Читать книгу Straight from the Heart - Linda Warren, Linda Warren - Страница 9

BLAIR HAD a restless night. So many things were crowding in on her that she couldn’t sleep. She’d apologized to everyone at the party and said she had a headache and quickly left. She could see that her father was upset with her and her mother was worried. Blake begged her to stay, but she couldn’t. She had to leave.

Raye’s threat had her running scared, and her fear was making her act irrational. She’d been rude to her family and Lucas, and she hoped an apology would suffice. If that wasn’t good enough for Lucas, she didn’t really care.

Stop it, she said to herself. Stop blaming Lucas for everything. Her father had invited him, so he had a right to be there. And she’d told her father several times that she didn’t want to work in his firm. She was happy keeping criminals behind bars. So what was the problem? Lucas, she muttered aloud. He had such an odd effect on her and she wanted—

“What? What?” she shouted into the darkness. When she didn’t get an answer, she grabbed her pillow and headed into the living room to curl up on the sofa. What did she want from Lucas? He was always so pleasant, and that irritated her. He was always smiling, and that irritated her, too. He was very good-looking and that irritated the hell out of her. No man had any business being that handsome and charming. Was that it? Was she attracted to Lucas?

No! She sat up and tried to dismiss the possibility, but she couldn’t. Maybe she was attracted to Lucas—and maybe that was why she was always pouncing on him. Maybe that was why he made her so angry. No. She shook her head vehemently. It couldn’t be.

She lay down and tried to come to grips with her contradictory reactions. She didn’t know how to do that, but she owed Lucas an apology for her behavior—of that she was sure. He’d been nothing but pleasant, and she had literally come unglued. That wasn’t Lucas’s fault; that was hers.

All these years, she’d been trying to bridge the gap between her father and her brother—not understanding that there was also a gap between her father and her. That had become clear tonight when she’d reacted so violently to Lucas’s presence. He was right; she had been waiting for Sam Logan’s approval.

She groaned into her pillow, thinking this was a little too much soul-searching. Life was becoming too complicated, too fast, and all she wanted to do was sleep.

She heard a noise outside the living room window and immediately sat up, her heart in her throat. Then she relaxed as she realized it was only the wind. She lived in a gated apartment complex, so there was no way anyone could get in without her knowing it. Still, she felt uneasy. She went into the bedroom and got her purse. Pulling out the small pistol, she carried it into the living room. She placed it on the end table within easy reach. If anyone had told her years ago that a gun would make her feel more secure, she would have laughed. But the gun gave her the extra bit of reassurance she needed to face her fears. No one was going to attack her again.

As she drifted off to sleep, her last thoughts were of Lucas. Tomorrow she’d apologize for her rudeness. Knowing Lucas, he’d accept and they’d go back to battling it out in court. Polite adversaries—that was all they could ever be.

LUCAS WOKE UP with a frown on his face—and the urge to strangle Blair Logan still on his mind. He was finished with apologizing to that woman and he was certainly finished with making excuses to her. As far as he was concerned, Blair could go to hell.

Running both hands over his face, he stumbled out of bed in his black briefs and headed for the kitchen. The strong smell of coffee pulled him forward. Thank God he used a cleaning service. He paid the woman extra to make his coffee. The coffeepot had a timer and coffee was ready at precisely six o’clock every morning. He wasn’t human until he’d had his first cup.

He poured a mug full, letting the aroma tantalize his nostrils. He picked up the mug and returned to the bedroom. Sitting on the bed, leaning against the headboard, he sipped at the black magic. Oh, yeah… After a moment, he tipped his head back, feeling his brain slowly come alive. Now he could face the day.

But the day wasn’t on his mind; last night was—and Blair. After leaving her family’s home, he’d driven around for a while, then planned to see Jennifer. He had thought he’d salvage something of the night. But he kept seeing Blair’s wounded face. He had hurt her, unintentionally, but still he’d been the cause of her pain. He didn’t like that. It left a bitter taste in his mouth and he had no desire to be with Jennifer or any other woman. So he drove home, determined to put the evening and Blair behind him.

But his first thoughts this morning were of her. “Damn you, Blair Logan, stay out of my head,” he shouted to the room. He got up, coffee in hand, and walked into the bathroom. He set the mug on the vanity as he stared at himself in the mirror. His dark hair was tousled across his forehead and he had a growth of dark beard. He drew one hand over the stubble and did a double take. He raked his hair back to look more closely at his temples. Gray hair! His hair was turning gray. Damn, when did that happen?

