The public defender’s office always had someone on call, because crime, like illness and accidents, didn’t recognize any distinction between weekdays and weekends. And the guy who answered was an attorney she knew well. Although her resignation from Isaac’s case was a surprise to him, when she stated that she had approximately twenty-five thousand dollars from the cage-fighting racket on her kitchen counter, he got on board PDQ.

“Jesus.”

“I know. So I have to resign.”

“Wait, he left that cash at your house?”

Might as well practice her stab at revisionist history. “Last night, Mr. Rothe came over here. I’d posted his bail and he wanted to pay me back—and I got the impression it was because he was thinking of running. I didn’t notify the police because I thought it was my duty to talk him out of taking off and I believed that I’d dissuaded him. Except then I found what he’d left for me this morning on my back porch.” She drew a deep breath, the weight of the lies not sitting well on her empty stomach. “Given the money, I feel strongly that he is going to leave the state immediately. I’m calling the police next and I’ll drop the cash off at the precinct house as evidence when I go there to give a statement this morning.”

“Grier—”

“Before you ask, I’m listed in the white pages, which is how Mr. Rothe found my house, and no, I didn’t feel threatened at all. I asked him to come in and he did for a little while—and he left without a fuss.” At least that part was the whole truth.

“Well, hell . . .”

“Yes, I do believe that covers it. I wanted you to know what I was going to do and I’ll keep you posted. I don’t know where this is all going, to be honest.”

Ding, ding, ding, another truth.

Her colleague made a dismissive sound. “Look, you’ve never had a blemish on your record and you’re keeping it all aboveboard. You haven’t done anything wrong.”

No comment on that one. No reason to ruin the veracity trend.

“You are getting independent counsel, however?” he said.

“Of course.” Fool for a client and all that stuff. Just like she’d told Isaac back at the jail.

After she got off the phone with the other attorney, she was on with the cops moments later. And they, of course, fit her right into their schedule.

In hopes of bracing herself, she fired up the coffee machine—and then realized she wasn’t alone.

Hanging her head, she wondered what if anything Daniel had seen the night before in the guest room.

Nothing, her brother said. I know when to leave.