Page 87 of The Wrong Side of the Law

“So, what was it you wanted to talk about?” I ask, dreading the answer.

“It’s nothing,” she says woodenly. “Just… stuff.”

“Okay.” She’s fragile right now, brittle, and I don’t want to open any cracks by prying.

“No. It’s really not,” she sighs. “I’ve been unkind to you the past couple days. Since that jackass Whitehall came to your office. I believed, for a bit, that you were… that you were just putting work ahead of me. And that’s not the case, not really.”

“There’s not a choice between you, baby. There doesn’t need to be,” I say, kissing the top of her head.

Not yet, at least, whispers a tiny voice in the back of my mind.

“I know that,” Emily says. “I know that you don’t want to put Frank on trial, and I even understand why youhaveto. And I’m glad that you’re doing it.”

“If I don’t do it,” I say, “then Whitehall fires me. And someone else takes his case, and he gets put away.”

“Yes,” she answers. “And it’ll be someone who doesn’t care, someone who doesn’t give a shit. He’ll be just another name to them. One more notch in the briefcase handle.”

“Yeah,” I sigh, stroking her hair. “I know.”

We sit quietly for a while, and over the course of minutes Emily squirms and wiggles until she’s almost completely in my lap.

“What happened today?” I ask softly. “At home, I mean. If you want to talk about it.”

Emily sighs heavily, burrowing deeper into my arms, and gives me the whole story. She tells me about the horrifying narcissism of her stepmother, about the heartbreaking way that her brother is being forced into adulthood. She doesn’t spare any of the details, not even the hate, not even thinking about pushing her stepmother down the stairs.

“Wow,” I say. “I mean, seriously. After that? If you had done it, I don’t know that you’d have even spent a night in jail. And seriously, I’d hate to think about taking it to trial, because, jury nullification is still a thing.”

“Is that Assistant State Attorney Cooper telling me this?” she asks. There’s just enough of a hint of humor there that I know she’s okay. Emily’s not broken, not defeated. Not yet, anyway.

“Well… I left the ASA jacket on a hanger in my closet,” I tell her. “So right now I’m just plain old Gabriel Cooper, and he’s…”

I don’t know what he is, right now, in this situation.

“You’re so sweet,” Emily says, giving me a peck on the cheek. “I’m so glad I’m here with you, instead of at home. I want to be there for my brother, but Margaret…” Emily ends it with a shrug more eloquent than words.

“Does the wicked stepmother know where you are?” I ask. “I mean, for all she knows, you could be sleeping in your car or something.”

Emily giggles at the question.

“You know, Rita calls her that, too,” she says. “I used to bitch at her about it.”

“I always knew I liked her,” I say. “And… I’ll admit something. I don’t get it.”

“Get what?” Emily frowns up at me. “Rita’s easy to like. She’s a pretty cool chick.”

“Not that, you goof,” I say, and laugh when Emily sticks her tongue out at me. “The loyalty. That’s what I don’t get. You’re taking care of her, letting her live in your house, feeding her. After what she did to you and your brother.”

“Don’t forget paying for her Botox injections.”

“Shit, seriously? I mean, I know what you make, babe. And it ain’t enough.”

“Don’t I know it,” Emily sighs. “But, the loyalty. She and Frank are all the family I have. If it was just her? Yeah, she’d be gone in an instant. But, my brother. He’s not ready to write her off, not entirely. He still needs… I guess it’s whatever kind of support she provides. And so I can’t write her off, either.”

“I’m glad that he’s got people that care about him,” I say. “Twisted as she is, but I think you’re probably more of an example for him. More for him to look up to. But who’s there for you?”

“That’s what hit me on the way over here,” she says. “A few months ago, I was just going to school. Living my life. I had no stress—at least, none worse than keeping my grades up—and then all of a sudden,bam!I’m the one who has to take care of everyone else.”

Emily looks up at me, eyes glistening with unshed tears, and swallows hard before continuing.

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