Page 64 of The Perfect Poise

“Hey,” she said, trying to sound chipper, “how’s it going?”

“How’s it going with you?” Kat wanted to know.

“From your tone of voice, I’m assuming you heard what happened?”

“Heard?” Kat said. “I watched it live on my phone. If you thought you were well-known before, get ready for a whole new level. You saved a potential stabbing victim live on the internet.”

“Is that what jumped out at you?” Jessie couldn’t stop herself from asking.

“Well, there was the part where you almost got stabbed yourself, but I didn’t want to focus on that.”

Kat hadn’t seemed to pick up on the moment when Jessie had come within a whisper of doing some stabbing of her own. That was heartening. If her best friend hadn’t noticed, maybe no one else would. Other than Ryan, that is.

“Yeah,” she said, “I’d just as soon put the whole thing out of my head for right now. So seriously, how are you?”

“I don’t want to bother you with my issues after what you just went through,” Kat said hesitantly.

“Really, I don’t mind. Anything to take my mind off this case for a while would be a blessing.”

“Okay then, since you asked,” Kat said, “I got some unexpectedly disturbing news today.”

“What?” Jessie asked as she walked down the hallway to find Ryan.

“Dr. Lemmon, at my request, went to see Ash Pierce.”

“I’m guessing it didn’t go as you hoped,” Jessie said.

“That’s an understatement,” Kat answered. “Her assessment is that Pierce likely does have memory loss about her time as a hitwoman. In fact, she cut their conversation short so that she couldn't be pressed to give a formal evaluation at Pierce's trial."

Jessie sighed. She understood how frustrated her friend must be, though she didn’t have any obvious suggestions to help.

“What do you make of that?” she asked cautiously.

“I mean, who am I to question Janice Lemmon’s analysis?” Kat said, the irritation evident in her voice. “She’s about as solid an expert as you’ll find. In fact, everyone who’s met with Pierce, including your sister, came away believing she could be legit.”

“But…” Jessie said expectantly.

“But I just can’t get there, Jessie,” she said. “I know I should just let it go and allow the wheels of justice to do their thing. But my fixation with this is consuming me. I’m so focused on it that I can’t even mourn Mitch properly.”

“Listen,” Jessie said as she walked into the station’s bullpen to find Ryan heading her way, “you don’t have to believe her. Just press pause on this for a little while. Give your brain a break. After all, it’s not like she’s going anywhere.”

“Yeah, you’re right,” Kat replied unconvincingly. “Anyway, I’ll work it out. I’ve taken up too much of your time already. You should be giving your brain a break too.”

“I’m about to,” Jessie assured her. “Talk soon?”

“You bet,” Kat said.

Jessie hung up and extended her arms for a hug from her husband. He happily obliged.

“All done?” she asked.

“For now,” he said.

“Good, because I want to go see my sister. Let’s get out of here.”

EPILOGUE

It was getting late, but Ash couldn’t get to sleep.

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