Love, Lies & The D.A. by Rebecca Rohman Page B

call me Caroline.”
    “It’s
a pleasure, Caroline.” I stand corrected.
    “Dinner
is almost ready; are you hungry?”
    I
haven’t thought about food, but when she asks, I realize I am famished.
    I need
to use the washroom. My hands have been all over the place. Megan shows me to
the room and explains to me that the dining room is at the end of the hall. I look
at myself in the mirror. My hair is slightly messy. I run a comb through it,
powder my nose, and then touch up my lipstick. I had better hurry back. I don’t
want to keep them waiting. I quickly wrap up and open the door. As I step out
into the narrow corridor, Jonathan is standing directly in front of me.
    “Jada.”
My name rolls slowly off he lips.
    “Hi,”
I reply politely. I’m going to try not to be a smart-ass in his parents’ house.
    “Fancy
seeing you here.” He grins at me. “Are you okay? You’re all over the news.”
    I
exhale. “I’m fine. Coming back to San Francisco… bad idea.”
    “Are
you sure you’re alright? You didn’t look so good.”
    “I’ll
be okay. Thanks for asking.”
    “We
better head in. Mom doesn’t like it when the food gets cold.”
    “Sure,
lead the way,” I reply.
    We
enter the grandiose dining room. There are now two new faces at the table. One
looks vaguely familiar from that day when Jonathan drove me home from the
airport. They’re the other two sons, I assume. They smile when they see me, and
Charles introduces them. Daniel and Pierce are their names.
    Jonathan
pulls out a chair for me and sits next to me. While dinner is served, I sit and
watch the family dynamic unfold. They’re a close-knit family. From what I
gather, dinners together happen frequently at their house. It reminds me of the
close-knit family I used to have—until Bobby went off to school, and a few
years later, I did the same. Then Daddy died.
    The
ambience is relaxed. They laugh and fool around with each other about
everything. Personally, it’s a pleasure to sit and observe.
    Megan
apparently just finished law school and is now doing her internship with her dad.
Pierce is an artist and owner of his own gallery in downtown San Francisco, and
Daniel, the second and quietest of the lot, is an accountant. Until recently,
Caroline was a high school principal but is now retired. She now dedicates her
time at the Crisis Center for Abused Women and Children.
    I feel
fatigued. I wonder if the reporters are tired of waiting. As soon as I get some
rest and I’m able, I’m going to get in that car— Shoot, my car. Damn. Now I
have to find a way to pick it up. San Francisco has been so overwhelming. I
can’t wait to get back to Lake Tahoe.
    “Hey,
you okay?” Jonathan whispers.
    I
smile and nod but say nothing.
    My
stomach is full, but my headache has gotten worse. Right now, I need a shower,
some aspirin, and a bed. I glance at the clock on the wall; it’s almost nine.
    “Tired?”
Jonathan asks quietly, his chin leaning on his laced fingers.
    “That
obvious?”
    “You’ve
had a long day. I can take you home if you like.”
    “I don’t
think that’s a good idea,” I murmur. “We don’t need the DA seen with a murder
suspect in a high profile case.” I let the words slip out before I can stop
myself and close my eyes, disappointed about my blunder.
    “Maybe
you should let me worry about that,” he responds.
    I look
at him in resignation and take a glimpse across the room. I notice Charles
staring at us. I can’t read his gaze, but I know somewhere in the back of his
mind he must be saying something to the effect of ‘you had better not be
discussing that case.’ I smile and wiggle my fingers at him. He raises his snifter
in reply. I can’t help notice the similarities in his and Jonathan’s mannerisms.
    All
Jonathan’s siblings excuse themselves from the table. He is having a very quiet
exchange with his mom. I can’t hear a word. I look over at Charles. He too is
exhausted. He drifts off to sleep at the opposite end