18-08-2026, 01:15 PM
“Doesn’t matter whether I’m right or wrong, Bill. I’m going to give you that chance for a fresh start.”
“You’re firing me anyway? After what you just said.”
“No, go ahead with the grand jury. See it through. But once that’s done, in a respectable time, I want you to resign and go somewhere else. Maybe a few months after the start of the New Year. Take until the Spring.
“But I don’t want you here by next Summer. That’s long enough there won’t be any appearance that you’re leaving because of Smith.
“And,” he said, “I’ll write you any references or recommendations you want. You are a very good attorney. Anyway, the ‘Angel of Death’ can probably go anywhere he wants and get a job, prosecution or defense, although it might do you good to go back on the other side for awhile. It pays better and you would have a better chance at a private life.”
We were both silent for a long time.
“You sure that’s the way you want it, Dallas?”
“Yeah, I was pissed at you, but I knew what I was getting when I made you my number one. It’s just that I don’t think I want you around here anymore. I think it would be bad, especially if I go down in flames next November. I’d look at you every day and blame you. It wouldn’t be comfortable for either one of us.”
Finally I said, “All right, Dallas, I’ll start checking around.”
As I walked by Myra I saw her working on her computer. She glanced up at me for a moment, but for the first time in a long time, she wouldn’t meet my eyes. She knew.
I sat in my office for a few minutes when I got back. I didn’t lock the door but I asked Cheryl to keep anyone away that she could. I sat back, then spun my chair around to look at the pictures on the wall, the plaques, the evidence of a decade lived as a prosecutor.
The kids had been little when I’d taken the job. Debbie and I still had a good marriage. It had been a different world.
Now it was all going away. I wouldn’t stay here. I knew that in the moment Edwards had told me my time here was ending, which meant that at least, in a way, I’d be leaving the kids behind. I hated that.
I’d be leaving a job I loved, and now hated at least a little bit. I’d be leaving Debbie. I might be able to start healing if I didn’t have to see her every day and remember all the years we’d had together.
The intercom buzzed.
“Talk is cheap. He knows things are coming to a head and he’s scared. I don’t blame him. He’s got a 50/50 chance of walking away, but not many people would risk their life on those odds.”
“You mean he’s a desperate man who carries a gun, knows how to use it, has killed people with it, and thinks you might send him to prison.”
“Pretty much.”
She surprised me by coming around my desk. I pushed my chair back a little. She stood close enough to me that I could smell her perfume. And under it I could smell her scent. I started getting hard despite myself. She’d always had that impact on me until the last few years. When had I gotten so old that that scent didn’t make me want to throw her down and spread those luscious thighs? How could I have forgotten? But I had, and now when it was too late all that came flooding back into my mind and my body.
“I’ve always known more about your work than you wanted me to. People talk. I’d see memos. I looked at your paperwork when you were asleep. You never knew I snooped, did you? When did you start thinking I was just another stupid soccer mom?”
“I never thought you were stupid, Debbie. You were smart enough to leave me out of your life for years, fool me into believing you were still my wife.”
“Only because you never cared enough to check up on me. You never cared enough to wonder where I was all those nights.”
any normal husband would at least have asked me where I’d been. You didn’t even ask.”
She stopped talking for a moment. And looked at me as if somehow I were the guilty party.
“You told me you weren’t cheating and I believed you, which makes it worse.
You didn’t even have the excuse of having another woman to distract you.” I shook my head and pushed myself as far away from her as I could.
“Stop, Deb, I don’t want to rehash this shit. It’s the past. What’s this have to do with anything today?”
“I know you, Bill. Better than you think or know. You don’t have the sense to be afraid of things you should be afraid of. Shawn Smith is dangerous. He shot three men to death, one of them in the back. I want you to be careful, look out for Smith and make sure you have someone around you. You’ve got investigators, people who carry guns. Assign yourself a security detail. If nothing else, for Christ’s sake, start carrying a gun.”
She was leaning toward me and I put out my hand to stop her. I didn’t want her to get close enough to touch. It was hard enough being in the same building with her.
“He’s scared, but he wouldn’t be crazy enough to shoot a prosecutor, especially when he’d be the first person they look for.”
“Scared people don’t use logic, Bill. You should know that. Are you trying to get yourself killed?”
I felt like a trapped animal. She just wouldn’t go the hell away and I couldn’t get past her without touching her.
“Look, Debbie, I’m touched that you care. I’m not being sarcastic. It’s...I know you are probably worried. That’s why I never told you everything that goes on here. I knew you would have worried but, really, this is not worth worrying about. I’ve had people threaten to kill me before, people who could have and would have if they’d had the chance, and I’m still here.”
Then she had my hands in hers and she was staring down at me. A simple touch shouldn’t be that intense, but for a moment I couldn’t breathe.
“I’m not asking you for myself, Bill. I know I don’t have that right anymore, but you have two kids who love you. You’ve re-established bonds with them and you’re a better father now than you have been in years. Take care of yourself for their sake. I don’t want to take them to your funeral.
“Not for a long, long time.”
She released my hands and stepped back, then walked out of my office with only one glance back at me. I could feel her touch long after she’d gone.
Why, why, why had she taken Doug into my bed. I could see her in my mind’s eyes screaming in pleasure as he rammed his cock into her, because she’d
“You’re firing me anyway? After what you just said.”
“No, go ahead with the grand jury. See it through. But once that’s done, in a respectable time, I want you to resign and go somewhere else. Maybe a few months after the start of the New Year. Take until the Spring.
“But I don’t want you here by next Summer. That’s long enough there won’t be any appearance that you’re leaving because of Smith.
