CHAPTER 16

"N o, this is great, Kieran. Everything made it through QA, and no issues in deploy so far," her boss said while he clearly paid attention to something on his other monitor and wasn't staring directly at her, which was preferred, if Kieran was being honest.

"Great. Sorry, it took me an extra day, but that issue I found was a tricky one to fix. The product manager wanted something that was supposed to go into the next release to go out now, and she had that engineering team working on that one and me working on my thing, so we all rushed to finish, and I was worried there would be some issues, but seems like we got it."

"You did." He turned to her with a smile. "So, how's the other thing going?"

"Oh," she said. "The same, really. I promise, I had no idea any of this would happen right when I started this job."

"I imagine that's the case since it was our free DNA kit that put you in this mess," her boss replied.

"Yeah, well, it's about the same for now. I still try to visit her when I can. She'll be transferred out of the county jail here soon, which means it'll be harder to get to her."

"Why don't you take a long lunch or stop early today so that you can do that?"

"I really couldn't do that. I feel like I've been late on just about everything since I started, and that's not fair to you or the team."

"Life comes first," he told her. "Just because we're code monkeys, doesn't mean we have to be glued to our computers all day, every day, when life is going on around us. Just remember, we hired you because you're good, but we don't expect you to be a robot for us."

"Thank you," Kieran replied.

Her new boss turned out to be an actual human who understood that what was going on with Kieran right now wasn't something she could control or just not worry about until it went away eventually. They wrapped up by talking about the other things on their list, and after she exited the video conferencing software, she went to get another cup of coffee.

She hadn't slept much last night. They were still waiting for the footage of the number twelve bus and the bus stop Marin said she might have used, and Diego had been reminding her that Marin should strongly consider the deal that Kieran didn't want her to consider at all until they knew if she had an alibi. Kieran was no lawyer herself, but even if Carina suggested that Marin paid someone or otherwise got them to kill Nick while she had that alibi, the deal would still change. Instead of ten years, out in five on good behavior, it might be five years and out in two and a half on good behavior, and that would be much better than doing ten years or even five, if Kieran could help it.

She poured her second cup of the day so far and doctored it. The other reason she hadn't slept well was that she'd been up until two trying to finish this thing for work since it was already a little late due to the other engineer doing something wrong. She didn't tell her boss about that, but she'd already talked to that engineer, who had been apologetic and had also stayed up just as late to fix it with Kieran, so she hadn't seen the point in getting them in trouble. Besides, it had given her a chance to get to know them and their tendencies so that she could help prevent these kinds of mistakes in the future.

When her phone rang, Kieran rolled her eyes at the screen because Kenna had called one other time after their initial conversation, so Kieran had put her number into her phone and screened the call. Kenna had left her a voicemail saying that she wanted to schedule some time to talk.

"Just talk," she said when Kieran asked her what she wanted this time. "Like I said in my message, to just talk. Nothing we talk about will be used in the interview if there is one."

"So, this is you trying to convince me to do the interview?"

"This is me giving you the information I have about the case, and maybe you getting to know me a little bit to make sure you can trust me," Kenna replied.

"You have information for me ?"

"I do," Kenna told her. "It's probably not something you have yet."

"I don't have anything."

"Then, it's definitely something you don't have yet. Come on. Just meet me for lunch."

"Meet you where? You live here?"

"Yeah, Rip and I moved back a while ago. The show's studio work is done not far from here, either. We moved away when I got my first network job, but we came back because my nephews were getting older, and we had our daughter and wanted her to grow up with them around. Now, we've got two kids, and they have cousins to hang out with. Plus, it's also free babysitting services from my sister and brother-in-law when I can get it." Kenna laughed.

"And we're just talking lunch here? You're not going to show up with some contract you want me to sign?"

"No contract. And I'll buy lunch."

"That you'll then expense for your show, making this a part of your attempt to get your story?"

"God, you are good," Kenna replied, laughing again. "Dylan told me she heard from Carina that you're always a step ahead."

"Carina said that?" Kieran asked with a smile suddenly appearing on her face. "I mean, you talked to them about me?"

"No, they talked to each other about the case, I think, and Dylan mentioned that you should have been an attorney because you might make good competition for Carina."

"Diego will do just fine. And I can do lunch to just talk as long as you're not expensing it and calling this part of your attempt at the story."

"Deal," Kenna said. "One o'clock? I can text you the restaurant I like, if that works for you."

"Sure. I'm not picky," she replied.

◆◆◆

Two hours later, Kieran was sitting at a table at an American-style eatery with a glass of water and waiting on Kenna, who was five minutes late.

