“Grover also met with the district attorney,” Max continued. “This was a week before the plea change. They are friendly. The Mills family is a longtime Texas family. It means something here, and the DA comes from a similar Texas family. The DA gave a long and compelling song and dance about how the confession coupled with the money traced from the joint business to Grant—and evidence that he had a gambling problem—would be sufficient to get a conviction if they couldn’t come to terms on the plea deal. Mind you, this was when Longfellow was still working for Grant and negotiating the plea arrangement to avoid the death penalty.”

Max sipped her wine, her eyes on Lucy. Lucy could feel her weighing how she wanted to ask the question Lucy knew she wanted to ask, but Lucy let her wrestle with the approach. There was no way Lucy could do what she wanted.

“I wouldn’t ask you to obtain a copy of the report,” Max said, “but I trust your independent judgment and analysis. If you could look at it for me, give me your professional opinion. I already know about the two individuals who have been interviewed—prior to Grant’s confession. A neighbor who had a conflicting story about where he was that night, and a client of Victoria’s who wasn’t happy with the sale of his house and threatened her in public. Neither seems all that viable, but stranger things have happened. What I really would like to know is how the police learned of the embezzlement when the money wasn’t taken until four days after Victoria was murdered. And there’s something else missing—her digital calendar was corrupted and your expert husband said the only way it could have been corrupted was on her computer where the corruption could be efficiently replicated into the Cloud—and yet all backups were erased. Of course, if Sean could gain access to her computer he could know for certain.”

“That won’t happen.”

“The defense could hire him as an expert consultant.”

“True. The prosecution would have to provide access to any evidence they use at trial. But if they don’t submit Victoria’s computer as evidence, I don’t think the defense will be able to access it. I may be wrong—I’m not a lawyer. Yet you don’t need me. You need time. Eventually, the prosecution will have to provide the defense with any discovery they plan to use at trial. It sounds like you want to cut corners.”