Straight from the Heart

She passed away while I was writing this book.

She is at peace now and she is with my dad and

she remembers. Momma, I love you—always.

And to the other mother in my life, my mother-in-law,

Faye White, who breaks the stereotypes about

mothers-in-law. Thanks for the love and support.

And a special thanks to Gil Schultz, the investigator, and

Laurie Siegert, my lawyer niece, who answered all my

questions with patience and understanding.

Any errors you find are definitely mine.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CHAPTER NINETEEN

EPILOGUE

CHAPTER ONE

BLAIR LOGAN HELD her breath as the jurors filed into the jury box. She studied their faces, trying to gauge their state of mind. Their solemn expressions told her nothing. Look at me, she begged. Let me know you’re on my side. But the jurors’ attention was focused on the judge. That wasn’t bad and it wasn’t good. She folded her hands in her lap and waited.

“Madam Foreperson, have you reached a unanimous verdict?” the judge’s voice rang out.

The foreperson stood. “Yes, we have, Your Honor,” she answered and handed a piece of paper to the bailiff. The bailiff took it to the judge, who read it quickly and handed it back.

“Will the defendant please rise,” the judge said.

Hector Raye, along with his attorney, Lucas Culver, got to their feet.

“What is your verdict, Madam Foreperson?” the judge asked.

“On the count of the indictment—murder in the first degree. We find the defendant guilty.”

Yes, yes, yes, ran jubilantly through Blair’s mind, but nothing showed on her face. She didn’t even blink at the rumble of noise and voices behind her. She was good at hiding her emotions.

“Quiet,” the judge ordered and banged his gavel. “So be it. Sentencing will be in two weeks. The jury is dismissed.” The gavel banged again.

Blair got to her feet and put papers into her briefcase with methodical movements. Outwardly she was cool and reserved, as always. Inside she was ecstatic. She had finally beaten Lucas Culver. She was determined that he wouldn’t beat her again. She felt like jumping up on the table and doing a dance of victory, but she would celebrate later.

As the guards came to escort Hector back to his cell, he suddenly jerked free and began to fight them. It didn’t take the guards long to restrain him.

“I’ll get you, bitch,” he screamed at Blair. “I’ll get you.”

Blair’s jubilance vanished in a wave of nausea and she had to take several deep breaths. She knew she had to get out of the courtroom and fast.

Lucas was taken aback at Hector’s outburst. He did his best to believe in his innocence, but he’d never liked the boy. He’d taken over the case from a colleague who had become ill. It was a bad situation, but he didn’t regret his decision to help Jim Tenney. The case was known as an open and shut, and there was very little he could do to throw doubt on Hector’s guilt. The loss didn’t sit too well with him, though. But in light of Hector’s behavior, he was thinking that maybe it wasn’t a bad verdict.

He’d looked at Blair during the disturbance, and her creamy white skin had paled. Of course, it was hard to tell with Blair, since she always wore that cool facade, but he knew Hector had gotten to her.

He picked up his briefcase and turned at the same time as Blair. They came face-to-face. She had dark hair, almost black, pulled back in a knot at the nape of her neck, giving her a stern, businesslike appearance, but he was mesmerized by her eyes. They were the most gorgeous blue he’d ever seen, clear and bright like a summer sky, and they seemed to look right through him. She had made it very plain on more than one occasion that he was not on her list of favorite people.

“Congratulations, Counselor,” he said, his lips curving into a slight smile.

“That’s one criminal you won’t be putting back on the street,” she replied sharply, unmoved by his smile.