fact, you ought to love it. It’s a bed-and-breakfast in a Victorian house in the Lower Garden District.”
Dani crossed her arms. “I won’t go. The public defender’s office is shorthanded as it is. I have cases and trial dates.”
“Your cases are more important to you than your safety?” he shot back. “Than your life?”
She blinked. “My life?” she echoed. “I object. Assuming facts not in evidence.”
He shook his head. “Mahoney told me about the car, and I saw what’s left of your porch steps. If that vehicle had hit you, you’d be nothing more than a smudge on the sidewalk.”
Chapter Two
“Ouch!” Dani said, cringing at Harte’s words. “A smudge. Great. Thanks for that image.”
“Come on, Dani. Another public defender can be appointed to take your cases until this trial is over. You are in danger and no, I’m not just worried about my case. I’m worried about you.”
Dani sniffed. “Better watch out. Con Delancey will haunt you for consorting with the enemy.”
He shot her an exasperated glance. “Our grandparents’ feud is ancient history. And it was probably just for show anyhow.”
“I can believe Con Delancey was posturing, but my grandfather always fought for what he believed in. That’s why he was—” She swallowed. Why were her emotions so near the surface tonight? Even as the question flitted through her mind, she knew the answer was obvious. Because she’d almost been run down by a car.
Harte held up his hands, palms out. “I’m not suggesting anything different. I just need you to trust me, or I won’t be able to keep you safe.”
Trust him? She knew him. He would do anything to win, just like his grandfather. He’d proven that three years ago. Luckily for her, right now her safety meshed with his ambition. She sighed in exasperation and defeat. “When am I to be incarcerated?”
“Tomorrow morning. I tried to get you in tonight, but they’re full. They’re letting us have the run of the place for the next two weeks.”
“Two weeks?” Two weeks sounded like forever. Then the significance of the time frame hit her. “Wait a minute. The trial date’s been set?”
“Oh, I didn’t tell you. It was moved forward. It starts Tuesday.”
“Tuesday?” Dani said, shocked. “You mean as in Thursday—” She held up a finger. “Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday?” she continued, counting each day off on a finger. “But we aren’t ready.”
“I know. Tell me about it. Don’t worry. We’ll prep all weekend. Anyhow, the B-and-B has agreed that we can extend your stay for as long as the trial goes on. They’re happy with the weekly rate we offered them.”
“Weekly rate? As long as the trial goes on?” she cried. “No. This is not going to work. I’m going to see the judge and get that order vacated.”
Harte gave her that smile again, the one that looked more like a smirk and made her so angry. “You can try, but ever since I passed the bar, I’m Judge Rossi’s favorite nephew.”
She had to fight to keep her jaw from dropping. Of course he had an uncle who was a judge. Of course he went to him for the order of protection. “So that’s how you managed to get a judge’s signature this time of night. Must be nice to have relatives who will skirt the law for you any time you please.”
His smile faded. “I didn’t skirt the law. I merely called a judge I know rather than picking one from the phone book. You’d have done the same, Madame Public Defender.”
“Fine,” she said grudgingly. “You said it was a bed-and-breakfast? I guess that won’t be too awful. Give me the address. I’ll head over there tomorrow.”
“It’s on Religious Street, between Race and Orange. But as of—” he glanced at the piece of paper he held “—nine forty-three p.m. today, I’m responsible for you. So I’ll pick you up.”
“Okay, okay. Fine.” She held up her hands in surrender. “Anyone ever tell you you’re a bully?”
“Nope. Never.” He cocked his hip to slide the packet back into his pocket.
Dani couldn’t help sneaking a glimpse at the back side of the snug jeans before she stepped around him to open the door. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
He reached over her shoulder to push the door closed, which put him way too close. She caught a faint whiff of something fresh and citrusy as she glanced up at him. She was going to have to get some higher heels. Not being eye-to-eye with him made her feel small.
“Hold it,” he said. “Not so fast. I want to ask you some questions about what happened tonight.”
“I told the police everything. Go read their report.”
“Tell me just exactly what you were doing when the car tried to run you down.”
Dani clenched her teeth. She’d seen that determined glint in his eye before—when they’d faced each other across the courtroom. He’d badger her until he got answers. With a defeated shake of her head, she walked over to the kitchen table and sat. “I’m really tired, so could we make it quick?”
“I’ve got no problem with that.”
She rested her clasped hands on the table and stared at them. “I was late leaving the office. It was probably six-thirty, so by the time I got home it must have been around seven.”
He nodded without speaking.
“I pulled into the driveway, parked and …” She paused. “I walked around to the front of the house to get the mail. The car just popped up out of nowhere. I heard the engine rev, but I didn’t pay any attention to it until the sound kept getting louder and louder.”
“Where were you when you realized the car was coming at you?”
“About ten feet or so from the mailbox.” She wasn’t happy about having to relive those moments. She’d been through them already, she’d had to answer questions about them twice for the police and now Harte was asking the same questions. She pushed her fingers through her hair. “Every single bit of this is in my statement,” she groused.
“You’d already gotten the mail?”
“No. I was walking toward the box.”
“So you realized it was coming at you …”
She nodded. “And I just ran. I don’t even remember jumping up onto the porch.”
“Sounds like it’s a good thing you did.”
She rubbed her wrist. “I do remember the landing. Did you look at the damage?” she asked.
“A little bit. I couldn’t tell a whole lot in the dark, but the front steps are basically splinters now.” He looked at her. “Why? You haven’t?”
She shook her head. “No. As soon as they were finished questioning me, I came inside, took a hot shower and tried to relax. Then I heard you sneaking around.”
He opened his mouth as if to deny again that he’d been sneaking, then apparently changed his mind. “Did you see him?”
“See who? Oh, the driver?” She shook her head. “I barely got a glimpse of the car. The first thing I knew after I started running was that I was on the porch and my wrist and my left hip hurt. And my elbows and knees stung.” She lifted her arm.
Harte frowned at the angry red scrape just under her elbow.
“I sat up and tried to catch the license, but the car was nearly out of sight and I couldn’t make it out.”
“Can