The Professor's Defender

Chapter 2

Chantale had been a defence attorney for almost six years and she had seen a few things in her travels, but she had never met anyone like Declan Byrne. His Celtic ancestry had been clear in his looks. Raven black hair and eyes the colour of the sky. His face looked like it had been chiselled from granite, his nose proud and strong. He was a tall man, just an inch or so under six feet, but he would have towered over her had she not been wearing three inch heels.

Heels which had been quickly abandoned when she had returned back to the office. A full four inches shorter than her older sister, Chantale hated feeling vertically challenged. So while Jocelyne often chose what Chantale generously called sensible shoes, she chose to wear ice-pick stilettos. Great for her image and crappy for her feet. Such was the price of vanity.

Pulling out her notepad, she dropped into her chair, lay her head back, and groaned.

"Problem?"

Her head snapped up to see Nick in her door. "Yes, actually, I do. Do you have a minute?"

"Of course." Her ever-genial colleague pointed to a chair opposite and Chantale nodded. "So what's up?"

"Declan Byrne."

Nick's reaction was exactly what she had been expecting. His eyebrows raised and his gaze narrowed. "New client?"

"Would it be a problem if he were?"

There was a sound which might have been a laugh or a snicker, Chantale wasn't sure. "We're defence attorneys, Chantale, it's what we do. Will there be bad publicity and blowback? Of course, but that's to be expected. It will also be very high profile." He appeared to consider. "Your boyfriend isn't going to like it."

"Since he's not my boyfriend anymore, I don't give a flying fig what he thinks."

Nick held up his hands as if to defend himself. "I didn't know you and Colton had called it quits. I'm sorry to hear it...unless it's a good thing?"

"At the time, it didn't feel so good. Now, I'm more philosophical about it. I'm sticking to bad boy one-night stands."

Nick's eyes closed and he rubbed his hands on his face. "Way too much information, Chantale." His eyes opened. "How did Byrne find you?"

Chantale shifted uncomfortably. "He didn't. Jamie Cole was in Ferndale with him and heard he was considering entering a guilty plea. Jamie asked me to intervene."

"If the guy wants to plead guilty then what's the problem? I mean I know everyone's entitled to representation and everything, but you know that most people are actually guilty."

"Still, I did just a little poking and found a whole bunch of inconsistencies. I suspect if I dig deeper I'm going to find something."

Nick considered. "Or you might find something to prove him guilty."

"No harm, no foul. I don't have to turn it over to the prosecution."

"Did you meet with him?"

She nodded.

"And what was your impression on him?"

Now it was she who considered. "He plays a good game of not caring, but I sensed something. His reaction to Jamie's name was...unexpected."