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“Not a chance.” She glanced over at the defense table. Thomas was staring at her. Nearing thirty-five, he had the healthy good looks of a man who spent a lot of time outdoors and the physique of a swimmer. He was under house arrest, so he hadn’t been able to work, but his sprawling estate comprised fifteen acres. It had horses, a swimming pool, and a tennis court.
Thomas met Hannah’s gaze. A smirk played on his lips, but his eyes were cold. Flat. She could easily imagine him stabbing his wife to death.
She turned her attention back to Jose. “The break-in at my house and the appearance of this note is suspect. If I find out your client had anything to do with it, I will throw every single charge I can at him and fight to get him the harshest sentence possible.”
“That’s a horrible accusation.” Jose’s expression twisted into mock outrage. “Of course Thomas had nothing to do with this. He’s not a killer.”
That had yet to be determined. Hannah arched her brows. “I hope you’re right.”
Jose’s face flushed. “You’re playing a dangerous game. Thomas has lost his wife and unborn baby, been arrested and charged with their murders, had his good name dragged through the mud, and was ignored at every turn when he told the police about the drug dealer, Cash. Now you want to accuse him of arranging an attack on you. That’s… beyond the pale.” He leaned closer. “If you continue with this, it’ll go badly for you. Very badly.”
A shiver of fear worked its way down her spine. Jose was known for fighting hard for his clients, and he represented an unsavory bunch, but he’d never done anything untoward.
Until now.
It took everything in Hannah to maintain eye contact. “That sounds like a threat.”
His gaze narrowed. “It’s an observation. The DA, your boss, doesn’t like to have egg on his face. If you lose this case, which you will, it’ll end badly for you.”
“Thanks for your concern, but I can handle my career.” Hannah found his behavior incredibly odd. A sneaking suspicion crept into the recesses of her mind. Did Jose know his client was guilty? Of murdering his wife and arranging the attack on Hannah? It was possible. Most defense attorneys never asked their clients directly about guilt or innocence. There were a lot of reasons for that. But Jose didn’t strike her as the kind who would shy away from a case even if he knew his client was guilty.
It was also possible he was just feeling the pressure. Given the media's attention, it would be a huge bonus if Jose won this case. It would bring in more clients who’d pay top-dollar for a successful defense attorney. Then again, he could spin a loss into something profitable too.
Their conversation was cut off when the bailiff announced the judge. Jose hurried back to his table as Judge Wingate entered, robes billowing, and climbed the dais before taking her seat. Nerves jittered in Hannah’s stomach as the judge announced the case for the record. Ryker caught her eye, his gaze shooting toward Jose and then back to her, a question written in his raised brows. Clearly, he’d caught the exchange and found it as odd as she had. Hannah shook her head to show she was all right and turned her attention back to the matter at hand: winning this hearing.
She and Jose battled for over twenty minutes. The result was that his motion to dismiss was denied. The trial would move forward next week as planned. However, the judge delayed ruling on whether to admit the letter left at Hannah’s house into evidence. Not a loss, exactly, but it was cause for concern. She couldn’t let the letter be presented to the jury. It would create reasonable doubt, which is exactly what Thomas was counting on.
Once the hearing was over, she turned to Kristin. “We need to find precedent. I doubt you’ll find a case with a similar fact pattern, but see if there’s something close. I need to give the judge a reason to keep this letter away from the jury.” Hannah breathed out. “I can’t cross-exam a note. That might be a good place to start.”
The younger woman scribbled some notes. “On it.”
Some of the tension riding Hannah’s shoulders eased. Kristin was ambitious, but there was a way to harness that power for good. She was an excellent researcher. Tenacious. She wouldn’t stop until she’d found something to help win the argument.
Ryker appeared by her side. “You did it.” His expression was infused with warmth. “You kept the charges against Thomas from being dropped and the letter out of evidence.”
“I bought us some time, that’s all. Unless we can conclusively prove Thomas hired someone to attack me, then Judge Wingate will probably allow the letter into evidence during the trial. She won’t risk an innocent man going to prison.”
Hannah’s attention drifted across the courtroom to the defense table. Thomas and his lawyer were speaking together in low voices. Both of them were grinning like they’d won the lottery. Maybe this letter had dropped from the heavens like a gift from God, but Hannah didn’t think so. She was buying into Ryker’s theory more and more. Thomas had hired someone to attack her.
The real question was who?
Sudden movement caught Hannah’s attention as the bailiff hung up his cell phone and raced to the judge’s bench. He whispered something in her ear.
Judge Wingate stiffened and then rose. “Excuse me, ladies and gentlemen, we need to evacuate the building immediately. There’s been a bomb threat.”
SEVEN
Ryker’s heart leapt to his throat as he grabbed Hannah’s elbow. “We’ve got to go. Now.”
The bailiff hurried across the courtroom and yanked on the fire alarm. A siren immediately started blaring. Kristin paled and jumped up. She pointed to the exit. “The fastest way out of the building is over there.”
“No.” Hannah yanked out of Ryker’s hold. “I’m not going anywhere without Charlotte.”
Before he could respond, the stubborn woman spun on her heel and hurried for the door leading to the interior of the courthouse and her office. Ryker had no choice but to follow her. Frustration swelled in his chest as he scrambled to make it through the door and past the swaths of people moving toward the exit. It was like swimming upstream. Several bailiffs were trying to keep the crowd calm, but to no avail. Panic was setting in. A woman tripped and Ryker’s hand shot out to steady her before pushing forward.
“Hannah!” He finally caught up to her and grabbed her arm. The sheer worry etched on her pretty features cut him to the core. Charlotte wasn’t Hannah’s daughter, but the love she had for her niece ran strong.
And heaven help him, Ryker admired her deeply for it.
