Prologue #2
He laughed. “Al Biernat’s, it is. Meet you there? Seven?”
“Sounds good. See you then.”
Sawyer went to report back to Hugh James, who scowled as Sawyer entered the DA’s office.
“You lost, Montgomery,” the district attorney growled.
“I did. I’ll be calling the jury members over the next day or two, polling them as to why they voted the way they did.”
It was one of the quirks of the Texas legal system that allowed prosecutors to contact jurors.
Naturally, the juror did not have to reveal anything about their particular service on a case, but a handful always chose to speak to him about what had occurred during deliberations.
Sawyer found their words insightful, and he had learned quite a bit from those conversations, things that had helped him in future cases which he had tried.
“Did you approach Pope about switching sides?” Hugh asked, sounding surly.
“I did. The Angel of Justice wasn’t biting, sir.”
His boss frowned. “I didn’t think she would, but I’m not going to let up. That woman would be an incredible asset to this office. I’m going to see that she moves over here by hook or crook.”
“Good luck with that, Hugh,” Sawyer said breezily, knowing that Elizabeth would never change her mind.
She would either continue in the PD’s office, or the two of them would begin their own law firm.
He could see that happening in the near future.
Right now, their careers consumed a majority of their waking hours, and it was hard to share a meal together, much less a night out on a date.
Once they had kids, though, they would both need to dial things back.
If they had started their own law firm by then, hopefully it would give them more time together, as well as time to be good parents.
He and his sister Darby had grown up with two wonderful, supportive parents, and he wanted to emulate his mom and dad’s parenting style as much as possible.
Sawyer returned to his office and made their dinner reservation before working another hour. He asked his assistant to compile a list of the jurors’ phone numbers so he could begin calling them tomorrow.
Because tonight was strictly for him and Elizabeth.
They met at the famous steakhouse, him ordering a New York strip, while she requested her usual filet mignon. Both liked their steaks medium rare. They shared sides of whipped sweet potatoes and roasted mushrooms but passed on dessert when the server asked.
As Sawyer paid the bill, he leaned over and whispered in Elizabeth’s ear, “You’re the dessert tonight,” causing another of those low chuckles which had him hot for her.
They returned to their apartment in Oak Lawn, and he made love to her. In the afterglow, they lay entangled in one another’s arms. He had never been more content than in this moment.
“I can’t wait to be Elizabeth Montgomery,” she told him. “You know, of course, that I’ll continue to go by Elizabeth Pope at work. We’ll have to report our marriage to both our bosses, though. I already feel bad that we’ve kept quiet about it for so long.”
“I know. I can just see Hugh’s face when he finds out that I’ve been sleeping with the enemy. He will not be a happy camper. I’ll be raked over the coals and have to listen to a long lecture about fraternizing with the enemy.”
“You don’t think he would believe you threw the Simpson case?” she asked indignantly. “If he does, I’ll show up at the DA’s office and give him a piece of my mind.”
He kissed the top of her head. “Hugh will get over it. Don’t worry about me. I can take care of myself. But now that we’ve argued opposite sides of a case? As far as I’m concerned, it’s a one-and-done.”
“Everything always comes back to basketball with you,” she teased, referring to how college athletes would play their freshman year and then leave a university for the NBA.
Sawyer hadn’t had that opportunity. While he was a talented enough player to earn an athletic scholarship to the University of North Texas, he had suffered a horrific knee injury his senior year, curtailing any idea of a career in the pros.
Instead, he had turned his passion for basketball toward the law and was happy in the work he did.
And with the woman he loved.
They fell asleep, waking at four-thirty in order to go their separate ways.
Elizabeth would drink a cup of coffee and scroll through her emails before going for her usual run, while Sawyer hit the Y for his own workout.
He showered at the Y and left for his office.
His first order of business was to call yesterday’s jurors.
Surprisingly, he reached half of the twelve.
Three agreed to speak to him about the trial and the jury’s decision.
All three said the same thing. The verdict was influenced by the small holes Elizabeth had poked in the state’s case.
He had lost to the better attorney, and he wasn’t saddened by that.
Mid-morning, Sawyer went to the break room to get a Diet Coke and see if any Danish might be left. Three other attorneys were huddled, looking as if they were gossiping.
“What’s up, guys?” he asked, pulling a can from the fridge and popping the top.
“We were just talking about the hit and run this morning. Did you hear about it?” Jack Schneider asked.
Sawyer shook his head. “No. Why?”
Schneider laughed. “For a moment, I’d almost think you were behind it. Except you’re such a Boy Scout, Montgomery.”
He frowned. “I don’t get it. What are you talking about?”
The other ADA shrugged. “The hit and run involved Elizabeth Pope. Apparently, she was out jogging and was struck by a car. The driver left the scene without rendering aid.”
Panic raced through him. “Where is she?”
“In the morgue,” Schneider replied. “DOA.”
Reeling, Sawyer, stumbled from the break room without a word, returning to his office, closing and locking the door. Anguish filled him. It felt as if his soul had been ripped from him.
Elizabeth was gone.
And nothing would ever be the same again.