Lone Witness

by Rachel Dylan

“Yes. We had a status conference this morning on the Shelton case. He has a new lawyer.”

  “Who?”

  “Leland Kingsley.”

  Keith groaned. “That guy is one of my least favorite members of the defense bar. What a piece of work.”

  “Believe me, I know. He was in my section in law school, and I had enough of him to last a lifetime. He’s committed to putting on a vigorous defense, but that only makes me want to push harder to take this to trial. Hiring Leland shows me that where there’s smoke, there’s fire.”

  “You want to push forward?” Keith loosened his navy checkered tie.

  “Absolutely. The evidence against Shelton is compelling. He was cheating a whole group of people—small business owners, entrepreneurs, and individuals. These people trusted him, and he took their money. I think proving theft by conversion and fraud won’t be that hard. This wasn’t just a side scheme. This was big. And the victims are real people with real life struggles. A jury will be very sympathetic to that. This could be a huge win for us.”

  He placed his elbows on her desk. “What’s your position on SIB going to be? Will you try to bring them into this as a codefendant?”

  She shook her head. “At this point I don’t know how that would help things. I think Shelton was off on his own, running his illegal scheme. I have no doubt he used SIB resources to further his plans, but I haven’t seen any evidence yet in the investigation file that would lead me to believe he had buy-in or support from anyone at the company. Why, do you know something I don’t know?”

  “No, no. It’s just that you can imagine that we have to tread carefully when it comes to a company like SIB. They’re one of the cornerstones of the Atlanta community. It doesn’t help anyone to sully their reputation.”

  Ah, Keith. Always thinking about the political issues. That was why he was the district attorney, and she was just a run-of-the-mill prosecutor.

  “Don’t you think a company like SIB would want to support the prosecution and make an example of this guy?” she asked. “Show that they fully cooperated with the prosecution and won’t stand for these types of rogue and illegal acts by their employees? They could actually come out of it looking good if they fully disavow his actions and do everything they can to help us.”

  Keith drummed his fingers on her desk. “Good way to spin it. But if this goes to trial, it’s bound to have a negative impact on the company because there will be tons of publicity. People will start to question whether their money and investments are safe with SIB. I’m not saying no to you taking this all the way to trial, but I want to make sure you are completely buttoned-up. SIB thrives on the fact that it’s still a local bank. If people get nervous, they may pull their money and go to one of the big national banks. That doesn’t help our community at all. The last thing we want is for this to come back and bite us.”

  What Keith really meant was come back and bite him. His political career could be directly impacted. Sophie chose her words carefully because she was treading on delicate matters. “I should let you know that Leland said he will be filing a series of motions, including one for a change of venue.”

  Keith raised an eyebrow. “He doesn’t have strong enough grounds to get this one moved.”

  “That’s exactly what I said. My recommendation is that we can’t just let this scumbag go unpunished.” She tried to control the emotion bubbling up inside her. The main reason she was a prosecutor was to stop guys like this. He wasn’t a murderer or drug trafficker, but he had harmed a multitude of innocent people who had put their trust in him.

  “I hear you, Sophie. And I’m not saying that we turn away from this. I just want us to be very careful and methodical in our approach. I’d like to read in the CEO of SIB as soon as possible.”

  “You know Whitney Bowman?” As she asked, she realized she shouldn’t be surprised. People like Keith and Whitney all ran in the same powerful circles in the city. Circles that she could easily run in herself, given her family connections and wealth, but she specifically chose not to.

  “Yes. I’ll set up a meeting with the three of us. You can talk to her about what you would need from SIB if things go forward. How does that sound? Then we’ll go from there.”

  Sophie didn’t have much choice but to say yes. Her boss could put the brakes on anything she was working on, so it would be to her advantage to get him, and hopefully the CEO, on board with her strategy. “Just remember, this isn’t about the company. It’s about one bad apple.”

  Keith smiled. “Stop while you’re ahead, Sophie.” He paused. “One more thing. Given the Wade case and everything going on, I’m assigning Monica Lacey to help you out on your cases and to be your mentee.”

  “The new girl?” Monica had only been at the prosecutor’s office for about six months.

  “Yes. It’ll be a great opportunity for her to work with you, and you can use the help. Feel free to put her through the paces. I want her to realize what it’s really going to be like to work for the Fulton County DA’s office. It will also be a good résumé builder for you. Mentoring is important around here.”

  “Thanks. I’ll set up a meeting with her and get her up to speed.” Other people had helped Sophie out and shown her the ropes when she had started, so it made sense that she’d return the favor. And it would be good to have someone to help her out with the grunt work.

  Keith stood up. “Anything going on in the Wade case I need to know about?”

  “It’s proceeding as normal. I’m waiting on the scheduling order for the dates, and I’m fully cooperating with Patrick and law enforcement.”

  “Good. If anything changes or you need something, don’t hesitate to ask. I realize you’re in a very awkward position, and I need you to be safe and able to work. I know you didn’t ask for this, but you have to bear the burden. The office fully supports you.”

  She nodded. “Thank you.”

