by Naomi Niles
I tossed and turned all night, trying to find a comfortable spot on the cot. In the end, it was the comforting image of Mia’s face in my head that sent me off to sleep.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Mia
I kept hoping that if I looked incredibly busy, then Renni wouldn’t think of asking me about Sam that morning. It was an empty hope, but I went through with it all the same. Every time Renni came to the kitchen, I either sent her to fetch me something or I made an excuse to disappear into one of the other rooms.
“Mommy!” she said at last. “What are you doing?”
I stopped for a moment, realizing how silly I was being. I couldn’t avoid Sam’s name altogether. There would be a point at which I would have to face the music, and I was starting to realize that the sooner I did that, the better. I took a breath and gave Renni a smile.
“Sorry, bunny,” I said. “I’m a little distracted this morning. What can I get you for breakfast?”
“Can I have brownies?” she asked with a mischievous smile.
I laughed. “No, you may not,” I said firmly. “Nice try, though. What you can have is pancakes with maple syrup. I have some batter left in the fridge. Or would you prefer to have waffles?”
“Waffles, please,” Renni decided.
“Good girl,” I nodded, starting to get the waffles ready.
“Can I help?” she asked, always ready to give me a hand with anything.
“You can get out the plates and the milk, sweetheart,” I nodded.
I usually enjoyed mornings like this, when it was just Renni and me getting breakfast ready together. It was more than just ritual, it was a bonding experience and I’d come to rely heavily on those ever since we had lost Clint. I had just set a crisp golden waffle on Renni’s plate and pushed it towards her when the question I had been dreading came.
“Mommy, where’s Sam?” Renni asked. “We haven’t seen him in so, so long.”
I paused for a moment, trying to figure out the best way to explain it to her. Renni looked at me with those green eyes that were the mirror image of mine, and I saw more maturity and awareness in them than was normal for a five year old. I wasn’t sure if her father’s death had aged her or if she was just naturally an old soul. I did know that telling her the truth was the only option here.
“Sweetheart,” I started. “I don’t think we’ll be seeing Sam for awhile.”
Renni blinked at me for a moment and then she looked down at her waffle. “Why?” she asked, in a soft voice.
“Because Sam is going through a few things,” I admitted, without giving too much detail. “And it’s complicated, but he needs to sort those things out first.”
“And then we can see him?”
I hesitated. “Maybe,” I said, not wanting to upset her. “But I can’t promise anything. Chances are that…we might not see him again.”
“Oh,” she said as her eyes went wide. “Did you have a fight with him?”
I gulped at the question, taken slightly unawares. I had always been proud of the fact that she was a smart and observant child, but sometimes it didn’t exactly work in my favor.
“I… No,” I said, “It wasn’t a fight… We just discussed a few things and we decided that Sam needed to work on his trouble.”
“He has trouble?”
“A little,” I nodded.
“Then shouldn’t we help him?”
It was a simple question, but I balked at it. “I don’t think we can,” I said, even though that wasn’t technically the truth.
“You’re a lawyer, Mommy,” Renni said. “You can do anything.”
I don’t know if her reference to my profession was a calculated guess on her part or if she was just making a random link. I didn’t ask her to elaborate. I just smiled.
“I can’t do anything, sweetheart,” I told her.
“Yes, you can,” she nodded. “You help people who can’t help themselves.”
I nodded, remembering the day I had explained my job to her. She was not the sort of child to forget those moments. She stored it up, kept it in her memory, and repeated it to herself until she could understand what it meant. For a moment, I thought of Clint and how insanely proud of her he would have been.
I leaned in and kissed her forehead. “It’s time to get to school, bunny,” I said. “Finish up your waffle and then we’ll head out, okay?”
Renni held my gaze for a moment before she nodded. “Okay.”
I busied myself tidying up the kitchen, and the moment Renni was finished with her breakfast, we headed out the door and to her school. She asked me about birds and about Vincent Van Gogh on the way, so I assumed she had gotten her mind off Sam somehow. I stood by the car, waving her off to school, when she turned to me with those knowing green eyes and took my hand.
“What is it, darling?” I asked, wondering if she had forgotten something.
“You should help Sam, Mommy,” she said in a soft, kind voice. “You should make things right.”
It was advice I would have expected from an adult. Not a pint-sized person who wore size three shoes. I couldn’t help but smile down at her. “I’ll think about it, sweetheart.”
“Okay,” she nodded. With a parting smile, she headed off into school with her backpack slung over both shoulders.
I waited till she had disappeared inside the building, and then I got into the car and headed towards city hall. My mind was so foggy with thoughts of the previous few days that I didn’t even realize that I was in my building, on my floor, until Peggy came up to me. She was one of the assistants who worked on our floor. She doubled as a secretary to a number of lawyers there.
“Morning, Mia,” she greeted, as I stepped off the elevator.
“Peggy,” I said, coming to a stop. “Good morning.”
“I tried calling you a couple of times.”
