Page 160 of Liar's Point

“So, cooperating as in...?” She gripped her purse strap, waiting for him to finish the sentence.

“He’s implicating Malcom in the murder-for-hire scheme. Which—as you know—is a capital offense here.”

Cassandra sat back in her chair. A capital offense.

Alex had explained all this weeks ago, but it hadn’t seemed real then. She’d been too traumatized to wrap her mind around it.

“And I hear the feds are talking to him about McVoy Systems, too,” Alex said. “I don’t know the nature of their conversations, but it can’t be good for Malcom.”

She nodded.

“All this is good for you, though.” He watched her with that eagle-eyed gaze, and she knew there was a subtext here. All this was good for her provided that she’d told Alex the truth when she’d said she was never involved in her husband’s business dealings.

Good thing for her, she had been telling the truth. Her knowledge only extended to a few overheard phone calls to China in the middle of the night. In the days after her abduction, federal agents had debriefed her about those conversations at length. On Alex’s advice, she’d revealed to them every detail. From what she had gathered, Malcom had been selling drone technology to U.S. adversaries while simultaneously fulfilling contracts for the Defense Department.

Alex was watching her reaction closely.

“That’s good news,” she said.

“Is it? You look a little dazed.”

“I am.” She bit her lip. “He’s a monster, yes. And he tried to kill me. But...” She looked down at her lap. “I don’t know. It’s weird. It’s strange to think of him on death row.” Not so long ago, she’d loved him enough to marry him. She never would have imagined “till death do us part” could turn out this way.

She looked at Alex, and the empathy in his eyes was yet another reminder of why she felt sure that it didn’t matter where he practiced law. This man could hang up a shingle on a deserted island and probably make a go of it.

“That brings me to the other update,” Alex said. “I’m expecting your divorce to be finalized pretty soon. We’ve got a hearing scheduled—” He turned to his computer and tapped the mouse, opening his email. “Looks like... April twenty-fifth. That’s a Tuesday.” He looked at her. “Can you make it?”

“Wouldn’t miss it.”

“Good. It’s a date.”

She smiled. That was her cue to leave. Besides being smart, and handsome, and a bulldog on her behalf with prosecutors, her lawyer also happened to be extremely charming.

And another charming man was the last thing Cassandra needed at this moment in her life.

“Well, thank you.” She smiled and stood up. “I mean it.”

“Of course.” Alex stood, too. “So, what’s next for you?”

“A road trip.”

“Oh?”

“I’m going to visit my brother in Arizona. Then some traveling. Maybe see the desert, visit a few national parks.”

“Sounds nice.”

“I think I need some time away from people for a while.”

He walked around his desk and opened the door for her. “Be careful, Cassandra.”

“I will.”

“Really.”

“I know. Really.” She turned to look at him, touched by his concern.

“And if you get in any trouble, give me a call.” He held his hand out to her, and she shook it.