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She scooped her keys fro and he dropped his overnight bag on the ground, and Lauren took the bag of food from him so he could answer it

He held his phone and punched the ‘answer’ button as his gaze dropped to the bottom of the door He answered the call with, "I’ll call you back," then ended the connection and stuck his phone back onto his belt

Lauren’s gaze settled on the envelope on the ground and she knew that had to be what he was reacting to, and she was downright chilled to the bone now "We’ve only been gone a few hours There have to be security cameras"

"There are and they showed no evidence of anyone but us at your door in the past few days Leton the floor and handed them to hi it and grabbing the envelope "Stay here"

"Right," she said stiffly "I’ve got the drill down You go I wait"

He tilted her chin up with his finger "I’llthat," she encouraged, confessing more than she should, more than she told herself just hours before that she would, but unable to stop herself "It helps to hear it"

After Royce searched the apartave her the ‘all clear’ to co at the kitchen table, he showed her the calendar sheet he’d already pulled from the envelope with an additional day eit "The countdown continues" She shook her head "There’s no ending date forclock, what’s the first thing, or things, that comes to your mind?"

"This case It’s a death penalty case Well, there is this other" She pursed her lips "No Never mind"

"What?" he asked "Say it It’s better to look at all options than not"

She leaned one hand on the table "I hesitate to bring this up because I was second chair, but oes to execution soon"

"When?"

"Ironically, teeks after this new trial begins but it’s been stayed several tiain"

"Who was the first chair?"

"He’s dead, natural causes"