  Keith left, and she decided to go ahead and talk to Monica. She’d spoken with Monica a couple of times, but they hadn’t worked together yet. She pulled the directory out of her drawer, found Monica’s number, and asked her to come down and chat.

  Monica arrived a few minutes later. The young attorney was short and slender, with black hair, big brown eyes, and a bright smile.

  “When Keith told me I’d be assisting you, I can’t tell you how thrilled I was,” Monica said a little breathlessly. “I want you to know that I’m willing to do whatever you need. No matter how small the task. Just say the word.” She gushed for a few more minutes, and Sophie thought it best for her to get it out of her system.

  “Monica, you’ve only been here a short time, but you probably realize that this office runs at a very fast pace, and you have to roll with the punches and expect the unexpected. Though it is a little different in White Collar, because our cases are more complex and long running.”

  “That’s one of the reasons I’m so excited to work with you. I’m completely fascinated by economic crimes.” Monica’s eyes widened as she spoke.

  Sophie had to appreciate her pure exuberance. Monica reminded her a lot of herself when she started at the DA’s office, hoping to save the world and put the bad guys away. It was refreshing to work with someone who wasn’t jaded. Monica hadn’t experienced all the ups and downs of working there yet.

  “I want to get you up to speed on my top priority case right now. It’s the Shelton investigation.” Sophie spent almost half an hour telling Monica everything she knew while Monica took copious notes. Monica also asked highly intelligent questions, which made Sophie think the younger woman really had potential. It was actually going to be fun mentoring her.

  “What would you like me to do?” Monica asked.

  “As a first step, familiarize yourself with the entire file. It’s voluminous, but I think it’s necessary for you to read it all. We’re going to get additional documents from SIB, but we don’t have those yet. We do have a chunk of Shelton’s documents.”

  “And you really w
ant to nail this guy, right?”

  “That’s the plan. But as you’ll quickly find out, sometimes it’s not that cut-and-dried.”

  Monica gathered up her notes. “I’ll get right on it.”

  “Is there anything else I can help you with? I know sometimes adjusting to the office and all the different personalities can be a challenge.” Sophie considered her words carefully for a moment, but she felt like she had to say something. “I think most people in the office are great, but watch yourself around Harrison.”

  “Harrison Westgate?”

  “Yes. He’s gunning for Keith’s job, and he will do anything and everything to get it. Also, he has a bit of a bad reputation among the women lawyers for being a scumbag. I just want you to be aware of that.”

  Monica took a breath. “Thank you for telling me. I’ll keep my eyes open.”

  “Good. Let me know if you need anything at all.”

  Sophie watched as Monica left. It felt good to be able to help another young female attorney. And having assistance on the Shelton case would be great. Now she just had to convince Keith to let her take the case forward to trial.

  She settled down and reviewed some emails until her phone rang. “This is Sophie Dawson.”

  There was no response.

  “Hello?”

  Sounds of heavy breathing filled her ear.

  “Is anyone there?”

  The breathing continued. She hung up, hoping it was just a wrong number. But the hair on her arms stood up.

  The phone rang again. She hesitated and let it ring a few times before picking up again. “Sophie Dawson.”

  The heavy breathing noises continued.

  “I’m hanging up now unless you start talking.” She kept her voice steady.

  “Watch your back,” a deep male voice said.

  “Who is this?”

  Her only answer was a dial tone.

  Cooper decided to do another late-night drive through Sophie’s neighborhood, just for his own peace of mind. She’d received a few more letters that he was convinced came from the Wade organization. He’d started doing these random checks at night, and so far, everything had been clear.

  He hadn’t told her he was doing it because he didn’t want to bother her, and he’d promised he would try not to be intrusive. He also didn’t want to make her more worried than she needed to be. That was his territory.

  As he pulled up closer to her house, he thought he saw something by her side window. A figure.

  Immediately, he put his SUV in park and hopped out. He jogged down to her house and scanned the area as his eyes adjusted to the darkness. Sophie’s split-level home was set back on a nice-sized lot with a fenced backyard. She had good outside lighting, but there were some dark spots that weren’t covered.

  Movement caught his eye. A man was lurking in between Sophie’s house and her neighbor’s. He couldn’t be up to anything good at this hour.

  Cooper checked his sidearm, which he was fully licensed to carry. He didn’t intend to use it, but being a cop had taught him to be prepared for anything.

  He walked over toward the man, who was now kneeling on the ground, messing with his shoelaces. “What’re you doing?” Cooper asked.

  The man jumped up, startled. “Nothing. Just out taking a walk.”

  “In between these two houses?” No one would believe that.

  “Just cutting through to get to the other side of the neighborhood. I don’t want any trouble.”

  Cooper’s gut told him this man was up to no good. Was he a peeping tom? The thought sickened him. It was dark, and Cooper couldn’t make out much of the man’s facial features, but he did seem a bit older than Cooper.

  Cooper took a step forward. “I think it’s time for you to go.”

  “And who are you?”

  Cooper was quickly losing his patience. The man’s combative response only strengthened his resolve. “Don’t make me ask you again.”

