Page 62 of The System

“Maybe. Although, I really don’t think so.” Carina shook her head. “I just like her, and it’s starting to drive me a little crazy. I want to see her all the time and talk to her about anything other than the case, but the case keeps seeping back into the conversation, and I don’t know what to do about that. Your story isn’t helping, Kenna. It’s just another thing we keep having to talk about.”

“What do you want me to do?” Kenna asked. “I haven’t done the interview yet, but we’re scheduling it for next week.”

“Stop it,” she answered. “At least until the trial is over.”

“The point is to have the first episode out before the trial and then to do a follow-up piece.”

“I’m aware,” Carina said on a sigh.

“Babe, can you maybe do something else?” Ripley asked. “I mean, you have so many story options.”

“And I have an inkling that this is going to be big,” Kenna replied.

“I know. And I know how hard those are for you to resist, but it’s not just Carina asking you as a friend. What you’re doing might end up hurting someone who may be innocent.”

“We don’t know that.”

“No, but we don’t know that she’s guilty, either.”

“That’s all of my stories,” Kenna said, laughing a little.

“This one feels different, Kenna,” Carina added. “I don’t know how to explain why I think that, but I do.”

“You’re still prosecuting her, though.”

“Yes. I have to. The evidence says she killed him, and it’s not my choice, anyway. I’m not the DA yet.”

“Yet.” Kenna laughed. “If it were your choice, would you prosecute her?”

Carina really wished she could say no, but she couldn’t. If she were the DA right now, looking at the evidence and only the evidence, she’d have to answer yes. But she did tell Kenna that she’d want more time to investigate what her gut was telling her to investigate.

After she finished her wine, Carina paid for all of their drinks since she’d been the one to invite them out specifically to try to get Kenna to slow down on her story, which, thankfully, Kenna had agreed to do. Then, she drove home to shower and change for the date she had been looking forward to up until recently.

Not wanting to cancel on Amalia after so much time talking about getting a night out together, she showed up five minutes early to the café that Amalia had picked out and saw that the woman was already there and sitting at a table. Amalia smiled at her, and Carina smiled back, but it was forced on her part because she didn’t want to be here. She wanted to be somewhere with Kieran. As a result, the entire date, Carina had been distracted, which she’d been able to cover up, she hoped, by listening to the musicians and poets perform on the makeshift stage about twenty feet away from their table. When Amalia took her hand and set it in her lap, Carina didn’t pull away, but she didn’t move to entwine their fingers, either, and when the performances were done and their check was paid, she only kissed Amalia on the cheek and told her that she’d text her later. Then, she got into her car and headed in the direction of Kieran’s apartment.

“Hi,” she said when Kieran opened the door.

“Carina?”

“I should’ve called. I know.”

“Is something wrong? Did something happen with–”

“Everything’s fine. Can I come in this time?”

“Oh, yeah,” Kieran said. “Sorry about the first time you were here. I should’ve invited you in then.”

Carina walked in with purpose and waited for Kieran to close the door behind her.

“I need to tell you something, and before you ask, it’s not about the case. It’s about us.”

“Us?”

“Can I sit? I feel like I need to sit. I’m sweating a little, I think. I’m not usually much of a sweater.”

“Yes. What’s going on? Are you okay?”

“Actually, can I stand? I feel like I need to be able to move.”

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