How would you describe your personal relationship with your father, Ms. Argento?”

“We’re close.”

“How would you describe your professional relationship with your father?”

“Professional.”

Every time I listen to this, I smile right here. I’m not sure why exactly. Just the way she said it with the slightest twitch of her bottom lip and the twinkle in her eye. Or maybe I’m just remembering it wrong. Maybe she thought it was a stupid question. Maybe it was.

Christ, one meeting with her and I’m doubting everything.

I bump forward a few seconds in the sound file and turn my computer speakers up a notch.

“You think he’s innocent?” I asked her.

“I think there’s more to it than what we’ve read in the papers.”

“And your father? Do you think he’s innocent, too?”

“Of course, I do.”

“Objection, Lance.”

I sneer at Jerry’s drawl and quickly fast forward ten seconds.

“The night of his arrest.”

“You haven’t seen him since?”

I recall the way she looked at Jerry here and the few words of their argument by the elevator. Beatrix hasn’t gone to see him — but not by choice. They’re keeping her from him.

Why?

You’d think his public relations rep would have full access to him but he’s received no calls or visits from her. His only daughter hasn’t bothered to go see him in jail.

There’s something else going on here.

“Would you describe that night for me?”

I lean forward in my chair without thinking.

“It was a Sunday night, so we were all at my grandmother’s house for—”

My desk phone rings. I quickly hit pause and blink out of my trance before answering it.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Lance. It’s Ava again.”

“Hey, Ava,” I greet. “You have some good news for me?”

“If I had bad news, I would have emailed,” she jokes. “We got you a ticket. Sending it over via courier now.”

“Yes!” I pump my fist. “Thank you, Ava.”

“Just the one, unfortunately.” I hear her smile. “If it were two, I would have called dibs.”

I laugh. “Maybe next time.”

“I’m gonna hold you to that.”

“Bye, Ava.”

“Bye, Lance.”

I hang up and breathe out, happy to cross another thing off my list. Though, this does add a few more things in its place. I haven’t worn my tux in... a long time, let’s say. I’ll need to buy a new tie, maybe. Get my shoes shined. I’ll worry about it later.

I look at the phone again and my eyes fall to the bright blue post-it note stuck to the desk beside it. I usually don’t take two days to get back to people who call me but I’ve been putting this one off. Getting a call from my brother out of the blue like that usually has a few strings attached.

I pick up the phone and stare at the post-it for a few more moments before finally dialing the number.

It rings twice.

“Hello?”

“Jake, is that you?” I ask.

There’s a short pause. “Lance?”

“Yeah, man,” I say, sitting back in my chair. “Sorry I didn’t call back sooner. I’ve got a lot going on over here.”

“Yeah, no. That’s… that’s okay.”

I take a breath. “So, you got out?”

“I did.”

“When?”

“About a week ago. Good behavior, apparently.”

“That’s good.” I nod, biting my cheek. “Are you doing okay? Where are you staying?”

“With some friends,” he says.

That’s not what I wanted to hear. Jake’s friends are the ones who got him into trouble in the first place.

“Sounds like you’re doing better-than-okay,” he says before I can speak. “Finding your contact info was as easy as searching for your name. You’ve got an office and everything. Assistant State’s Attorney? That’s big, right?”

He’s going to ask me for money. Drop off the face of the earth for a while and resurface only when you need cash. That’s Jake.

“We’re doing all right,” I say. “Look, Jake, if you need anything, I can get you in touch with people who can help you find work. Might be tricky with your record but—”

“I just called to say hi,” he says quickly.

“We both know that’s not true, man.”

He scoffs. “You know what, never mind. Sorry to bother you.”

“Wait, Jake—”

He hangs up. Regret stabs deep in my gut. I want to believe him. I want to believe that spending a few years in jail changed him for the better. I want to think that my brother just missed me and wanted to say hi, but I know him too well.

I take out my cell phone to send a text to his number.

Call me back here if you want to talk.

I hit send but I don’t expect a reply. Maybe not anytime soon. He’ll call back when I least expect it someday, I bet.

I peel the post-it off and hide it away in my desk drawer. Without thinking, I tap the spacebar on my keyboard, bringing Beatrix’s voice back.

“—our weekly family dinner.”

“All?”

“Me and my father; my grandmother...”

I zone out again, listening to her words and picturing her face as she said them. She speaks like a daughter should speak of her father. With respect and admiration — almost like she actually believes he’s innocent. She believes that he’s kind and generous and worthy of respect. She’s either brainwashed... or she’s right.

“Only the guilty run, Mr. Tyler.”

I sit back, feeling a touch of calm in my system. Her voice has that effect on me. Like a—

My phone vibrates on my desk. I pick it, hoping for a response from my brother but it’s from Haley.

Leaving now! Don’t forget to feed the dog. See you Sunday!

Drive safe, I write back. Love you.

She replies with a blowing kiss emoji, along with a tent and a few trees.

I set the phone down and exhale as Beatrix’s voice fills my head again. This time, from memory.

It’s father-daughter stuff. You wouldn’t understand.

If I can be sure of one thing, it’s that Beatrix cares a lot for her father. She adores him. Despite all the evidence that he’s a monster, she loves him. She just wants to see him but they won’t let her.

That’s it.

Max was right. She’s the weakness.

I can use this. If I can convince Beatrix to tell me what she knows about her father’s business, I can probably negotiate a deal.

“Package for you from the mayor’s office, Lance.”

Clara drops the envelope on my desk and I give her a thankful nod as she steps out again.

I tear off the edge, withdraw the smaller, white envelope from inside, and quickly slide out the rose gold ticket hidden within. The Argento family seal stares back at me and I smirk.

Let’s hope she wasn’t serious about killing lawyers.

I guess I’ll find out on Friday night.