Salem Falls Read online

  "I got your stuff ... but we can't help you," the coordinator said. "One of our attorneys defended the victim three years ago in a misdemeanor shoplifting charge, back before he joined the PD's office. And you know we're too tiny, Bernie, to build a Chinese wall around whoever takes St. Bride on."

  Bernie sighed. For a Friday, it was feeling a hell of a lot like a Monday morning. "Okay. I'll go to my backup list. Thanks."

  He hung up and shuffled through a rubber-banded sheaf of cards he kept in the front compartment of his desk, a group of attorneys in private practice whom he called on, now and then, when the public defender's office had a conflict. Finally, his eye caught on one name. "Here we go," Bernie said, smiling slowly, and he picked up the phone.

  The third time he heard a crash, Jordan put down his cup of coffee and went to investigate. He moved through the hallway like a bloodhound on a scent, until he found the source of the noise--behind Thomas's closed bedroom door. Which was exceptionally strange, since Thomas had left for school nearly two hours earlier.

  Another crash. Then: "Goddamn!" Jordan pushed open the door to find Selena sprawled on the carpet, which had been covered with newspaper. She wore a tank top and a pair of his own boxer shorts. Her mahogany skin was dotted with blue freckles, and a paint roller lay several feet away, in a puddle of its own pigment.

  "Whatever kind of look you were going for ... you missed," Jordan said.

  Selena narrowed her eyes, "If I throw a stick, will you leave?"

  He stepped into the room. "Not until I figure out why you're painting Thomas's ceiling ..." He paused to read the label on the can a few feet away. "Woodsmoke blue."

  "Because you haven't done it?" She waved a hand about. "For God's sake, Jordan. The kid's fifteen. You think Easter egg purple and bunny wallpaper work for him?"

  Jordan glanced around, seeing Thomas's room through new eyes. It had belonged to a little girl when they'd bought the house. For a year now, Jordan had been promising Thomas it was something they'd tackle together. He glanced down at his sweatpants and river driver's shirt. Nothing that couldn't get ruined, he supposed. Stepping closer, he picked up the paint roller. "At least I know how to climb a ladder. Christ--from the racket, it sounded like you were holding a WWF tournament."

  "For your information, I could stay on the ladder just fine." Selena frowned. "It was the roller that kept losing its balance, every time I let go of the handle."

  Jordan rolled a smooth rectangle of blue paint onto the ceiling. "Didn't think you'd even need a ladder, Amazon that you are."

  By now, Selena was standing. She automatically lifted the paint tray so that Jordan wouldn't have to dismount to refresh the roller. "Very funny."

  "Sarcasm is just one more service we offer." He squinted. "Why blue?"

  "It's calming. And you're missing that whole section. See?"

  Jordan scowled. "It looks perfectly fine to me."

  "That's because you're as good as blind." Selena slapped her hands on the rungs of the ladder, encircling Jordan, and began to climb up behind him. He twisted to allow her access to duck beneath his arm, as she reached up and pointed to a spot that had not been covered thoroughly. "There," she said.

  But Jordan wasn't listening. He was inhaling the scent of Selena's skin, feeling the heat of her pressed behind and beside him. He closed his eyes and, moving just the slightest bit, inclined his head closer to hers. "I'm not blind, Selena," he murmured.

  They remained tangled in a knot of possibility. And just as Jordan tipped forward to kiss Selena, she turned so that he grazed the nape of her neck, instead. "Jordan," she whispered. "We know better."

  "This time, it could be different. I'm different."

  She smiled softly. "An erection doesn't count as personal growth."

  He opened his mouth to contest that, but before he could, the telephone rang. Trying to extricate himself from his position on the ladder, he wound up knocking down both Selena and the paint roller once again. He leaped over her, ran down the hall, and grabbed the portable from the living room.

  A moment later, he appeared at the threshold to Thomas's bedroom. Selena stood on the ladder again, the muscles in her arms flexing as she stretched overhead to paint. When she turned, her gaze was positively blank, as if what had just passed between them had never happened. "Please tell me it's that idiot mechanic telling me my car's ready."

  "It was Bernie Davidson, at the courthouse," Jordan said, still a little dazed. "Apparently, I'm back in practice." He turned to Selena, a question in his eyes.

  "Count me in," she said, and stepped down beside him.

  *

  Like every other human over the age of eight in Salem Falls, Jordan knew that Jack St. Bride had been convicted once for sexual assault. That he was now on the receiving end of a rape charge didn't bode particularly well, either. One thing was for certain: with a prior under his belt, St. Bride wouldn't be getting bail. Which actually suited Jordan just fine, because a guy who was locked up couldn't get himself into any more trouble.

  His hair was still wet from his shower when he arrived at the county attorney's office in Ossipee. As far as he was concerned, he had one job, and that was to get as much information as he could early in the game. Rape trials were always a bitch; the more Jordan knew, the better chance he'd have of landing on his feet.

  He waited for the secretary to buzz Matt Houlihan, an assistant county attorney Jordan disliked just on general principles. The fucker was too cocky, and if Jordan felt that, it was really saying something. Jordan wasn't sure what pissed him off more--the young county attorney's persistence or the fact that his hairline wasn't receding even the tiniest bit.

  Matt appeared around the corner of a cubicle, grinning. "He has risen!"

  Smiling just as widely, Jordan held out his hand to shake. "Reports of my demise have been greatly exaggerated."

  Matt gestured down the hall, toward his office. "Where have you been, Jordan? After the Harte case, you dropped off the face of the earth."

  "No ... just into Salem Falls." Jordan's mouth twitched. "So you may have been right in the first place." He took a seat across from Matt. "I've been appointed as counsel for Jack St. Bride," he said without preamble.

  "Thought he was getting someone from the PD's office."

  "Apparently, there was a conflict. What you see is what you get."

  Matt's eyes sparked. "I like a good challenge."

  There wasn't much Jordan could say to that without the words getting stuck in his throat. Defending a guy who seemed to be a two-time loser against Matt Houlihan ranked just about at the bottom of things Jordan enjoyed doing. "I don't see any reason to contest your bail request," Jordan said confidently, although no attorney in his right mind would think there was any chance in hell St. Bride might be released. "Assuming you can give me the police reports you have up to this point."

  Matt tossed him a file. "There's the charge, and the victim's statement."

  It was a gift, Jordan knew. Without it, the victim would be a complete cipher and it would be nearly impossible to prepare a case. He opened the file, and the name of the victim leaped out. Jordan kept his face poker straight. "Well," he said, getting to his feet. "We'll talk again."

  "About what?" Matt steepled his fingers, his casual pose completely at odds with the grim determination in his eyes. "I've got a young girl saying some jerk raped her, a jerk who was just in jail for doing the same thing. There's nothing to talk about, Jordan. I'm gonna lock your client up for twenty long years."

  The moment Jordan McAfee walked into the celled corridor of the sheriff's department beneath the county court building, Jack got to his feet. Jordan met his gaze immediately, something the deputies tried not to do. "Hi, Jack," he said smoothly. "I know we've met, but I'm not sure you realize why I'm here. I've been practicing law for nearly twenty years, and occasionally I help out when the court needs someone because the public defender's office has a conflict. I've been asked to stand up in your case."

&n