  The man stepped forward and took a swing, but Cooper was faster. He blocked the contact, then hauled off and punched the guy in the face, connecting with his jaw.

  The man reached into his jacket. Cooper feared he was going for a gun, and he started to go for his.

  Before Cooper could get his weapon raised, the man grabbed him and shoved something hard into his ribs. An all-too-familiar sensation exploded through Cooper’s body. He’d just been tasered.

  The pain knocked him to his knees. As blackness crept into the edges of his vision, he heard the man sprint off into the night.

  Chapter

  Six

  Sophie was sitting at her kitchen table, responding to Leland’s latest discovery requests on her laptop. There was no doubt in her mind that he was going to try to make her life miserable to push her into offering a plea.

  When the doorbell rang after eleven that evening, she knew something was wrong. She ran to the door and checked the peephole. Cooper stood on the other side.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked as she ushered him inside.

  “Can I have some water?” His face was noticeably red.

  “Yes.” She ran back to the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of cold water out of the fridge. She found Cooper sitting on the couch in her living room.

  “What happened?” She handed him the water.

  “I found a guy lurking around outside your house.”

  She gasped. “Where is he?”

  “He ran off after he tasered me.”

  “Are you okay? Do we need to call the paramedics? Should I take you to the hospital?” She heard the words gushing out.

  “No. He didn’t have the setting up all the way. The pain will pass.” Cooper shook out his hand. “I also landed a good punch before he got me.”

  “Let me get you some ice for your hand.”

  She returned a few minutes later with an ice bag.

  “Thanks,” he said.

  “Do you think it was someone from Wade’s gang?” she asked.

  “It’s possible but seems off. I didn’t get a great look at the guy, but he seemed older than me. Also, I think it’s odd that someone working for the gang would use a Taser. They usually go directly for the guns—or at least a knife. Is there anything you’re working on that could have someone interested in you?”

  Her mind immediately went to the Shelton case. But would Shelton send a man to her house? “There’s something I need to tell you. I got a weird call at work.” She recounted the strange phone call.

  “That’s disturbing. I assume you didn’t recognize the voice?”

  “No. Just a deep, male voice. I have no idea if the call was connected to Wade or if it’s related to something else I’m working on. You’re familiar with SIB?”

  “Yeah, they’re a big Atlanta bank, right? One of the last locals that tries to compete with the big boys.”

  “Exactly. One of their employees was arrested a couple weeks ago. A senior manager named Glen Shelton. He’s out on bail, and I’m in charge of determining whether we’re going to pursue a full prosecution or strike some kind of plea deal.”

  “What are the charges against Shelton?”

  “Fraud and theft, as starters. This is all in the public record, so I can talk about it. He was charging his clients extra fees and pocketing that money for himself. He had a solid scheme set up until one of his customers started asking questions when they figured out the irregularities in their account and their statements. When the customer didn’t get sufficient answers from Shelton, they went to the local news, and that’s how we found out about it at my office.”

  “What kind of fees are we talking about here?”

  “A range of one to three percent for each transaction. For people trying to run a small business, that type of theft can have a huge impact over time.”

  “He sounds guilty. So what’s the rub?”

  Sophie looked away.

  “Whatever you say stays between us. I signed a confidentiality agreement.”

  “It’s a d
elicate situation.”

  “I’m familiar with those.” He paused. “I know the circumstances we’re under are strange, to say the least, but having open communication is the best way to make this work. Trust is built over time, and I hope I can build that trust with you.”

  Sophie decided he was right. She needed to trust him. “Turns out my boss is friends with the CEO.”

  “You think there’s some kind of inside deal between your boss and the CEO to keep the Shelton case from going to trial?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t know that I’d go that far, but it’s a lingering thought in the back of my head. I attended a status conference today on the case. Shelton hired a hotshot defense attorney and fired his former one. His new attorney vowed to make it a tough fight. But still, do you think they’d hire someone to try to scare me off? Keep me distracted?”

  “The most likely scenario is that this was a hired hand for Wade. But I don’t think we can completely rule out the possibility that this man was connected to Shelton or even SIB in some way.”

  “I can’t believe this. I feel like there are threats coming from all angles.”

  “That’s why I’m going to stick close. If anything, tonight showed me that you have to be careful. And I can’t let my guard down.”

  The next afternoon, Tad Grisham dialed Whitney Bowman’s cell and waited for the CEO to answer. Thanks to a stellar referral, he’d recently been retained by the leader of SIB to do some investigative work. His PI business was doing well, and this assignment was going to be interesting for a number of reasons.

  When he’d gotten the call confirming the job earlier in the week, he’d immediately jumped on it and had already started his work. He rubbed his jaw. He needed to remember to put more ice on it to stop the swelling.

  “Tad,” Whitney answered. “How’s it going so far?”

  “Ms. Bowman.”

  “Please call me Whitney.”

  It seemed odd to call her by her first name, but he would try. “I wanted to touch base.”

  “Did you get my retainer check? My assistant assured me that it got messaged over to your office.”

  “Yes, I did get the check, and thank you for that.”