Lone Witness

by Rachel Dylan

  She rolled her eyes. “I don’t make nearly as much as those CEOs at our larger competitors. We’re a regional player at best.”

  He leaned forward over the table. “Do you have any idea how dangerous Smith is?”

  She shrugged. “There’s nothing I can do about that now. I crossed that bridge a long time ago.”

  “If he gets a single whiff that you are going to double-cross him, he will not hesitate to kill you.”

  Her cheeks reddened. “But why would I turn on him? That would implicate myself.”

  “He may fear that you’ll try to cut a deal.”

  “I wouldn’t do that,” she said quickly.

  Almost too quickly. “I just want to make sure you understand how serious this all is.” He needed to hear it from her own lips.

  “Then what would you suggest?”

  He sighed. “You need to let Smith know before he finds out from anyone else that your secret may be exposed.” He wanted to present her with the option and see how she played it.

  “Why would I do that when we don’t even know if they’re going to be able to determine who he is and the connection between us?”

  “Because if you take the risk and stay silent and Smith does find out, it won’t end well for you.”

  She tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear. “But what I think I’m hearing from you is that you don’t think this is going to end well regardless.”

  He knew she was a smart woman. “You’re in a difficult situation. I just want to set you up for the best chance of success.”

  “Let me sleep on it.”

  “Don’t wait too long. The hounds are onto a scent, and I don’t think they’re going to just walk away.”

  “Understood. I’ve got to get back to work.”

  As he watched her leave the coffee shop, he wondered if she really had enough guts to come clean with Smith. He hoped so, because he’d grown to like Whitney. And her life might depend on it.

  Sophie had made it through her first week back at work. As she packed up Friday night, she was looking forward to the weekend. Cooper had called and said that they needed to talk, but that he wanted to have the conversation in person.

  So once they got back to her house, they sat down in the living room, and she anxiously waited to hear what he had to say.

  “You know me and the guys have spent this week working all of our sources.”

  Her heartbeat started to speed up. “You’ve got something?”

  “It’s not definitive, but yes. We think we’ve found a possible link. I say possible because we haven’t been able to corroborate it all yet, but it’s definitely a big first step.”

  This was just what she had been hoping and praying for. A major break in the case. “Well, don’t make me wait any longer. What is it?”

  Cooper pulled a folder out of his bag. He opened it and placed it on the coffee table in front of her. He pointed to a picture. “This is Manuel Smith. One of the leaders of the Sanchez Cartel. According to our contacts in the DEA, Atlanta has become a major hub for the Mexican drug cartels. Product is held here and then shipped out for distribution. So big money is moving through the city.”

  She tried to process this new development. “And you found some link between this Manuel Smith and SIB?”

  “More specifically to Whitney Bowman. She and Manuel Smith grew up together in the same neighborhood. Turns out Whitney didn’t come from money. It was a pretty rough part of town. Smith got linked up with the Sanchez Cartel and has been managing their Atlanta operations for the past five years.”

  “Just showing that they knew each other isn’t enough.”

  “I know. But we have a major lead now. We also have a major problem.”

  “What?”

  “It’s like I was telling you before. These cartels don’t mess around. I’m sure Smith is responsible for more deaths than you could wrap your head around.”

  “I wouldn’t be going after Smith, though. I’d be targeting the bank and Whitney Bowman. Leave Smith for the Feds to handle.”

  He shook his head. “I don’t think Smith cares about those distinctions. To be able to get to Whitney, you’ll have to prove the connection to Smith and the cartel. So he’ll be involved any way you cut it.”

  “And you’re concerned it’s too dangerous.”

  He nodded. “Now that we’ve uncovered this possible alliance, Whitney’s innocence is highly suspect. And I have to say this.”

  “What?”

  “Given how Keith has reacted to your investigation the entire time, we have to seriously consider that he’s involved too.”

  No, that couldn’t be. “You think the district attorney for Fulton County is working with the drug cartels?”

  “Think about it, Sophie. Why has he warned you off so much? Why did he want you to stop the investigation and just offer Shelton a plea?”

  Her heart sank, and a wave of nausea washed over her. “I don’t even know how to process that.” But even as she said the words, her mind went back to all the conversations she’d had with Keith about this case.

  Cooper leaned toward her, his gaze sympathetic. “I know it’s a lot to take in, but this could be a lot more complicated and dangerous than we anticipated. This isn’t the story of a one-off rogue bank employee. This is so much more than that.”

  That was an understatement. “I need hard evidence of all of this.”

  He sighed. “Even hearing everything I said, you still want to proceed?”

  “I know it’s dangerous. But if what you say is right, this is a huge corruption ring that has to be brought down. This isn’t about me or my ego or career. This is about doing the right thing. We can’t have the DA colluding with the cartels. We can’t have a major bank laundering their dirty money.”

  “If you’re dead set on this, I think you absolutely have to go to the Feds.”

  She considered his point carefully. “You’re probably right.”

  They sat there silently for a few moments while she mulled things over.

