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“Yeah. That’s where it is.”

Noah looked away, then back. “I guess I’ll head back to his office.”

“Okay.”

“You all right?”

“Yeah. Why would I not be all right?”

“No reason,” he said. “Hey, I hope this doesn’t mean you won’t let me read your script anymore.”

Kate laughed it off. “That’s going nowhere fast. Sandra Levy will probably be out of prison by the time I turn in the next draft.”

He seemed to know she was lying. “Glad we had this conversation,” he said.

“Me, too,” said Kate.

He turned and started down the sidewalk, the sound of his footfalls fading as he disappeared around the corner. Kate still had plenty of time before her meeting with Irving Bass. She headed in the opposite direction, sorting through old memories of the handsome law student who “couldn’t wait” to get inside her head.

Chapter 8

The limo driver parked in the visitors’ lot outside the Fairfax County Police Department. Gamble was in the backseat with his attorney.

Abigail Sloane was a former prosecutor and one of the most expensive criminal defense lawyers in northern Virginia. She’d become Gamble’s go-to criminal defense lawyer the first time his wife was charged with drunk driving. The second time, Abigail had worked her magic to negotiate no jail time, but Elizabeth had to surrender her license. Six million Virginia drivers and their passengers were that much safer for it.

“It’s still my advice that you let me do all the talking,” said Abigail.

“It’s my right to talk man to man to the detective who’s leading the investigation into Elizabeth’s death. I won’t let bogus allegations stop me from doing it.”

“All right,” she said begrudgingly. “But if I give you the signal, stop talking.”

“What’s the signal?”

“I’ll look at you and say, ‘Shut the fuck up.’”

“Got it.”

They climbed out of the car and entered the building. The receptionist directed them to a conference room in the Major Crimes Division, where they seated themselves at the table. A minute later, Detective Anderson entered. A Sig Sauer P226 was holstered on his belt for a right-handed draw. An investigative file was tucked under his left arm.gamble,the label read. Gamble introduced his lawyer, but her reputation had preceded her. Anderson shook her hand with all the warmth he could muster toward a criminal defense lawyer who’dskewered a long list of the detective’s colleagues on the witness stand. It was like watching someone reach for the grimy doorknob at a gas station bathroom.

“What can I do for you folks?” asked Anderson, as he seated himself across from them at the table.

“I was notified this morning that the Department of Justice is launching a cybersecurity audit at Buck Technologies,” said Gamble. “They wouldn’t tell us why, but I have reason to believe it was triggered in part by your investigation. Specifically, the domestic violence angle.”

The detective nodded slowly, thinking, and it didn’t take him long to connect the dots. “Extortion. I get it. They’re worried that the only way the CEO has been able to hide the fact that he’s an abuser is by handing over national security secrets to a blackmailer.”

“Except there was no abuse, there was no extortion, and nobody handed over any secrets,” said Gamble.

“Says you. Isn’t that the point of an investigation? To verify facts?”

Abigail interjected. “Let me just stop you there, Detective. A cybersecurity audit pursuant to a consent decree between Buck Technologies and the federal government is not a criminal investigation. The only criminal investigation is the one you’re conducting into the death of Elizabeth Gamble.”

“Correct. And in the course of that investigation, I’ve learned that Mrs. Gamble called nine-one-one two years ago and said her husband was threatening her. Unfortunately, suicide is not an uncommon escape route from an abusive relationship, especially one that has been going on for years. So it’s part of my investigation.”

“Which is why we’re here,” said Gamble. “I want to set the record straight.”

The detective settled back into his chair. “Feel free,” he said, speaking over the steeple he’d formed with his hands.

Gamble took a breath. His lawyer appeared to be holding hers.

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