Beyond Innocence Read Online Free PDF

in the car, but first you’re going to have to explain what Julie Dalmar was doing at your house first thing in the morning.”
    Cory read the real question in Melinda’s eyes. “She didn’t spend the night if that’s what you’re asking.”
    “I was. But she has before, am I right?”
    Technically, no. Julie always left before dawn. She could only sleep in her own bed, always had an early morning, didn’t want to keep Cory awake by tossing and turning. None of her excuses explained why she never invited Cory to her place. As always, Cory ignored her desire to push for answers. She spent her professional life asking questions, but in her personal life she found it was fairly easy to gloss over personal curiosities.
    Melinda, on the other hand, never let up until she got answers. Cory hoped she could get away with being thin on detail. “We’ve slept together, if that’s what you’re asking.”
    “That’s exactly what I was asking. Don’t you think that complicates things? Didn’t she work with you on the Nelson case?”
    “Don’t go there.”
    “I will go wherever I think I need to. She’s your boss, right?”
    “She was my boss. She’s not my boss now.” Cory knew she was mincing words again, but the distinction was important for a number of reasons.
    “I need to know everything in order to properly defend you.”
    “I don’t need defending. What I need is to put this whole affair,” Cory winced at her own poor word choice, “behind me. Tell me what you have planned for this morning and I’ll let you know if I’m up for it. Last I remember, the client gets to call the shots. Right?” She fixed her face into a neutral expression and waited out Melinda’s scrutiny. Finally, Melinda shook her head and acquiesced to the change in subject.
    “Sure. Whatever you want. I’ve worked out an arrangement with the hearing examiner. You’ll perform some community service restitution and the case will be dismissed. You’ll have a note about the sanction on your record until the restitution is complete and then it will come off and you’ll be free to resume your regularly scheduled programming—putting bad guys away.”
    Could it really be as simple as that? Cory jumped on the plan. “Sounds great. I’ll take it.”
    “You sure about that? You don’t get to pick your own community service. The bar does—take it or leave it. If you’ve got some good defenses to raise at a hearing, you should consider that route, but I can’t help you make that decision unless you talk to me about exactly what happened with the Nelson case.”
    “There’s nothing to talk about.” Cory wasn’t going to fall into the trap of discussing her personal life. Melinda was one of her best friends, but she didn’t trust her to put aside her lawyer role in favor of friendship. Someday they’d share the story over cocktails. When this whole ordeal was way behind her. “So if there’s no hearing, where are you taking me?”
    “Call it incredible service, but I’m escorting you to your first day of community service.” Melinda turned into a parking lot and gestured at the building ahead.
    Cory couldn’t tell anything about the place from the outside, but she was anxious to get inside and get started. The sooner she could put this behind her, the sooner she could find her way back to normal. Whatever that was.

Chapter Four
     
    “Are you sure you have everything you need?”
    Serena shook her head. Her adoptive parents had been asking that question her entire life and had taken whatever steps were necessary to make sure all her needs were met. In the fifteen minutes they’d stood at the ticket counter, Marion had offered her chewing gum, Kleenex, spending money—everything a mother could offer her child short of taking on the task herself. Yesterday, at lunch, she’d come close to offering that. Today, she renewed the offer. “I can still go with you, if you want.”
    “Thank you, but no. This is something I