Burden of Truth by Robin James

Author:Robin James [James, Robin]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Robin James Books
Published: 2019-01-05T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 26

November 1st fell on a Monday. A cold snap hit overnight and Delphi woke to a dusting of snow that covered everything. This was southern Michigan though. It could be eighty degrees by midweek.

As I pulled into a parking space a block from the courthouse, my blood started to hum. My fingers tingled as I gripped the steering wheel. I knew my case law cold. I knew every nook and cranny of the case the state was about to put on. I knew my opponent’s strengths and how to exploit his weaknesses. And I had never in my life tried a case I wasn’t supposed to win. Until today.

That doesn’t mean I haven’t lost. I have just one thing to say to any lawyer who tells you he’s never lost a case. Tell him he hasn’t tried enough of them. Witnesses go south. Judges fixate on things you don’t expect. And juries are unpredictable. No matter how strong your case or how prepared you are, any one of those things can flip a case against you. As I readied myself to walk into that courtroom and fight for Aubrey Ames’s future, I felt like we were upside down from the get-go.

A crowd had formed on the sidewalk on the opposite corner of the courthouse. The sheriff’s office sent a dozen deputies to keep them back. Still, I was greeted to catcalls, hate speech, and picket signs bearing Coach D’s smiling face and a list of his state championships. Within the crowd was a sea of green varsity jackets worn by new graduates and those closer to my age. The Fighting Shamrocks had come out in force. There was a good chance one of them had tried to run me off the road last month.

They brought Aubrey and her family in through a service entrance. Two more deputies had been assigned to ensure her safety as she came through. I made myself a sort of decoy. Everyone expected my client to walk in with me.

I ignored the crowd as they booed and called me gutter trash, a whore, a bottom feeder, and a dozen things even worse. I saw that same shiny black SUV parked parallel to the courthouse again. Its driver talked into his cell phone and his eyes followed me as I made my way up the courthouse steps.

Jeanie was already there. She waited for me on the wooden bench just past the metal detectors. Her color was good and she dressed smartly in a navy-blue suit jacket and white linen pants. She looked hearty; her cheeks flushed with excitement and her eyes narrowed with determination as she saw me approach.

“Ready, boss?” She smiled.

I rolled my eyes. “Cut it, Jeanie. Like you’d ever take orders from me.”

“Orders? No. Helpful suggestions? And you didn’t answer my question. You ready for this?”

“Yeah,” I said. “Have you seen Aubrey yet?”

“She’s already in the courtroom,” Jeanie answered. “Her dad’s with her. Her mom is a no-show.”

I frowned. “That’s not great, Jeanie. I made it pretty clear we need a united family front.

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