It was past four in the afternoon and already getting dark when Ted barged into my office. “The jury’s got a verdict.”

I looked up from my monitor and waved him in as I opened the tab to the local newspaper’s Twitter. They’d been posting updates.

“Looks like the judge is reading the charges.” Ted was now behind my chair reading it too. His mouth twisted to the side when he saw some of the previous tweets about the latest traffic stop. “The silence is deafening on this,” he muttered, eyes seemingly regretful, and I assumed it was because he knew about Easton and me. But from the time I’d known Ted, I also knew he was not going to take it easy on me just because I was fucking one of the ADAs.

“They think people won’t notice because of the trial. Are you going to help out with the protest?”

“Yeah, the director of the Ithaca Justice Project texted me this morning about it.” I was looking at my phone to see if there were any texts from Nesto—he always seemed to know the news before anyone else—when I heard Ted suck his teeth before a pretty astonished, “Holy shit, good for him,” came out of his mouth.

When I looked at the monitor, it was there in black and white.

Court Update: Jury convicts on all counts. Interim DA Easton Archer to run for DA in special election.

“What the fuck?” I said in genuine astonishment.

“You didn’t know about this?” Ted asked in a tone that brooked a very clear I’m glad I’m not Easton.

I lifted a shoulder and was about to say something offhanded when I saw a text come through on my phone.

Easton.

We got him on all counts. BTW Cindy made that announcement without my permission, I had no intention of committing to running. I still don’t.

The way my chest caved in with relief shouldn’t have surprised me. This day needed to end because there was just way too much shit happening. Still I was proud of Easton for getting justice for that family, and after seeing him with the survivor’s mom on Friday, I knew it wasn’t just another win for him. So when I responded, I went with my heart, not my head.

I’m proud of you, we can talk about the other news when I see you.

His response came seconds later.

Tonight?

I looked up and waved at Ted who was back-walking out of my office, pointing at the watch on his wrist, before texting Easton my response.

Tonight.

I thought about heading out, of going to the gym and exerting some of the pent-up anxious energy I was feeling on a grueling workout, but instead I grabbed my phone again and did something I rarely ever did. I called my mom.