Page 111 of The Best Lawyer
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I was wrong.”
“Yeah. You were. But I knew better, too. I shouldn’t have let myself get involved. I should have told you no the moment you asked me to help Katy.”
His face fell. “No. You shouldn’t have. Cass, I was wrong for lying to you. For lying to the cops. I wasn’t wrong about forcingyou into this. You are the only person who could have done that for Katy. I know in my soul she’d have been convicted today without you fighting for her.”
“You don’t think you’re wrong. You’re only saying that because you think you’re supposed to. Because you think it’ll make everything okay and I’ll stop being mad at you,” I said. “Honestly? I don’t even think you’re sorry. Because you did everything you set out to do. You kept Sharon from finding out what Emma did. And you got me to help Katy. But Joe, you’ve done a lot of damage too. You used me.”
He dropped his head and clenched his fists. I could see the anger rising in him. But he took a breath. Slowly, he lifted his head and met my eyes. “Yes. I did.”
“And you’d do it again,” I said.
He looked skyward for a moment, then met my eyes. “Are you any different?”
I took a breath, fully intending to tell him yes. That I was different. Except we both knew I wasn’t. That I, too, would fight as dirty as I had to if it meant protecting someone I loved. Because I might have. If I had found out Joe had been the one who killed Tom, would I have kept that secret?
I looked down the dock. Eric had his back to us, watching the last remaining bits of sunset gold slip beneath the trees. I knew I kept a thousand secrets to protect the people I loved. Including Eric. But that was a story for another day.
I looked back at my brother. “No,” I said. “I’m no different. I can admit that. But you have to promise me. We work together. Always. Not against each other. And younevertalk to the police without me again.”
He smiled. “I’m not exactly planning to have a reason to talk to the cops again. Now Vangie?”
I shook a fist at him. “Don’t jinx us.”
Joe put his hands on my shoulder. He leaned forward and kissed my forehead. “I love you. You’re right. I won’t admit I was wrong. But I do admit I should have trusted you. I’m sorry things went so sideways.”
“Me too,” I said, stepping into his embrace. “I love you, you idiot. You’re all going to be the death of me.”
Joe laughed. “You’re too stubborn to die. But you’re also the best. Come on. I could use a beer. You could use some wine.”
With his arm around me, we walked back up to the house. Joe got a strange smirk on his face as he held the door open for me.
“What?” I said, already regretting that I had asked.
“I wanted you to be the first to know. Katy and I are getting remarried. She wants you to be her maid of honor.”
I froze in my literal tracks. Then his smirk came back. “Too soon?”
“Jokes,” I said, looking for a weapon. “You’re telling me jokes now.” There was nothing at hand to throw at him. I settled for a green pool noodle leaning against the porch chair. Joe was strong, but I had quicker reflexes. Before he could get his hands up to defend himself, I beat him mercilessly with the foam noodle, driving him backward, tripping over his feet as he stumbled into my house.
