I don’t say anything, but I know Gabriel is not going to let McKenney off the hook so easily. “We won’t know that until we crack it,” he says.

“All right,” McKenney says with sigh. “Let me think about that. I’ve got a drawer full of cell phones that we haven’t cracked because I don’t want to spend the money. I’ve got to consider the optics of spending the money here and not there.”

Gabriel gives me a sidelong glance. I know what he’s thinking. That this is part of a cover-up. Before I can silently signal him not to go there, he does.

“We’ve heard that Lauren was going to throw her hat into the ring for District Attorney.”

Drake McKenney may not be a real lawyer anymore, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t know the tricks of the trade. I can almost see the wheels spinning in his head.

“Is that so? I hadn’t heard that. Then, again, I’m usually the last to know about potential political challengers.”

I need to show Gabriel that I’m on the team, even if the game we’re playing places me adverse to my boss. “Richard Trofino said he discussed it with you. More than that, actually. He claimed you two had a screaming fight about it.”

McKenney puts on a confused expression. Even though I think it’s sincere, it looks false. It’s almost as if McKenney has perfected the most common facial reactions he needs in public office—confidence, honesty, sincerity—but he hasn’t learned how to look surprised, even when the sentiment is authentic.

“Richard said that he told me she was running?”

Every lawyer knows that when the witness repeats your question, he’s stalling. Trying to think through an answer to a question that was unanticipated.

“That’s what he said,” I confirm. “And that you were angry about it and chewed him out.”

“More than that,” Gabriel adds. “He said that you threatened to bury her. That’s a direct quote.”

McKenney smiles as if now he finally understands. “That never happened. I mean, I talk to Richard from time to time. Every elected official in this city does that. Even before he became the mayor’s asshole buddy. He has the kind of juice that when he calls, you answer the phone. But he never discussed Lauren with me. I think even a guy with his reputation would know that’s something that would cross the line.”

“So he’s lying?” I ask.

“He’s lying. Not too hard to figure out why, right?”

Neither Gabriel nor I answer, even though we both know that McKenney is suggesting that Trofino made the entire encounter up to throw suspicion on a political rival.