Free Presumption of Guilt by Marti Green Page B

Dani was true to form, she’d jotted down notes of her visit with Molly’s trial lawyer. She always liked to do it while it was still fresh in her mind. Those notes would be in her car, now in the police impound, evidence in a potential attempted murder. He’d have to wait until the car had been gone over completely before he could get Dani’s briefcase.
    Tommy wended his way through the hospital corridors and out to his car. It was already starting to get dark, a reminder that the shortened days were bringing them closer to winter. Some of his FBI buddies had retired to Florida, spending their time on the golf course instead of shoveling driveways while freezing their butts. Their biggest worry was getting to the restaurant in time for two-for-one drinks, not whether their friend would survive an attempted murder.
    He found his car in the parking lot and started his drive home, where his wife waited for him. If it were Patty lying motionless in a hospital bed, he’d be inconsolable. She’d been by his side for more than twenty years, and without her he’d be lost. It was hard enough dealing with Tommy Jr. off at college, the first of his five children to leave the nest. Time seemed to be flying by now, as if the passing of days sped up as he aged. Before long, all of the kids would be gone, his once noisy home silenced with their absence. How could parents bear that? He’d left the FBI to spend more time with his kids, and it was the best decision he’d ever made. Seemed unfair that they would turn around and leave him and Patty, going off to college or getting married. Married? It seemed surreal to Tommy. His dark hair was peppered with gray but he still felt like a kid himself. He prided himself on his fitness, often challenging his sons to basketball games and holding his own against them.
    He pulled into his driveway, and as he walked in the door, the smell of garlic wafted in from the kitchen. With the television blaring in the living room, Patty didn’t hear him as he snuck up behind her, placed his arms around her waist, and nuzzled her neck with a kiss.
    “Great, you’re home,” she said, leaning into him. “Dinner’s just about ready.” She turned around to look at her husband. Her voice grew quieter as she studied his face. “It’s bad, isn’t it?”
    “She should be okay, I think. But the docs put her in a coma. You remember, like Cousin Eddie.” Tommy went to the refrigerator and pulled out a cold beer, then sank into his chair at the head of the kitchen table. He’d played the optimist with Doug and now continued it with Patty. But he knew Dani’s injuries were serious. Sometimes the unexpected happened. Doctors never gave guarantees. He’d always accepted the risks that came with his jobs, but lawyers weren’t supposed to be in jeopardy. If Dani’s car had missed the tree, it would have gone over an embankment. Instead of seeing her battered and ghostlike, but still alive, he’d have been at her funeral.
    Someone had wanted her dead. If she pulled through this, he would make damn sure that person didn’t get another chance.

C HAPTER
    15
    A week after the crash, the police finally released Dani’s car, and Tommy had the contents of her briefcase spread out on his desk. He opened the folder she’d marked “trial attorney” and took out the legal pad sitting on top. There were only three words on the page: “Hire forensic accountant.” Those didn’t come cheap, and HIPP, as a nonprofit relying on donations and grants, operated on a shoestring. He’d have to get approval from Bruce. He strode over to his office, knocked on the open door, then stepped inside.
    “Dani wants us to hire a forensic accountant on the Singer case.”
    Bruce perked up. “She’s already out of the coma?”
    “No, that’s still later today. It’s in her notes. I got her briefcase back today.”
    Bruce picked up a pencil and twirled it in his fingers. “Is that about the jail finances?”
    “I