Matthew's Children

“We need to establish your relationship with Sarah Boutin.”

“There was no relationship!” Wally’s face reddened.

“Would you know her if you saw her?”

“Well, sure. Her twin brother plays for the Blazers. She used to watch all the games and often showed up at practices, too.”

“The practices?” That was unusual. Mostly, it was just the players who attended those. “Why?”

“She said girls’ soccer was boring and she liked working out with the boys better. I used to let her join in on some of the drills and exercises.”

“So you treated her just like the other kids on the team?”

“Well, not always. Sometimes she would follow me around and try to talk.”

“Did you have time to do that?” Jane seemed surprised.

“Not really. When you’re running a practice, you’re pretty busy. Setting up exercises, watching the kids, providing feedback.”

“What did Sarah like to talk about?” Matthew asked.

“I didn’t pay that much attention. Like I said, I couldn’t. But I do recall that she talked about her dad a lot. Her folks split up not that long ago. I gather her father left town. It was pretty obvious she missed having the old man around.”

Matthew nodded. At the preseason soccer party Sarah and Robert’s mother, Claudia Boutin, had cornered him. She’d told him that she, too, would soon be divorced. There had been a few awkward moments when he’d wondered if she was hitting on him.

He’d been rescued from potential embarrassment when Wally had asked for a volunteer to barbecue burgers. Matthew had practically raced out to the deck.

“It was pretty obvious the kid missed having her dad around,” Wally continued. “Frankly, she was disruptive, and I was often tempted to send her home, but I felt sorry for her and I didn’t.”

From his expression, he clearly regretted that decision. So did Matthew.

“Were you ever alone with her?”

“I’ve been thinking about that, and I can only think of one time.”

Damn. He’d been hoping there’d been no times. “What happened?”

“A thunderstorm brewed up during practice last week. I had the kids phone their parents to pick them up.”

Matthew remembered that night. Gillian had been busy with Violet’s gym class, so she’d phoned to see if he could get Derrick. He’d been at a meeting on the other side of the city, too far to reach the field on time. So he’d called Derrick and suggested he catch a ride with a neighbor.

“Did Sarah and Robert’s mother show up to get them?”

“No. I didn’t realize it, but Robert had accepted a ride home from a teammate who lived on the same block as the Boutins. I guess he forgot about his sister. When the storm hit, she was the only kid left on the field. The lightning seemed close. It was safer for the two of us to wait in my car. But her mother never did show up, and eventually, I drove Sarah home myself.”

Matthew glanced at Jane and saw the same dismay in her eyes that he was feeling. It was an emotion he did his best not to reveal as he asked, “How long were you and Sarah alone together?”

“Fifteen minutes, maybe twenty. If you count the drive home, half an hour.” Wally seemed to understand the potential danger in this, because he exploded with anger again. “What was I supposed to do? There was lightning, for God’s sake.”

“Where was the assistant coach?” Matthew wondered.

“Gone home.” Keller’s voice was little more than a growl. “He’d checked off all the boys’ names, so he decided he could leave.”

“Didn’t he realize Sarah was there?”

Keller shrugged. “You’ll have to ask him that. I sure as hell did.”

“Right.” Matthew got up from the table. “I’m going to grab a coffee. Changed your mind, Wally?”

The man hesitated, then nodded. Matthew left the room. This would give Jane an opportunity to question Wally without appearing to interrupt him. When he returned, Walter was in the middle of an answer.

“We were settling in okay before this happened.” He accepted the coffee with a faint thanks.

Good. She was filling in some of the background info. Matthew sat back in his chair and let Jane continue. She asked their client about his job and how the kids felt about the move. When she was done, Matthew had some more questions about Sarah. Over an hour passed before the meeting was finally concluded.

Together he and Jane escorted Keller to the elevator. Just before he got on, Wally turned to him.

“Thanks for helping me out, Matt. Three nights ago I met with the board of the soccer association. I could see the doubt on their faces when I told them I was resigning and why. Half of them have already decided that I’m guilty. But I’m not.” He stared Matthew straight in the eyes, his expression sincere and earnest.

Then the elevator arrived and he left.

“Do you believe him?” Jane asked quietly.

“Yeah. I think I do.”

Jane gave him a skeptical glance before sinking back against the paneled wall with only partly feigned exhaustion. “That was tough.”

Emotionally, yes, it had been. But Matthew’s adrenaline was flowing. He hadn’t felt so up for a new case in a long time. He didn’t kid himself why.

It was great working with Jane again.

“Want to go for a drink?”

She looked surprised, but her voice was collected. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

“I’m not married anymore, Jane. I believe it’s allowed.”

Chapter Four

SULLY’S TAVERN WAS A HALF flight of stairs below street level, just off Bushnell Park, and though it was a favorite haunt of trial lawyers, Jane hadn’t been there for over a year. She felt Matthew’s hand at the small of her back as she descended into the familiar, dimly lit haven. Matt guided her to one of the booths and her black skirt slid smoothly over the leather seat.

The music playing in the background was too subtle for her to place. She glanced around. Fewer than half the seats around them were occupied. She tented her hands on the clean, cool tabletop and waited until Matt was seated, too.

“It’s so quiet,” she said.

“Yeah. It’s weird to be here on a Monday.”

In the past they’d frequented Sully’s at the end of the work week. A bunch of them would gather here from Brandstrom and Norton—not just the partners but all the lawyers, and some admin staff, too. On Fridays the tavern was packed, the music loud and raunchy.