Capital Offense

Carolyn couldn’t stop the tears that filled her dark eyes. “I hit her with my car. She’s not my dog, but she’s wearing an identification tag.”

The vet took a stethoscope and checked the dog’s heart and lungs. “I’ll need to do some X-rays. It’s going to take me some time, but her heart sounds good. I’ll have my assistant contact the owner.”

“Please, tell them how terribly sorry I am.”

“We will. Why don’t you leave your phone number, and I’ll call you later?”

Carolyn hesitated, not really wanting to abandon the dog. “I’ll pay whatever it costs. Just save the poor little thing.”

“She’s in good hands.”

Carolyn left her phone number at the desk and drove to the courthouse.

When Carolyn arrived at her office, Katherine was waiting for her. “I’ve got the information you asked for yesterday. Lots of it.”

“Good,” Carolyn said her usual enthusiasm absent.

“What’s wrong?” Katherine followed her into her office. “Are you all light?”

Carolyn hung up her coat. “No. I’m not.” Her eyes filled with tears. She turned away in embarrassment even though she knew she could MST Katherine with her feelings. “I’ve had a horrible morning. I’m terribly worried about a friend’s sick child and then, due to my preoccupation. I ran over a-” Carolyn’s voice broke“-a little dog.”

She couldn’t tell Katherine about Mark – she couldn’t tell anyone. She’d just have to swallow the guilt and try to erase it from her mind.

Katherine hugged her. “I’m so sorry.”

Carolyn regained her composure. “There’s nothing I can do to help the child, and that sense of powerlessness is so frustrating. I can’t even imagine the pain his parents must be going through. And now I feel awful about the little dog. They’re supposed to call me later.”

“I’ll make sure you get the message,” Katherine said, her arm still around Carolyn. “What can I do to make you feel better?”

“Get to work, I suppose.” Carolyn said as she wiped the tears from her cheeks. “You came up with a lot of case files?”

“Sure did,” Katherine answered. “A very interesting topic, I might add.”

“We’ll sift though them together.”

“Sounds good.”

“You’ll have to start without me, though. I’m due over at the police station this morning to speak to the detectives about the case. I’m not sure how long that will take.”

Carolyn glanced at the stack of work growing on her desk. She was supposed to have lunch with her father-in-law that day, and she’d already gotten a late start. Did she dare cancel? It was time, she decided, to get out from under Edmund’s control.

“Do me a favor?”

“Sure,” Katherine said.

“Call my father-in-law and tell him I can’t make lunch today.”

Katherine’s eyes widened. “Are you sure?”

Carolyn took a deep breath. “Absolutely.” She left her office before anxiety overcame her resolve and caused her to back away from what amounted to an act of great courage on her part.

ELEVEN

Warner arrived home later that night wearing the kind of smile that didn’t come from surveying flooded farmland or shaking hands on the campaign trail.

“How’s the flood?” Carolyn asked, needling him.

He flashed an annoyed look. “Leave me alone. Why’d you send me on that wild goose chase, anyway?”

“It was politically necessary, and you know it.”

A look of doubt crossed his face.

“Besides, it was your father’s idea.”

Warner shrugged, as though that bit of information settled the issue.

“I thought you were going to be home this morning,” she said. She expected the lie she received a heartbeat later.

“We got held up. You know how it is.”

She swallowed hard against the pain balling up in her throat. His heart belonged to another woman. Carolyn managed to conceal her hurt and frustration behind a smile.

“I’m heading up to bed.” Warner said.

“I’d like to join you.” The words were out before she could stop them.

“Why do you have to push?” His eyes narrowed and the vein in his temple pulsed.

“I need you, Warner. I need us to be the way we used to be.” She hated the pleading note in her voice. “They have counselors for sexual problems.”

“Sexual problems?” he hissed, stepping closer to her.

She could smell bourbon on his breath, see the teeter in his step.

“You think I have sexual problems?” Fury flickered in his eyes. “You think I’m not a man?”

She shank back from the heat of his anger. “Well, I-”

He smacked her across the face.

Her head snapped to the side. She grabbed the back of a chair, stopping her fall. Tears flooded her eyes.

“My only problem is you! You did this to me.” He stared at his red palm, then stalked out of the room.

Carolyn sank into the chair. She ran her fingers over a small cross concealed beneath her silk blouse, an idiosyncrasy she’d developed as a child in the aftermath of countless beatings. Rubbing the heirloom, she closed her eyes remembering her mother’s smiling face, loving touch, and gentle words.

She touched the welt growing on her cheek. What was becoming of him,of them? Her tears refused to fall.

TWELVE