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Back Legacy of Lies Save as PDF
Chapters (88)
  1. TITLE PAGE
  2. COPYRIGHT PAGE
  3. DEDICATION
  4. CONTENTS
  5. PART ONE
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. PART TWO
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. 32
  39. 33
  40. 34
  41. 35
  42. 36
  43. 37
  44. 38
  45. PART THREE
  46. 39
  47. 40
  48. 41
  49. 42
  50. 43
  51. 44
  52. 45
  53. 46
  54. 47
  55. 48
  56. 49
  57. 50
  58. 51
  59. 52
  60. 53
  61. 54
  62. 55
  63. 56
  64. 57
  65. 58
  66. 59
  67. PART FOUR
  68. 60
  69. 61
  70. 62
  71. 63
  72. 64
  73. 65
  74. 66
  75. 67
  76. 68
  77. 69
  78. 70
  79. 71
  80. 72
  81. 73
  82. 74
  83. 75
  84. 76
  85. 77
  86. EPILOGUE
  87. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  88. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Helen glared at Lou, whose pale face had broken out in sweat. She ignored the question. “The rest of the cases on this docket are probably going to plea out or be continued. If Zannick doesn’t take the deal I’ve offered, then we’re teeing it up in a few hours.”

Lou took a step back and squinted at her. “You’re gonna regret this.”

Before Helen could respond, Lou turned and walked away. Helen squeezed her hands into fists, reeling from the encounter. She’d tried cases against Lou Horn since the late 1980s, and, though their discussions had often been spirited, the crotchety defense lawyer had never insinuated that a decision might affect her political standing.

Dick Selby took his place in front of her. “General, you look nice today. I like your shoes.”

Helen rolled her eyes, grateful for a return to the familiar. “I’ve worn the same brand of high heels for twenty years, Dick. If you’re going to be such a serial ass-kisser, you could at least become good at it.”

His face fell, and his slim shoulders sagged. “Can you do any better for me on Paulson? Maybe reckless driving and community service?”

“No, he has to plead to DUI. I can lower the fine to four hundred dollars, but once we start striking the jury, all offers are off the table, and I’ll seek the maximum fine of fifteen hundred dollars as well as sixty days in jail. What says Mr. Paulson?”

Dick grimaced, but he didn’t hesitate. “He’ll take the deal.”

3

3

The law firm of Frederick A. Renfroe, LLC, was located on West Madison Street a block from the courthouse. Three doors down from the office was the two-story square building where, on Christmas Eve of 1865, six Confederate veterans had formed the Ku Klux Klan. For decades, a plaque commemorating the founding of one of the world’s foremost hate groups had been plastered to the front of the building, but in 1989, the owner had removed the monument and then welded it on backward. Now, all you could see when you passed by was a blank green-and-black slab.