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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

“Patient?” Zannick raised his voice, causing the defense lawyer to cower. “Listen to me, Lou. I want it gone. Over. Done. Dismissed. I’ve got a multimillion-dollar investment with Hoshima riding on this. Do you understand?”

Lou looked behind him and then did a sweep of the upstairs to make sure he was out of earshot. Then he leaned over the table. “Mike, with all due respect, you had sex with a fifteen-year-old girl. Even if she begged you to screw her, it would still be statutory rape under the laws of the State of Tennessee.”

“I won’t testify, and a jury will be left with whether they believe the word of a sixteen-year-old tramp whose mother is a known road whore.”

Lou lowered his voice to a whisper. “Lona Burks has been straight and sober for three years, and Mandy’s extracurricular activities in the boys’ locker room, which were only confirmed by one witness, are likely to be excluded under the rape shield rule.” Lou again did a sweep of the room. “I don’t know a damn thing about Mandy Burks other than General Lewis was prepared to stuff that girl’s story straight up our ass on Tuesday if we hadn’t been saved by the bell.”

Now it was Zannick who edged forward, his nose only a couple of inches from Lou’s. “That bell that was rung was my corporate lawyer and the president of my bank. Let’s show a little respect for the dead.”

Lou gazed openmouthed at Zannick. “Respect for the dead? You were blackmailing Butch. Same as with me and Terry. Do you expect me to believe that you’re sad that he’s gone? Besides, everything that’s happened since his murder has been solid gold for you.”

“For us, you mean.”

Lou leaned back in his chair and grabbed a roll of silverware. He unrolled the napkin and wiped sweat from his forehead. “For us,” he finally said. “Look, Mike, Butch Renfroe was my friend for thirty years, and I . . . I’m having a hard time with it.”

“Is that why you smell like a bar?”

Lou wrinkled up his face. “I’m battling a bad cough and a sore throat, and a pinch of Jack Daniel’s helps the pain.”

“Finn says you’ve been nursing the pain every night at Kathy’s Tavern for several hours for the past month.”

Lou’s cheeks turned red. “I’ve been ending my workdays at Kathy’s for almost two decades. Long before you bought your first piece of property in this town.”