The absurdity of it hit him and he started to laugh. What the hell did he care if he had gray hair? But he was getting older, and he wasn’t any closer to settling down than he’d been ten years ago. That was what bothered him. He didn’t want to spend the rest of his life alone.

He left the bathroom, opened a drawer and pulled out a tank top and jogging shorts. He slipped into them, then hurried toward the front door. He ran two miles every morning, and he was going to run until all his frustrations were gone. Then he’d call Jennifer, apologize again, and tonight he’d deal with the rest of his frustrations. Assuming Jennifer was willing to help, of course… That was his plan, anyway.

And Blair? Well, Blair had her own problems and he didn’t want any part of them. It would probably take a team of psychiatrists to sort out her issues with her father. He stopped with his hand on the doorknob. Hell, that was one thing he and Blair had in common—he had issues with his father, too. They actually had something to talk about. He shook his head, ridding himself of that idea. He wasn’t talking to Blair. He wasn’t doing anything with Blair except forget he’d ever met her.

Dammit, Blair, stay out of my head.

WHEN BLAIR GOT to her office, she knew something was wrong. People were rushing through the corridors, phones were ringing and everyone was ignoring her.

“April.” She interrupted Evan’s secretary. “What’s going on?”

“I can’t talk now. I’ve got a million things to do,” she said nervously as she hurried off.

Must be some major new case, Blair thought, entering her office. She’d find out later. She put her heavy briefcase on the desk and sat down to study her calendar. Her parents hadn’t called this morning; neither had Blake. That was strange. She’d expected them to phone just to find out how she was. Especially Blake—she’d expected to find him on her doorstep. Maybe they were still upset with her for ruining the party and making a fool of herself. But most of all, she’d driven Lucas away. Her father wasn’t going to forgive her so easily for that.

She sighed; she’d call Lucas later today and try to make amends. It didn’t matter to her if he worked for Logan and Associates. She wasn’t sure why it had bothered her so much last night. Well, actually, she did know. So many things had happened yesterday, and Lucas had been the final straw, so to speak. Today her head was clear, so she could deal with Raye, Lucas and anything else.

There was a tap at the door and April poked her head around. “Evan wants to see you immediately.”

“I’ll be right there,” Blair responded, figuring that now she’d find out what was going on.

When she made her way to Evan’s office, she discovered that the room was full—every A.D.A. seemed to be present and Blair knew that something important was taking place.

“Ah, Blair,” Evan said when he saw her. “Come in.”

She smiled at the other A.D.A.s, but everyone avoided looking at her. Evan nodded and they filed out of the room.

“Have a seat,” Evan invited.

Blair sat down and glanced at the door. “Why’s everyone so…tense?”

“How are you?” he asked, ignoring her question.

She knew he must be talking about the message on her windshield. “I’m okay. They’re still checking out my car.”

“I’ll see that Roger stays on it. I won’t have my A.D.A.s threatened.”

“Thanks, Evan.”

There was a moment’s silence, then Evan asked, “Have you spoken to your father this morning?”

Blair gave him a puzzled look. “No. Why?”

Evan folded his hands across his desk. “I’ve got something to tell you and I’m not sure how to start.”

Blair laughed slightly. “That’s not true. You always know what you’re going to say before you say it.”

“This is a rather delicate situation.”

That made Blair nervous. This “delicate” situation obviously involved her father. She had no idea what it could possibly be, so she waited, knowing Evan would find the words eventually.

“There’s been a second arrest in the Bonnie Davis murder.”

Blair watched Evan closely, unable to see exactly how her father was affected by this. Since he’d been Easton’s attorney, he shouldn’t have any dispute with a second arrest.

“That’s great,” she offered. “But I’m not sure how this concerns my father.”

Evan shook his head. “You don’t have an inkling, do you, Blair?”

“No,” she replied tartly, tired of Evan’s cat and mouse game. “So tell me.”

“The private investigator the Davises hired did a very thorough job—better than the police ever managed. He found witnesses who’d seen the suspect with Easton and Davis. He found another witness who saw the suspect get into the car with Easton and Davis. And he got DNA evidence from the suspect that matches the skin under Bonnie’s fingernails.”

“Wow. Sounds like you’re not going to have a problem convicting this guy.”

“No, I don’t think so.”

Suddenly Blair felt a glimmer of excitement. There was a reason Evan was telling her all this. A reason he’d spoken to the other A.D.A.s before her. And that reason was probably why they seemed uncomfortable around her. Everyone wanted this high-profile case. She decided to get straight to the point. “Evan, have you decided to let me handle the case?”

She sat forward, on the edge of her seat, as she waited for his answer.

