Beyond Innocence by Carsen Taite

bars. There were only a few other women in the place, but one couple in the corner was treating the quiet bar like a good place for an afternoon delight. Probably the source of Serena’s obvious discomfort. “It was Skye’s idea. She was in the neighborhood. Thought it would be a quiet place to meet. Coffee shops get too crowded this time of day, what with everyone looking for an afternoon coffee fix. Bars? They tend to be pretty empty until happy hour starts.” Too late, Cory realized she was rambling. “Come on. She’s waiting.”
    Serena had known from the moment they drove into the neighborhood exactly what kind of bar this was. She wasn’t blind. Couples wandering out of nearby restaurants, hands intertwined, were her first clue. Each set the same, women with women, men with men. What she didn’t get was why Cory had thought it was okay to bring her to a bar for a business meeting. And not just any bar, but a lesbian one. Did she have some hidden agenda? Surely, the chemistry she felt wasn’t mutual. Not likely since Cory had barely paid any attention to her all through lunch, directing her questions to Ian and avoiding eye contact. Odd. Especially since Ian mentioned they’d never worked together before. She filed away the exchange for when she could catch Cory alone.
    Skye stood as they approached. Cory shook her hand and then made the introductions. “Skye Keaton, meet Serena Washington.”
    Serena held out her hand and Skye gave it a firm shake. Skye was drop-dead gorgeous and Serena was fairly positive she was a lesbian, but unlike when she’d shaken Cory’s hand for the first time, she felt nothing. Except relief. Good to know every good-looking woman in Dallas wasn’t going to ring her bell. She’d worked so hard to keep herself in check.
    Skye interrupted her musings. “Can I get you something to drink?”
    Serena looked at the half-full glass on the table. “What’re you having?”
    “A double. Club soda with lime.” Skye’s grin was infectious.
    “I’ll have the same.”
    “Cory?”
    “I’m good.”
    Serena watched Cory watching Skye walk to the bar. “How long have you known her?”
    “Years.” Cory didn’t take her eyes off Skye. “We haven’t worked together in a long time though.”
    Again with the vague reference. The way Cory stared at Skye seemed detached, but Serena wondered what she wasn’t seeing. She started to form a question, but Skye returned before she could ask. She’d have to try a different tack if she wanted real information. “Skye, I was just asking Cory how long you two have known each other.”
    Skye gave Cory a careful look before answering. “Wow, it’s been years. We haven’t had the pleasure of working together for a few years though.”
    Still vague. Serena decided she wasn’t going to pierce their united front. She gave up. For now. “Where do we start?”
    Skye answered. “You tell me what you need me to do and I quote you a fee.”
    Cory took the reins. “Short story. Serena’s brother, Eric, is on death row. I’m helping her find an investigator to look into evidence for a writ. This morning is the first opportunity I had to hear about the case, so I don’t have much detail other than what his appellate attorney shared with us over lunch.”
    Cory’s summary didn’t jibe with how Serena saw her role, so she filed it away with the rest of the pieces of Cory Lance that itched along the edges of her awareness. She didn’t have time to consider the issue before Skye began peppering her with questions.
    “Tell me the basic facts of the case.”
    Serena had studied the case file and could recite most of the relevant details from memory. “Eric was arrested by the Rinson police after a woman he once worked with, Nancy McGowan, was raped and murdered. In my view, the evidence was slim. No one witnessed the incident, but a customer of the bar where they worked had seen a black man standing next to Ms. McGowan by her car on the night she