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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

Butch opened his eyes when he heard heavy footsteps trudging up the stairs. He turned and waited, his stomach fluttering from nerves and dread. Below him, Terry Grimes crossed his legs, his hands still resting across his stomach, the picture of calm and cool.

Seconds later, Lou Horn stood in the doorway to the conference room. His face was ashen.

“Well?” Terry asked.

“No deal,” Lou said, moving his gaze from Terry to Butch. “Trial begins this afternoon at one thirty.” Lou staggered toward the table and grabbed the pint of George Dickel. After pausing for a couple of seconds to let out a raspy breath, he took a long swallow.

“What in the hell are you doing?” Butch asked, snatching the pint from Lou’s sweaty hand. “You can’t be drinking four hours before the start of trial. Are you crazy?”

“Easy, boy,” Lou said, reaching for the pint. “I know exactly what I’m doing.”

While Lou and Butch stared each other down, Terry stood from his chair and put his hands in his pockets. “If you have a plan, Lou, why don’t you enlighten us?”

Lou’s fingers clasped around the bottle, and Butch finally released his grip.

The defense lawyer took another long sip and sighed. Then he peered at Butch with hollow eyes. “Buying you some time.”

4

4

At 10:30 a.m., Helen walked briskly out of the courtroom. Her prediction to Lou Horn had come to fruition. Of the twenty-eight cases on the docket other than Zannick’s, all but four were resolved with a plea agreement, and the remainder were continued. Now, Judge Page was taking the pleas while Gloria Sanchez and each defendant’s respective attorney stood by to answer any questions. Before beginning the process of officially entering the plea agreements, Page had assured Helen that the Zannick trial would start that afternoon at 1:30 p.m. sharp.

Helen felt her heartbeat racing as she headed down the hallway to her office. Some lawyers couldn’t handle the pressure and intensity of criminal prosecution, but Helen Lewis lived for it.

The countless hours of preparation. The patience, persistence, and backbone required to handle the various personalities of witnesses, opposing lawyers, and judges. And the day-to-day hassle of settlement dockets and taking pleas.

It was a brutal grind, but the buzz she felt right now made everything worth it. Helen stopped when she reached the sign reading DISTRICT ATTORNEY GENERAL. She took a deep breath and straightened her suit.

In a rape trial, the most important witness was the victim. Making sure Amanda Burks was ready for what awaited her in the courtroom would be the difference between winning and losing. Over the course of the past six months, Helen had met with Mandy at least fifty times to go over her story and to prepare her both for the questions that Helen would ask on direct examination and, perhaps even more importantly, the accusations that Lou Horn would hurl on cross.