He gets up from his chair. “I was just leaving,” he says calmly.
“This is not fucking okay. Where is Sheriff Stevens?”
Scott tries to pass her, but she blocks the doorway with her small and slender stature. She juts her chin up at him.
“Like I said, I was just leaving,” Scott says.
“I don’t care. You have no right to speak to him!” She crosses her arms over her chest.
“I know. I’m sorry.”
“Sarah, it’s fine. We’re done talking. Just let him go,” I say.
“What were you two talking about? As his lawyer, I have a right to know.”
“Come on, Scott.” The guard ushers him out. Sarah doesn’t step aside, and he has to practically shrink down to nothing to get past her. Her death glare returns to me. I’m targeted with matching glares from Anne and Matthew. Anne is like Sarah’s puppet, doing and saying whatever she’s told. Their relationship has always rubbed me the wrong way. Anne idolizes Sarah, and Sarah basks in that attention. Matthew has always been Sarah’s sidekick, and it appears Robin has returned to Batman’s side.
“Are you trying to lose this case?” Sarah taps her Louboutin stiletto rapidly on the tile floor. It’s clearly a rhetorical question, and I simply shrug.
She shakes her head. “Are you going to tell me what that was all about?”
“It was nothing. He just wanted to talk about Kelly.” I don’t know why I’m not saying any more, maybe because what Scott said destroys my case. If Scott was never abusive, why would anyone believe that he killed her? And if he was with Deputy Hudson all night, he couldn’t have murdered Kelly. Then again, an officer having his partner as an alibi doesn’t sit well for me. It’s all a bit too perfect.
Sarah and Anne take a seat in front of me. They start pulling out files from their bags. Matthew leans against the wall behind them as if standing guard.
“What brings you here, Matthew?” I ask.
“I’m in town a while for business… and I guess the timing isn’t great, considering…” Matthew says looking around.
“Timing was never your strong suit,” I say.
“Clearly not yours either,” Matthew quips.
“Will you stop?” Sarah narrows her eyes at me. “Matthew is helping with your case, so show a little respect.”
I nod and lower my head. Jail is already turning me into a hardened asshole, or maybe I’ve been one all along.
Sarah reads over her notes briefly and then looks to me. “Did you know Kelly Summers’ real name was Jenna Way?”
“I did. She told me about her past two weeks before she was murdered.”
“And you decided to leave that bit of information out?”
“It slipped my mind.”
“You’re a suspect for murder and the fact that the woman you were sleeping with killed her first husband slipped your mind?” There’s anger in her voice. Once again, I don’t blame her.
“She was never formally charged,” I argue.
“Yes, she was. The case fell apart in the middle of the trial after evidence went missing—which, from the looks of it, Scott may have helped make disappear.” She tightens her jaw.
Anne crosses her arms in front of her chest. Matthew shakes his head. I wish the two of them weren’t here. I don’t need the additional judgment. Mine and Sarah’s judgment is more than enough.
“Kelly said she didn’t do it,” I confess.
“That’s what all murderers say,” Anne pipes up.
“Isn’t that what you’ve been saying?” Matthew smirks at me.
Sarah turns around and shoots a look at Matthew. I can’t see her face, but Matthew says, “Okay, okay, I’ll stop,” so I know she’s sticking up for me. Matthew has always been protective of Sarah, and I can understand the cutting remarks, but I appreciate Sarah defending me.
“Your arraignment is in one hour,” Anne interjects. She pulls a pair of pants, a button-down shirt, a tie, and dress shoes from her bag and slides them toward me.
“You’ll need to enter your plea as you’re being officially charged for the murder of Kelly Rose Summers and her unborn child,” Sarah says. Her eyes meet mine. She tightens her face, but a tear breaks through, and before the dam opens, she wipes it away and takes a couple of small breaths—closing the dam for now… or maybe for good.
I nod as I knew this was coming. Sarah told me yesterday.
“If you plead not guilty, the D.A. will try for the death penalty. If you plead guilty, they’re offering twenty-five years with no possibility of parole. What would you like to plea?”
“Well, not guilty of course. I didn’t fucking do this.” Anger grabs hold of my voice.
She nods. “All right. We’ll be back in an hour for your arraignment.”
They pack up their stuff and walk out, leaving me there alone with a pile of clothing.
25
Sarah Morgan
Anne, Matthew, and I walk to a small coffee shop across the street as we have thirty minutes before Adam’s arraignment. Matthew and I take our seats at a high-top table, while Anne orders us coffee.
“Adam looks awful. I’ve never seen him like that,” Matthew says. “It’s been a while but still.”
“It suits him though,” I say. I’m still mad at him for withholding information about Kelly, or should I say, Jenna. I would have scolded him yesterday if Eleanor hadn’t been there. And now today, I find him talking to Scott Summers, Kelly’s husband. He’s a possible suspect, he’s part of my defense strategy, and Adam is destroying it. Anne takes a seat at the table.
Matthew tightens his eyes, “Do you think it’s a good idea for him to plead not guilty, especially with the death penalty on the line?”
“Based on the evidence, probably not. But it’s not my job to sway my client. I’m simply supposed to present them with their options.”
The barista sets down our cups of coffee.
“But he’s your husband,” Matthew argues.
“He’s my client first.”
Matthew nods, dropping it. I glance at him as I take a sip of my coffee. What’s his angle here?
“Let’s not forget that jerk cheated on her for over a year,” Anne says with a bit of sass.
“And if it were up to Adam’s mother, I’d be the one on trial. She thinks this is all my doing.” I shake my head.
Matthew nearly drops his drink.
Anne’s eyes shoot open. “She said that?”
“She said I need to take responsibility because a man doesn’t cheat on a loving wife.”
“What a bitch—” Anne immediately slaps her hand over her mouth as the words come out.
“I second that,” Matthew laughs. “Is she going to be around for a while?”
“I assume for the whole trial. She’s treating this thing like Adam’s the new lead in Hamilton rather than the accused in a double-homicide case.”
Anne and Matthew laugh.
“I’ll try my best to keep her out of your hair,” Anne says.
“Thank you. Now, we’re going to have to start pulling witnesses. The greatest strength we’ll have in this case is casting doubt on Adam. Kelly has a twisted past with a lot of loose ends. There’s a number of people that may have wanted her dead, especially if she killed her first husband. That man had family and friends, and I’m sure none of them were happy that she got off scot-free… pun intended.”