Legal Heat by Sarah Castille Page A

trust that I will not betray you in any way, or compromise your safety. I just want to help Martha. Would it be easier if you talked directly to her? I understand sometimes people are reluctant to speak to lawyers.”
    “Martha’s a sweet girl,” Martin said. “She’s already endangered herself. I don’t want to make it worse. You have certain protections as a lawyer, and you also have the resources to blow this case out of the water.”
    Protection? Not with Ted as a boss. He would send her straight into the lion’s den if he thought it would help turn a profit.
    “I’m only working on her dismissal case,” she explained. “A full investigation into all Martha’s allegations is beyond my mandate.”
    “You don’t want to investigate because it’s not worth your time.”
    Katy cringed at the bitterness in his voice. “Martin, please.”
    “You’re just like all the other lawyers.” Martin’s voice dripped with disdain. “You don’t give a damn about justice. For you, it’s all about the money.”
    “That’s not true.” Katy’s heart sank. She hadn’t expected the call to go this badly. “I want to help Martha. Following up on your note is only indirectly related to the case. It isn’t something I had to do.”
    Silence.
    “Martin?”
    “It seems we have nothing left to discuss. I put myself at risk by giving Martha the list and talking to you. This is as far as I go.”
    Katy swallowed and tried a more aggressive tactic. “If you do have relevant information, I could subpoena you and force you to testify at trial. Please don’t put me in the position of having to do that.”
    Martin laughed bitterly. “You’ll have a hard time finding me. I’m leaving the country before the whole thing blows up and I’ll never come back.”
    Damn. Subpoenaing a witness from a foreign country was next to impossible.
    “Please just take my name and number in case you change your mind,” she said. “If you want to say something but have concerns about your safety, I can always arrange a deposition before you leave. Your evidence would be recorded and entered at trial but I would stall disclosure until you were safely away.”
    “I’ll think about it.” He took down her name and number. “I’m sorry I can’t be more help, but we’re out of time. Don’t call me again.”
    “Wait. Who are the men on the list? Where are they? Did something happen to them?” But she had waited too long to ask the crucial questions.
     
     
    Mark’s Audi TT purred down the TransCanada Highway. Although an associate should have handled the trip to Langley, he welcomed the opportunity for a rare drive in his only extravagance, and the time to think. One thought dominated his mind.
    Katy.
    Battling the little wildcat in the courtroom had been an exquisite torture. Part of him thrilled at the challenge of a worthy opponent and delighted in their verbal sparring, while the other part wanted to protect her from every harsh word and legal trick he threw her way.
    He racked his brain trying to think of a way around the professional conflict. But if he removed the barrier between them, then what? Did he want her in his bed for a night, or did he want something more? He still knew so little about her. But what he had seen had awakened a hunger so fierce he was already veering down the path toward professional ruin.
    Before he knew it, almost an hour had passed by and he was no closer to an answer than he had been when he started the drive. He pulled off the highway and took the exit into the heart of the sleepy suburb. A few turns later, he pulled up in front of a tidy, two-story, white stucco house. Planters filled with flowers dotted the well-kept lawn and marked a path up to the covered wooden porch. He had once dreamed of having a house like this and a wife and children to welcome him home. But that dream had died long ago.
    Julia Davidson welcomed him into her home and brought him a cup of coffee. Although well into her