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position here doesn’t mean I knewyou’d be prosecuting Middleton. It was a fluke, Lily. I have another case that falls in this jurisdiction. When Middleton started waving money in my face, it only made sense to take him on as a client.”
    “What kind of case?”
    “Possession with intent to distribute.”
    “Now you’re not only defending someone like Middleton,” Lily said, incredulous, “you’re representing drug dealers, too. Weren’t you planning to run for judge?”
    “That was years ago,” he said, frowning. “Things don’t always turn out the way we want in life.”
    He was tossing the ball back in her court, making her feel guilty. She had enough guilt for the entire state. In addition, he was the one who had ended their relationship, abandoning her when she’d needed him the most. “You shouldn’t have asked me to go for a drink if you were in such a hurry to get home. God, Richard, we haven’t seen each other in years. You could have snagged Clinton Silverstein if you wanted a drinking partner. Haven’t you heard? He transferred to our office seven months ago.”
    “I wasn’t looking for a drinking partner,” he said, pulling her onto the grass so people wouldn’t overhear their conversation. “My associate could have handled both of these cases, Lily. I’m here because of you. It’s the craziest thing. A few weeks ago I started having dreams about you. Since then I’ve been having trouble concentrating on my work.”
    “Really?” she said, smiling coyly. “Good dreams or bad?”
    He laughed. “Would I stand here and let you rake me over the coals if they were bad?”
    A pleased look appeared on her face. “We could take a walk on the beach. Since you’re in a hurry, it’s better if we go in separate cars.”
    “Sounds like a plan.”
    “I’ll meet you in the parking lot of the Miramar Hotel,” Lily tossed out over her shoulder. “You know, the place with the blue roof that runs parallel to the 101 freeway.”
    •  •  •
    T HE SUN was setting and the sky was awash with rainbow colors—blue, pink, rose, aqua. Richard and Lily left their cars in the parking lot of the hotel, then walked across the railroad tracks to the beach. Once they reached the sand, she removed her heels, carrying them as they walked. “The heat wave must have broken,” she said, rubbing her arms. Several hundred yards offshore, they could see a line of surfers waiting on their boards for the next big wave.
    “You’re chilled,” Richard said, noticing her shivering. He removed his jacket and tried to hand it to her. “Put this on.”
    “I’m fine,” she said, pulling her green linen blazer tightly around her body. “But it’s nice of you to offer.”
    “I insist.”
    Lily smiled, slipping her arms into the sleeves. Now that he had removed his jacket, she spotted a small roll around his midsection. Instead of finding the extra weight unattractive, she thought it made him even more appealing. Men with bulging muscles and washboard stomachs might look good in magazines, but she’d never been attracted to them. Placing her hands in the pockets of his jacket, she touched his car keys, his wallet, his sunglasses case. Once again she inhaled the scent of lime. She felt momentarily secure, his jacket her cloak of protection.
    They trudged through the sand in silence, then Lily suddenly stopped, gazing out at the frothy whitecaps. Her heart was pounding as hard as the waves. She wanted to feel his arms around her, run her hands through his hair. They shared too many painful memories, though, and she couldn’t afford to get caught up in an emotional nightmare. When the judge had granted Middleton bail, she’d almost lost it. After all these years she was still battling. She wanted to believe that the system could dispense justice, that good would triumph over evil, that the innocent would no longer have to suffer. As long as a child like Betsy Middleton spent her days in the twilight zone of