I just needed to tellsomeone
who isn’tBrook.
She doesn’tknow?
No. I don’t want to tellher.
Notyet.
You knowher.
No. I get it. She’ll show upstrapped
And start questioning suspectsherself.
Okay. I won’t tellBrook.
Or thegirls.
Thankyou.
Oh babes.I wish I could bethere.
It’s okay. Really. I’mfine.
I’m glad you aren’t here forthis.
I know you, toughgal.
But you don’t have to deal with this alone,okay?
Noa can ditch fucking Stone to keep youcompany.
And you know Claudia and Shepwill
fly back in a heartbeat. Justask.
Really. I’mfine.
So fine thatI jump when my phone starts ringing in my hand. I don’t recognize thenumber.
“This is Liz Lewis,” I say. My voice doesn’t soundright.
“Miss Lewis, this is Chase Smith from District Attorney Rivers’ office. I’m calling in reference to the incident in your residence last night. Are you free to speak with D.A. Riverstoday?”
I glance at the clock at the top of my phone screen. Kleinman’s will be open soon. “I can be there in an hour and ahalf.”
* * *
The district attorney’soffice is not where I want to be right now, but I know I need to talk to the D.A.. Detective Cohill doesn’t seem to give a real shit about a man breaking into my place and trying to beat me to death or choke me out, but maybe I can get the D.A. to listen. It’s their job to listen. I talk to a few people. I’m shuffled around a bit until I end up sitting opposite Flora Rivers in a large, cold conference room. I don’t realize until I’m sitting that I’m sweating again. Fuck this heat. Between the dressing room at Kleinman’s and another hot trip on the subway, the blasting air iswelcome.
I sit up straight in my chair and go over exactly what I’m going to say again in my head. Flora Rivers straightens her files and smiles at me. She’s a small blonde White woman with a perfect face of makeup. I can’t help but envy the sleep she must have gotten the night before. She looks completely fresh and ready to go. I’m wearing a brand new outfit and I managed to fix my sew-in at the MAC counter. My wavy bob looks good enough, but I feel like shit. I want my lifeback.
“How are you this morning?” she asks as she opens up the file in front ofher.
“I have been much better, actually, thank you for asking,” Isay.
“I just wanted to talk to you a bit about the incident in your home yesterday evening. It sounds like it was quite the ordeal. I’m glad you made it outokay.”