I glance at my phone.

“I hope I’m not keeping you?”

“No, I’m good.” But she’s dragging this out, and I want her to get to the point. When I spoke to Haggerty, I made Diana sound unhinged. I mean, she is unhinged, but I may have overstated some of her actions. So I have to know ASAP if I need to backpedal, and if yes, by how much. “What else did Martinez find out?”

“The DA may be correct. It appears the girl wasn’t harassing Billy.” She pauses. “It looks more like the other way around.”

“Bullshit.” She cringes, less at my choice of words than my tone. “Sorry, Eleanor. But Billy has texts proving otherwise. They’re on his phone, which I assume the cops still have.”

“We were able to retrieve the texts. The girl did send several to Billy. However, it’s impossible to parse their meaning.”

“So, like most college relationships, theirs was volatile, melodramatic, and makes no sense to anyone else. Big fucking deal.”

“Mr. DeFiore is still going through discovery. Either way, he thinks it’s too risky to paint Billy as a victim.”

I sigh. “Again, Eleanor, I know. DeFiore has been saying this for months. You should trust his advice. I’ve been out of the loop so I can’t offer an opinion.”

“I disagree. You met the girl. You had dinner with her. You saw them together.”

It’s true. I met Diana Holly twice—once when she started dating Billy, and again near the end. Billy had described Diana as insecure, which I could see, but it wasn’t a deal-breaker. I liked her the first time she met our family, at an Italian restaurant in the West Village. It was June and warm out. She wore a crisp white sundress that could’ve come from my own closet and casual Tory Burch sandals. Her brown hair was cropped in a pixie cut, and her dangly earrings caught the light when she turned her head. All of us, even Eleanor, found her appealing. Maybe she was a little gushy, but to me, she seemed friendly and forthright. She knew about the foundation, and her questions were thoughtful. “Diana isn’t afraid of anything,” Billy said. “She reminds me of you.”

At the time, I was flattered, but this should’ve been a warning. If you have no fear, you have nothing to lose; you act recklessly and without restraint. But Billy was in the throes of first love. He and Diana were puppyish and adorable, holding hands and whispering. They seemed happy; and I was happy for them. Also envious, if I’m being honest. I hadn’t seen my brother that loose and unfettered in years. They laughed a lot, private jokes. I felt left out—of their relationship, of Billy’s life.