Beyond Innocence Read Free Page B

gave up. When Mel was in one of these moods, nothing would dissuade her. “Pizza. I Fratelli’s.”
    “I’m thinking Thai.” Melinda pulled a phone out of her purse.
    She knew better than to fight. “You can use my phone.” Cory handed her the cordless handset.
    “It doesn’t work.”
    “Yes, it does.”
    “I’ve been calling you for three days. You don’t answer. Either it doesn’t work or you’re ignoring me. You pick. You want soup with your Pad Kee Mow?”
    “Why don’t you tell me what I want?” Cory pretended to grouse.
    Melinda waved her off. “Don’t be a pissant. I’ll tell you plenty before we’re done, but I’ll let you pick your dinner. Chicken or beef?”
    Cory shrugged. She wouldn’t win this fight. She may as well save her energy for the real reason behind Melinda’s visit. “Chicken. Extra spicy.” She waited until Melinda phoned in the order, then started her own round of questions.
    “Who told you?”
    “No one had to tell me.”
    “Oh, I see. Now you’re going to add psychic to your long list of talents.”
    Melinda reached into her enormous handbag and pulled out a rolled up newspaper. She spread it out on the kitchen table, and Cory could tell it was actually various sections of four newspapers, different dates. Each one contained a headline, decreasing in size and placement about the Nelson case. The first one, the one with the front-page headline, contained a feature story that spanned several pages. Innocent Man Freed After DA’s Office Admits Wrongdoing .
    She didn’t need to read further. She knew her name would be splashed throughout the pages. Cory Lance—lead prosecutor at Nelson’s trial. Cory Lance—her arguments convinced a jury to put Nelson away for life. Cory Lance—the prosecutor who kept valuable, exculpatory evidence from the defense team. Cory Lance—the reason the case was overturned.
    The article wouldn’t contain a single statement from her about the appeal and subsequent dismissal of charges. Not for lack of trying on the part of the press. For days following the entry of the Innocence Project team, reporters had dogged her every move from her house to the courthouse. She’d finally stopped repeating the officially sanctioned two-word response, “no comment,” and maintained a stoic façade, when all she’d really wanted to do was shout, “You don’t know anything about how the justice system works.” Ray Nelson was a danger to society. She knew it, the cops knew it, the judge and jury had known it. Now, because of what was perceived as prosecutorial misconduct, he’d be walking the streets of Dallas again. Free to offend again. She for one wouldn’t be sleeping until he got himself locked up again.
    She tossed the paper aside. The stories in the media sensationalized everything. “Ray Nelson may be a lot of things, but innocent isn’t one of them.”
    Melinda shoved her toward a chair at the kitchen table. “That’s better, Tiger. Talk it out. If it makes you feel any better, I did see at least one story about the case that didn’t mention your name.” She looked around. “You have wine?”
    Cory sighed and pointed to a rack on the counter. “The Pinot is the best. Corkscrew in the drawer.”
    Melinda poured two glasses and settled in at the table. “Drink and spill.”
    Cory took a sip of the wine to delay the inevitable interrogation. The Nelson case was the last thing she wanted to talk about, especially with Melinda. She wouldn’t be satisfied with cursory answers. “Nothing to it. We had him, dead to rights. Judge knew it. Jury took less than an hour to find him guilty.”
    “And?”
    “And an appellate lawyer got him off on a technicality.”
    “Technicality?”
    “The police had a suspect prior to arresting Nelson. They liked the other guy. A lot. We didn’t give that information to the defense.” Cory had gotten used to the “we” word. Melinda called her on it.
    “Didn’t Julie try that case with