"Sorry, I'm late," the woman said when she rushed into the main dining area. "Couldn't find a place to park. Hi. Nice to see you in person. I'm Kenna."

"Yeah, I know. I've seen your show," Kieran replied and took Kenna's outstretched hand.

"Right. Sorry, I still forget that people recognize me sometimes."

"You host one of the most popular crime shows on TV, and you're surprised they recognize you?"

"My wife tells me to stay humble, so… Anyway." Kenna sat down across from her. "Have you ordered yet?"

"No, I waited. You're not that late, or I would have."

"A woman after my own heart," Kenna joked as she settled in.

"Your heart's already taken, though," Kieran noted.

"Yes, it is," Kenna replied with a wide smile. "For many, many years now. But that's not why we're here."

"Yeah, you said you had information I don't have about my sister's case."

"I'm not supposed to have this myself, and I shouldn't use it on the show because it's not supposed to exist, but when they say expunged , they just mean it doesn't count against you, not that it no longer exists, which makes it searchable somewhere, and I have amazing investigators on the show. I actually hired an officer from the local station here when she retired, and another former FBI agent works for us, too. Anyway, they found something about Marin May when she wasn't a May."

"What? And what are you talking about? Expunged?"

Kenna leaned over the table and said, "Your sister had a juvie record."

"What? She did?"

"She did. When she was sixteen, she got in trouble for burning someone in her foster house with cigarettes. She didn't do any real time, but there's still a record."

"She did what?"

"Yeah, I know," Kenna said. "I also know that Carina has this already because I texted Dylan to mention what I found, and she said she knew."

"You went to Dylan with this first?"

"As a journalist, I'm unbiased. I report the truth," Kenna said. "But I wanted to know how our investigator found it, and she said she couldn't tell me, which concerned me, so I checked with Dylan to see if her former colleague had a history of doing anything shady, and Dylan said no and that she'd found the same information on her own, so it would be okay to use in the story. Okay , but not exactly ethical , considering it was supposed to be expunged."

"If there is a story," Kieran reminded her.

Kenna smirked and said, "Yes. But, remember, I already have Marin agreeing to do this. I can do it without you and just say, ‘We tried to talk to Marin's twin sister and get an interview, but she declined to comment,' at the end of the episode. The story loses some of its punch, but not all of it, and this is a local thing that no one has picked up on yet. It's on the AP, but no networks are here yet."

"Maybe that should tell you that no one is interested in hearing about it and that you should move on."

"Nah. There's just a lot of crime in this country. A lot of network shows send locals to cover the first part of the story, and then, if it turns into something bigger, their big shows report on it later. Anyway, there's also this major embezzlement case in DC right now, and they just caught that serial killer in Kansas. He's been terrorizing the trucker highways for twenty years, killed over thirty women that we know of, and they finally found him when he got a flat tire on the side of the road, and a woman ran out of the truck. Someone saw her running and called it in. So, that's a big story."

"Either way, is that all you have?" Kieran asked. "That she burned someone with cigarettes?"

"There's more, but it shows a history of violence."

"It shows that she grew up under very difficult circumstances. I bet there's a reason she did that."

"Kieran, my wife grew up in the system, and she never burned anyone with cigarettes. I know stories like this – of kids growing up without families and in the system turning to crime – are a dime a dozen, but there are just as many, if not more, of people not turning to crime and being fully functional adults."

"I'm not trying to excuse it. It's awful. I'm just saying that there was probably a reason. Is there anything in what you found that explains why she did it?"

"Not that I saw, no. But it's an expunged record that's light on the details."

"I'll talk to her," Kieran said.

"So, she hasn't told you about this?"

"Off-the-record, Kenna."

"Yes, this whole conversation is off-the-record."

"No, she didn't. But we haven't gone back all that far on our life stories yet. Just basic stuff."

"Well, if you're going to stick by her through this, you should get her whole story, if you ask me. And that's not reporter Kenna wanting a scoop; that's new friend Kenna making a suggestion based on her years of experience doing this."

"Yeah, well, I'm not sure I need any new friends."

"Whether you do or not, it's still my advice."

◆◆◆

They hadn't eaten lunch after all. After learning that Marin had burned someone with cigarettes as a teen, Kieran hadn't been very hungry. Kenna had seemed sympathetic, though, and had understood when Kieran left her there. The first thing she did was drive straight to Diego's office because calling him these days wasn't yielding any results. He continued to send her to voicemail, and her texts took hours to get replies, which was very unlike him.