“Oh?” I said, checking my phone. “Shit, Peggy. I’m sorry; I had it on silent this whole time. Is something wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong,” she assured me. “It’s just that there’s someone waiting to meet you. He’s been here for almost an hour. He says he won’t leave until he’s spoken to you.”
I frowned. “Did you get a name?”
“Peter,” she replied. “Peter Burbank.”
I placed the name almost immediately. It was the last name that ticked me off. This had to be one of Sam’s brothers.
I was glad Peggy had warned me – I hated walking in to unexpected situations. I straightened out my navy blue blazer and walked into my office. He was sitting in front of my desk, but his body was turned towards Helen’s desk as he spoke to her.
“Mia,” Helen said the moment she saw me. “There you are. Peter here has been waiting on you for quite some time. I’ll give you some privacy, shall I?”
She gave me a smile as she left the room, leaving Peter and me alone. He rose to his feet and approached me with one hand outstretched. He was tall, just like Sam, but he was slightly leaner and lankier. He had the same hazel eyes, differing to Sam’s by one insignificant shade, and his hair was dark and short and scantier than Sam’s. He was dressed nicely, and he cut an impressive figure standing there beside my decidedly unimpressive brown desk.
I shook his hand. “You are Sam’s brother?”
“Peter Burbank, ma’am,” he said politely. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Please,” I said. “You can call me Mia.”
“Mia, then,” he agreed.
“Why have you come to see me, Peter?” I asked, gesturing for him to take a seat.
“I spoke to Sam last night,” he said. “He told me that you were going to refer him to a good lawyer.”
“Yes,” I nodded. “I was going to refer him to Helen, actually.”
“She seems like a good lawyer.”
“She is,” I assured him. “Very good. And, she has much more experience than I do.”
“Is that the reason you’re not taking Sam’s case?” he asked directly.
I paused for a moment. “No,” I admitted. “That’s not the reason.”
I noticed how kind his eyes were when Peter smiled. “I’m sorry, Mia. I don’t mean to pry. The real reason I’m here is to tell you that I’ve been doing some digging all night, and I found out some things that could really help Sam’s case.”
“Oh?” I said, leaning in a little.
“I don’t know if Sam has told you, but I’m a cop.”
“He mentioned it,” I nodded.
“That gives me access to information that a civilian doesn’t always have,” Peter explained. “I managed to track down the drug ring where the illegal profits for Jackson’s Bar came from.
“A few members of the ring have been taken into custody, too, along with Jackson and Sam. And none of them have any knowledge of Sam. He was never involved in any of the dealings. Apart from his signatures on those documents, there’s no evidence that he had anything to do with the money.
“Mia… I know my brother. Sam is a straightforward kind of guy. He’s blindly trusting and insanely loyal – almost to the point of stupidity. But one thing he’s not is a thief and a criminal. I knew he didn’t have anything to do with this, but now I have more proof that he didn’t.”
I could feel the conviction of Peter’s words; by the time he had finished speaking, I realized he had convinced me of Sam’s innocence, too. The thought of Sam sitting in a jail cell overnight broke my heart. The need to help him was suddenly greater than my need for self-preservation. I knew I shouldn’t be involving myself with him, whether or not he was innocent, but I suspected that I was fighting a losing battle there.
“It still might not be enough,” I told Peter. “The prosecution will build up a good case against Sam. They’ll make it seem like Jackson handled the business end, as well as all the dealings with drug ring, while Sam was more of a behind-the-scenes partner in all this. And as you mentioned, they have his signatures on several different documents. I’m afraid blind loyalty won’t serve as a legitimate defence in a court of law.”
“I’m aware,” Peter nodded. “But it’s a start.”
“It is,” I agreed.
“Perhaps I should share this information with Helen, too?” he asked. “Considering she’s going to be representing Sam from this point on?”
I hesitated for a moment as Peter watched me expectantly. I took a deep internal breath and made my decision. “Actually, that won’t be necessary,” I told him.
“It won’t?”
“I will be representing Sam,” I said.
Peter looked at me for a moment and then smiled. “Sam will be delighted to hear it. Thank you, Mia,” he said, reaching out to shake my hand again.
“Of course,” I nodded.
“You know… I’ve known Sam his entire life,” Peter said. “He’s not someone who pays too much attention to other people’s opinions of him.
“But the only thing he seemed to really care about last night when I visited him was your opinion of him. He wanted you to know – to believe that he was innocent. He didn’t mention anything about getting him out of jail. He just mentioned…you. I think you’ve become an important part of his life, and I don’t think he wants to lose you.”
I stared at Peter for a moment, taking some time to process his words. “Is that the real reason you came down here?” I asked directly.
He smiled. His hazel eyes struck me, reminding me a little too much of Sam’s. “I suppose it is,” he admitted. “Thank you for seeing me, Mia.”
Then he turned and walked out the door, leaving me with a new spasm of unwelcome hope. I tried to squelch it out, but it just refused to go.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Sam
The door to my cell was pulled open and the squealing grate of the sound had me cringing. It was like everything about this place had been purposefully devised to remind its inhabitants that they were in prison.
“Morning, Bucko,” I greeted the officer at my cell door with a huge smile. “You look a little grumpy… Didn’t get a good night sleep, then?”
