Lila could almost see the thoughts forming behind Ryan’s eyes as he worked to catch up.

Ryan smiled. “That would be some serious leverage.”

“You have the video of him pulling her back into the car. The jury can see him do that with their own eyes, so it won’t matter if the wife recants on the punch. Fitch can use the big stick of predatory offender registration to get a plea on the assault. Who knows—you might just convict the son of a bitch.”

“Damn.” Ryan shook his head slowly. “I should have seen it…but…why didn’t she just tell me? Why does she…?” Ryan leaned back in his chair and let the thought pass. “I owe you one.”

“I’m sure I’ll cash it in soon enough.”

A tap at Ryan’s door, light but emphatic, interrupted their conversation. Before Ryan could extend an invitation, the door opened and Patrick Hittle, the third of the newbie trio, entered. “Did you hear about Beth?”

“Beth?” Lila asked.

“Beth…Malone.” He drew the words out to make clear to Lila he was saying Duh!

Lila liked Ryan, but could do without Patrick, a man who never missed an opportunity to jab at her, comments that had no purpose other than to show off his big brain. “I can’t hang out after work,” he once said. “I have a MENSA meeting.” Another time he corrected Lila, saying, “Cats aren’t nocturnal, they’re crepuscular—they’re active at dawn and dusk, not all night.” Once, at lunch, Lila made the mistake of ordering a cheese panini. “It’s pronounced panino, not panini. Panini is plural.”

“It’s pronounced pedantic, not Patrick,” Lila had whispered to herself. At first she thought that Patrick was like that with everyone, but when the three of them were together, it was Lila he threw darts at. So he was a misogynist. But then she noticed that he didn’t treat other women in the office that way.

That made Lila think that he singled her out because she didn’t belong. She was petite with small features that shaved years off her age. She used to have long, dark hair, but had cut it short after that terrible summer. It didn’t help—she still looked young.

She once asked Ryan his opinion on Patrick’s dickishness. “He knows you’re smarter than he is,” Ryan had said. “Despite all that MENSA crap, I think he knows, deep down, that you’ll be a better attorney. He’s making a preemptive attack.” Lila didn’t see it.

Patrick closed the door to Ryan’s office and spoke quietly. “Beth was in a car accident last night—jammed her leg up into her hip, broke the bone in four places. They say she won’t be back for weeks, maybe months.”

“Oh my God,” Lila said.

Then Patrick added, “Frank Dovey’s taking over Adult Prosecution till she comes back.”

That last bit of news landed like the blow of a fist. Frank Dovey—the head of Adult Prosecution? He would become Oscar’s boss—her boss. Lila sank into her seat, letting the conversation between Patrick and Ryan drift away.