Page 15 of The System

“It’s not charity for you. The firm does pro bono work. It looks good for us. I’ll get this case added to the list, but I need to talk to her, the ADA, and anyone else to get all the details before I agree to represent her for trial. If this is an open-and-shut case, I can work on getting her a good deal, but I–”

“A deal? You already think she’s guilty?”

“No, Kieran. I have no idea if she did it or not. I need to get the details of the case first, but sometimes, a deal is the best option, guilty or not, depending on the evidence. And you just told me they have DNA, so… I need to review everything.”

“Yeah, okay. Sorry. I know that,” Kieran replied. “I’ve just been a little overwhelmed about this whole thing. I don’t understand how this could have happened. One day, two babies were dropped off in an alley by a church, and someone picked her up, and someone else found me. We’ve lived completely different lives because of that, and now, she’s in trouble.”

“Text me the name of the detective you’ve been talking to and the police department. I’ll get my name added as Marin’s attorney and find out where she is and when I can talk to her.”

“Thank you,” Kieran said, feeling a little bit relieved already. “Thank you.”

“Of course. Want me to come over there? I’m not in court today, and I don’t have another meeting for a few hours.”

“It’s okay. I’m still working. I just needed to know if you could help.”

“Okay. Well, I’ll find out what I can and call you back then,” Diego told her.

Kieran hung up after saying goodbye, and just as she put her phone down on her desk, the doorbell rang. She wasn’t expecting anyone and hadn’t ordered anything for delivery, so she picked the phone back up before she stood and walked down the hall to the living room and the door, where she looked through the peep hole.

“Yes?” she said through the closed door to the woman who was wearing a business suit and had blonde hair pinned back into a tight bun, from what Kieran could see.

When the woman’s beautiful blue eyes aimed right at the peephole, though, Kieran moved back instantly as if this stranger could see her staring through the peephole, despite the fact that Kieran knew she couldn’t.

“Kieran Hart?”

“Um… Who is it?”

“My name is Carina Whitlock. I’m an assistant district attorney who has just been assigned to your sister’s case.”

“What?” she said, returning her eye to the peephole. “What are you doing here?”

“I’d like to speak to you, and I thought this would be less formal than my office.”

“Speak with me about what?”

“Your sister’s case,” the woman repeated, shaking her head as if Kieran shouldn’t have needed to ask that question.

“I talked to the detective already,” Kieran retorted.

“Yes, Lieutenant Easton.”

“So, why do I need to talk to you, too? I don’t know anything about this.”

“Ma’am, if you could open the door, I’m sure it would be easier for us to discuss this inside.”

“I’m not inviting you in,” Kieran stated.

“I’m not a vampire, if that’s what you’re worried about,” the woman told her back.

Kieran laughed silently at that. That was funny. This woman was at least a little funny.

“I don’t know. I’m sure there’s a vampire lawyer joke out there somewhere.”

“Usually, it’s the sharks we get compared to. I think I know all the lawyer jokes by now.”

“All of them?” Kieran said. “Seems impossible.”

“Have you heard the one about the gator?”

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