  “Can we shift gears for a minute?” Cooper asked.

  “Sure. Hopefully to a happier topic?” All the doom and gloom was starting to weigh on her.

  “I hope you think so.” He looked at her.

  “All right. Now you have me curious.”

  “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking.” Cooper wrapped his arm around her, and she straightened in surprise. “I don’t want to lose you, Sophie.”

  “What’re you saying?” Deep inside of her, hope was building. A hope that maybe he had changed his mind.

  “I don’t know what the future will hold. But I do know that I don’t want to be blinded to what we could be because I’m afraid. I don’t want to close myself off anymore, Sophie. I want to explore what we could have together.”

  She fought back the flood of emotions running through her. “Why? Why did you change your mind?”

  “Because of you. The person you are. You make me want to give it a try, even given my concerns and fears. I’ve thought about it, prayed about it, worried about it. And at the end of the day, I can’t deny what’s going on between us.”

  Her eyes misted up. “I didn’t come into this looking for anything with you. But I’m the type of person to follow my heart, and my heart is telling me that I need to give us a chance.”

  “I feel the same way.”

  She looked up into his kind blue eyes and knew she’d never be the same again. He pulled her closer to him, and she heard herself let out a sigh.

  As he pressed his lips to hers this time, there was no apprehension on her part. There was no worry or second-guessing. Just a desire to be completely in the moment with Cooper. His lips were soft yet strong. His touch steadying, comforting … electrifying.

  She kissed him back, and this time she didn’t end things abruptly but enjoyed each moment of his lips on hers. If she was going to go down this path, then she was all in.

  Sophie hated asking Monica to come into the
office on Saturday, but she’d worked countless Saturdays in her career, especially when she was a young prosecutor.

  There was an adrenaline rush when you were working on a big case and were getting close to breaking it open. She knew she couldn’t trust Keith. It was too risky. But she needed Monica’s help to run through the documents again to see if she could find any link, no matter how remote, to Manuel Smith and his business interests. There was no way she could do it alone.

  On top of that, Leland had pushed for a quick trial date, so as interesting as the new developments were to her, she still had to prosecute Shelton for the crimes that he was arrested for. That meant getting ready for the trial, which would start in less than a month.

  Monica had been such a great asset that Sophie was going to make her official second chair. It would be big for a rookie, but much deserved after the long hours she’d been putting in.

  When Monica arrived shortly after Sophie did, Sophie gave her the briefing on everything she knew—which admittedly wasn’t a lot.

  “You think there’s a connection between this drug cartel guy, Smith, and Whitney Bowman?” Monica asked, eyes wide.

  “I know it’s hard to believe that a CEO of a reputable bank would get involved with someone like that, but we can’t ignore the facts. It would also provide an explanation for all the money moving in and out of Shelton’s accounts.”

  “Do you think Shelton was in on it, or was he just doing her bidding?”

  “I have no idea. I know this case is a bit unusual, but I can’t get everything done alone.”

  Monica grinned. “No, don’t be sorry. This might be one of the most impactful and exciting cases of my career.”

  Sophie smiled at Monica’s enthusiasm. “I remember feeling so energized when I first started working here.”

  “You don’t anymore?”

  That was a good question. “I do, it’s just that with time, if I’m being completely honest, it’s hard not to get a little jaded. The Wade case is a prime example. The system doesn’t always bring about justice.”

  “I get that.” Monica leaned forward, oozing earnestness. “But you need to focus on all the amazing work you’ve done over the years. There’s nothing that you could’ve done differently in the Wade case.”

  “Thanks. Enough about all of that. We have a ton of documents to review. You ready?”

  “You bet. Let’s nail this guy.”

  They worked until midafternoon, and then Sophie sent Monica home. She didn’t want to ruin her entire weekend, and there was stuff she could accomplish on her own.

  When there was a loud knock at her door, she didn’t even have time to answer before Keith stepped inside. His face was red, and she immediately knew something was wrong.

  She stood up and walked over to him. “What it is?”

  “I’m afraid I’ve got some troubling news.”

  A million awful thoughts ran through her head. “Tell me.”

  “The police just contacted me.” He took a breath. “Glen Shelton was found dead in his apartment. It appears he killed himself.”

  Sophie sucked in a breath and placed her hand on the back of a chair to steady herself. “Are you sure?”

  “Shelton’s definitely dead, and preliminary analysis is that it’s suicide. They’ll do a thorough investigation, of course.” He took a step toward her. “I’m sorry to be the one to tell you. But let me make sure that you understand that his actions are purely his own. You had nothing to do with this.”

  Keith was worried that she might feel guilty, given she was the one pushing the case. But she didn’t feel guilty. She felt worried. But she didn’t want to talk about everything with Keith just yet. She needed some time to process this. “I understand. Sorry, there’s just a lot going through my head right now.”

  “Of course. Sophie, you’ve had a rough go of it lately. I think it’d be a good idea if you took a little time off.”

  Maybe he was right. She wasn’t sure about anything right now. “Let me think on it.”

