Beyond Innocence by Carsen Taite Read Free Book Online

ripe for a writ.” He directed his attention to Serena. “Have you hired an investigator yet?”
    Ian spoke for her. “We plan to work on that today. Ms. Washington came here directly from the airport.”
    “Cory, I bet you have some good contacts.”
    Paul’s voice startled her out of her staring. “Contacts?”
    “For a private investigator?”
    “Sure. No problem.” She lied. She didn’t work with private investigators. She worked with cops and the finest investigators the DA’s office had on staff. Not a likely pool of candidates to try to clear a death row inmate. Still, something kept her from expressing her disdain in Serena’s presence. She barely knew her and she couldn’t stand the thought of disappointing her. Well, that would have to change. She didn’t plan to be around long enough to get involved in this woman’s or her brother’s lives and she didn’t plan on getting too involved in any of the cases the clinic handled. She’d do simple tasks, bide her time, and get back to the life she knew, the one she was passionate about.
    Passion. Didn’t the punch in the gut attraction she’d felt when Serena walked in the door foretell passion? She squelched the thought before it could take hold. No good came of feelings reeling out of control.
    Paul stood. The meeting was apparently over. “Let me know who you hire. I’ll want to meet them, but Cory will be primary liaison. Cory, why don’t you huddle with Ian and Ms. Washington and we can talk later about our next steps?”
    Cory shot a look at Serena. Her expression of displeasure surprised her. She didn’t necessarily want to huddle with the sister of a clinic client, but she hadn’t expected a reciprocal reaction. Especially not after the sparks she’d felt during their handshake. Could she have imagined a mutual attraction? Didn’t matter. She had work to do if she was going to find her way back to the job she loved, and she wasn’t about to let anything get in the way.
     
    *
     
    Something about Cory Lance was familiar in an unsettling way. Serena watched her closely during the meeting with Paul. By the time the meeting ended, she was convinced she had never met Cory. She’d remember if she had. She’d taken every opportunity to study her, and while she pretended her interest was purely professional, it wasn’t. Attraction fueled her close inspection. Distracting attraction, obsession almost. Cory was a forceful magnet, and her steely resolve was no match for her pull. It would have to be. She’d risked everything to come here, to work on Eric’s case. She had to remain focused.
    When Paul suggested she “huddle” with Cory, she opened her mouth to protest, but shut it again when she realized she didn’t have a clue what to say. I can’t possibly work with someone who makes my insides melt? Don’t you have any other attorneys who aren’t so attractive? Can I work with a man? She listened to her internal litany and gave in to Paul’s request. She’d managed all these years; surely she could keep it together for a bit longer.
    As they walked out of Paul’s office, Cory spoke to Ian. “How about lunch? We can talk while we eat.” She reached into her suit pocket. “Oh shit. I just realized I don’t have my car with me.”
    Ian jingled a set of keys. “I’ve got plenty of room. Is Hillstone all right with you?”
    “Perfect.”
    “I’ll bring my notes and we can discuss the points of error.”
    Serena watched the exchange, immediately feeling like an outsider. Lawyers . She wondered if this was how Eric had felt during his trial, watching his life play out with no control about the direction it was headed. The people managing it speaking in code. Determined to wrest back some control, she pulled out the keys to the rental car. “I’ll drive. I need to learn my way around. You two can navigate.”
    Ian and Cory exchanged glances. “Sounds good,” Ian said. Serena led the way to her car. Ian was on her heels, but