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Josie frowned. “I’m not supposed to relay any messages.”
“It’s not a secret code, Deputy Dwyer. I just want him to know someone is on their way to help us, okay?”
Even though she didn’t reply, I felt certain she would tell Wilder what I’d said. Whether or not it would give him any comfort was another story, but it was the best I could do given our circumstances.
Cash was a punctual guy.
He insisted on being early or on time to absolutely everything, and as it turned out, coming to my rescue was no exception.
About two and a half hours after I called, Josie came back and told me I had a visitor.
She brought me into a different room than the one McGraw had interviewed me in, and to my utter astonishment I discovered Wilder was already there waiting. This time around no one handcuffed me to the table, and Wilder too was shackle free.
It didn’t escape my attention that Wilder and Cash were staring each other down across the table, and the atmosphere of the room was downright chilly.
I sat beside Wilder, only because it was the spot Josie had indicated I ought to go to. I’d never been arrested before, but perhaps there were rules against the criminals sitting next to their lawyers rather than across from them.
I smiled at Cash but he only nodded tightly. Evidently he didn’t see anything in this situation worth smiling about.
“Thanks for coming,” I was doing my best to sound sweet and appreciative. I knew this was a huge inconvenience to him, and I felt bad for dragging him out here. He had every right to be annoyed with me.
At least he came, I reminded myself.
It wasn’t that I expected him to pity my circumstances, but a bit of empathy would have gone a long way. For someone who was supposed to care about me, I sure wasn’t feeling loved just now. Even a hand hold would have lifted my spirits out of their current lower-than-shit level.
Cash waited until Josie was out of the room before he spoke. “They were more than a little hesitant to let me speak to you both together, but I made a point of telling them I wasn’t likely to allow either of you to make a statement, so it shouldn’t matter if you’re in the same room. Funny, though, he was surprised I only knew about two of my clients. I guess they figured since I was helping one Shaw brother I was here for the whole family.”
The unimpressed stare he gave me spoke volumes. I felt as big as a flea in that moment. Ah. That explained why he wasn’t so pleased with me. To be fair to me, though, it wasn’t my fault the cops had assumed he was Hank’s lawyer. I was just hoping he would be.
“Hank is the real reason we needed you.”
“You called me to help you. I assumed he would be an added bonus.” He nodded towards Wilder. “I came here expecting trespassing. What I find is a murder rap and an assault charge. You wanted me to help get you out of trouble, Genie, but this is
some fucking bullshit right here.”
I guess it wasn’t fair of me to expect him to be thrilled, but I certainly wasn’t expecting him to react like this. “I’m sorry.” And I was. I should have told him about Hank. It wasn’t a great thing to dump in his lap without warning. But he hadn’t given me much of an opportunity during our short phone call.
He sighed and rubbed his palms over his cheeks. It was only midafternoon, but he already looked exhausted.
“No, I’m sorry. It was just… It caught me off-guard, and if I’m going to be able to help you, I can’t have any surprises. Believe it or not, I’m still new to this, and the easier you make things for me, the better it will be for you. So, I need you guys to tell me everything that happened. From the beginning. And don’t leave anything out. Okay?”
I nodded, but Wilder didn’t acknowledge Cash’s request. Instead he asked, “Have you talked to him?”
“To who?”
“Hank?”
“You’re his brother, right?” Cash glanced down at a notebook haphazardly filled with his familiar handwriting. I wondered how much he knew in addition to what I’d told him on the phone. He was a smart guy. He’d probably already unturned some stones.
Again, Wilder ignored the question. “Have you seen him?”
If Cash found this line of questioning rude, he didn’t let it show. In fact he was being a lot nicer to Wilder than he was to me. “Only briefly. Since the charges against him are more significant, I can’t get you in to see him.” Cash focused on me, the kindness melting off him like ice. “He was overjoyed to find out I was his lawyer, by the way.”
Neither Wilder nor I needed further explanation. If Hank had his way, he would stay in jail for a year if it meant he could wait for a white lawyer. Too bad for him the lawyer I was currently banging didn’t have his preferred skin color.
I half-expected Wilder to apologize on behalf of his brother, something he was likely accustomed to doing. Instead he asked, “Is he okay?”
If Cash had been to see Hank before coming to us, it was no small wonder he wasn’t acting warm and fuzzy towards Wilder or me. He probably assumed Wilder shared his brother’s attitude, and he was mad at me for putting him in this position.
