are preserved and that she experiences no mental duress,” Chris replies. “And no, she hasn’t.”
“Good. Have a seat.”
I do, uncomfortable with all the people there. I hoped it’d be more private. I sit beside Chris, across from DA Tenet. I tuck my shaking hands beneath my thighs.
“First, we need an official statement, in your own words, of what happened that night,” DA Tenet tells me.
“Um, you might need this, too.” I pull out Ari’s cell phone and pass it to him. “I know you said last time I was here that you pulled the picture I took that night off my old phone. I sent the pic to Ari, and she kept it. We thought you might want it, just in case.”
Chris glances at me, and I realize I never told him about the picture or the DA’s attempt to get more information out of me about that night. The DA sees his look, too.
“We’re putting everything on the table,” Chris says in a voice that says he won’t take any crap. It’s the one he uses with me sometimes, and I want to warn the DA it means he’s dead serious.
Of course, I’d rather see the DA squirm. The DA looks at me for a long moment.
“Interesting,” he says. “I wondered why I didn’t receive a phone call after your last visit here.”
“Or the police ball,” I add. “When you set me up.”
“We needed to know if you could identify who hurt you.”
“We’ll discuss this later.” Chris’s voice is cold.
The DA nods. There’s a tense moment where the two of them size each other up. I’m pretty sure Chris can take anyone. I’m also pretty sure I’ll be in almost as much trouble as the DA later for not telling Chris about the set ups. One of Chris’s team members glances down at his phone. The movement seems to unfreeze the room, and the DA pulls my old statement free from his portfolio.
“Do you want to revise this or start over?” he asks, sliding it to me.
“Start over,” I reply.
“You can write it or dictate it, and our clerk will type it up for you.” He motions to the clerk at the stenograph.
“I, um, I think I’d rather dictate it,” I say.
The team member who checked his phone leans behind me to tap Chris.
“Are you open to questions as you go, or would you rather wait until the end?” the DA asks.
“Whatever,” I reply, distracted by the whispering behind me.
Something’s going on. Chris’s lackey leaves quickly without a word to us, and Chris is checking his phone.
“Everything okay?” the DA asks.
Chris says nothing. He sits back. I have no idea what’s going on and by the glance Tenet gives his people, he doesn’t either. Chris’s gaze goes to the door to the conference room a moment before it opens.
I look, too, and my breath catches.
Daddy. And he doesn’t look happy. His smile is quick and deceptively open, but I can see the tension in it. I know all his smiles, and this one isn’t good.
“Senator,” the DA stands, surprised. “We weren’t expecting you.”
“I apologize for the surprise visit. I just need a word with my daughter.”
I silently scream at him to leave. I don’t know what Chris has told him. After the police ball, I don’t know what he’ll do. I rise and walk down the table to him. He doesn’t leave the room, so I’m hoping he’s there to say something …not too bad. I’m desperately clinging to this thought as I reach him.
“Hi, Daddy,” I greet him quietly.
“Mia.” I hear the quiet anger in his voice, even though he keeps the smile plastered on his face for the others. “I thought we discussed Robert Connor a couple of weeks ago. Before this all … explodes for you, I want you to know you can still walk away.”
I’m stunned by his words. He takes my silence as agreement.
“Chris can handle it, Mia. We’ll get you into more counseling, and soon, this will all be just a blip. Robert Connor is a good kid. He’s got an alibi, Mia. The type of fallout this kind of misplaced accusation will cause is beyond what you can
“Good. Have a seat.”
I do, uncomfortable with all the people there. I hoped it’d be more private. I sit beside Chris, across from DA Tenet. I tuck my shaking hands beneath my thighs.
“First, we need an official statement, in your own words, of what happened that night,” DA Tenet tells me.
“Um, you might need this, too.” I pull out Ari’s cell phone and pass it to him. “I know you said last time I was here that you pulled the picture I took that night off my old phone. I sent the pic to Ari, and she kept it. We thought you might want it, just in case.”
Chris glances at me, and I realize I never told him about the picture or the DA’s attempt to get more information out of me about that night. The DA sees his look, too.
“We’re putting everything on the table,” Chris says in a voice that says he won’t take any crap. It’s the one he uses with me sometimes, and I want to warn the DA it means he’s dead serious.
Of course, I’d rather see the DA squirm. The DA looks at me for a long moment.
“Interesting,” he says. “I wondered why I didn’t receive a phone call after your last visit here.”
“Or the police ball,” I add. “When you set me up.”
“We needed to know if you could identify who hurt you.”
“We’ll discuss this later.” Chris’s voice is cold.
The DA nods. There’s a tense moment where the two of them size each other up. I’m pretty sure Chris can take anyone. I’m also pretty sure I’ll be in almost as much trouble as the DA later for not telling Chris about the set ups. One of Chris’s team members glances down at his phone. The movement seems to unfreeze the room, and the DA pulls my old statement free from his portfolio.
“Do you want to revise this or start over?” he asks, sliding it to me.
“Start over,” I reply.
“You can write it or dictate it, and our clerk will type it up for you.” He motions to the clerk at the stenograph.
“I, um, I think I’d rather dictate it,” I say.
The team member who checked his phone leans behind me to tap Chris.
“Are you open to questions as you go, or would you rather wait until the end?” the DA asks.
“Whatever,” I reply, distracted by the whispering behind me.
Something’s going on. Chris’s lackey leaves quickly without a word to us, and Chris is checking his phone.
“Everything okay?” the DA asks.
Chris says nothing. He sits back. I have no idea what’s going on and by the glance Tenet gives his people, he doesn’t either. Chris’s gaze goes to the door to the conference room a moment before it opens.
I look, too, and my breath catches.
Daddy. And he doesn’t look happy. His smile is quick and deceptively open, but I can see the tension in it. I know all his smiles, and this one isn’t good.
“Senator,” the DA stands, surprised. “We weren’t expecting you.”
“I apologize for the surprise visit. I just need a word with my daughter.”
I silently scream at him to leave. I don’t know what Chris has told him. After the police ball, I don’t know what he’ll do. I rise and walk down the table to him. He doesn’t leave the room, so I’m hoping he’s there to say something …not too bad. I’m desperately clinging to this thought as I reach him.
“Hi, Daddy,” I greet him quietly.
“Mia.” I hear the quiet anger in his voice, even though he keeps the smile plastered on his face for the others. “I thought we discussed Robert Connor a couple of weeks ago. Before this all … explodes for you, I want you to know you can still walk away.”
I’m stunned by his words. He takes my silence as agreement.
“Chris can handle it, Mia. We’ll get you into more counseling, and soon, this will all be just a blip. Robert Connor is a good kid. He’s got an alibi, Mia. The type of fallout this kind of misplaced accusation will cause is beyond what you can
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