Calm. Stay calm.
Forrest glanced at Stone, then back to me. "You're from New York originally?"
"Yes."
Truth.
"Do you have any connection to organized crime families in New York?"
Time slowed.
This was it. The question that could end everything.
I thought about Aunt Filomena's training.Tell a truth that sounds like the answer they want.
"I grew up in New York," I said carefully. "Everyone there knows someone who knows someone. It's a big city with a complicated history. But I've never been involved in criminal activity."
Technically true. I'd never been arrested. Never charged. Never convicted.
Involved was such a relative term.
Forrest studied his monitor for a long moment.
"That's not really a yes or no answer," Stone said, voice sharp.
"Let her clarify," Quentin said quietly. First time he'd spoken since sitting down.
His voice made my stomach flip.
Not now. Not during the test.
Forrest adjusted the sensors. "Miss Russell, I'll rephrase. Do you currently have any active association with crime families in New York?"
Define active. Define association. Since my identity was a secret, no one would associate me with a crime family.
"No."
Lie. Complete lie.
But I made myself believe it. Julia Russell—the person I had to become—had no association to a crime family. Julia Russo did not exist. Not yet anyway.
Separate the identities. Believe the lie.
The machine beeped. Forrest made a note.
I couldn't tell if it was good or bad.
"Moving on," Forrest said. "Have you been honest on your employment application?"
"Yes."
Lie. But told with the confidence of truth.
"Are you qualified for the executive assistant position?"
"Yes."
Truth. I was absolutely qualified. Overly qualified, actually.
