Chapter 33

Frances Noonan accompanied Julia Blackwell to her next meeting with Spencer Tremaine. The meetings were infrequent now. Alma Gordon stayed with little Ben. He didn’t acknowledge that Julia was leaving. She had to stoop down until her face was even with his and gently lift his chin. Julia kissed his cheek and said good-bye, and he nodded without meeting her eyes. Frances hoped Alma Gordon could work some magic while they were gone.

Spencer Tremaine sat behind his desk and they sat in front of it, the huge glass desk that enamored Alma Gordon so. One file only graced its surface again, though not so thin anymore.

He got right to the point. “This is the endless middle of the case, with no resolution in sight and when victories, however small, are elusive. This is when loved ones can lose hope. But we mustn’t do that. That is of no use to anyone. My uncle, a great lover of opera, always said, ‘It’s not over until the fat lady sings.’ This case is far from over. These small setbacks are nothing more than that, mere small setbacks. Nothing has happened that is insurmountable. We are not yet to intermission, let alone the final curtain.”

He was smooth, Frances would give him that. Though she might have said “final act” instead of “final curtain,” considering the circumstances.

He spread his arms wide. “We must all support one another”—here he opened his arms wider as if to include Frances—“and dispel any thought of failure, any doubts that we will not succeed, that justice will not prevail.”

He dropped his arms and opened the cover of the file on the desk. As if he had guessed that Julia doubted even him, he demurred, “Trial dates can seem distant. We have a strong team in place. I do not intend to make any changes from this point forward, as changes simply delay the process further. I would advise against changes of any sort.”

He leaned toward them over the great expanse of glass. He lowered his voice. “These are the times we need to shore up the accused. To make certain he understands that freedom will be his, but that victory takes time. We do not want any harm to come to him. I will use my influence to make certain the jail is aware of the danger of despair. I have saved more than one from self-injury.”

Frances watched Julia Blackwell’s face take in Spencer Tremaine’s words. The threat of suicide which only he could prevent. That sneaky devil had sealed his continued involvement in the case. How could Julia possibly contemplate replacing Spencer Tremaine after this performance?