Reclaim: A Recovered Innocence Novel Read Free Page A

freedom.
    Tomorrow I’ll visit her in prison. It will be our first meeting. I don’t know if I’m excited or afraid or an unsettling combination of the two. This is my first case for The Freedom Project, and I fought hard to win the privilege to help Carla. I just hope I’m up to the task. Wanting something and achieving it are two totally different things.
    I pull up to the building with the Nash offices and park. It’s unassuming. Not at all flashy. I appreciate that. The February sun is warm, but the air has a slight chill as I climb out of my car and gather my things. The pavement is dark from last night’s rain. Thank goodness it stopped raining. San Diegans aren’t the best at driving in the rain and I would’ve been even later than I am. I open the door of the Nash offices and enter the sparsely furnished reception area. A blond receptionist sits at a desk talking on the phone. She holds up a finger to let me know she’ll be right with me. I turn my attention to the framed newspaper clippings on the wall. They feature the two men that Nash helped to free. I picture a similar tribute for Carla placed right next to the other two.
    “Can I help you?”
    I turn to the receptionist. “Hello. I’m Lila Garcia with The Freedom Project. I have an appointment.”
    “Oh, yes. Pleased to meet you.” She comes around the desk and offers her hand. “I’m Savannah.”
    “Nice to meet you.”
    “I’ll let Cora know you’re here.” She goes down the hall then comes back. “She asked me to direct you to the conference room.” I follow her and take a seat at the large table. “Can I offer you something to drink? Coffee? Tea? Water?”
    “Water would be great. Thanks.”
    “Cora will be right with you.”
    Alone, I pull out all the information I have on Carla’s case. I made copies of everything for the PI except for the coroner’s report. I’m sure they’ll want a copy, so I set it aside. I got a copy of the trial transcripts. Her defense attorney was an incompetent ass. This case never should’ve gone to trial, let alone ended in a conviction. There was no crime. I flip open the coroner’s report and skim down to his finding—accidental death. Not murder. So why did the district attorney file charges in the first place? And why didn’t the defense attorney get the charges dropped? It just doesn’t make sense.
    “Lila?” A woman with black hair streaked with blue enters the room followed by a dark-haired guy. “Hi, I’m Cora Hollis. This is Nolan Perry. He’ll be lead on this case.”
    We do the shaking-hands thing and sit. Savannah comes in with bottles of water for everyone. Cora and Nolan sit across from me. He looks nervous. She looks composed. And familiar. I’m trying to figure out where I know her from and then it hits me—she’s Beau Hollis’s sister. She started working at Nash to help free him. That was a hell of a case to crack. I’m impressed.
    “Thank you for taking this case.” I slide a folder across the table to her. “I made you copies of everything I have except the coroner’s report, which I just obtained.” I hand that folder over too. “As you can see Diego Ruiz’s death was ruled accidental.”
    Cora places the folder between the two of them and opens it. “I don’t understand. If the death was accidental how did she get convicted for murder?”
    “Carla confessed to strangling her son.”
    “Why would she confess?”
    “The police questioned her for nearly thirty hours without a break. Until she finally gave in and confessed. No food, no water, no trips to the restroom. According to the form she filled out to have her case considered by The Freedom Project, the police pushed her around, bullied her, and called her names. She felt like she didn’t have a choice. She’s in the country illegally. She doesn’t speak English very well. They threatened to deport her entire family. She was alone and completely at their mercy. What would you do?”
    Cora nods.