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Stuart doesn’t even question “I’ll see if there’s any way to sway the prosecution I’ve been out of the game a while, but maybe I still know somebody in the Maryland PD”

“Go for it Patrick will be here to to leave “Nikki! Would you set up the phones before you go? We’re closing the office for the rest of the day”

She nods and circles her desk Stuart’s lips tighten, and he narrows his eyes at me “You should’ve let her quit”

I’ to find the next one I can catch “I don’t knohat’s between you two, but you need to put it on hold until we get Derek back”

“Her incompetence makes us vulnerable”

My eyes flash to his “Bennett won He got what he wanted Derek’s behind bars” My throat tightens, and I have to pause as despair tries to chokeleft to lose”

Twodownto call er

“Dah the book I now see is a legal text

“Your brother will be in the office Monday” My eyebrows rise “I thought you were headed to Maryland?”

He exhales a laugh “Are you suggesting I pass the buck?”

“Two heads are better than one”

“Travel safe”

The law offices of Merritt, Hampton, and Donnelly are located on the thirty-first floor in an office building on Chicago’s East Loop Stuart called his ht, she’d sent a car to pick me up I hadn’t seen Sylvia since Patrick and Elaine’s Christ in Montana, but she had only been back in the city a few days herself We’d agreed to have dinner to an unexpected call from Derek

“What’s in Chicago?” his voice is war where he is, I can hardly keep the tears away

“Not what Who,” I say with a sniff, working for control “Elaine’s older brother Marcus He’s one of the best criminal defense lawyers in the country”