“Sure, I think I have something. Give me just a few minutes.”
A few minutes later, I’m walking back out to my car, room keys in hand. I stop by the valet stand. “I’m going to walk my wife upstairs, but I need to run back out for a bit. Can I leave my car here for a few minutes longer?”
“Definitely. We’re slow at this time of night, so it won’t be in the way.”
Nodding my appreciation, I stalk over to the passenger side of my car. Lily looks up as I approach, and she opens the door. I hold out a hand, and my stomach flips when her hand slips into mine.
Get your shit together, you creep.
I clear my throat as she stands from the car. “Got you all set until Tuesday. We can figure out what to do after that.”
A hesitant smile is all I get as a response. Neither of us says a word as we make our way to the elevators. It isn’t until she steps into the room that she lets out a little gasp and says, “Oh my goodness, this room is so nice.”
I’m taken aback by the genuine awe in her voice. I looked up her address, and I know the kind of neighborhood she lives in and how much her house is worth. A nice room like this should be nothing to someone with that kindof money. But as I watch her look around the room with almost childlike wonder, I find I’m even more fascinated by this woman.
When she finally looks back at me, I shrug and lie, “It was all they had left.”
She presses her lips together as a smile fights for purchase. After a few moments of both of us just taking the other in, she asks, “So, what happens next?”
I take a deep breath. “They’ll finish collecting evidence in your house soon. Then I can arrange for a company to clean it before you go back.” I hate even saying the next part, but I want to be honest with her. “Unless they arrest you.”
Lily looks resigned when she says, “I don’t know if I want to go back there.”
“Understandable. Once they’re done and you can get some of your belongings, we can talk about what you want to do.”
She nods and looks away, wrapping her arms around her waist.
Needing to prepare her further, I say, “They’ll also start investigating every aspect of your and your husband’s life.”
Giving a humorless laugh, she tells me, “Won’t take them long to look into mine.”
I shake my head. “It won’t matter. They’ll look into where you shop, where you work out, who your friends are, and who your friends aren’t. They’ll look at everything. They may ask you to come back in for another interview, or they might not. It just depends on what they find in their investigation.”
Distress creeps into her face, and I hate it. Her voice is hollow when she asks, “And what will you do?”
“I’ll be following every move they make as closely as legally allowed. I want to make sure we’re prepared foreverything.” I shove my fists into my slacks pockets to stop myself from reaching out and touching her. “And I’m here for you. Not just to defend you, which I will, but to help you with anything you need as you navigate through this. Think of me as your emotional support attorney.”
She huffs out a small laugh, the tiniest hint of amusement in her eyes. “Emotional support attorney?”
I incline my head. “Yep, that’s me.”
Eyeing me curiously, she blurts out, “You’re not a public defender, are you?”
I rub the back of my neck to stall, debating how I should answer and explain how I got involved. “Technically speaking, no.”
Nodding again, her eyebrows push together. “I don’t understand. How did you even know about me?”
I certainly don’t want to tell her about Carlos, so I give a vague answer. “Let’s just say, someone knew that you were in trouble, and they believed in you enough that they thought you deserved a good defense.”
Thinking about what I said, she gnaws on her lip. “I’ll have to pull money out of my investment account to pay your retainer. I have the money. It’ll just take me a few days. I have no idea what kind of money Blake had. We kept our finances separate. And I did have a prenup, but I don’t know how all that works now.”
The fact that she has the job she does, while her husband was clearly wealthy enough for her not to work, adds to the mounting interest I have in this woman. With a reassuring smile, I tease, “I guess it won’t take long for the cops to eliminate financial gain as a motive for you to kill him.”
She returns the smile even if it doesn’t quite meet her eyes. “Yes, that’s true.”
“That’s enough business tonight. There’s plenty of time for all of that later. I know this is easier said than done, but try not to worry, Lily.”
I turn toward the door as her voice follows me out.
