My lawyer. You mean my wife? Does she know Anne’s the one that sent the note? Is she involved? I start pacing again—harder and faster. She can’t know, can she? Fuck. I can’t do this. As I walk, my eyes keep catching the set of keys like a small glimmer of hope, and when it happens, it’s like no thought goes into it. I just do it. I don’t look back. I grab the keys and run out of the house, jumping into Rebecca’s Chevy Cruze.

Rebecca chases after me. “Adam, what the hell are you doing? You’re on house arrest. You can’t leave. Wait!”

I close the door defiantly and put the car in drive. I slam my foot on the gas pedal, the tires spin out, kicking up dirt and leaves—and then I’m pulling away from the house. My ankle bracelet begins to buzz and flash.

43. Sarah Morgan

43

Sarah Morgan

I’m sitting in one of the many conference rooms within Williamson & Morgan. Anne scheduled a meeting with D.A. Josh Peters and Matthew has joined me. A stack of boxes covers part of the table—my discovery or, really, lack thereof. It’s there to throw the prosecution off and hopefully, get them to uncover things I was unable to thanks to the Prince William County Sheriff’s Department no longer cooperating. Everything in those boxes has been carefully curated by Matthew, Anne, and me today to get D.A. Peters to do our dirty work. He should be here any minute. This meeting is intended to throw him off. I know he thinks this case is a slam dunk—and it is, but I need him to believe there’s some possibility of the prosecution losing. I need him to think I have something up my sleeve and that he needs to find out what that is.

Matthew takes a seat at the head of the conference table. “Am I playing bad cop?” He gives a small smirk.

“Always.”

“And are you sure you want to be toying with the prosecution right now?” He raises an eyebrow.

“Are you questioning my strategy again, Matthew?”

“Just checking your judgment.”

There’s a knock on the door. Anne opens it, carrying in a tray full of snacks, soda, and water. “Right this way,” she says to D.A. Peters who is following behind her.

“Who’s this?” He gestures to Matthew. “Discovery is only for council.”

“This is Matthew. He is assisting with this case.”

Matthew stands and holds out his hand. “I’m doing more than assisting.”

“Does he even have a law degree?” D.A. Peters asks me as if Matthew isn’t in the room.

“Yes, he and I went to Yale together.”

“Which is why I’m a lobbyist now, not some D.A. that went to George Washington night school.” Matthew smirks and takes his seat.