Kieran parked in the garage, took a ticket to get it validated, and arrived in the lobby, where she checked in with the receptionist.

"Hey, Kieran," the woman said with a smile. "I don't have you on his list today."

"I know. Just dropping by for something. Can he make some time?"

"I don't know. Let me call him." She picked up her phone and dialed. "Mr.Hart, your wife is here to see you."

" Ex -wife," Kieran muttered under her breath.

"He said to come right back," the receptionist told her.

"Great. Thanks. It was good to see you."

"You too," the woman replied.

The firm had the three top floors of the building, and they were expanding to the one below it, too, now that the previous tenant had vacated. Junior partners had offices on the second floor from the top, so Kieran took in the new view on the walk to Diego's office through the floor-to-ceiling windows that lined the outer wall. The last time she'd been here, he'd been on the floor below and had shared an office with another associate.

"Kieran?" he said when she arrived at his office.

"Hey. Got a second?"

"Barely. I have a new-client meeting in five minutes. What are you doing here?"

"I need to talk to you about Marin. You haven't returned my calls or texts."

"I know. I've been busy." Diego closed his computer. "Things are a little crazy around here. What's wrong?"

"I just got some information from a reporter that you should have found yourself."

"Sorry. What?" He shook his head in confusion.

"Kenna Crawford, of all people, found some old record that's supposed to be expunged."

"The cigarette thing?" Diego asked.

"You knew about it?"

"Of course, I did. My investigator found it. Why do you think I've been pushing this deal on Marin?"

"You didn't tell me." Kieran crossed her arms over her chest.

" You 're not my client, Kieran. Marin is. What I discuss with her is privileged. And I don't think Carina can get this admitted in, anyway. It was expunged and doesn't go to pattern."

"She burned someone with cigarettes…"

"Did you read it like I did?"

"No. I haven't seen it."

"It's not as bad as it sounds," he replied before adding, "Look, I've got to go now."

"Diego, what's going on? You've not been responding to me, and now, you're pushing me off?"

"Isn't that what you've wanted since we separated? Me to leave you alone?"

"If you want to leave me alone, fine, but Marin–"

"I am talking to Marin. I'm doing my job, Kieran. But she 's my client. I don't need to report anything to you."

"I get it, but–"

"But you should know that I get it, okay? I'm trying to get it, at least. It's too hard."

"What are you talking about?" Kieran asked.

"You don't want me back, and I get it now, okay? I'm trying to leave you alone, but you just waltz into my office like we're still married. I've heard you every time someone called you by my last name and you corrected them. I'm letting go, or whatever they call it, okay?"

"Oh," Kieran let out and uncrossed her arms. "Okay. Um… Yeah. I think that's good, Diego. I want you to move on and be happy."

"Well, I'm working on it. And I really am busy here, Kieran. I can't push her to take this deal, but I don't think I can take this to trial, either."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that, ethically, I can't keep pushing this deal on her just because I can't take the case to trial, but I can't take this to trial, Kieran. We just got this massive case, and it's millions if we win. The firm has asked all partners to drop their pro bonos to first-year associates. I haven't done that yet, but I'm getting pressure from the senior partners. They don't think this case is worth anything anyway, so they want me to drop it altogether and refer Marin to the PD's office."

"Diego, she needs a good attorney."

"I know. This is my job, though, Kieran. I don't have much of a choice. I've already talked to Marin about it, and she said she'd just get a public defender."

"You already talked to her about this?"

" She 's my client," Diego reminded again. "I'm going to meet with the assigned PD and transfer everything we have to them as soon as I can. I'm sorry. I think this is for the best, honestly. It's been really hard, trying to balance this case with everything else I've got going on, and, at the same time, I'm also seeing you everywhere, and I can't have you because you don't want me anymore. You try having a client who looks just like the ex-wife you're still in love with."

"Oh, Diego," Kieran said on a sigh. "You're not still in love with me. You just don't know how to be a single man in your mid-thirties. Build that game room and movie theater in your house. Enjoy being a bachelor for a while. You'll meet the woman who wants the kind of life you do soon enough. If it makes you feel any better, when you do meet her, I'm sure I'll be a little jealous."

Diego laughed a little and said, "You will?"

"Yeah. I mean, she'll get a gym, a pool table, and a movie theater in her house," she joked.

He laughed again and said, "I suppose so."

Kieran bit her lower lip then and asked, "Are we okay, though?"

"I just need to not see you for a while."

"Okay," she said. "I understand that, and I'll leave you alone."

"I'll make sure the PD gets everything we have, okay?"

"I'd appreciate that," she replied.