Blood Money (Joe Dillard Series No. 6) (29 page)

He poured himself another scotch, and I noticed his cheeks were beginning to take on a pinkish glow. I watched the brown liquid drain from his glass down his throat. He set the glass down firmly.

“All right,” he said.
 

He stood and stuck out his right hand. I shook it firmly.

“So it’s done?” I said.

“It’s done.”

Chapter 55

I
was grilling steaks on my deck Monday evening following Jordan’s plea. The judge accepted it, agreed to judicial diversion, and Jordan was released in the afternoon. I had invited Jordan and his parents, along with his brother and sister, out to have dinner with Caroline and me. Jordan was subdued, but I could tell he was relieved to have this particular chapter of his life behind him.
 

My cell phone rang just as I pulled the last steak off the grill. I looked down and saw it was Jack, who had returned to Nashville in August to resume his studies at the Vanderbilt law school.
 

“How did it go?” Jack said.
 

“Went fine, without a hitch. We got pretty much everything we wanted.”

“Congratulations.”

“Thanks. I wish you could have been here. And I was thinking earlier that I wish Charlie had been here, too. I’ve been thinking a lot about her lately. I miss her. I wonder where she is and how she’s doing.”

“She’s doing fine,” Jack said.
 

“What? Have you talked to her?”

“She sort of showed up here a couple of days ago. We’ve been spending quite a bit of time together. As a matter of fact, she’s standing right next to me. Would you like to talk to her?”

“Sure,” I said, feeling a smile cross my lips, “put her on the phone.”

Thank you for reading, and I sincerely hope you enjoyed Blood Money. As an independently published author, I rely on you, the reader, to spread the word. So if you enjoyed the book, please tell your friends and family, and if it isn’t too much trouble, I would appreciate a brief review on Amazon. Thanks again. My best to you and yours.

Scott
 

About the Author

Scott Pratt was born in South Haven, Michigan, and moved to Tennessee when he was thirteen years old. He is a veteran of the United States Air Force and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from East Tennessee State University and a Doctor of Jurisprudence from the University of Tennessee College of Law. He lives in Northeast Tennessee with his wife, their dogs, and a parrot named JoJo.

Visit the website at:
www.scottprattfiction.com

Also by Scott Pratt

An Innocent Client
(Joe Dillard #1)

In Good Faith
(Joe Dillard #2)

Injustice for All
(Joe Dillard #3)

Reasonable Fear
(Joe Dillard #4)

Conflict of Interest
(Joe Dillard #5)

River on Fire