“I spoke to Chuck, and he put a call in to his contacts over there. They’re pulling the case. I also checked the Internet. Jamie and I had already heard everything that I found, so nothing really changed. I can say that this guy was a clean cut, good guy before he was arrested. He had just gotten back from a second tour in Afghanistan a few months before.”
“What branch?” Ian asked. Jamie remembered him wanting to enlist as well, but Ford and the rest of them had denied his request.
“Special Forces. Medical discharge.”
Ian whistled low. “Now that’s interesting… Don’t want to mess with them. Dangerous guys.”
“Dangerous, sure, but this guy was an American hero,” Hayden said.
Jamie sat up with this new piece of information. “I remember seeing a tattoo on his forearm, now that you mention it. He had a military sign, I don’t remember which, but it was on his arm.”
“Make a note of it,” Ford said quickly.
Reaching for her laptop at her feet, Jamie set about adding to her written account while Ian and Hayden continued to discuss his military prowess. Jamie was only half-listening, but she was intrigued by what she did hear. When she had started her account, the memories had come back to her as though that evening had taken place the week before. The way Andrew Sheehan had charmed her and the comfortable rapport and easy laughter he had drawn from her were things that she had struggled to bury out of shame and fear. However, thinking back and remembering that evening in such detail made her realize that it was those very things about him that made her remember that encounter so clearly. That he left such a strong impression on her only increased her resulting shock that he may have run off and killed another woman after leaving her. He was a smart, patriotic man prior to the events of that night, and she wondered what he was like now.
Apparently Ian did too. “Prison can certainly do a number on some people, Hayden. He could come out and become a criminal.”
“Don’t say that,” Jamie said. Her head whipped up, and she closed the laptop with a solid click. “We can’t think like that.”
“But we should be realistic,” Ian protested. “He returns from a nasty war and gets thrown into prison. This guy could be a complete wreck by now.”
“Which brings us to you,” Ford interjected. “What have you learned?”
Ian shrugged his shoulders. “I spoke to Zach and some guys at work. Obviously no one wants to see the wrong man go to jail for a crime he didn’t commit. While they like to see cases closed, most everyone would gladly reopen one if it’s proven that the wrong man is behind bars. I don’t think there’s a soul out there that wouldn’t do the right thing.”
He stared pointedly at Jamie as he spoke, and she warmed inside. Suddenly her determination felt normal, felt right. It was not just a personality glitch on her part, where she wanted to help and care for everyone she came in contact with. She legitimately had information that needed to be shared.
Though his lips tightened with indecision, Ford nodded his head slowly. He came to his feet and began to pace, one work-weathered hand cupping his chin as he thought. All of them were used to his serious ponderings; he did that every time they met to discuss something. It was an endearing quality about him, for it demonstrated his complete concentration on the matter at hand. However, he did take his time when he went into those modes, carefully looking at the situation from all possible angles. The remaining brothers took the opportunity to hit the plate of snacks Isabel brought out while Jamie stared up at the crystal clear night sky. She could see Orion glowing on the horizon, its belt a slash against the night sky. Ford’s property was mostly shielded from the bright city lights, and the dark sky illuminated millions of stars at night. One could get lost staring up at the constellations, and it was a sight that she always enjoyed. She picked out Scorpius first, finding the bright star Antares and tracing it down the scorpion’s tail over to the constellation Sagittarius.
When she was young, her father had brought her camping up in Flagstaff, where they had viewed the M8 nebula through his telescope. He had called it the Lagoon Nebula and then laughed, saying that it looked nothing like a lagoon at all. That trip had been one of the only times she had spent time with her father alone, and she treasured that weekend more than any other memory of the man who had been taken from her life so early.
“I think it goes without saying that Jamie’s pretty much decided to go forward with what she knows… Am I right, Jame?”
Hearing Ford’s voice break into the sound of hearty chewing and an occasional side comment, Jamie tipped her head from the sky back down to the group. Almost in unison, all four pairs of eyes turned in her direction, and she nodded her head with confidence.
“I know it may be an inconvenience, but I think I should be honest and forthcoming and let the cards fall as they may.”
Grady leaned forward and set his plate on the table between their chairs. When he straightened, his face was serious. “What I’ve learned these past few hours is if, and I mean if, your information is strong enough to reopen the case, you could be in for a long haul. It may not just be one visit to a lawyer and a signed affidavit. You could be called on multiple times. Are you ready for that?”
Ian nodded his agreement. “And it won’t just be the defense lawyers contacting you. You’ll also be interesting to the prosecutor’s office, too.”
“That could get tricky for you,” Ford mentioned.
“Why tricky?” Jamie asked.
“You may question what you remember and how you remember. Just say what you know for certain. Please don’t try to fill in the blanks in your memory,” Grady said firmly.
“He’s right,” Hayden agreed. The look he sent her way was sympathetic, but Jamie remained determined.
“Also be aware that they will most likely do everything they can to discredit you. That could include your relationship with Clay. They’ll get personal,” Ian added.
She stared at him. “You’re trying to tell me that I could be accused of being on drugs?”
