Nothing but the Truth by John Lescroart Read Free Book Online

somewhere. Here in the jail, time pressed on them. “All right, so I assume you verified Ron’s alibi.”
     
     
    “I did.”
     
     
    “And after that?”
     
     
    “Well, this lawyer, the prosecutor, do you know a Scott Randall?”
     
     
    Hardy shook his head. “I’ve heard the name. He’s the guy who put you here?”
     
     
    She nodded. “He asked if Ron had told me about any problems between him and his wife that might have something to do with what happened to her.”
     
     
    “Why would he have told you that? Why did this Scott Randall think to ask that?”
     
     
    “I don’t know, but he did.”
     
     
    Their eyes met across the room again, and this time Hardy left the doorway and came back to the table, sitting on a corner of it. “So what did you say?”
     
     
    “I said he had.” She shrugged. “So Mr. Randall asks me what it was, to tell the grand jury what Ron had told me.”
     
     
    “And?”
     
     
    “And I couldn’t do that.”
     
     
    “Why not?”
     
     
    “Because I’d promised Ron I wouldn’t.”
     
     
    “Okay, so what was it, this big secret?”
     
     
    She looked up at him imploringly. “Dismas, come on.”
     
     
    At this moment, before Hardy could respond, there was a knock at the door and the guard admitted Abe Glitsky, who was a study in controlled rage of his own. Stealing a quick look at Frannie, his eyes narrowed for a millisecond and the scar between his lips went white. Then he focused on Hardy. “It’s not happening,” he said. “Braun’s not budging.”
     
     
    Instinctively, forgetting their disagreements, Hardy reached a hand out on the table and Frannie took it. He looked down at her and her eyes were brimming. He didn’t blame her.
     
     
    “I can’t stay here, Dismas. Abe?”
     
     
    Miserable, the two men looked at each other. They didn’t have to say anything. Jail was a reality in both of their lives. When a judge ordered it, people wound up staying all the time. Finally, Hardy let out a breath. “So what’s left, Abe? What are our options?”
     
     
    The lieutenant was shaking his head. “I don’t know. I could talk to the desk, maybe get her in AdSeg.”
     
     
    “What’s that?” Frannie asked. “I’m right here, guys. Don’t third-person me.”
     
     
    “Administrative segregation,” Glitsky explained to her. “Basically it’s isolation, a nicer cell. Keep you away from the general population, which you want, trust me on this.”
     
     
    “This can’t be happening,” Hardy said.
     
     
    “Evidently,” Abe went on, looking at Frannie, “you broke the first rule of the courtroom—you don’t insult the judge.”
     
     
    “She’s a pompous ass,” Frannie retorted. “She insulted me first.”
     
     
    “She’s allowed to insult you. It’s in her job description. What did you say to her?”
     
     
    “I told her I held her in contempt, that this whole thing was contemptible . . .”
     
     
    Hardy was shaking his head, believing it all now. When Frannie got her dander up, watch out.
     
     
    “It got her four days,” Glitsky said.
     
     
    “ Four days? ” Hardy gathered himself for a beat. “This isn’t about some secret?”
     
     
    “What secret? Not that I heard from Chomorro. It’s about Braun.” Glitsky changed to a hopeful tone. “Maybe she’ll talk to you tomorrow, Diz.”
     
     
    “No maybe about it,” Hardy said. “I’ll tackle her in the hallway if I have to.”
     
     
    Frannie reached across the table. “Dismas, you can’t let them keep me here. The kids need me. This is some horrible mistake. It just started with this stupid promise. That’s all they wanted.”
     
     
    “So what is it? Tell me—I promise, I won’t tell anybody. You can hire me as your attorney and it’ll be privileged. Nobody will ever know and maybe we can use it as a chip. I’ll go wake up the judge at her house, explain the situation—”
     
     
    Glitsky butted in. “I wouldn’t do that.