Beyond Suspicion by James Grippando

Author:James Grippando
Format: epub, mobi

33

At 8 A.M. Jack was ready to leave for the courthouse. Cindy had gone into the studio two hours earlier, something about morning light being best for an outdoor shoot. He went to the kitchen for a cup of coffee to go. Cindy’s mother was at the table reading the paper.

“Have a good one,” said Jack.

“Mmm hmm,” she said, her eyes never leaving the crossword puzzle.

Jack started out, then stopped. “Evelyn, I just wanted to thank you.”

“For what?”

“For letting Cindy and me stay here with you.”

She looked up from her newspaper. “You know there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for my daughter.”

If the words hadn’t completely conveyed it, the tone made it clear that she wasn’t doing it for his sake. “Can we talk for a minute?”

“What about?”

Jack pulled up a chair and sat across the table from her. “You’ve been cool toward me ever since this old audiotape surfaced. Cindy has obviously gotten past it. What do I have to do to make things right with you?”

“There’s nothing you need to do.”

“Nothing I need to do, or nothing I can do?”

“My, that’s the kind of question that certainly brings matters to a head, isn’t it?”

Jack looked her in the eye and said, “I wasn’t unfaithful to your daughter.”

“That’s between you two.”

“Then why are you making me feel as though I’ve done something wrong?”

“If you feel that way, then maybe you have.”

Jack knew that it was probably best to back away from controversy, the way he always had with Evelyn. But this time he couldn’t. “Do you wish I had?”

“Had what?”

“Cheated on Cindy.”

“What?

“Do you?”

“What kind of ridiculous question is that?”

“One that you’re trying not to answer.”

“Why would I ever wish that on my own daughter?”

“You still didn’t answer, but here’s one possibility: so that she’d leave me.”

Her voice tightened. “Do you really want to have this conversation?”

“It’s time, don’t you think?”

She looked away nervously, then lowered her eyes and said, “It’s nothing against you, Jack. Honestly, I don’t think you’re a horrible person.”

“Gee, that’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.”

“There was a time when I said nothing but nice things about you.”

“And then things changed.”

“Esteban changed everything,” she said.

Five years after the attack, the mere mention of his name still made his skin crawl. “Cindy told me how you feel. That her nightmares will never end so long as she’s with me.”

“She was attacked by your client.”

“That was when I did death penalty work. I don’t anymore. Haven’t for years.”

“The association is still there. Always will be. Cindy needed to make a break from all of that, and she didn’t.”

“She’s happy with the choices she made.”

“She’s more fragile than you think.”

“She’s stronger than you think.”

“I’m not just talking about Esteban.”

“I know what you’re talking about, and I’m nothing like her father.”

She paused and settled back into her chair, as if suddenly aware that the intensity of the exchange had her leaning into the table. Her voice dropped to a softer but serious tone. “Do you know why my husband committed suicide?”

“I didn’t think anyone really knew why.

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