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crackle of static around her fingers. Louisa Frischler was tired of having her professional
title marred by the prefix Assistant. Kate could hear the commercials now: Louisa
Frischler, tough on criminals, tough on crime. Tough, too, on battered women witnesses,
but she d keep that out of the advertising copy.
Frischler wants you and Ellie in a meeting with the DA after court today, Dowd
said. That s when they plan to take the plea agreement off the table.
Very theatrical.
Dowd shrugged helplessly. Kate tried to feel sympathy for the man s position. If he
didn t keep a good working relationship with the DA and local law enforcement, the
agency wouldn t get access to the victims it helped. It wasn t his fault that ADA Frischler
was using their system to victimize Ellie again. Still, he hadn t shown any courage
standing up to Frischler. He hadn t even told Ellie, leaving the dirty work for Kate.
Kate stood up so suddenly that the chair fell backwards. It thudded against the
industrial carpeting. I ll call you from the city with a report.
I know it s hard, Kate, but if Frischler is going to end up the next DA& He left the
order unspoken, but Kate heard the meaning clearly: don t blow the agency s future.
Kate nodded, not trusting that any words she spoke would come out in an acceptable,
employee-to-employer tone. She retreated, leaving the chair overturned on the floor.
Kate stopped in at the ladies room, gave herself a moment to prepare. She stared at
her reflection in the full-length mirror. The clothes suddenly didn t matter. She rested her
forehead against the cool, silvered glass. How am I going to tell Ellie? I ve begged her to
trust me, and now I have to betray her. She could only hope that in the time since her
husband had been arrested, Ellie had found some new source of strength.
Kate left the ladies room and went to Dowd s office.
Kate. Ellie stood up, swinging her red leather shoulder bag. Big day, right?
The echo of Paul s words sliced through her. Big day, she agreed, putting her hand
on Ellie s arm. But we have to leave early.
Okay. Ellie turned around for her coat, not even asking why. She trusted Kate to
take care of her. Kate s stomach threatened to eject mocha soy latte.
It was at least an hour s drive into the city, not counting whatever rush hour traffic
they might encounter. Kate drove them out of Bonaventure and onto the interstate. The
road had been carved right out of rolling hills and green pastureland. Under the kiss of
the sun, the trees shouted red, laughed orange, sighed gold. The sky burned an unbearable
blue. The last of fall s asters crowded the steep slopes on either side of the four lanes,
fuzzy and flirty, purple and white.
Such a beautiful day. Ellie tilted her head, looking out the passenger side window.
You know, I was thinking about taking some classes at the community college. Maybe
accounting. She turned and gave Kate a smile. I like numbers. You can count on them.
Kate forced herself to laugh. The spot on her palm where Paul kissed her tingled. I
do not have time for Breakfast Paul. Ellie was counting on her. She couldn t let Ellie
down.
Three quarters of the drive done, they crested a hill and were greeted with an eyeful
of brake lights. Kate slowed down and took her place in line, began creeping along with
the rest of the cars.
Ellie looked from the traffic to the digital clock on the console, then back to the
traffic. Nothing will go wrong if we re late, right?
Kate glanced over at Ellie. Her eyes were on the brake lights, but she was not
actually seeing them. She began twisting the turquoise ring on her left pinky finger,
around and around.
When Kate first met Ellie, in an interrogation room at the precinct, she d been
huddled on a wooden chair, folded up impossibly tight and balancing on the narrow seat.
Her forehead had been pressed tightly to her bent knees, her hands clasped around her
legs, and she had twisted the turquoise ring, around and around, ceaselessly.
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