“It’s possible,” Grady admitted. “If they feel reason that it may have a bearing on your testimony.”
“I have nothing to hide. I never partied with Clay,” she said in a rush. “I had no part of it, and that ruined my marriage.”
“No, it was Clay’s drugs that ruined your marriage,” Ian said softly. “Don’t ever believe otherwise.”
“There are times when I wish things were different, that we both had made different choices, but I suppose it all worked out the way it was supposed to. I’m at the point where I don’t regret leaving him.”
“Good girl,” he said.
“As I said, I have nothing to hide. I’m ready to take this all the way. This man, whatever he’s become, doesn’t deserve to be where he is if he was wrongfully put in prison. I’ll fight for his freedom if he didn’t do it.”
“There aren’t very many people out there that would do the same,” Grady said sadly. Hayden and Ian nodded in agreement. “That makes you a special person, Jamie. But I want to remind you that it’s going to be a long and possibly difficult road ahead of you. Go into it with both eyes open, and if you decide that you can’t devote your attention to this don’t feel bad about backing out now.”
“None of us would ever think differently of you,” Hayden said.
As she considered their words, she realized that she would come to the same decision all over again, no matter who the person was. She could do this; she was convinced she could go all the way.
“If this were one of you,” she said earnestly. “I’d hope and pray that someone could see what good people you are. If any of you were accused of something that you didn’t do, I’d fight to the death to clear your name. Knowing that there was someone out there that held the key to your truth, your honesty, would torture me.
“People today are always willing to believe the negative instead of the positive. No one trusts anyone anymore. You can’t even walk down the street and s
mile at a stranger without someone wondering what your ulterior motives are. It’s easier to think the worst... People feel safer thinking the worst. Even you boys doubted my ability to judge this man’s character, and it wasn’t until I was able to prove to you that what I knew was accurate that you began to believe me. I understand that I’m going to have to prove myself over and over again, but I know I can do it. This man needs someone to believe in him. Obviously not many do.”
A heavy silence fell among the group until the sound of soft clapping reached their ears. All five pairs of Evans’ eyes travelled in the direction of the French doors, where Isabel stood smiling at Jamie.
“Bravo, darling,” she said lightly. “You’re absolutely correct.”
With the speed of a leopard, Hayden shot to his feet. “I presume you’re here because dinner’s ready?”
While the other men groaned at Hayden’s insensitivity, Jamie smiled. “Thank you Isabel. I’m glad you agree.”
Isabel approached Jamie and took both her hands within her warm ones. “I think what you’re doing is tremendously brave, Jaimita, and I’m proud that you’re my sister.”
As Jamie began to feel choked up again, Ford placed his arm around his wife’s shoulders. “This lovely lady’s right and I think she speaks for all of us.”
The others dutifully nodded their heads, and Jamie stared at each of them in turn. They were smiling at her, and Hayden’s eyes glowed with pride. She felt lucky to have these guys behind her.
She chuckled. “I’ll bet. I bring so much stability to the family.”
Ian winked at her. “Excitement is good… in small doses.”
“Okay then,” Jamie said. “Let’s do this.”
“Can we eat now?” Hayden whined.
***
The lawyer Grady arranged for her to meet had an office in the heart of Phoenix, nestled between the light rail and the contemporary high rises. Ford drove around the block once before pulling into a parking garage within walking distance to the office. While he paused to take the ticket, Jamie pulled down the visor to check her makeup in the mirror. Ford shook his head. It was her third time checking since they had exited the highway. To say that she was nervous was an understatement. In fact, she was scared to death. Her trepidation was not lost on Ford, who pulled in a free space and then reached over to pat her shoulder.
“Everything will be fine. Just go in and tell him what you know. He can decide how to proceed.”
Finding it difficult to speak beyond the lump the size of a lemon it felt as though she swallowed, Jamie smiled tremulously. “I’m nervous, but I can do this.”
He bestowed upon her the smile that he usually reserved for his children, a mixture of indulgence and sympathy. “I know you can.”
The short walk down Central Avenue gave Jamie the opportunity to clear her head. It was a brisk day, and a cool breeze blew down the center of the street and caressed their faces. Their side of the road was in the shade, making the wind feel even cooler against her cheeks, but it felt good to Jamie. What she needed at that moment was the cold blast to the face, a rapid stride to keep her blood pumping and a few more moments to delay the inevitable.
Ford paused outside the heavy glass doors and glanced up at the numbers before grasping the thick, wooden doorknob and pulling it open. The interior was blessedly warmer than outside, and a broad entry towering three stories high with marble walls and plush leather sofas in the corner waiting area welcomed them. Jamie whistled under her breath. “Nice building.”
“There are a lot of offices in here,” Ford replied.
Instead of heading toward the sofa to wait for Grady, he approached the information desk and nodded at the security guard who came to her feet as he neared. Jamie made her way over to the directory and found the lawyer’s office. It was on the twentieth floor. She traced the beautiful brown and pink marble wall until she located the nook holding the elevators tucked away in the corner. There were two separate elevators, one for floors two through fifteen and the other for floors sixteen through thirty. How organized, she thought wryly.
