must have suspected raged in his head. Boady dumped the chopped onions into the pan.
Diana slowly walked to the kitchen table and sat in a chair. She didn’t speak for what seemed an eternity. Then she said, “He wants you to defend him?”
“He’s not charged, so there’s nothing to defend.”
“He must think he’s going to be charged. Otherwise he wouldn’t come to you.”
“Not necessarily. Back in the day, I represented quite a few clients who were under investigation who didn’t get charged. Ben has an alibi. We just need to put the proof together. A simple thing even for a marginal defense attorney like myself.”
“But you’re not a defense attorney. He of all people knows that. He knows why you quit practicing. How can he ask you to go back to that? He can’t ask you to do that.”
“Honey, he trusts me. He doesn’t want just another lawyer out for a cash-cow client. He needs someone who believes in him. If I were in his shoes, I’d feel the same way.”
“And do you believe in him?”
“Diana . . . you’re not saying . . . this is Ben Pruitt we’re talking about. Ben and Jennavieve. You once said that they were as perfect a couple as we are. Remember?”
“But we haven’t been a part of their lives for a long time now. We’ve seen them maybe four times in the last six years.”
“He was my law partner. I’m Emma’s godfather. I know Ben. He didn’t have anything to do with Jennavieve’s death.”
“I’m not saying he did. I just don’t know how he can ask you to go back into a courtroom. He knows how the Quinto case nearly killed you.”
Boady turned the heat off and moved the pan to a backburner. He walked to the table and sat down with Diana, holding her hand in his. “I know you’re worried. I went though some bad times after Quinto, and that means that you went through those bad times too. I wouldn’t take this case if I had any doubt about Ben. I know you’re concerned about how I might react, going back to court. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little nervous myself. A lot of rust can build up in six years.”
Boady smiled, but she remained hard. “How would I feel about myself if I didn’t help my friend? He was there when I needed him. He picked up the pieces of my crumbling practice. For almost two years, he kept things going while I wallowed in my self-pity. No one ever knew how self-destructive I’d become because he kept the practice going. He didn’t turn his back on me. So how can I turn my back on him?”
Diana raised Boady’s hand up to her lips and kissed him. “I know you have to help Ben. I’m sorry. You have to do this. I can’t help it if I’m a little selfish when it comes to you.”
“There’s one more wrinkle in all this.”
Diana closed her eyes. “I’m almost afraid to ask.”
“Max Rupert is the lead investigator.”
Diana sat back in her chair, her eyebrows raised. “Does Max know you’re representing Ben?”
“Not yet. I was thinking about telling him tonight.”
“Tonight?”
“It’s the anniversary of Jenni Rupert’s death. I was planning on going to the cemetery anyway—just to make sure he’s okay. If the topic comes up, I’ll mention it to him.”
Diana leaned in, kissed Boady on the forehead, and nodded her understanding. “It’s going to be dark soon. We’d better get you fed so you can get going.”
Chapter 15
Boady pulled up to the northwest corner of Lakewood Cemetery and parked. He looked around at the quiet street, no walkers, no traffic, no one to see him heave his body over the fence—again—the second time in three years. The last time had been on the first anniversary of Jenni Rupert’s death, and Boady prayed that this visit would be far less distressing.
That time, Boady had been at home, already in bed as it was nearly midnight, when his phone rang.
“Hello?”
“Boady, this is Alexander Rupert, Max’s brother. I hope I didn’t wake you.”
Boady put the phone to his
Diana slowly walked to the kitchen table and sat in a chair. She didn’t speak for what seemed an eternity. Then she said, “He wants you to defend him?”
“He’s not charged, so there’s nothing to defend.”
“He must think he’s going to be charged. Otherwise he wouldn’t come to you.”
“Not necessarily. Back in the day, I represented quite a few clients who were under investigation who didn’t get charged. Ben has an alibi. We just need to put the proof together. A simple thing even for a marginal defense attorney like myself.”
“But you’re not a defense attorney. He of all people knows that. He knows why you quit practicing. How can he ask you to go back to that? He can’t ask you to do that.”
“Honey, he trusts me. He doesn’t want just another lawyer out for a cash-cow client. He needs someone who believes in him. If I were in his shoes, I’d feel the same way.”
“And do you believe in him?”
“Diana . . . you’re not saying . . . this is Ben Pruitt we’re talking about. Ben and Jennavieve. You once said that they were as perfect a couple as we are. Remember?”
“But we haven’t been a part of their lives for a long time now. We’ve seen them maybe four times in the last six years.”
“He was my law partner. I’m Emma’s godfather. I know Ben. He didn’t have anything to do with Jennavieve’s death.”
“I’m not saying he did. I just don’t know how he can ask you to go back into a courtroom. He knows how the Quinto case nearly killed you.”
Boady turned the heat off and moved the pan to a backburner. He walked to the table and sat down with Diana, holding her hand in his. “I know you’re worried. I went though some bad times after Quinto, and that means that you went through those bad times too. I wouldn’t take this case if I had any doubt about Ben. I know you’re concerned about how I might react, going back to court. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little nervous myself. A lot of rust can build up in six years.”
Boady smiled, but she remained hard. “How would I feel about myself if I didn’t help my friend? He was there when I needed him. He picked up the pieces of my crumbling practice. For almost two years, he kept things going while I wallowed in my self-pity. No one ever knew how self-destructive I’d become because he kept the practice going. He didn’t turn his back on me. So how can I turn my back on him?”
Diana raised Boady’s hand up to her lips and kissed him. “I know you have to help Ben. I’m sorry. You have to do this. I can’t help it if I’m a little selfish when it comes to you.”
“There’s one more wrinkle in all this.”
Diana closed her eyes. “I’m almost afraid to ask.”
“Max Rupert is the lead investigator.”
Diana sat back in her chair, her eyebrows raised. “Does Max know you’re representing Ben?”
“Not yet. I was thinking about telling him tonight.”
“Tonight?”
“It’s the anniversary of Jenni Rupert’s death. I was planning on going to the cemetery anyway—just to make sure he’s okay. If the topic comes up, I’ll mention it to him.”
Diana leaned in, kissed Boady on the forehead, and nodded her understanding. “It’s going to be dark soon. We’d better get you fed so you can get going.”
Chapter 15
Boady pulled up to the northwest corner of Lakewood Cemetery and parked. He looked around at the quiet street, no walkers, no traffic, no one to see him heave his body over the fence—again—the second time in three years. The last time had been on the first anniversary of Jenni Rupert’s death, and Boady prayed that this visit would be far less distressing.
That time, Boady had been at home, already in bed as it was nearly midnight, when his phone rang.
“Hello?”
“Boady, this is Alexander Rupert, Max’s brother. I hope I didn’t wake you.”
Boady put the phone to his
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