ONE
“What was the verdict?” called a voice to Jack Forbes as he slowly opened the glass doors of the once majestic residence that now housed the law offices of Pratt, Forbes and Magoff. Forbes was in no hurry to respond to that question. In fact, he had been hoping that his colleagues would not ask. Of course, jury trials are unpredictable at best, Jack reminded himself, and it is impossible to second guess the legal system. In spite of the outcome, he would get his check. His client’s fate was not a source of great concern to him; Jack had begged Sam Dyer to plead guilty to manslaughter, and he had stubbornly refused. As far as Jack was concerned, it was Dyer’s own fault that he was headed for prison.
“What was the verdict?” repeated the voice, and Megan Cleary walked out of her office to find out why there was no response to her question.
“Guilty,” Jack replied a little disgusted.
“Guilty!” Megan’s tone reflected her surprise. “How could you possibly have lost?”
“It wasn’t hard,” Jack muttered as he poured himself a cup of coffee. “The jury came back and announced, ‘We find Sam Dyer guilty of murder in the first degree.’”
“But he didn’t really do anything,” Megan took the coffee pot when Jack had finished.
“He killed a man; I call that doing something,” Jack retorted.
“He killed a thief who was breaking into his home. It was self-defense,” Megan countered.
“People are not supposed to go around shooting other people. They’re supposed to leave that to the police; that’s why our tax dollars furnish this city with a police department. I told him to plead guilty to manslaughter. He didn’t have a prior record. With parole he would probably have been out in a few months. But he wouldn’t listen to me. He thought he knew more than his lawyer. So tonight he’s sitting in jail waiting to be sentenced. You should have seen him as they led him away. He was screaming something about ‘a man’s right to protect his home and family.’”
“How long a sentence do you think he’ll get?” Megan turned to go back to her office.
“It’s hard to say,” Jack thought for a moment. “My guess is he’ll draw fifteen years.”
Megan shut the door of her office and surveyed the desk covered with papers—last week’s work still to be done on this Monday afternoon. It seemed that she was always running—and always running a little behind. She looked at the clock; the hour hand was nearing six, and she still had stacks of work to finish. No, those briefs could not wait; she would just have to stay late and finish them.
The Twelfth Juror Description:
Young, beautiful, ambitious Megan Cleary seems to have the perfect life–a dream job in a prestigious law firm in New York City, an upscale boyfriend, and a fabulous apartment. But her perfect world is shattered when, while working late one night, she is brutally attacked. Terrified by her ordeal, Megan determines that, no matter what happens, she will never again be a victim.
A few months later, Megan’s attacker returns, but this time she is armed and ready. She shoots her assailant and flees the scene before the police arrive and discover the body. Thinking she is now safe, she hides her crime and tries to go on with her life as if nothing has happened. But only a few days later she discovers the horrible truth–killing her assailant was only the beginning of her problems, and now she faces consequences she could have never imagined….
This suspense thriller will keep you guessing until the very end!
