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Back Legacy of Lies
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

“What I really need to know, General . . .” He paused. “. . . is what happened two nights ago at your ex-husband’s house?”

Helen blinked but continued to hold his eye. “Do you think it would have been better for Butch to know that I had been raped? That our child was actually fathered by a sociopath in Birmingham?”

“You were drugged. He would have—”

“He would have what? Understood? Understood how I couldn’t remember being fucked all night long by some yuppie prick?”

“You were raped, General. Don’t—”

“Don’t you patronize me, Bocephus Haynes. You know how my rape would have looked to Butch and everyone else in 1977. I’m not even sure I could have gotten a fair trial today, much less then. All the same arguments that defense lawyers make now held more weight back in the good-old-boy ’70s. They would say I shouldn’t have been flirting. Shouldn’t have been drinking. Shouldn’t have been having any fun. That I asked for what I got.”

Bo grimaced.

“Am I wrong?” She paused and turned back to the wall. “Would Butch have eventually understood?” She shrugged. “I guess it’s possible. He was a good man when he was younger. Weak, too, but I didn’t learn that till later. But good all the same. Butch might eventually have come to terms with what happened. But would he have had reasonable doubts?”

Bo’s face was expressionless.

“You’re damn right he would have,” Helen continued. “And so would a jury.”

“That doesn’t make it right,” Bo said. “Not telling him was wrong. You being drugged and raped was wrong.” He sighed. “And if you didn’t kill Butch, you being in this cell is wrong.”

Helen collapsed back into her seat. She was exhausted.

“General?”

She looked at him.

“Tell me what happened at Butch’s house on Monday night.”

She bit her lip. “No. Not until we’ve seen everything they’ve got.”

“That won’t be until the prelim. You know that.”

“I do, and don’t tell me for a second that you haven’t asked clients to hold off on telling you their story until you’ve seen the prosecution’s evidence.”

Bo narrowed his gaze. “I have, General, but that’s usually when I think . . .” He trailed off and gazed at the table.