“Honey, I really think we should go,” Nic said. “She’s out of control.”
“There’s nothing she can do to me, and I still have things I need to say to her.”
“But we don’t want you to have to go through this, sweetheart,” Sylas said.
She touched him on the cheek and grabbed Nic’s hand. “It’s really okay. Sam was right about everything. I actually feel much better.” She turned back to Anna. “After you did Trollinger’s dirty work, she cut you loose. You were worthless to her. Just trash to set out to the curb.”
“I’ll kill you. I swear it.”
“No, you won’t, Anna. We’re not friends. You don’t have any friends.” Ashley walked to the door with her wonderful men, who were holding her hand, giving her their support. “I am going to testify for the prosecution on your case. I hope they throw away the key.”
Once they were in the hallway, the sheriff shut and locked the door, leaving the ranting Anna and her frustrated attorney behind.
“I’m so proud of you, baby.” Nic put his arm around her.
Sylas kissed her tenderly on the cheek. “You handled yourself so well.”
“She sure did.” Sheriff Wolfe smiled. “That was very impressive, Ashley. You’re going to make quite the lawyer.”
“Thanks, Jason.”
There was a loud buzzing sound.
The sheriff laughed. “I guess her attorney is ready to get away from Anna, too. Good luck with the bar. I’ll see you later. I need to put Anna back in her cell.”
When they walked out of the jailhouse, Ashley brought out her phone. “Guys, we have a lot of work to do on the Steele case.”
“We also have to get you to Denver, baby,” Nic said, opening her car door.
Sylas sat in the back and Nic got behind the wheel.
“I know, but we can make calls on the drive? Jennifer is depending on us. I’ve got to call Jena and let her know what we learned in there about Jennifer’s case. Sylas, you call Phoebe and tell her everything.”
Sylas nodded.
“Before we head down the road, I need to make a call, too.” Nic brought out his phone. “I know a geologist that will be able to tell us if Anna’s claim about the natural gas on the ranch is true.”
“That’s fantastic.” She realized how great it was going to be to work with Nic and Sylas at the law office. They were incredible attorneys.
“Hi, Ashley,” Jena’s voice came through her cell.
“Jena, I have some news about Walter Steele you need to hear. Anna just confirmed that he is an imposter. We need to be
searching records in Louisiana for him.”
Chapter Seventeen
Nic finished reading the information from the Energy Information Administration. His geologist friend was the one who discovered the two-year-old report that had been buried at the agency.
He and Sylas were sitting in a café in Denver across from the building where Ashley was finishing her bar exam. Sylas was on the phone with Jena, getting an update.
Nic looked at the time on his cell. Ashley would be walking into the café any minute. She’d been very pleased and confident after completing the first part of the test yesterday. He had no doubt she would feel the same way today.
Sylas ended his call with Jena.
“Sylas, take a look at this.” He turned his laptop on the café’s table so that Sylas could see his screen.
“Oh my God, Anna wasn’t lying. How much are the gas reserves valued at with today’s prices?”