  Keith left her office, and she immediately went back to her desk and picked up the phone to call Cooper.

  “Hey,” he answered. “What’s going on?”

  “Glen Shelton is dead.”

  Patrick still couldn’t believe that Ashley had actually asked him to work with her. As he sat at home on Saturday night, finishing his Chinese takeout, he replayed their conversation in his head. Why had she even offered the job to him?

  It still bothered him, because he simply couldn’t figure her out. One moment she seemed like pure evil, and the next she seemed like she might actually have some good in her. Could it be that she was just that complicated?

  Women were often complicated, as evidenced by the fact that he was almost forty and still single. But he couldn’t help but wonder if Ashley had a deeper plan she was trying to put into motion. He’d been so unprepared for her proposal, all he could do was laugh it off. Now that he’d had some time to think, though, he had to admit that he couldn’t just reject the idea out of hand.

  He grabbed his cell off the table and found Ashley in his contacts. He pressed call and waited for her to answer.

  “This is Ashley.”

  “Ashley, it’s Patrick. I hope I’m not interrupting your Saturday evening plans.”

  She laughed. “I’m still at work. Have you had second thoughts about blowing me off?”

  “I must admit you threw me for a loop.”

  “Sometimes curve balls are just what you need. But you did laugh in my face the other day. If you’ve changed your mind, then you need to do some groveling first.”

  Why had he called her? Why did he think he could keep up with her games?

  “Are you still there?” she asked.

  He ran a hand over his hair. “Yeah. Ashley, you have a way of confusing me.”

  “On this topic, that isn’t my goal. I was serious in my offer. After you re-try the Wade case, of course. I wouldn’t want to impede your ability to do that if it’s what you really want. Although I hope I convinced you otherwise. It’s a waste of your time for a variety of reasons.”

  “You really are a piece of work.”

  “Is that a slam or a compliment?”

  “Maybe a bit of both.” And wasn’t that the truth? He was almost developing a love-hate relationship with this woman. He feared he’d never be able to compete with her, though. She was willing to go so much further than he ever would.

  “I should say one thing. Thinking back on it, I realize I probably didn’t present the opportunity to you in the best way. And I know I caught you off guard.”

  “I still don’t understand why in the world you’d want to work with me.” He truly had no clue. The partnership didn’t make sense to him.

  “Patrick, you’re a very gifted attorney. I watched you during the trial, and I think you have skills that complement my own. You and I are very different, but sometimes you need someone opposite of you to balance you out.”

  He still wasn’t completely buying her story. Ashley was doing great on her own. “I just find it hard to believe that there isn’t something more going on here. If you really want me to consider your offer, you have to be straight with me.”

  Silence passed between them for a moment before she answered. “You don’t believe that I just want to expand my practice by hiring you?”

  “No,” he responded quickly. “I don’t. There has to be something else going on here. I need to know what that is, or this conversation is over.” He wished he was having this conversation face-to-face so he could see her expressions.

  “You’re the first lawyer I’ve ever gone up against that I actually felt could be my equal.”

  That was saying a lot for her, considering how big her ego was. “Thanks, I think.”

  “I’m a smart businesswoman, and I think we could do great things together if I could get you to abandon your pie-in-the-sky aspirations. You’ll be more challenged and have more fun on the defense side. Client
s would like you because you provide the experience of being on the other side. That’s a great marketing tool we could use for the business generation. I’m offering another way that you could thrive and seek out new challenges.”

  There was a strange kernel of truth to what she was saying. That he was even listening to this made him question his sanity. “I need to think.”

  “You’ll come around, Patrick. The fact that you called me back lets me know that I made the right decision in making the offer.”

  “I’ll talk to you later.”

  He ended the call and stared down at his phone. Could he really switch sides?

  Chapter

  Twenty-Three

  Sophie looked at Cooper and felt her eyes well up with tears. She’d been through a roller coaster of emotions lately.

  She was anxious to get the final report on Glen’s death. The timing seemed highly suspicious to her, but then again, Cooper had pointed out that it was completely possible that Shelton could have taken his own life. He was facing serious allegations and major prison time. A man like him wouldn’t fair that well in prison.

  But this Sunday morning, she was trying not to focus on Shelton and all the awful things that she dealt with in her job. Instead she was trying to be thankful for what God had done in her life.

  She sat in the pew beside Cooper. It was the first time she’d been back to church since the shooting, but today was even more special because the man she cared so much about was sitting right beside her, holding her hand. It was a day she had prayed about for what seemed like forever.

  Lord, you have truly answered my prayers and sent Cooper into my life.

  There was no doubt in her mind that they could build something wonderful together. And now she was having a hard time not getting emotional, because there were so many feelings flooding through her.

  As they stood for the closing worship song, she belted it out. She wasn’t going to win any awards for her voice, but she could carry a tune. Not unexpectedly, Cooper wasn’t singing, but that was okay with her. There was a calm strength about him that steadied and grounded her. He was the pragmatist while she was the dreamer. But together they brought out the best in each other.