“Ah.” He leans back in his seat.

I do too. Crossing an ankle over my knee. But the sinking feeling in my gut grows the longer the silence drags on.

“Am I missing something, Councilor?”

“Well, yes, you are, Judge. And I’m not sure it’s appropriate for you to be here.”

“What is it that I am not aware of?”

“Nor is it appropriate for you to ask these questions outside of the space of The Tribunal.” He stands.

I do too. But I don’t leave. “Councilor, pardon my language, but what the hell is going on?”

He exhales, sets his jaw, and nods to the guard behind me to leave. And I know this is for show. He will do me a favor now. One he’ll hold over my head for years to come.

Once the guard is gone and the door closes, he opens a desk drawer and takes out a folder. He opens it. Inside are several printed pages of minutes. He turns it around so I can see it, and when I read the name of the interviewee, the ground drops out from beneath me.

Vincent Douglas.

“Lana Douglas’s brother has been to see me. You know who she is. Or was, I should say.”

I shift my gaze from the papers to his.

“Yes, I thought so. He asserts Lana was killed. Says he has evidence in the form of a surveillance video.”

No. Santiago’s men would not have missed that. “Surveillance?”

“Ms. Douglas never let go of the habit of making little videos it seems. Married men and the like. It’s one of the reasons she was let go from the Cat House.”

“So trustworthy was she. I’m sure her brother is the same. Where is this brother?”

“I’ve seen the footage, Judge. It’s damning to Ms. De La Rosa.” He doesn’t mention Douglas’s whereabouts, and I know it’s on purpose.

“I’d like to see it for myself.”

“It’s locked in a safe. It will be presented once she appears before The Tribunal, which she will voluntarily do within the week or else.”

“Or else?”

He sighs. “Judge, this is very serious for her.”

“I’d like to see the footage before I bring her to stand before The Tribunal. She is a De La Rosa. Remember that.”

“We are all equals before The Tribunal.”

I can hear the gossips already. If she’s hauled in here, she’ll be humiliated. And if the video surveillance truly shows what Hildebrand claims, it will be worse than humiliation. There will be payment. And it will be in the currency The Tribunal deals in and understands. Flesh.

He opens the same drawer to take out a flash drive.