The officer’s name was Buckram, but I had decided to amuse myself by giving all the officers I came into contact with interesting pet names. Not all of them were amused, but I thought I was beginning to crack Bucko’s hard, unsmiling surface.
“Out with you, Burbank,” Bucko said, shaking his head at me.
“Personally, I had an amazing sleep,” I told him. “Once I managed to find the one little spot on the cot that didn’t have wires digging into my rib cage, I slept like a baby.
“Of course, the lights kept flickering in the night, but to be honest, I think they only enhanced my nightmares. But you know what they say about nightmares, right? It’s like personalized television. Do you want to know what I dreamt about last night?”
“Not particularly,” he replied. “Hurry up and get out there.”
I stretched and walked out of my cell. “Please tell me I’m coming back soon, though,” I said in a sad tone. “I’ve really come to love my little home. It’s so…cozy.”
Bucko grabbed me by the arm and pulled me into the long walk down the dreary hallway. “You’re a real funny man aren’t you?”
“Then why don’t you smile?” I asked. “It’s seriously disappointing, but you know I’ll just keep trying.”
“Don’t waste your time.”
“Yup,” I nodded. “You definitely had a bad night. You know what helps? I find that a good breakfast can put a smile on your face any day. Do you like bacon wrapped sausages? Those things are the bomb.”
“For fuck’s sake, Burbank,” he sighed. “Can’t you shut up for two seconds?”
“I don’t want you to forget my voice once I’m gone,” I said, giving him a wink.
Bucko rolled his eyes and pulled me to a stop outside one of the rooms used for meetings. “Get inside,” he instructed. “Sit down and shut up.”
“That’s quite a few things I gotta do,” I said sheepishly. “Can you write it down for me?”
Bucko pushed me inside the room and slammed the door in my face. I turned to the door and raised my voice to make sure he could hear me. “Bacon wrapped sausages,” I yelled. “You can’t go wrong!”
Silence descended, and I took the seat that was facing the door. I tapped my fingers against the table and hummed to myself, trying to deflect from the thoughts running through my head.
I may have been in a tight spot, but I refused to let that change my personality. I wasn’t going to be one of those sad sacks who grew bitter and angry in prison. That was not to say I wouldn’t have my moments, but the point was not to let them consume me.
After what seemed like an eternity, the door opened and none other than Mia walked in. I rose to my feet in amazement as though I had just seen an angel.
“Mia?” I said in delight. “What are you doing here?”
She stared at me for a moment before her face softened and she gave me a smile. “I’m your lawyer,” she said. “Where else would I be?”
“You…you’re my lawyer?” I repeated.
“Uh-huh.”
“Since when?”
“Since your brother came to speak to me yesterday morning,” she said as she came forward and took the seat opposite me.
“Peter met with you?”
“He did,” she said. “And, he made a compelling case in your favor. He convinced me that you are innocent.”
I breathed a sigh of relief, and I desperately wanted to reach out and kiss her. But I restrained myself at the last moment. “So, you believe me?”
“God help me, I do,” Mia nodded. “Which is why I’m going to represent you.”
“I’m so glad,” I said. “Seriously… I am so, so glad. You have no idea how glad I am.”
She smiled in amusement. “I can see that on your face.”
“Thank you, Mia”
“Are you going to spend this whole meeting thanking me?” she asked. “Because I’ll be honest with you,
we don’t have the time.”
“Okay,” I said, putting my game face on. “Talk to me.”
“This is going to be difficult,” she said without mincing her words.
“Because of my signatures,” I said.
“Yes,” she nodded. “The truth is, your fate sort of rests in Jackson’s hands.”
“Jackson?” I repeated.
“He’s the one that’s incriminated you,” Mia explained. “Which means he has the power to exonerate you, too.”
“Do you think that’s likely?”
She raised her eyebrows. “I was going to ask you the same question,” she said. “You know Jackson better than I do.”
“Considering where I am and who put me here in the first place… I can’t really claim that I know Jackson anymore,” I sighed.
She gave me a sympathetic smile. “I’m going to try and do my best to get you out of here, Sam,” she said. “I promise you that.”
I smiled. “And afterwards?”
“Afterwards?” Mia repeated.
“After you get me off the hook, can we continue…where we left off?”
Mia gave me a mysterious smile. “How about we get through this first…and we can decide that later?”
I sighed. “I suppose,” I said. “Just for your information, trust is my only flaw.”
Mia’s smile broadened. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
“So, what’s the plan?”
“I’m working on a few different angles,” she admitted. “I spent the whole of yesterday trying to craft your defence. But the truth is, I’m hoping we can avoid using it in the first place.”
“Meaning you’re hoping to have the charges dropped?” I clarified.
“Yes,” she nodded. “If I can get a meeting with Jackson.”
“Peter requested a meeting with him,” I said. “He turned it down.”
“He would,” Mia nodded. “Peter’s your brother. I’m your lawyer. It’s different.”
“I suppose…”
“Leave it to me,” she said. “I have a favor to ask you.”