couch and back. “After that trial, I moved into a robbery and forgery case.”
“But before Van Solis’s trial, no rumors of anything unusual circled around the offices about Cory,” Molly pressed. “What about your paralegal?”
“Elena.” Drew shook his head. “She made a point not to gossip or to feed those who did. One of the reasons I hired her.”
“Still, she had to have heard something around the ol’ watercooler.” Molly tapped her legal pad. “I want to talk to her.”
“It has to be offline,” Drew said. “As far as I know, Elena hasn’t left the DA’s office. She hasn’t returned one of my calls or emails.”
“I’ll work it out.” Molly dropped the legal pad on the table, set her hands on her hips and looked at the dry-erase board. No office was without gossip. And the assistants always knew more than anyone. “If Cory Vinson isn’t as perfect as the outside world believes, somebody in that office building knows it. People share the scandals. Always. As if the juicier the gossip, the more they are compelled to pass it along.”
“Cory is likeable and friendly. A seemingly good guy. I never had an issue with him.” Drew dropped onto the couch and leaned his head back into the cushion. “But Cory was originally the lead on the Van Solis case.”
“Was there anything out of the ordinary that happened in the office when you stepped into the lead on Van’s trial?” Molly asked.
“Nothing really. Employee turnover, but that was fairly common.”
“Employee turnovers or firings?” Molly stared at Drew.
Drew rubbed his forehead. “One paralegal was reassigned from Van’s case to another assistant DA. He was one of the more experienced paralegals, so I noticed his absence during the trial preparation.”
“Were there others who’d gone, as well?”
“There were several who’d been hired as temporary staff and were reassigned.” Drew scratched his jaw. “Also, Elena was upset when Gina, that’s Cory’s administrative assistant, left suddenly.”
“How suddenly?” The back of Molly’s neck tingled. And that feeling Brooke had referred to earlier skimmed over her. That rush of energy Molly never ignored. Never dismissed.
“Overnight, according to Elena.” Drew waved his hand as if skipping to the next slide in the deck. “But Cory shuffled through administrative assistants regularly, ever since he started in the DA’s office. It wasn’t unusual.”
“You know there is no detail too trivial or too insignificant in any case.” Molly sat on the couch and shifted to face Drew. “Why was Gina’s leaving different?”
“Elena liked Gina. According to Elena, Gina was more focused on her schoolwork then finding a boyfriend. The same as Elena was. They were walking buddies during their breaks at work.” He was silent for a moment. His fingers restless, tapping on the couch. “Elena even helped Gina with her homework. Gina was getting her degree in paralegal studies from Bay College.”
“Did Gina get another job?” Molly reached for her legal pad and flipped to a new page.
“No idea.” Drew stared at the ceiling. His eyebrows pulled together. “Elena was upset Gina never mentioned anything about leaving to her.”
“Gina wasn’t part of the temporary staff?”
“No. She was full-time and putting herself through school.”
“Then Gina needed her job.”
“Or a job.” Drew sat up and rested his elbows on his knees. “She could’ve simply gotten a better offer that paid more at a private firm.”
Molly set her pen on top of her notepad and frowned, searching for that rush of a lead. “I have to talk to her and Elena. What was Gina’s last name?”
“Her first name was Gina...” He rubbed his chin. His voice was thoughtful. “Her last name was Vaughn? Or maybe Hern. That doesn’t sound right. Maybe Gina Horn.”
“Horn,” Molly repeated.
“A face and a first name I don’t forget. I could even draw you a picture of Gina if I had the skill.” Drew pushed himself off the couch and walked into the kitchen. He took a bottle of water from the refrigerator. “But last names have always escaped me.”
Molly tracked his movements. His gaze never fixed on one point, simply skipped around the room as if he translated something she couldn’t see. No doubt he’d worn a path in his office carpet. He’d always processed facts the best when in motion during college. And she’d bet anything he paced and planned his opening statements, rebuttals and closing arguments for each and every case in the same meandering, circular pattern.
Finally he slowed, sipped his water before glancing at her. “Knowing first names matters. People like to be greeted by their first names.
