High in Trial - By Donna Ball Page 0,59

would’ve destroyed her. And neither one of us was willing to do that. As much as he loved me, he loved Jessica more. Enough to sacrifice his integrity, his principles, his ethics, and his career for. Enough to lie for. Enough to send a man to prison for a crime he didn’t commit.”

Buck couldn’t remain seated. He stood, paced a few steps across the small room, pushed his hand through his hair. The golden retriever watched him alertly. He drew in a breath and released it in measures. He tried to focus on the pieces that were falling into place. All he could think about was how easy it was to believe what you got used to seeing. All those years, he’d never guessed. No one had.

He said, “Judge Stockton was afraid Berman would recognize him if the case went to trial. That’s why he pushed the deal.”

“In part,” Maude admitted. “In other part—he was afraid Berman would be convicted. It was a death penalty case. He couldn’t have lived with that. The young man was no saint, and no doubt he deserved a good deal more than the twenty years he served if all the crimes for which he’d never been convicted were taken into account. But if he’d been convicted of a first-degree murder that he didn’t commit… no. Jon couldn’t let that happen.”

“Then Berman saw the judge’s obituary and recognized the photograph.” Buck’s voice was toneless and his eyes flat. He was thinking aloud. “He put it all together and realized what happened. The judge must’ve been afraid something like that would happen. That’s why he wanted Roe to keep an eye on him.”

A slow alarm darkened Maude’s eyes. “Something like what?”

Buck looked at her sharply. “You’d know, wouldn’t you, if any strangers had been poking around here the last few weeks? Any strange phone calls Raine might have gotten?”

Maude said, “No, nothing that I know of. Do you think…? Is there cause to be concerned?”

Buck’s lips tightened grimly. “Raine needs to know about this,” he said. “You handle it any way you want, but she’s going to have to know.”

Maude’s hand fluttered to her throat. “Is she in danger, Buck? Is she in danger because of me?”

“Not now,” he said. “Not yet. But twenty years in prison is a long time to hate somebody who did you wrong, and it must’ve made him even madder when the judge died before he could get out and get even. The obituary would’ve listed the details about his survivors. That’s why he carried it around for so long. That’s what he meant by ‘sins of the father.’ He’s a long way from here now, and maybe we’ll catch him before he finds Raine, but she’ll have to be warned. And sooner or later she’ll want to know why.”

Maude said softly, “It will break her heart.”

For a moment her pain was reflected in Buck’s eyes. “I know.”

Maude nodded slowly and turned back to the window. “I’ve a brother in Florida, you know. He’s just bought a hotel, and he asked me to consider helping him run it. Perhaps it’s time for a change.”

Buck knew he should say something, but he didn’t know what. In the end, all he could manage was, “You do what you have to do. But tell Raine to give me a call when she gets in, will you?” He started for the door.

Maude said, “That won’t be until Sunday.”

He looked back her.

“She’s at an agility trial in South Carolina,” Maude said. “I should think she might’ve mentioned it to you. It’s all she’s posted about on Facebook for days. Cisco won a blue ribbon.”

Facebook. For some reason that word seemed to echo in his head and along with it a dozen police bulletins he’d received over the past year, all of them jumbled up and unrelated to each other. Everything within him seemed to go cold. He said, “Where in South Carolina?”

“Pembroke. It’s the big season opener at the agricultural fairgrounds there. She always—”

Buck snatched out his phone and started dialing, his heart going like a freight train. Maude moved toward him in alarm.

“Buck?”

“Damn,” he said tightly. “Voice mail. Damn it…” He pushed out the door with Maude following helplessly. “Raine, listen to me. You’re in danger. Get in your car and drive to the nearest police station, do you hear me? Call me from there. Do it now.”

“Buck,” Maude called after him. “Is there anything I can do?”

But he was already on another call, lengthening