Page 61 of The System

“But you’re into her and not this other woman?” Ripley asked.

Carina pushed her wineglass away and said, “I’m not not into Amalia.”

“Amalia? That’s a pretty name,” Kenna noted.

“I know. She’s Swedish. Well, her mother and father were born and raised there before they moved here and had her. She’s forty-two, been divorced for five years, and is a successful attorney.”

“How’d you meet her?” Ripley asked as she wrapped an arm over the back of Kenna’s chair.

“ABA meeting.”

Kenna looked at her, confused, and said, “The lawyer thing, right?”

“American Bar Association. We met there and got to talking, but she’s been busy with work, and I didn’t press for more than just a phone call here and there until she could actually get free for the night.”

“And that night is tonight, but you’re out for a drink with us?” Kenna asked.

“She and I are going to this coffee house thing at eight. It’s an open-mic night with no alcohol, and I wanted a glass of wine to warm me up a little, you know?”

“Because you like Kieran, and you’re going to have to feign interest in this Amalia,” Ripley added. “You should talk to Kieran.”

“And tell her what? That I think something could be happening between us, but I’m wrong because she’s straight? Oh, and I’m prosecuting her twin sister for a crime that Kieran doesn’t believe Marin committed.”

“Sounds simple to me when you put it that way.” Kenna joked.

“You’re not helping,” Carina replied.

“I know. Sorry. Bad joke.”

“No, I mean the interview thing.”

“Oh, that,” Kenna said. “It’s my job, Carina. The same way your job is to prosecute Marin.”

“No, it’s different because you choose your stories. I don’t choose my cases. You know you have episodes for years, with all the crime in this country, yet you chose this one.”

“Marin agreed to the interview. And I work for a network, so I don’t always get to pick and choose what we cover, Carina. Sometimes, it’s another producer telling me to get on a case. Other times, the network is interested, and we don’t have much of a choice. What was I supposed to do?”

“How is Kenna’s story causing you a problem?” Ripley asked.

“This whole thing is a mess.” Carina sighed. “I’m into a straight woman who used to be married to a man who was – at least, for a little while – Marin’s attorney, and he wanted Kieran back, too. At least, that part is over now, but Marin still won’t take the deal I’m offering her, even though it’s a great deal, and she’s now doing this interview, which will only get her in trouble. People won’t believe she’s innocent, Kenna, and you’ll be poisoning her jury pool by putting this out there.”

“But you’re not supposed to care about that because you should want her to do the interview if it’s going to hurt her case,” Kenna argued. “So, what’s going on there?”

“What’s going on is that I can’t help but feel like I’m missing something.”

“About Marin?” Ripley asked.

“Yes. There’s just something about her that makes me want to believe her. She’s surprisingly like Kieran.”

“Surprisingly? They’re twins.”

“Yes, Kenna.” Carina rolled her eyes at her for pointing out the obvious. “They’re also so different and grew up under completely different circumstances, but they’re both just so direct and honest and logical, it seems. I don’t know why, but when I’ve listened to Marin give her statement, I just… I believe her. And I shouldn’t because the evidence tells a completely different story. I believe Kieran, too, and she believes her sister. I know she’s biased and overwhelmed with finding out she has a twin, to begin with, but when I look at her, it’s like I can sense that she knows something because she’s Marin’s twin.”

“What? Like that whole twin connection thing people say twins have?” Ripley asked.

“Maybe. Kieran isn’t dumb or naïve, but she believes Marin, so I wonder if there’s something to that, you know? Like, she knows things I can’t know or see in the evidence, and she’s right.”

“Well, there’s also the fact that you’re into her, so that might be why you believe her,” Kenna suggested.

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