Chapter One
Thursday, February 8, 2001, 9:29 A.M.
For two years Joanne Kuhlman had gone to bed each night not
knowing whether her children were dead or alive. That morning,
Leah, her fifteen-year-old daughter, had made her so angry that
Joanne had felt like shipping her back to her father. Even if she'd been
serious, the man was currently in jail and would more than likely be
sentenced to prison.
Exiting her white Lexus, Joanne jogged toward the main entrance to
the Ventura County courthouse. She wondered how many people in
her office knew about the situation with her ex-husband. Worrying
about gossip, she told herself, should be the least of her concerns. Her
prayers had been answered—Leah and Mike had been located and returned.
The fact that Doug's first trial would be held in Los Angeles
was another reas ... read full excerpt from Conflict of Interest ebook
