Read Not Quite Clear (A Lowcountry Mystery) for Free Online Page B

straight posture, the fire in her eyes—this is the Millie who used to break rules with me, who was always the last one to drop her firecracker, always the first one to strip down naked and leap, squealing,into the river.
    “Can I ask you a question?”
    Phoebe spreads her hands in a gesture of open invitation. “Of course.”
    “Why are you so willing to take on my case when every other attorney in town laughed us out of their offices? Aren’t you afraid of the Middletons and what they can do?”
    “First off,” she starts without hesitating, her gaze lingering on me, “I’m willing to take your case becauseBeauregard asked me to take your case.”
    Her tone, the silky softness of it, leaves me wondering what else she’s been willing to do just because my boyfriend asked her.
    “As far as your second question, I’m not afraid of anyone.”
    She and my cousin stare at each other for ten seconds, fifteen. Then Amelia nods, sits back, and crosses her arms. “Great. So where do we start?”
    “Well, I’ve spokenat length with Beauregard and requested discovery from his family’s firm, which they’ve provided.” She motions with a lazy finger toward a file box under the window. “The first thing you’ve got to do is stop seeing that quack therapist in Heron Creek.”
    Millie sucks in a breath, and my heart sinks.  
    “I-is that necessary?” The tremble in her voice confirms all the worries that invade my nights.

    That she’s even less okay than anyone knows.  
    “Yes. We need you to be viewed as a fit mother and fit mothers don’t see shrinks.”
    “I don’t think that’s true,” I interrupt, offended. “Half the people in America see therapists and the other half probably need to.”
    “We’re not discussing America, and while I don’t disagree with your opinion on our need to remove the stigma from mental health care,the fact remains that there is one.” Her cool gaze shifts back to my cousin. “I do not think you’re crazy. You’ve been through more in the past six months than most people will go through in their whole lives, and you deserve to pout and talk it out and whatever else makes it a little bit better. But we’re trying to make sure you keep your kid, and I’m telling you that your record of hospital admittances,therapy records, and arrests isn’t going to play in your favor. We need to fix all of that, starting now. Okay?”
    “Okay,” Millie says softly, her jaw set and expression determined. “I’ll be okay.”
    “Second, I’m not sure that, even if we can make you out to be the most fit parent in the world, it’s going to be enough at this point.”
    Phoebe shoots a look my direction that straightens my spine.She must have been a drill sergeant in another life or something because this girl has presence.
    I get a sudden mental image of her in a sexy uniform with a whip, but banish it before I trip down that path. Surely Beau would have mentioned if they’d ever been involved…right? And at least her name isn’t Lucy, the mysterious ex his sister Birdie mentioned when she thought I wasn’t listening, butthat he still hasn’t brought up.
    “We’re going to need more, especially if you’re set on them only having limited visitation rights.”
    “I don’t want them to have any rights,” Amelia spits. “They knew. They always knew what their son was, how he treated me, but they didn’t care. They only cared about him.”
    The ice eyes melt the tiniest bit. “I understand how you feel, but one step at a time. Youretaining full custody of the fetus is the primary goal.”
    “His name is Jack,” Amelia says, quiet but steady. Insistent.
    Phoebe presses her lips together, as though she’s trying not to say what she really thinks. She nods. “Of course. As I was saying, we’re going to need more. Ideally, some sort of proof that the Middletons were not good parents to Jacob, that they have money trouble, that they’vecommitted morally ambiguous acts.