“But then I also heard that while she was driving around in Boston one day after a couple drinks at a bar, she ran over somebody. Allegedly killed the guy. So she called you in a panic about what to do. And lo and behold, Russell Pritcher fixes the day. You dumped the car and the body, and she owed you big time. Decided to stay with you and keep her mouth shut about any shenanigans your firm might ever do. And, again allegedly, the guy she quote ‘killed’ was seen by someone in the know going about his business in a Miami coffee shop.”

He smiled. “You are quite well informed, aren’t you?”

“You’re not the only one with connections.”

He nodded. “Yes, it’s true.”

“Wow. An honest answer. I didn’t know we were that close, Russell.”

“No one would believe you anyway. And I’m presuming it would be impossible to get out of you who told you all this, though I can guess. Only three people know, and I’m one of them. Seems my tight ship isn’t tight enough.” He set his coffee down on a side table. “Now let me ask you something that’s had me curious.”

“Shoot.”

“Billy Rowford.”

My mouth felt dry, like I’d licked sandpaper.

“Oh,” he said, chuckling, “that name make you uncomfortable?”

“No. What did you want to ask?”

“See, now I heard, allegedly, that Billy murdered his lover when he found out he was cheating. Young man that was his personal trainer, was it? Anyway, again allegedly, I heard that he ran straight to your office, the murder weapon in a bag, a nice large kitchen knife.” He folded his hands in his lap, a wide grin on his face. “Now as a good lawyer, you convinced him to turn himself in but not say anything. And miraculously, the police couldn’t find the murder weapon. With no confession, no murder weapon, and the victim killed in his own apartment, the case was dismissed at preliminary hearing.”

“What’s your point?” I said sternly.

“My point being that someone saw him bring the knife into your office, but he didn’t come back out with it.”

I flexed my jaw and then released it, but the tension was still there. The scene he was describing had happened on a Saturday, and the only other person in the office with me was my partner, Tim. “That little prick.”

He cackled. “You and I are not so different, Tatum. We do what we need to do to win. I can read the disdain on your face when you look at me, but it’s the disdain of looking into a mirror. People don’t change and they don’t start over. You might be on the other side for now, but you’re just like me, and we can’t change who we are.”

Jia poked her head in and said, “Umm, bad time?”