Miscarriage Of Justice by Bruce A Borders Read Free Book Online

house once he’d been released were about the same as her winning the lottery. Still, she couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling.
    Seeking some small sign of reassurance, Mariana looked back at the notice she still clutched in her fingers. The date of Ethan Rafferty’s release was the eighth. That had been two weeks ago. I really should check my mail more often, the D.A. thought, “Or not,” she mused aloud. She’d definitely felt a lot safer; not knowing the man was free.
    However, now that she’d been made aware of it, she would definitely be watching over her shoulder. Call it paranoia, or just plain fear; the now thirty-nine-year-old woman didn’t relish the notion of being surprised by Ethan, in her home or anyplace else. Not that she was afraid of a confrontation with the man, but the potential outcome of such an encounter did raise some cause for concern.
    “Never know what an ex-con will do,” she muttered, crumpling the notice and throwing it into the trash. She had never known even one of them to try anything, most were just glad to be out of prison, and more than happy to leave the past behind them. Why should this one be any different?
    Yet, she knew why he would be different. He admittedly, was an innocent man. Railroaded and shafted by the system, he’d spent fifteen years in the custody of the state, thanks to her. She smiled wryly. “I guess I can’t blame him if he’s a little ticked off.”
    She did take some solace in the fact that despite having been convicted of murder, Ethan Rafferty wasn’t a killer. All indications, from an in-depth background probe, made during the course of the trial, suggested he was a calm, and rational man. The prison reports she’d just read further substantiated that assessment stating he’d been a model prisoner, exhibiting exemplary behavior throughout his stay. Sure, he was no doubt angry and even a little outraged, but men who are passive by nature usually do not suddenly become murderers or stalkers.
    Mariana continued to think about the man long after crawling into bed, telling herself Ethan represented no threat and his release brought no cause for concern. Eventually, the District Attorney convinced herself she was in no danger.
    Yawning, the sleepy-eyed Mariana glanced again at the clock. It was almost two a.m.! Feeling confident she was safe, Mariana snuggled her head onto the pillow. Tomorrow would be another big day, preparing for another major case in court. As usual, things looked good for her and if all went well another defendant would soon be pronounced guilty and on his way to prison. In her typical strident manner, she’d again wrangled a decisive victory. An involuntary smirk formed on her face. Nearly sixteen years as a prosecutor and still winning hadn’t lost its thrill. The feeling was very much the same as she’d experienced the first time, in the Rafferty case. Well, not exactly. This time, the defendant was actually guilty, or so she believed.
     
     

CHAPTER FOUR
     
     
     
    A prison, full of animosity, steeped in despair and ripe with rancor, is nothing if not a rumor mill. News travels fast, bad news faster. Particularly, news from the various departments of the judicial system. It’s been said the quickest way to find out what’s happening in law enforcement on the outside is to ask an inmate on the inside. Nowhere was this truer than at Granite Hills Correctional Facility.
    Ethan had been incarcerated for a little more than a month when he heard the story. Word had it there’d been a confession in the murder, the murder of which he’d been convicted. Mitch Evans, the “killer,” was being held in jail in a neighboring county on unrelated charges. According to the reports, the man would soon be transferred to Granite Hills. Ethan’s spirits soared as a newfound hope flickered to life.
    As fate would have it though, once it had been discovered the man had spent time in a mental institution, his confession had been summarily