“No, Blair, you won’t be handling this case.”

She took a deep breath. “Well, then I don’t understand what’s going on.”

“We made two arrests this morning.”

“Two?” she echoed.

Evan’s green eyes caught hers. “Sam Logan and Blake Logan.”

Blair put a hand to her head in confusion. “I—I thought you said Sam Logan and Blake Logan.”

“I did,” came the chilling words.

She felt the color drain from her face. “What—what did you arrest them for?”

“I don’t think you’re following me.”

“I guess not,” she muttered, “because I’m completely lost.”

“We arrested Blake for the rape and murder of Bonnie Davis and we arrested Sam for obstructing justice, withholding evidence and probably a lot of other things we haven’t thought of yet.”

A tortured sound escaped Blair and the world spun away, leaving her suspended, alone and afraid. For a moment she was consumed by the horror of it all, but her mind quickly rejected what Evan was saying.

“No,” she moaned. “That’s not true.”

There had to be a mistake.

“I’m afraid it is.”

“No, it isn’t,” she said again, refusing to even contemplate such a thing.

“The evidence doesn’t lie. Haven’t you always believed that?”

“Yes,” she answered quietly.

But there had to be a mistake.

“The skin under Bonnie’s nails matches Blake’s DNA, and we have proof that Sam knew of his son’s involvement all along. He paid Easton to keep quiet—that’s why Easton never identified the other boy. Sam figured he’d get Easton off and both boys would be free and clear, but it didn’t turn out that way.”

For a moment nothing registered in her mind except the cream walls and the pictures of Evan’s children hanging there. Two girls and a boy—laughing, happy. Then everything started to spin. Evan’s concerned face, the pictures, the walls, they all spun around and around in her head until the truth exploded through the confusion with searing pain.

Blair still refused to accept it. “There has to be a mistake.”

“No mistakes.” Evan paused. “I’m just sorry Sam didn’t tell you before this broke.”

“Dad knew?” she whispered, the pain barely allowing her to speak.

Evan nodded. “Yeah, someone let something slip and Sam got wind of what was about to happen.”

Blair remembered the conversation she’d had with Evan yesterday. “You thought it was me,” she murmured.

“I didn’t know if you’d heard Carl or one of the others talking.”

“Everyone knows?”

“Just about, and in a way, I have to admire Sam for not telling you. It would’ve been highly unethical, considering your job. But Sam was getting all his affairs in order. He even tried to hire Lucas Culver, but Culver turned him down.”

Lucas? Lucas? Lucas?

So many things suddenly became clear in her throbbing head. Her father’s job offer. Lucas being invited to dinner. OhmyGod, what had she done? She’d been thinking about herself while her family was falling apart. OhmyGod, what had she done?

She swallowed and gathered the remnants of her sanity. “My brother did not rape or murder Bonnie Davis. I know him. He isn’t capable of a crime like that. And my father would never withhold evidence. He’s a tough lawyer, but he has ethics.”

“Well…” Evan inclined his head. “We’ll see what a jury thinks.”

She got to her feet, anger curling through the shattered fragments of her heart. “How can you do this? They’re my family!”

“I’m not doing it out of spite, Blair,” he told her. “I’m doing it for justice—the same thing you’ve always fought for.”

Blair closed her eyes as turbulent emotions threatened to overcome her. Her brother wasn’t guilty and there was no way Evan could make her believe otherwise.

“Still want to prosecute this case?” Evan asked arrogantly.

Her eyes flew open, her blue eyes burning him like a laser. “That’s cruel.”

Evan picked up a pencil and tapped it on his desk. “It might be, but you and I both know you have a choice to make. You can’t play both sides.”

Her eyes continued to burn. “You’ll have my written resignation in an hour.”

He laid the pencil down slowly. “It didn’t take you long to make that decision.”

“This is my family!” she shouted. “Do you even understand what that means?”

“Your brother committed a horrible crime. Do you understand what that means?”

She covered her ears with her hands. “Stop saying that!”

“It’s the truth, so you’d better start facing it because we’re going to prosecute this to the fullest extent.”

She removed her hands and tried to swallow the huge lump that had formed in her throat. After a moment, she asked, “Where are they?”

“In jail, of course,” was the quick response. “But I’m sure Johnson will have your father out in no time. Blake, that’s another matter. He’s a flight risk. I don’t know if I’m going to recommend bail.”

The lump in her throat became so large she couldn’t breathe. She struggled to maintain her poise. “He won’t flee. I promise.”

Evan twirled the pencil in his hand. “Are you asking me for a favor?”

