The Daddy Verdict by Karen Rose Smith

Author:Karen Rose Smith [Smith, Karen Rose]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Contemporary, Romance
ISBN: 9780373249251
Google: ffAp0PmuycgC
Amazon: 037324925X
Goodreads: 4464406
Publisher: Silhouette
Published: 2008-09-01T04:00:00+00:00

On Friday morning, the press conference for the Children’s Art Project had proceeded according to schedule, but Ben was glad it was over. This endeavor, a legacy from a former district attorney, was worthwhile. The project spotlighted children’s talent and showed what they were feeling and thinking about what was going on in the city around them. But Ben had stood to the rear of the crowd waiting for his phone to vibrate, waiting for Sierra’s call after her doctor’s appointment.

From across the crowded room, he suddenly spied a man trying to get his attention. Ben knew who he was, a defense attorney from one of the large partnerships in town. They’d been opponents more than a few times in the courtroom, but maintained a civil relationship because they respected each other. Cord Whitmore was a few years older than Ben, his own height, with green eyes that were sharp and intelligent.

Cord finally got within shouting distance. “Can we talk?”

They both angled toward a corner where they’d have a modicum of quiet.

Cord started off, “I was going to make an appointment with you, but this will do.”

“About a case?” Ben was surprised Cord would want to talk in a public arena.

“No, not this time. I’ve become involved in a project you might like.” He held his hand up before Ben could say anything. “This isn’t something after hours that will take more of your time.”

“What kind of project?” Ben asked warily. After all, he was a prosecutor and Cord was a defense attorney.

“I suppose you heard that John Alvarez passed away last month?”

John Alvarez had been a prominent businessman in the Albuquerque area, was wealthy beyond most men’s dreams and had lived to a ripe old age of eighty-seven. There had been a few articles in the paper about his passing and his life.

“Yes, I knew,” Ben replied.

“Well, it turns out he left an endowment. With this money we’re supposed to set up a law firm that would specialize in juvenile cases—kids who get in trouble for the first time and can’t afford good representation. We’re searching for the right person to head it up. We have a list of possibilities, but I believe you’re the most qualified and you’re an attorney who would be the most interested in helping kids. I know a few you’ve kept from joining gangs.”

“I’m a prosecutor, Cord.”

“Yeah, and a damn good one. If you filled a spot like this, you’d actually have time for each case and the opportunity to seek out remedial action for a first-time offender. Isn’t that the kind of work you might want to do instead of constantly settling for plea agreements that eat at you because you know justice isn’t being served?”

Cord had gotten to the crux of what Ben disliked most about his job. He’d been a prosecutor for nine years now. Did he really want to think about changing his focus?

“You have time to think about it,” Cord told him. “We’re just in the preliminary stages of setting this up.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.