Page 51 of Set In Stone

“The trial is just over three weeks away and I don’t know if that will allow me enough time to do what I need to do. I’m not asking you to drop the case, I’m just asking for time. Only you can make that happen. If you don’t, I’ll retract my statement and planned testimony. I’ll do anything to protect the man I love. I’m doing this for him, Mr.Green.”

He laughed then, but it wasn’t in humor. It sounded more stoic than anythingelse.

“Mr. Stone once told me that you’re stubborn as hell. He couldn’t have been moreright.”

I smiledsheepishly.

“Yeah, well…so I’ve been told from time totime.”

“You were pretty emphatic about seeing Charlie go away for a long time. I don’t believe that you would actually throw it all away, especially without good reason. I’m not saying that I’ll try to push back the trial, but your conviction has me curious. What’s yourplan?”

I exhaled the breath that I hadn’t realized I had been holding. I finally felt like we might be gettingsomewhere.

“I need to get to the reporter. I’m hoping to give him a new story so that he won’t publish the one Charliegave.”

“Who is thereporter?”

I hesitated before continuing, but ultimately decided that honesty was the best policy at thispoint.

“Mac Owens. FromThe CityTimes.”

“I’ve heard his name before, but don’t know him personally. He must not cover many trials,” he mused before continuing. “I don’t know what Charlie Andrews told this Mac Owens guy, but it must be big. You’ve already said that you can’t tell me the details, so I won’t ask for them again. However, whatever story you plan to replace it with has to be bigger. You know that,right?”

I closed my eyes, knowing this was another potential hole in my grand master plan. I didn’t know if I could go through with what I needed to do, not to mention the fact that I didn’t know if Mac Owens would even go for my offer. However, I refused to just sit on myhands.

“That’s up to Mac Owens to decide, I guess. But I have totry.”

“I’ll be perfectly honest. No judge will allow me to move the trial date based on what you’ve told me. However, what I can do is pay a visit to Charlie and feel him out. If he’s going to push for a plea again, I’ll need to plan accordingly. I don’t meet again with the presiding judge for another week. You have at least until then to do what you have to do. Take advantage of the time. You probably won’t get any more thanthat.”

I resigned myself to take what I could get at thispoint.

“Thank you so much, Mr. Green,” I told him, feeling relieved that he didn’t continue to pump me for information. I was about to stand up to leave, but then I remembered something. “You’ll keep this meeting between us, won’tyou?”

The corners of his mouth shifted to form a frown, but he eventually nodded hishead.

“I will for now. But if Mr. Stone finds out I’ve been to see Charlie Andrews, he’s is bound to ask questions. I will only be able to avoid his calls for so long,” hewarned.

“I know,” I acknowledged and began to fidget again nervously. “I’ll be in touch after I talk to Mac Owens. Keep your fingers crossed for me, willyou?”

“You’re going to need more than superstition on your side,Krystina.”

“Trust me. I know thattoo.”

Thomas Green and I said our goodbyes and I told him I would keep him posted on my progress. Even though I didn’t achieve what I set out to do originally, I still felt somewhat optimistic about the DA meeting withCharlie.

As I was walking down the corridor to exit the building, I felt my phone buzz in my purse. I pulled it out and saw that it was a text from my mother. I had no idea what she wanted, as I didn’t read the text. I was too distracted by a different notification that was also on the screen. I had a missed call. No voicemail was left, but I recognized the number. It belonged to MacOwens.

My heart started to race. He must have returned my call when I was meeting with the DA. I slid my finger over the touch screen to unlock the phone. I wasn’t due to meet Alexander and the architect until three. Hopefully I could arrange a meeting with the reporter sometime between now andthen.

Too preoccupied with what I would say during the phone call, I was paying little attention to anything around me as I began to dial Mac Owens. Unexpectedly, I slammed into a person in front of me. I stumbled back and my phone went clattering to thefloor.

“Shit!” I swore, and bent over to retrieve itquickly.

That damn cold medicine is turning my brain into a hazyfog.

When I stood back up to apologize to the person I had so rudely bumped into, Ifroze.

It wasHale.

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