Page 68 of The Truth You Told

CHAPTER TWENTY

Raisa

Now

A text message from Kilkenny was waiting for Raisa when she left the bar and Malkin behind.

Come to Pierce’s office when you’re done.

It should have taken her twenty minutes to get back to the office, but she made it in fifteen.

The secretary waved her through, and she walked in without bothering to knock.

Pierce sat behind his desk, but Kilkenny leaned against one of the full-wall windows, half turned to the view as if the conversation were of no import to him.

And then, of course, there was Kate Tashibi, looking essentially the same as she had on the street in Tacoma. Although this time, Raisa noticed a slinky black tattoo that slithered down from her hairline into the collar of the men’s white button-down she wore over black leggings.

“Agent Raisa Susanto,” Kate said, breaking the silence first. “I’m hoping I can escape without any bruises today.”

Pierce made an inquiring sound at that, but Raisa ignored him.

“That seems like it will be up to you,” Raisa said.

Kate smirked. “Oh, now that sounds promising.”

Raisa rolled her eyes and took the second chair. “Did I miss much?”

“Nope,” Kate answered for the men. “We were negotiating.”

“What is there to negotiate?” Raisa posed the question to Pierce, but it was Kate who answered.

“Well, I have my own agreement with Mr. Conrad. And, you know, you might think I shouldn’t act as if that’s binding because he’s a terrible person, but I have a reputation to uphold,” Kate said with a shrug that saidIt can’t be helped.

“I thought this was your first film.”

“Right, that’s exactly what I’m talking about,” Kate said. “I go back on my word now as a documentarian, as a journalist, and no one ever trusts me again.”

“What did you promise Conrad?”

“That I’d get Agent Kilkenny down here before the execution date,” Kate admitted, with a little grimace tossed Kilkenny’s way. He still hadn’t turned from the skyline, but Raisa could see every bit of tension in his body. And he’d already been strung too tight before this. “Which, sorry, but, you know, greater good.”

Kate even had a way of talking that reminded Raisa of Isabel. “Greater good? Really?”

“Yeah. Of Conrad finally admitting he didn’t kill Shay,” Kate said.

All three of them shifted at her easy use of Shay’s first name. Like they’d been friends. Like she had any right to her at all.

“Okay,” Pierce drawled out, clearly sensing that he should control the conversation or something was going to snap. “And how exactly did you figure it out?”

“The letters didn’t match,” Kate said, blinking innocent eyes at all of them. Somehow, Raisa knew she was lying. “You really should have hired a forensic linguist. Saving a few bucks isneverworth it.”

Raisa glanced at Kilkenny, who had relaxed enough to meet her eyes. Neither of them was going to argue that point, no matter how grating Kate was on both their nerves.

“And we’re supposed to just believe that Conrad confessed after you showed him the discrepancy,” Pierce said.

“Yes,” Kate said. “He did. That footage you can watch right now.”

She patted the oversize messenger bag at her feet.

---