Page 33 of The Best Lawyer
“I’ll be in the barn,” Eric said, quietly excusing himself.
“Can we talk?” Joe asked.
I missed him. Things had been so strained between us over the last few months. Part of me understood my sister Vangie’s rage. Wehadlet Katy’s case rip a hole in the family. I just hoped it was temporary. That things could go back to some semblance of normal when this was all over. No matter the outcome.
“Let’s go out on the porch,” I said. “Do you want a beer or anything?”
“Nah.”
He followed me out. We sat side by side in the wooden Adirondack chairs. A pink sliver was all that remained of the sun.
We sat in silence for a moment, then Joe handed me the paper he’d been holding. “I was served this morning.”
It was a subpoena for Tuesday, day two of the trial if everything went as planned. By the time we got through voir dire, preliminary motions, and opening statements, it could eat up most of the day tomorrow. It meant Quick planned to call Joe as one of his first witnesses.
“We knew this was likely,” I said. “If I were the prosecution, I’d call you.”
“If he thinks I’m going to turn on Katy …”
“He doesn’t think that. In fact, he’s banking on the fact you won’t. You just have to tell the truth. He’s going to come at you hard about your affair last year.”
I handed the subpoena back to him. Joe crumpled it and put it in his pocket. “How is she doing? Katy. She won’t let me visit. She’s shunned Emma too. She’s pretty hurt by it.”
“Emma should be focusing on one thing only. Passing her bar exam next week.”
“She is. She’ll kick butt. I’m not worried about her as far as that goes.”
I was, but I kept it to myself.
He didn’t say anything for a while. We just sat together, watching the subtle waves.
“You should take the boat out,” I said. “Do some fishing in the cove before it’s fully dark.”
“I didn’t come here to fish. I just … I was hoping … I don’t know. I just wanted to talk to you. Cass, I’m sorry this has turned into such a mess. I know you’re doing this for Emma and me more than anything. I didn’t mean for it to get so complicated. Vangie isn’t speaking to me. Which, to some degree, I find refreshing. But Matt’s tense around me too. And you … I feel like I haven’t seen you for six months.”
“You knew this would be the deal,” I said. “I told you. And it’ll be over soon. One way or the other.”
He squeezed his eyes shut for a second and nodded. “I can’t lose her, Cass.”
“Do you still love her?” I probably shouldn’t have asked. It was such a hard balance. There was the part of me that knew Joe’s feelings for Katy made everything that much more complicated. If he didn’t have an alibi, he might have become a suspect. He might be on trial right along with Katy. At the same time, I knew how much Katy’s predicament was hurting him. He’d spent twenty years feeling as if he were her protector. He took care of her.
“No,” he quietly said. “That’s the thing. I don’t love her. That’s been gone for a long time. It doesn’t mean I don’t care about her. Don’t worry about her. We had a life together. And that’s what that was about last year. Closure, I guess. Like we both needed to say goodbye.”
“We probably shouldn’t talk about your relationship with Katy. I shouldn’t even have asked you if you still love her.”
“I really am sorry. I know it was selfish of me to pressure you into this. At the same time, I know you’re Katy’s best chance to beat this.”
“And then what?” I asked.
“Huh?”
“And then what? Have you thought that through? If Katy is acquitted, what then? For you, I mean.”
“It’s over between us. The romantic part anyway. She’s always going to be in my life. She’s Emma’s mom, no matter how much Emma tried to run away from that these past two years.”
“I miss you,” I said, taking my brother’s hand. “I don’t like being at odds with you. And I don’t like that Emma looks like a walking ghost. This has affected her far more than I would have predicted.”
Joe’s face took on a pained expression. He was apparently just as worried about his daughter as I was. More, probably. I’d asked what he’d do if Katy were acquitted. What would it do to him and Emma if she were convicted?
