I saw Olivia later that week. She asked if Liselle had left town and I said that she had. She asked if we were going to keep in touch and I said that we were not. Olivia rifled a hand through her hair, said Liselle was no Sarah, and that it was probably for the best. I agreed on both counts.
I received a postcard a few weeks later. It was a picture of the Roh National Rain Forest in Washington State. There was no message and there was no address, which was probably for the best.
It took me a little while to decide what to do with the sapling. It was a reminder of Sarah’s work but also of the person who had continued it. In the end, I decided that you have to take the bad with the good and planted the accolade elm along the back tree-line of my yard. It took root and by fall it had grown at least half a foot. I didn’t know if it would thrive, but it certainly appeared to have a chance which, really, was all that I could ask for.
The Next Nate Shepherd Book
Blind Conviction is the next book in the Nate Shepherd Legal Thriller Series. Click here if you’d like to order it.
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About the Author
Michael Stagg has been a trial lawyer for more than twenty-five years. He has tried cases to juries and he’s won and he’s lost and he’s argued about it in the court of appeals after. He still practices law so he’s writing the Nate Shepherd series under a pen name.
Michael and his wife live in the Midwest. Their sons are grown so time that used to be spent at football games and band concerts now goes to writing. He enjoys sports of all sorts, reading, and grilling, with the order depending on the day.
You can contact him on Facebook or at [email protected].
Also by Michael Stagg
Lethal Defense
True Intent
Blind Conviction
True Intent Page 32