spent the last year in prison. But Jack knew wishing for impossibilities would only make an already difficult situation infinitely more difficult.
He’d spent too many hellish years in foster homes, living with families that hadn’t really wanted him, to believe wishes could make a difference. He’d spent the better part of his childhood yearning for what could never be, and all that wanting hadn’t done a damn thing except make him hurt.
He was through with hurting.
“If the circumstances were different, I would agree with you about turning myself in, Red. But there’s someone pulling strings from the inside. Maybe from the top. I can’t fight that. I can’t survive it.” With his life on the line and desperation knocking at his door, Jack knew he’d had no choice but to take the situation into his own hands.
She turned to him, her troubled gaze searching his. “At some point I’m going to have to go to the police with what I know.”
“Your going to the police will do nothing but put you in some very hot water.”
“I didn’t do anything wrong.”
“You aided and abetted a fugitive from the law.”
“You didn’t give me much choice.”
“You lied to the police, Landis. For God’s sake, get real!”
“My going to the police will vindicate you from Chandler’s murder.”
“Maybe. But what about Evan’s murder? I hate to point this out to you, but in my mind that is the bigger issue of the two.”
Moving away from him she walked over to the counter and pressed her fingers against her forehead. A breath shuddered out of her. Jack hated seeing her so shaken. Hated even more that he cared. He tried reminding himself that she’d walked away from him when he’d needed her. But at the moment the knowledge wasn’t enough to make him feel anything less for her.
“Look,” he began, “neither of us needs any more trouble in our lives. If we do this my way, you won’t have to contend with a black mark on your sterling reputation, and I won’t have to go back to prison for a crime I didn’t commit.”
She choked out a humorless laugh. “You’re forgetting that you no longer have a lawyer, and that every law enforcement agency in the state is looking for you.”
“I’m a cop.” He shrugged. “I can elude them for a few days.”
“A few days?” She glared at him. “And then what?”
“I’m going to find the son of a bitch who killed Evan.”
“You’re going to do that when no one else has been able to? When not even your lawyer could do it?”
“Chandler might have been a legal whiz, but he wasn’t a cop. I’m a detective. I know how to work this.”
“ Were a detective.”
“At this point that title is semantics. I’m talking about finding hard evidence.”
“Okay, Super Cop, define hard evidence.”
He rolled his shoulder, wondering how much he should tell her. Would she react as a tough prosecuting attorney? Or would she react as the woman who’d once bared her soul to him? “I’ve got a few leads.”
“That’s not very specific.”
“I need to talk to a couple of my old snitches. One of Evan’s snitches.”
“That’s it? ”
He stared hard at her, debating, keenly aware that if she turned on him his one and only chance would die. “I’ll need my file from Chandler’s office.”
“Oh, that’s brilliant.” She put her hands on her hips. “If that weren’t such a bad idea, I’d laugh!”
“Damn it, Landis, he was close to getting some hard evidence on Evan.”
“Let me get this straight,” she said. “Your brilliant plan is to question some lowlife snitches and break into your attorney’s office? Oh, excuse me, your dead attorney’s office, which is now a crime scene? That’s genius! Why didn’t I think of it?”
“I can do without the sarcasm.”
“I can do without a dead convict on my hands. Jack, your plan is weak and certifiable. Chandler’s office is going to be crawling with cops!”
“You got a better idea?” he
He’d spent too many hellish years in foster homes, living with families that hadn’t really wanted him, to believe wishes could make a difference. He’d spent the better part of his childhood yearning for what could never be, and all that wanting hadn’t done a damn thing except make him hurt.
He was through with hurting.
“If the circumstances were different, I would agree with you about turning myself in, Red. But there’s someone pulling strings from the inside. Maybe from the top. I can’t fight that. I can’t survive it.” With his life on the line and desperation knocking at his door, Jack knew he’d had no choice but to take the situation into his own hands.
She turned to him, her troubled gaze searching his. “At some point I’m going to have to go to the police with what I know.”
“Your going to the police will do nothing but put you in some very hot water.”
“I didn’t do anything wrong.”
“You aided and abetted a fugitive from the law.”
“You didn’t give me much choice.”
“You lied to the police, Landis. For God’s sake, get real!”
“My going to the police will vindicate you from Chandler’s murder.”
“Maybe. But what about Evan’s murder? I hate to point this out to you, but in my mind that is the bigger issue of the two.”
Moving away from him she walked over to the counter and pressed her fingers against her forehead. A breath shuddered out of her. Jack hated seeing her so shaken. Hated even more that he cared. He tried reminding himself that she’d walked away from him when he’d needed her. But at the moment the knowledge wasn’t enough to make him feel anything less for her.
“Look,” he began, “neither of us needs any more trouble in our lives. If we do this my way, you won’t have to contend with a black mark on your sterling reputation, and I won’t have to go back to prison for a crime I didn’t commit.”
She choked out a humorless laugh. “You’re forgetting that you no longer have a lawyer, and that every law enforcement agency in the state is looking for you.”
“I’m a cop.” He shrugged. “I can elude them for a few days.”
“A few days?” She glared at him. “And then what?”
“I’m going to find the son of a bitch who killed Evan.”
“You’re going to do that when no one else has been able to? When not even your lawyer could do it?”
“Chandler might have been a legal whiz, but he wasn’t a cop. I’m a detective. I know how to work this.”
“ Were a detective.”
“At this point that title is semantics. I’m talking about finding hard evidence.”
“Okay, Super Cop, define hard evidence.”
He rolled his shoulder, wondering how much he should tell her. Would she react as a tough prosecuting attorney? Or would she react as the woman who’d once bared her soul to him? “I’ve got a few leads.”
“That’s not very specific.”
“I need to talk to a couple of my old snitches. One of Evan’s snitches.”
“That’s it? ”
He stared hard at her, debating, keenly aware that if she turned on him his one and only chance would die. “I’ll need my file from Chandler’s office.”
“Oh, that’s brilliant.” She put her hands on her hips. “If that weren’t such a bad idea, I’d laugh!”
“Damn it, Landis, he was close to getting some hard evidence on Evan.”
“Let me get this straight,” she said. “Your brilliant plan is to question some lowlife snitches and break into your attorney’s office? Oh, excuse me, your dead attorney’s office, which is now a crime scene? That’s genius! Why didn’t I think of it?”
“I can do without the sarcasm.”
“I can do without a dead convict on my hands. Jack, your plan is weak and certifiable. Chandler’s office is going to be crawling with cops!”
“You got a better idea?” he
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