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Chapter sixty-one
Cat
Protecting Reese is what’s important. Protecting my baby is what’s important, I think. Protecting his or her father is what’s important. “Crazy stalkers kill the people they get obsessed about, too,” I say, turning to Reese. “You will have someone with you tomorrow, right?”
“Royce has it all taken care of. I’m fine. You’re the one I’m worried about”
“Lauren’s going with me to the doctor in the morning. I have a feeling Royce will be tagging along.”
“Why are you going to the doctor?” Gabe asks.
I glance in his direction. “Nothing that’s going to kill me,” I say and needing an escape from all these watchful eyes, I quickly refocus on Reese and add, “I have to write my column and you need to get your team here working.”
“You’re my team tonight,” he says.
“Reese—”
His hands come down on my arms. “There’s nothing that happened today in court that changes my strategy. You were there. You know that. I’m going to win. We’re going to win. Write your column. I’ll finish up here and you can help me prep for tomorrow the way you always help me prep.” He kisses me. “Go. Write. I’ll find you when we’re done.”
He’s decided he’s not having his team over. He’s affected by this Debbie thing and worrying about me to the point that it’s affecting his case. “Just to be sure we’re on the same page. You’re not telling your client yet, right?”
“No,” he says. “I’m not telling Dana until we find out where this trap we’re setting for Debbie leads us and I hope like hell that’s a good decision.”
“It’s a good decision,” Reid says. “We’ll end this one way or the other. You have my word.”
I am suddenly glad Reid’s involved because he’s intelligent and hard in every way, brutal even. When Reid makes a statement like that, he doesn’t fail. I know. I’ve felt his wrath.
I kiss Reese and head out of the kitchen. I’m two steps down the hallway when Gabe catches my arm. “You okay?”
“I’m not used to you and Reid acting like you care.”
“Come on now. The past two years you and I have come a long way. That’s not fair.”
He’s right. “You’re right. I’m sorry. It’s Reid that I’m not used to, but I’m fine.” I hug him. “Thank you, Gabe.”
“Call me after the doctor tomorrow, okay?” He pulls back to look at me. “Reese will be in court. I’m free tomorrow, so I’m going to come watch Reese with you after your appointment.”
“You want to sit with me in court?”
“Yeah. I might learn something from that husband of yours.”
“You don’t even practice the same kind of law and you’re a master at your job.”
His eyes light with what is apparently a naughty private joke of some sort. “I won’t even go where that comment could take me. Call me when you leave the doctor.” He kisses my cheek and heads back to the kitchen, leaving me with a smile that I appreciate today more than usual.
I turn away and a few minutes later I’m on the bed in the master bedroom, my laptop in my hands. I think of the day in court that ended with Debbie confronting me and one word comes in mind: Lies. This DA is all about lies which is why I’ve been working on a book with Lori to expose him. We’ve also decided to release it after he leaves the office for one reason: Protecting the firm and its clients. I don’t like it and this trial is stirring the pot for me. I start typing and that one word is back on my mind: Lies. Debbie’s lies. The DA’s lies. The prosecutor’s lies. And so I start my Cat Does Crime column now with that word: Lies.
When a person is charged without evidence to satisfy an elected official’s need to appear active in an investigation, to, of course, support reelection, is that a lie? Are they lying to the public they want to elect them? Lying to the judge? Lying to the jurors? Like many of you, I followed a case recently here in our very city where the district attorney charged a man with serial murders. Even after the jury acquitted, he did not reopen the case. The real killer then killed again.
As I sat in the Dana Warren trial today, I thought of that case. Someone killed her father. In my legal opinion, Dana was charged prematurely without evidence. The opening statements today read to me as fluff and drama, meant to downplay the lack of evidence. In opening statements, the prosecutor seemed to prosecute Dana Warren based on her inheriting money, not for killing her father, which would make sense since thus far, I’ve seen no evidence that supported charging her, let alone convicting her. Am I biased because of my husband? No. He won’t take a case if he believes the person to be guilty. Nothing he has seen, nor I have seen, supports guilt. So unless I’m presented with evidence that says otherwise, I am not convinced she killed her father. If the prosecutor charged Dana, not on evidence, but a need to charge someone, where is the real killer? And if they killed once, can they kill again? When do we hold law enforcement criminally liable? When does political position become lies? When does it become criminal?
I don’t like lies. To those of you who lie with no concern about who you hurt, I am not your friend. I will write about it. I will expose the lies. I will tell the truth. That’s who I am and I hope that you, my readers, embrace my words as truth. And so, I’ll be in court tomorrow, and look for the truth to share with you, my readers. Until next time —Cat
I’m done and in that column is a message for the DA, yes, but also to Debbie. I send it to my editor and shut my computer. Reese appears in the doorway in that moment, looking deliciously male and perfect. He narrows his eyes on me. “What did you do?”
“What does that mean?” I ask, a hint of a smile on my lips. I feel empowered through my writing. I needed that outlet.
“I know you, Cat.” He crosses to join me on the bed, and before I can blink I’m beneath him and he’s leaning over me. “You’re different. You’re not tears and fear. You’re fierce and in control. What did you write?”