“I’m asking you to be fair. That’s all.”

“I’ll give it some thought.”

“When can I see the evidence?”

Evan lifted an eyebrow. “Are you going to represent them?”

“No, but I want to see what we’re up against.”

Evan stared directly at her. “You’re not going to see a thing,” he said. “Blake’s lawyer is the only one who’ll be looking at the evidence. And I’d like to know who that is as soon as possible.”

“I’m sure you would.” She narrowed her eyes as something occurred to her. “How did you get Blake’s DNA sample?”

“Don’t worry, it’s all legal. You won’t find a loophole there.” Evan got to his feet. “I’m sorry it had to end like this, Blair. You’re a good attorney.” He shrugged, then added, “Gwen will take over your caseload. Be sure to talk to her about Raye’s sentencing.”

Blair didn’t say anything as she walked to the door. There was nothing left to say. Evan had made up his mind, and now she had to find a way to save her brother.

And her father.

LUCAS WAS SIGNING letters and finishing up some last-minute details. He had a hearing at the courthouse, then he was free for the rest of the day. He was looking forward to his evening with Jennifer. He’d gotten sidetracked by the Logan family, but he wasn’t making that mistake again. He’d told Jennifer about the job offer and she understood. He’d sent roses to show he was sincere.

Lucas glanced up as Joan burst through the door gasping for breath.

He stood immediately. “What’s wrong?”

“I…I…” She held a hand to her chest and took a gulp of air. “I…ran from my car… I had to tell you…what’s happening…”

“What?”

Joan collapsed into a chair. “Sam Logan’s been arrested.”

There was a long pause, then Lucas smiled. “Did you have margaritas with lunch again?”

Joan shook her head. “I only did that once and it was my sixtieth birthday and you don’t have to keep reminding me.”

“Well, you’re talking nonsense.”

“I am not,” she snapped. “Sam Logan’s been arrested and so has his son, Blake.”

The smile left Lucas’s face. “What the hell for?”

Joan spoke in a rush. “Years ago Mr. Logan represented Todd Easton for the murder and rape of a young girl. Mr. Logan lost the case and Easton broke out of jail and beat up Sam’s daughter for revenge. The police shot and killed Easton.” She took another breath. “There were two sets of skin under the girl’s nails, but they could never identify the other boy. Now they have. They say it’s Blake Logan and that Sam paid Easton to keep quiet.”

“Oh, God,” Lucas said, sinking into his chair. None of this made sense. “I met Blake last night and he seemed like a nice guy—clean-cut and decent.” He looked at Joan. “Are you sure about this?”

She raised her eyes to the ceiling, then got up and switched on the TV set in the corner. There, in living color, were Sam and Blake in handcuffs being escorted to jail. Reporters hovered around, throwing out questions that went unanswered. The TV reporter was giving an update of the events and it was pretty much as Joan had said.

“See?” Joan muttered, switching off the set. “So do you think this had anything to do with Mr. Logan’s job offer?”

The same thought had occurred to Lucas. “I’m not sure,” he admitted. “Sam has a very good team. Why would he need me?”

“Lucas Culver.” She sighed in annoyance. “You’re better than all of them put together and Sam Logan knows it. If you ask me, you’ll be getting a call from him.” She grabbed her side. “God, I’m too old to be running. I think I’m having a heart attack.”

“Don’t you dare have a heart attack,” he called out as she walked into her own office.

“Such sympathy,” she mumbled, closing the door.

Lucas sat there, stunned. But one thought kept invading his mind—Blair. How was she taking this? She and Blake were twins—this had to be hard for her. He straightened. Oh, God, Blair worked in the D.A.’s office. How in the hell was she handling that? Even as he asked the question, he knew the answer. He’d bet she’d already resigned. He didn’t know Blair well, but he knew her loyalty was with her family.

He went over last night’s events in his head. Did Blair know what was going to happen? Was that why she seemed nervous and edgy? Blair suppressed her emotions, so it was difficult to tell. But his heart ached for her and that threw him. The woman had done everything but scratch his eyes out, yet here he was feeling sorry for her.

God, what a mess.

But it wasn’t his mess.

By the end of the week he’d be with Jacob, Miranda and the kids. He needed that peace and the serenity Jacob was always talking about. He sighed. The older he got, the more he was becoming like his big brother. Maybe that wasn’t a bad thing, though.

As he signed the last letter, his thoughts returned to Blair. He told himself that he shouldn’t waste his time; she wouldn’t appreciate his concern. She’d already told him that. Then why in hell couldn’t he stop thinking about her?

Dammit, Blair.