BooksBarbecue
Back Carved in Stone Save as PDF
Chapters (52)
  1. Half Title Page
  2. Books by Elizabeth Camden
  3. Title Page
  4. Copyright Page
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. Historical Note
  48. Questions for Discussion
  49. Coming 2022
  50. About the Author
  51. Back Ads
  52. Back Cover

She banged a fist on the table. “I want to know,” she said in a voice that came from deep in her gut. “I grew up haunted by my brother’s absence. I pretended that he was still alive, that he would someday come back and be the strong, protective older brother I should have had all along. That’s impossible, but I owe it to William to uncover the truth about what happened to him.”

“I can’t help you, and I’m sorry for it,” he answered honestly.

“Sorry enough to tell what you know?”

He shook his head. “I’ll be in court on Friday morning, doing my best to see that Mick Malone gets the protection the Constitution affords him. No more, no less.”

“I’ll be there in the front row, waiting for you to make a mistake so I can pry the door of this case wide open.”

It would be best if she stayed away from the hearing. The family wasn’t wrong for trying to stop Mick’s book, but they were going to lose.

“Mrs. Kellerman, this memoir is going to be published,” he said as kindly as possible. “Don’t read it. Don’t think about it. Mick’s blatherings can’t undo the honorable work you and your father created at that college. Don’t let Mick drag you down into the muck with him.”

His words didn’t make a dent in her. The steely light of determination came back into her pale green eyes. “This will never be over for me,” she said. “Even if you win your court case. Even if Mick Malone sells a million copies of that book, I will come after you again and again and again, because I think you know what happened to my brother.”

He did, and that was what made this conversation so painful. He pushed away from the table and stood, unable to meet her eyes. “I’m sorry about what’s going to happen in court. You seem like a decent woman, and I want you to know that defending Mick gives me no pleasure.”

He began walking back to his office, but the pained expression on her face haunted him the entire way.

8

ch-fig

Patrick wore his new suit to the meeting with Mick’s editor at the publishing company. On most days he wore simple shirtsleeves with suspenders because it made his clients feel more comfortable, but when he talked business with the publisher, it was best to look sharp.

And he’d need to look extra sharp for court tomorrow, when the hearing for Blackstone vs. Carstairs Publishing was the first case on the docket. Carstairs Publishing was not New York’s finest imprint. Raymond Carstairs published a weekly tabloid filled with society gossip and crimes of lurid interest. Their books were dime-store westerns or seedy detective stories. The Mick Malone biography was going to be their crowning glory.