Tell No Lies [NOOK Book]

Read an Excerpt

chapter one
Jack drove his car a little too fast out of the parking garage, his tires screaming as he rounded the coiled curves of the down ramp. He fum­bled with the radio, looking for a song to match his upbeat mood, all the while keeping his eyes ahead and his left hand on the steering wheel. A slight grin graced his face, though he wasn’t aware of it.
That morning, the jury had returned a verdict in the most publicized murder case he had ever prosecuted. The case had been hard fought for two weeks, and he had worried about the outcome until the very end— even after his boss, Earl, came to hear closing arguments, complimenting him afterward, and even after a few of the jurors smiled at him on their way back to the jury box, just before the verdict of guilty was read. But Earl’s belief that juries loved Jack Hilliard proved true again.
He’d called Claire as soon as he returned to his of.ce. She’d listened and laughed with him as she always did, asking certain questions that only another lawyer would know to ask. Before they hung up, Jack announced that, for the .rst time in weeks, he’d be home in time for dinner.
Now he was already past the Innerbelt, far enough out of the city to smell the suburbs, fragrant with freshly cut grass and the overgrown lilac bushes that bloomed untamed near the off- ramp into Clayton. When his cell phone rang, he answered without bothering to look at the caller ID.
“Hiya, babe.”
“Gosh, Jack, I never knew you felt that way about me.”
Jack felt his face redden. “I thought you were Claire,” he said. Even though he’d known Jenny Dodson for almost nine years, and he’d reached the conclusion early on that she talked this way to everyone, her .irta­tiousness still unsettled him at times.
“Obviously,” she purred. “Hey, Mr. Hilliard,” she said then, speaking his surname in an intimate tone that transformed it into her own pet name for him, “I hear you won your case. Congratulations.”
He smiled. “I did. How’d you hear?”
“Are you kidding? It was the top story on the .ve o’clock news. You’re famous again.”
“Yeah, so what am I doing hanging out with the likes of you?” he said, laughing.
“I won’t dignify that with a response. Will I see you tonight? I’ll buy you a drink to celebrate.”
“Tonight?” But as soon as he said it, he remembered. The bar associ­ation was having its annual awards dinner, and Earl, the St. Louis District Attorney for more than thirty years, was to receive an award for his dedication to public service.
“Damn, I completely forgot about it.” Earl hadn’t mentioned it after the trial, Jack knew, because he hadn’t wanted to take away from his mo­ment of victory. One of the many reasons Earl was a great boss, and also one of the reasons Jack had to go to the dinner.
“Were you heading home?” Jenny asked.
“Yeah.” He sighed. “But I’ll be there. Why are you going?”
“You forget easily, Mr. Hilliard,” she chided. “Not every lawyer in town has had the good fortune to jump ship from a big .rm to the secu­rity of the DA’s of.ce. I still have to .sh if I want to eat. It always helps to do a little mingling with the other sharks in town.”
Both knew he hadn’t exactly “jumped ship” from Newman, Norton & Levine. It was more like he’d been thrown overboard. But he had landed a plum job. Although he shared the title of Assistant District Attorney with twenty- four other lawyers, only Jack was seen as Earl Scanlon’s protégé.
“Should be an interesting night,” Jack said. “I’m sure his old- time bar association buddies plan to roast him.” His mind drifted to the new logistics for the eve ning. “Listen, I’d better hang up and call Claire. She’s gonna have to try to .nd a sitter. I’ll see you tonight, okay?”
“Okay. Don’t forget, .rst drink’s on me. I’ll see you tonight, babe.”
She hung up before he could respond, and he shook his head and laughed, knowing she’d be pleased with herself for having found a way to tease him one more time about his earlier mistake.
Excerpted from Tell no lies by Julie Compton.
Copyright © 2008 by Julie Compton.
Published in May 2008 by St. Martin’s Press.
All rights reserved. This work is protected under copyright laws and reproduction is strictly prohibited. Permission to reproduce the material in any manner or medium must be secured from the Publisher.