Jigsaw (Black Raven Book 2) Read Online Free PDF

“Not at all.”
    “I’d like to thank you for accepting the appointment. I know that you have, for several years, worked closely with Stanley Morgan. Please accept my condolences.”
    “Thank you.”
    “You were highly recommended by the ITT judges. In particular, Judge Theodore O’Connor. I’m calling to underscore the importance of your position. Our country needs to be the leader in this trial, and the judges will depend on you to assist them in making this proceeding a success. I trust you will hold your own when you advocate to the other judges for France, Columbia, and the U.K. I have every confidence you will succeed. The world is watching,” he said. “I’m watching. If you need any assistance from me, please do not hesitate to ask.”
    “Thank you for this opportunity, Mr. President. I assure you I will not disappoint you.”
    “Goodnight, Ms. Fairfax.”
    He clicked off the call. She drew a deep breath as she returned the business phone to Charles and lifted her laptop from the couch. She sat down again with the computer on her lap.
    “Well?” Charles asked, his dark brown eyes questioning. He had a neat, cardigan-wearing look that reminded Samantha of an old-time librarian. His conservative clothing and calm demeanor gave him a knack for blending into his surroundings.
    She reminded herself that she was leading a team and their reaction would feed off of hers. Though her insides were shaky with the impact of the official call, she kept her voice calm as she repeated the substance of the short conversation to Charles, Eric, and Abe.
    “Now…” she paused. “Back to the briefing memo.”
    Eric, who became second chair attorney of the Amicus team when she became first chair, Abe, now third chair attorney, and Charles, who multitasked as her paralegal, secretary, and personal aide, had been waiting for her to press send on the email that would deliver the memo to the judges. Their work wasn’t over for the day until the daily memo went through. Their security detail, a team of U.S. Marshals, stood in the hallway, outside the closed door.
    Whether Stanley Morgan’s death the evening before had been a heart attack caused by an accidental overdose of insulin, whether he had intentionally overdosed himself, or whether someone had forced an overdose upon him were open questions. Samantha’s job didn’t include figuring out the answers, because the ITT proceedings wouldn’t pause, and she had no time to take a side bar to investigate.
    Her name had been on prior nightly briefing memos, but safely tucked beneath Morgan’s. Position in the signature block meant everything in the legal world. In ITT proceedings it meant ask the guy on top the hard questions.
    Now, I’m the guy on top .
    As President Cameron had just reminded her, the world was watching. Instead of pressing send, she pressed print, giving herself an extra few seconds. The last protection from the antacid she’d eaten an hour earlier—in the bathroom, away from the watchful eyes of her team—had worn off with the phone call. With one month to conduct proceedings and reach a verdict, a twisted knot of trepidation had formed in her belly and wouldn’t loosen. President Cameron’s call torqued the knot even tighter, yet she kept a calm expression on her face.
    “Charles, would you get the memo for me? I’d like to proofread it one more time.”
    Charles stood, crossed the room, lifted the document off the printer, returned to her side, and handed it to her. She flipped the pages and scanned it, searching for errors that she knew were nonexistent.
    The judges would reach a verdict on March first. One short month away. Her stomach knew the task was mission impossible, despite her assurance to President Cameron that she wouldn’t disappoint him. Like everyone else, she pretended everything was under control.
    I can handle this. I can.
    In keeping with protocol, the nightly briefing memo went to the U.S. judges, the three sitting on the