Page 10 of Defend Me

“Good morning, Harold,” I say to my boss.

“Looks like you’ve got yourself one high profile case,” he says.

“Dad called?”

He chuckles. “Yesterday.”

“Will this be a problem for the firm?” I ask. I don’t want to jeopardize my position.

“There’s no such thing as bad publicity, my dear girl. And this is going to be news, once the shit hits the fan. Prepare yourself for that.”

A shiver runs up my spine. More reporters. It’s going to be like when Mom died all over again. Fucking vultures, out for any angle they can get.

“I’ve never tried a murder case before,” I say. “I’ll need help.”

“You want Grayson,” Harold says.

“I do.”

He sighs and there’s a long pause. I can tell he’s weighing what would be best for the firm with losing one of his top junior associates. But if I’m the face of this defense, it’s going to reflect back on Phillips, Brace, and Horowitz no matter what.

“Fine,” he says.

“Thank you,” I reply.

“What time is the arraignment?” he asks.

“Tomorrow at nine.”

“Who’s the judge?”

“I don’t know yet.”

“You’ll ask for bail?”

“Obviously.”

“I’m sure this young man will get it. Even with what he’s charged with, it’s a first offense and he’s certainly got ties to the community.”

Whatever bail they offer, Dad will take care of it.

“Once he’s out, I’ll do a thorough interview with him,” I say. “I’m also looking into getting our own experts to dispute the fingerprint.”

“Good. I’ll send you a list of the people we use.”

“Thanks.”

“Who’s prosecuting the case?”

“Wilbur Jenkins. Some local—Noah says he’s fair, but Noah’s a cop. He thinks everyone on that side of the aisle is as by-the-book as he is. I don’t know the man. I’ve never really paid much attention to the politics of Magnolia Bay.”

I should talk to Finn. He’s all about politics. He’s the vice president of the Magnolia Bay City Council—something he rarely stops mentioning.

“Well, it’s time to get involved,” Harold says. “I’ll call Grayson now and tell him to pack a bag. Is there somewhere he can stay while he’s in town?”

“I’ll figure something out,” I say. We have guestrooms in the mansion, but I don’t want Grayson staying here. My family home is full enough as it is.

And this could take years before it goes to trial.

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