Frank sat at the head of the table. Sonya stood by his side, her hand firmly on his shoulder, her support and caring obvious. Robin, who’d come home for the weekend, sat beside Molly, while Jessie and Seth lingered near the entry.
Hunter glanced around at the faces that had become familiar to him in such a short time and his sense of panic grew. These people were counting on him. And though all of his past clients and their families had counted on him, these people were special. They were Molly’s family. Never before had two words meant so much. She’d spent a lifetime searching for the love and acceptance she’d found here. And Hunter held their future in his hands. He broke into a genuine sweat.
“In a nutshell, this hearing is our last chance to get the charges dropped before going to trial.” He tried to keep his voice even and unemotional, as he would with any client and any case.
“Without any tangible evidence that will exonerate the general, my best hope is to point to the lack of evidence to convict him. I’ll present our view of the night of the murder, where the general was and why the court, based on his character, should believe him. I’ll offer alternative suspects and point out that the police failed to investigate anyone except the general and in doing so didn’t meet their burden of proof.” He shoved his hands into his front pockets. “Any questions?”
Everyone spoke at once. A cacophony of sounds surrounded him and he couldn’t focus on any single one until finally, a lone voice won out.
“But you think you’ll get Frank off, right? If not at the hearing then at trial?” Seth spoke from across the room. He leaned against the doorway, looking exactly like the scared fifteen-year-old he was.
Hunter heard the desperation in the kid’s voice and he understood. In the general, Seth saw the last male adult figure in his life, and he didn’t want to lose him in addition to his father. Not on top of finding out his dad hadn’t been the hero he’d thought, but someone very human. Hunter had never really had a male role model of his own, but he had known fear. And he could imagine the fear and pain Seth was experiencing now.
He swallowed hard, wishing he could give the kid the answers he sought. But years of experience had taught him to level with families.
“I’ll do my best, but I have to be honest with you, this is a very tough case. We don’t have any scale-tipping factors on our side except for Frank’s character and-forgive me for saying this, Paul’s lack thereof-and I plan to play those angles for all they’re worth.” He spread his hands out in front of him. “I wish I could give you more than that, but I have to be realistic.”
“We’re just glad to have you on Frank’s side,” Edna said from her seat at the table.
He wondered if they’d feel that way should he actually lose the case.
SINCE HUNTER and the general were locked together in strategy sessions prepping for the hearing, Molly decided to head over to the senior center for her friend Liza’s art class.
Today was her still-life painting class. Molly slipped through the door and grabbed a seat in the back, content to watch and listen to her friend, who had a degree in art history, discussing her passion.
After a thorough explanation of the concept, Liza asked everyone to begin by sketching first.
Irwin Yaeger, who Molly noticed had been fidgeting in his seat throughout the lecture, stood, paintbrush in hand. “I have a question.”
Liza finished pulling her hair back off her face before dealing with the unreformable elderly gentleman. “What is it, Irwin?”
“I thought we were doing nudes today.”
Molly bit the inside of her cheek and tried not to laugh.
Liza couldn’t hold back her grin. “Nudes aren’t on the class schedule. You know that.”
“We all pay for this class, so shouldn’t we get to choose our art form?”
Lucinda stood. “Sit down and stop being a pain in the butt, Irwin. The rest of us want to work on our fruit.”
“I saw how you looked at me in the hall the other day, Lucy, and I know that nudes would be right up your alley.” He wiggled his bushy eyebrows her way. “But if you insist on painting fruit, how about cherries? Or bananas?”
“Lordy.” Lucinda fanned herself with the dry paintbrush. “Behave,” she chided.
Liza strode over to the man. “If you’re going to bother my class, you’re going to have to leave.”
“Are you seriously throwing out a virile and willing model?” Irwin asked and reached for the belt buckle on his pants.
“No!” Liza yelled. “Do not undress. Sit down and sketch like the rest of the class and you can stay.” She met Molly’s gaze and shook her head.
“Oh, all right, but you can bet I’ll be filling out one of those complaint cards,” he muttered.
“You be sure and do that.” Liza crooked a finger at Molly as she walked to her side. “Can I talk to you outside?”
Molly nodded.
“And the rest of you, keep sketching. Irwin, if I come back and you aren’t dressed, I’m filing a sexual harassment charge against you, so don’t even test me.” Liza strode out of the room and Molly followed.
When they reached the hall, they both burst out laughing. “Sometimes it’s so hard to keep a straight face,” Liza said. “So what are you doing here? You don’t take my art classes.”
Molly shrugged. “I haven’t been here in a while and I wanted to check on everyone.”
Liza stepped back and studied her. “You look tired.”
“Stressed is more like it.”
“Well, I can’t say I blame you, what with your father’s situation and all.”
Molly leaned against the wall, letting it support her weight. “Did I mention my mother arrived for an unannounced visit?”
Liza had heard about Francie but had never met her in person. “Why in the world would she come to this little podunk Connecticut town?”
Molly grinned. Apparently Molly’s descriptions had been accurate enough that Liza had Francie pegged. “She says she’s here to support me in my time of crisis. I’m guessing she pissed off her wealthy boyfriend and had nowhere else to go, so she’s here until she regroups and thinks of a new strategy to bag herself a rich man.”
“And her presence is an added stress you don’t need.” Liza might have majored in art but she had a good heart and a solid understanding of human nature. Molly often thought she could have been a psychologist.
“Hunter thinks I should lay down some ground rules.”
“Hunter, huh?” A wide smile crossed Liza’s face. “And we care what Hunter thinks?”
Molly rolled her eyes. “I told you, we go way back.”
“What you told me was vague, but I’m good at reading you, and that man makes your eyes light up like I’ve never seen.”
Heat rose to Molly’s cheeks. “He might have a teeny effect on me.” He was also complicating her life at a time when she didn’t need any more things to think about.
On the other hand, he wasn’t pressuring her or making demands, he was merely working on her father’s case and being there for her, anticipating her concerns and worries, and acting more like someone who cared about Molly than a lawyer hired to defend a client.
“Well, no matter how you feel about him, it sounds like the man has a point. From what you told me, your mother expects you to drop everything when she arrives and cater to her whims.”
Molly nodded. “This morning she asked if I’d pick her up and take her for coffee. The hotel coffee tasted burnt. Then she needed dry cleaning because the hotel wouldn’t have her suit back in time for what I have no idea.” She shuddered, remembering her mother’s authoritarian tone as she couched her orders as requests that weren’t.