“Grady’s upstairs already,” Ford said as he returned to her side. His voice echoed loudly in the silent expanse of the lobby.
“Oh wonderful,” she whispered back. “Let’s get this over with.”
They were silent as they rode the elevator up to the twentieth floor. As the doors opened, a long hallway extended in either direction, but a plaque on the wall indicated which suite they wanted. Ford walked next to her, his hand lightly on her arm in a silent show of support. She was grateful, for her knees suddenly felt as though they would buckle at any moment.
As Ford held the door open for her to pass, a fresh faced and smiling receptionist quickly came to her feet, and her voice was excessively cheery and alert when she greeted them. Her exuberance reminded Jamie immediately of a Barbie doll and struggled to refrain from rolling her eyes. Before either of them could offer an introduction, she stepped around the desk and waved at them to follow.
“They’re waiting for you in the conference room. If you’ll follow me, I’ll take you right down.”
Jamie and Ford exchanged a quick glance of surprise, but they obediently fell in step behind her past several glass enclosed offices and meeting rooms with beautiful views of South Mountain and the city below.
Jamie caught sight of Grady first behind the glass wall of the largest room they had passed. He was seated at a highly polished wooden table surrounded by plush leather chairs that took over the majority of the room, leaving only enough space for a small table with an ice bucket, napkins, and a plate of what appeared to be homemade cookies to rest. In the far corner, a tall potted plant soaked up the sunshine streaming in through the plate glass windows. Across from Grady sat another man in a dark gray suit that matched the color of his neatly trimmed hair. He was laughing at something Grady had said but stopped and turned in their direction when he saw Grady’s attention turn to the door.
“So our guests have arrived,” he said heartily when the receptionist opened the door. “Welcome, Miss Jamie!”
Coming to his feet, he approached Jamie first. His hand stretched out and grasped hers very energetically. When he released her and turned to Ford, she took a step back in relief.
“Come in, come in,” he continued, “have a seat. Brenda, why don’t you pour these two some water?”
Jamie opened her mouth to decline, but the receptionist was faster. Lifting the lid off the ice bucket, she used tongs to fill up two glasses and pulled two bottles of water from the small fridge tucked away in the cabinet of the table. Jamie followed the glass, taking a seat next to Grady where Brenda placed a small cocktail napkin and her water down. Smiling her thanks, she returned her attention to the lawyer.
He was tall and trim, the strength in his hand belying the age on his face. A figure of distinguished gentleman, Ted Beach appeared every bit as intelligent as she could have hoped. Her spirits lifted as he turned his attention away from Ford and pulled his chair back out.
“So I’ll tell you a little bit about me and answer any questions you have, and then you can tell me what you know, Jamie.”
When she nodded, he glanced at Grady. “Grady’s filled me in on a bit of your situation, and I think it’s a good thing that you came in. I’m a criminal lawyer, but I also specialize in appellate law as well. I’ve been practicing for twenty-four years in the state of Arizona, and I’ve also practiced in Nevada. I’ve been with this firm for twenty years now, and we cover everything from civil to criminal law, including DUI and child support and custody. So as you see, we’re multi-faceted but also very dedicated to what we do. There are no half-measures here. We care about doing what’s right.
“Our legal team is composed of bar certified lawyers, paralegals and investigators that review cases and put together the best defense available. In your situation, or I should say that man that has been convicted, he’d be looking at filing a Rule 32 PCR or post-conviction relief appeal. That
would mean an appellate brief must be written, describing what has changed and why his conviction should be overturned. It will take quite a bit of time, where he would need to have his legal team go over every word in his trial to pick out possible mistakes or oversights. Hopefully, he would have a good team on his side, as it’s usually a one shot deal. You, as a new witness, would need to complete a deposition to be admitted into evidence and may receive a summons to testify if he’s granted a second trial.”
She nodded.
“The appellate brief has to be concise and detailed, and the stronger ones usually see a better outcome. Again, a good appellate lawyer is needed for the best chances of success. He or she will also need to put together a new defense for obvious reasons. For instance, the first trial had a guilty outcome… why? A new trial has to have that stronger defense or the conviction will stand. Once the PCR is submitted on his behalf, it’s reviewed by the appeals court. That could take months and there’s no guarantee that they’ll approve anything, depending on how strong the prosecution’s case is. Remember, these appeals could be landmark decisions and therefore are carefully considered so that their decisions are not criticized later.”
Listening carefully, Jamie had periodically nodded her head encouragingly, but as the reality of the situation sunk in she glanced over at Grady. Her shifting gaze caused Ted to pause.
“Your situation doesn’t sound like anything groundbreaking or precedent-setting, Jamie. Don’t let that scare you.”
Ford leaned forward, taking the break in the conversation as an opportune moment to interject. “Aren’t there deadlines? Is Jamie too late to help him?”
Ted turned to Ford. His smile was still patient and broad. “Usually PCR’s are filed within 90 days. However, since Jamie wasn’t located during his initial trial, that timeline can be waived. The important thing is to make sure that the facts are clear and strong in his favor… Which brings me back to you, Jamie. Can you tell me what you know? We can see how strong his case is.”
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