“I know he didn’t do it, but I’ve seen enough to know that sometimes the facts and the law get all twisted up.” It was yet another reason she was tossing around the idea of law school and ultimately being a prosecutor. “Can I ask you a totally unrelated question?”

“Sure.” Piper started up her car, and they pulled out of the precinct parking lot.

“Why criminal defense? You seem like the search-for-justice type.”

Piper laughed. “I am, and that’s exactly why I do criminal defense. As you just said, not everything is always so clear-cut. Of course, not every client I have is innocent, but they all deserve their opportunity to be heard—or not heard, as the case may be. The right to take the Fifth, to have qualified counsel. Those things are important to me, because I believe in the integrity of the justice system as a whole.”

“I guess I never thought of it like that.”

“Then maybe something good can come out of this bad experience.”

“Maybe so.” Izzy had a lot to think about. “Do you think we did the right thing by not volunteering the information about the text messages?”

Piper frowned. “I wanted to see how it went in there before offering up additional information. Let’s sleep on it, and depending on how things proceed, we can make a decision about the texts.”

Izzy had to trust Piper on this. She was the expert. “I’m just relieved she didn’t make me relive the attack blow by blow.” She’d stayed up all night worrying about that.

“I am too, but this was just the first interview. I don’t want you to think you’re in the clear, as far as that is concerned. It could quite possibly come up again, and she might be much more aggressive with you.”

Izzy groaned.

“Are you going in to work?” Piper asked.

“Yeah. I can’t just sit around and mope all day. I also have to talk to Marco and let him know what’s going on.”

“Your boss?”

“Yes. I’ve been dreading having this conversation, but now I have no choice. For all I know, they’re going to want to question him, too, and I need to be the one to tell him about all of this.”

“The less you tell him about the history, the better. Got it?” Piper asked.

“Understood.” Although right now, she didn’t feel like she understood anything.

CHAPTER
THIRTEEN

Layla walked into the living room of her condo. “They want me at Langley tomorrow.” She sat down beside Hunter on the couch. She’d just gotten off the call.

He frowned. “For what?”

“The IG’s office said they had questions for me. I guess they’re finally ready for my interrogation.”

He turned toward her. “What if you get there and they decide to take you to a black site, and we never hear from you again?”