“And,” he said, “I’ll write you any references or recommendations you want. You are a very good attorney. Anyway, the ‘Angel of Death’ can probably go anywhere he wants and get a job, prosecution or defense, although it might do you good to go back on the other side for awhile. It pays better and you would have a better chance at a private life.”
We were both silent for a long time.
“You sure that’s the way you want it, Dallas?”
“Yeah, I was pissed at you, but I knew what I was getting when I made you my number one. It’s just that I don’t think I want you around here anymore. I think it would be bad, especially if I go down in flames next November. I’d look at you every day and blame you. It wouldn’t be comfortable for either one of us.”
Finally I said, “All right, Dallas, I’ll start checking around.”
As I walked by Myra I saw her working on her computer. She glanced up at me for a moment, but for the first time in a long time, she wouldn’t meet my eyes. She knew.
I sat in my office for a few minutes when I got back. I didn’t lock the door but I asked Cheryl to keep anyone away that she could. I sat back, then spun my chair around to look at the pictures on the wall, the plaques, the evidence of a decade lived as a prosecutor.
The kids had been little when I’d taken the job. Debbie and I still had a good marriage. It had been a different world.
Now it was all going away. I wouldn’t stay here. I knew that in the moment Edwards had told me my time here was ending, which meant that at least, in a way, I’d be leaving the kids behind. I hated that.
I’d be leaving a job I loved, and now hated at least a little bit. I’d be leaving Debbie. I might be able to start healing if I didn’t have to see her every day and remember all the years we’d had together.
The intercom buzzed.
“You have a visitor.”
She didn’t even have to tell me who. I didn’t turn around.
“Hello, Bill.”
“Hello, Debbie. To what do I owe the pleasure?” “I had a minute. Can we talk?”
I spun around. It hit me like it did every time I saw her. Women weren’t supposed to look that good when they were approaching 40. Why the hell wouldn’t she show her age?“Talk.”
“I just wanted to ask you to be careful.” “Careful?”
“I’ve heard about the Shawn Smith case. There’s a lot of buzz among the cops that he’s coming unraveled. They say he’s drinking, and talking crazy talk. Talking about getting you before you get him.”“Talk is cheap. He knows things are coming to a head and he’s scared. I don’t blame him. He’s got a 50/50 chance of walking away, but not many people would risk their life on those odds.”
“You mean he’s a desperate man who carries a gun, knows how to use it, has killed people with it, and thinks you might send him to prison.”
“Pretty much.”
She surprised me by coming around my desk. I pushed my chair back a little. She stood close enough to me that I could smell her perfume. And under it I could smell her scent. I started getting hard despite myself. She’d always had that impact on me until the last few years. When had I gotten so old that that scent didn’t make me want to throw her down and spread those luscious thighs? How could I have forgotten? But I had, and now when it was too late all that came flooding back into my mind and my body.
“I’ve always known more about your work than you wanted me to. People talk. I’d see memos. I looked at your paperwork when you were asleep. You never knew I snooped, did you? When did you start thinking I was just another stupid soccer mom?”
“I never thought you were stupid, Debbie. You were smart enough to leave me out of your life for years, fool me into believing you were still my wife.”
“Only because you never cared enough to check up on me. You never cared enough to wonder where I was all those nights.”
“Because I promised you once upon a time that I was going to trust you.” “Trusting someone doesn’t mean not even getting curious those nights I came
in late and never said anything about where I was. I wasn’t sleeping around, but
any normal husband would at least have asked me where I’d been. You didn’t even ask.”
She stopped talking for a moment. And looked at me as if somehow I were the guilty party.
“You told me you weren’t cheating and I believed you, which makes it worse.
You didn’t even have the excuse of having another woman to distract you.” I shook my head and pushed myself as far away from her as I could.
“Stop, Deb, I don’t want to rehash this shit. It’s the past. What’s this have to do with anything today?”
“I know you, Bill. Better than you think or know. You don’t have the sense to be afraid of things you should be afraid of. Shawn Smith is dangerous. He shot three men to death, one of them in the back. I want you to be careful, look out for Smith and make sure you have someone around you. You’ve got investigators, people who carry guns. Assign yourself a security detail. If nothing else, for Christ’s sake, start carrying a gun.”
She was leaning toward me and I put out my hand to stop her. I didn’t want her to get close enough to touch. It was hard enough being in the same building with her.
“He’s scared, but he wouldn’t be crazy enough to shoot a prosecutor, especially when he’d be the first person they look for.”
“Scared people don’t use logic, Bill. You should know that. Are you trying to get yourself killed?”
I felt like a trapped animal. She just wouldn’t go the hell away and I couldn’t get past her without touching her.
“Look, Debbie, I’m touched that you care. I’m not being sarcastic. It’s...I know you are probably worried. That’s why I never told you everything that goes on here. I knew you would have worried but, really, this is not worth worrying about. I’ve had people threaten to kill me before, people who could have and would have if they’d had the chance, and I’m still here.”
Then she had my hands in hers and she was staring down at me. A simple touch shouldn’t be that intense, but for a moment I couldn’t breathe.
“I’m not asking you for myself, Bill. I know I don’t have that right anymore, but you have two kids who love you. You’ve re-established bonds with them and you’re a better father now than you have been in years. Take care of yourself for their sake. I don’t want to take them to your funeral.
“Not for a long, long time.”
She released my hands and stepped back, then walked out of my office with only one glance back at me. I could feel her touch long after she’d gone.
Why, why, why had she taken Doug into my bed. I could see her in my mind’s eyes screaming in pleasure as he rammed his cock into her, because she’d
done it with me. And I knew I’d never get that image out of my head which meant there’d never be a tomorrow for us.
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