Page 1 of Sawyer
PROLOGUE
Lele
Leyla Cortez stood on the front steps of the courthouse, blinded by the flashing lights of the cameras. Reporters’ questions hit her like the blast of a shotgun, each one a pellet leaving its mark.
Too much noise.
Too much attention.
Too much everything.
She leaned into her stepbrother, Hector's, side, grateful she could always rely on him to be there for her. She never would have made it through Jaxon Ruick’s trial if it hadn't been for him. He'd been by her side every minute of the past few months.
He smiled and waved, stepping in to answer every question the reporters threw at her. If he didn't have an arm draped over her shoulder, she would've stood behind him. He was much better at the spotlight than she was. All she wanted to do was disappear.
Questions from the defense attorney had battered her mind. He did everything he could to make her out to be a liar. But she hadn't been lying. At least she didn't think she’d been lying.
God, she hoped she hadn't been lying.
The medicine the doctor had given her had calmed her down, but it had made her brain fuzzy. She could barely keep up. Thankfully, Hector's personal lawyer coached her, preparing her for everything Jaxon's lawyer might ask.
Hector had given her advice as well. "Just answer the questions they ask, Lele. Don't offer anything extra. And if possible, just answer yes or no."
She’d done her best. When she’d told Hector’s lawyer she had no actual knowledge of some of the details of the prosecution's case, he'd glared at her.
Hector had glared, too. "Do you think I'd lie to you, Lele?"
She’d gasped, horrified. "No, of course not. I know you wouldn't lie to me, but if they ask me if I actually saw it myself, the truth is I didn't."
Hector's lawyer spoke up. "No, the truth of the matter is, if we don't put the strongest foot forward, a man who is poisoning children to line his pockets will get off scot-free. Is that what you want? Do you want innocent children's blood on your hands? Because that's what will happen if you don't do exactly what I say."
Hector turned on his lawyer. "Do not speak to her that way. Why don’t you get out and let me handle this?"
The lawyer scowled at her before stuffing his papers back in his briefcase. Snapping it shut, he strode from the room.
Hector turned back to her and wrapped his arms around her in a strong, comforting hug. "Don't pay any attention to him. He knows he gets a bonus if the verdict comes back guilty. Look at me, Lele."
Lele dutifully turned her gaze up to meet his.
He studied her for a moment. "Have I ever given you anyreason to think that I would intentionally lie in order to send an innocent man to prison?"
She shook her head. "Of course not. I know you wouldn't lie to me. You've always been there for me. It seems like I've spent my whole life drifting from one massive screw up to the next. My father was right. I'm a magnet for trouble."
"Don't talk like that. You've had some hard things happen, but you've always pulled through. I know you can't remember some of the things I told you happened that day. But you’re the one they called as a witness. If you don’t tell them you saw it with your own eyes, it won’t be admissible. He’s trying to put the blame on you, I suppose, by saying your car was at the drop site for the drugs. You know you weren’t there. And I know you weren’t there. But if you don't tell them your car wasn’t the one spotted on the CCTV cameras, then a very bad man will be free to roam the streets again and continue to harm children. I don't want to see that happen, do you?"
Her stomach rolled. She understood what her stepbrother was saying, but testifying to something she didn’t see with her own eyes still felt wrong.
She always did this. She made things more complicated than they had to be. Her car had been in her driveway when she’d gotten sick from food poisoning. It had been in the same spot the next morning. No one had a key to her car except her. Hector had to be right. The idea that it could’ve been her car was ridiculous.
On top of that, Hector wouldn't lie to her. He’d bailed her out of every scrape she’d gotten herself into since his mother had married her father.
Besides, if she spoke the truth, what did one or two white lies matter if it meant reaching the correct verdict?
"No, I don't. If you say my car was parked at home all day that day, I believe you. And if it's true, it shouldn't matter who says it."
It had all seemed so simple before she sat in the witness box.She said what she'd been told to say. She told the truth about what happened, even if she had to fudge the truth about how she knew.
A reporter shouted, "Mr. Cortez, is it true that you're considering a run for political office in your hometown of Elk Jaw?"
