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Chapters (71)
  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Dedication
  4. Chapter 1
  5. Chapter 2
  6. Chapter 3
  7. Chapter 4
  8. Chapter 5
  9. Chapter 6
  10. Chapter 7
  11. Chapter 8
  12. Chapter 9
  13. Chapter 10
  14. Chapter 11
  15. Chapter 12
  16. Chapter 13
  17. Chapter 14
  18. Chapter 15
  19. Chapter 16
  20. Chapter 17
  21. Chapter 18
  22. Chapter 19
  23. Chapter 20
  24. Chapter 21
  25. Chapter 22
  26. Chapter 23
  27. Chapter 24
  28. Chapter 25
  29. Chapter 26
  30. Chapter 27
  31. Chapter 28
  32. Chapter 29
  33. Chapter 30
  34. Chapter 31
  35. Chapter 32
  36. Chapter 33
  37. Chapter 34
  38. Chapter 35
  39. Chapter 36
  40. Chapter 37
  41. Chapter 38
  42. Chapter 39
  43. Chapter 40
  44. Chapter 41
  45. Chapter 42
  46. Chapter 43
  47. Chapter 44
  48. Chapter 45
  49. Chapter 46
  50. Chapter 47
  51. Chapter 48
  52. Chapter 49
  53. Chapter 50
  54. Chapter 51
  55. Chapter 52
  56. Chapter 53
  57. Chapter 54
  58. Chapter 55
  59. Chapter 56
  60. Chapter 57
  61. Chapter 58
  62. Chapter 59
  63. Chapter 60
  64. Chapter 61
  65. Chapter 62
  66. Chapter 63
  67. Chapter 64
  68. Acknowledgments
  69. Discover More
  70. About the Author
  71. Also by Allen Eskens

The weight of all that had happened didn’t fully hit Lila until she got to work the next day. Some of the attorneys actually applauded as she stepped off the elevator on the twentieth floor. She tried to act like it was just another day as she went about the to-do list that Andi had given her, but people kept popping into her office to ask her about her confrontation on the bridge.

Ryan stayed the longest and stared at the fingernail scrapes on her neck as he peppered her with questions. Even Patrick stopped by to offer congratulations. But it was the last visitor of the day that surprised her the most.

Lila was packing to leave, relieved to have survived one more day without getting fired, when the knock came. She looked up to see Andi standing there. Andi had never been to Lila’s office.

“Um…come in.”

Andi took a seat in the visitor’s chair and glanced around at the bare walls. “I like what you’ve done with the place.”

Lila shrugged. “Yeah, I haven’t gotten around to hanging stuff up.”

Andi said, “I came to tell you that I can’t be your supervisor anymore.”

Those words turned the air suddenly chilly, and it occurred to her that certain pigeons might now be coming home to roost.

“I wanted to tell you before they announced it officially, but Frank Dovey tendered his resignation this morning.”

Lila had to fight to keep the smile off her face.

“I’ll be taking over Adult Prosecution in two weeks.”

Lila let her smile go free. “Congratulations.”

“I’m hearing rumors that Frank’s resignation wasn’t his idea. Word has it, someone got tired of his bullshit and did something about it.” Andi paused and gave Lila a knowing look. “If that’s true, I’d love to hear the story someday. For now, I wanted you to know that I’ll be the one writing that letter to the Board of Law Examiners. By the time I get done, they’ll be falling over themselves to admit you.”

“Thanks, Andi. You’ve been great to work for—”

“Work with. You’re my colleague, and you need to get used to that idea.”

“Gladly.”

Then Andi’s demeanor turned somber and she said, “I also wanted to tell you that they found a server in Gavin’s mother’s attic.” Andi leaned in and lowered her voice. “There were four pictures—of you—and one of them showed Sylvie Dubois’s face. They’ll be stored in a password-protected file until we resolve Sylvie’s case.”

It sickened Lila to know that those pictures might someday be shown to a jury at Sylvie’s trial. Lila would have to testify and point at Sylvie and accuse her in court. Thinking about it made Lila’s stomach churn, but it had to be done.