Page 25 of A Walking Shadow

She watched his face. He screwed up his forehead in confusion and shook his head.

“What are you talking about?”

“Someone jumped me in an alley last night. Tell me it wasn’t your client.”

He held her gaze. “It wasnotmy client. At best those guys cosplay at being tough. John Boone told me he couldn’t walk for three days after that Krav Maga weekend. He pulled almost every muscle in his body.”

Despite her best efforts, a tiny smile broke through to curve her mouth upward. After a moment, she nodded. “I believe you.”

She raised her mug toward Simmons as Jake came out of the kitchen. “Enjoy your coffee and scone. I’ll see you upstairs.”

When she got to the office, she stopped to talk to the workers installing cameras in the hallways before heading to Ellie’s small office tucked in beside Naya’s.

“Knock knock.”

Ellie looked up, bleary-eyed. “Who’s there?”

“Doesn’t matter.”

“Doesn’t matter who?”

“Doesn’t matter what Simmons says, I just figured out how to win this case.”

Ellie’s eyes widened as Sasha stepped inside and pulled the door closed behind her.

When Ellie pulledher Volvo sedan up to the curb in front of Sasha’s house, Sasha spotted Connelly peeking through the living room curtains like somebody’s grandma. She gave her head a small shake before turning to the junior attorney.

“Thanks for the lift.”

“Of course, any time.”

“Are you nervous about the hearing?”

“A little,” Ellie admitted.

“Go home. Eat some carbs and watch a documentary or read a dense non-fiction book.”

“What?”

“You know how we’ve spent the past two days listening to music to get us amped up?”

“Uh, yeah.”

“Now it’s time to quiet your mind and gather your reserves.”

“Why do I feel like you’re about to spring another rule on me?”

“Nope. This one’s not a rule, just a hard-learned lesson. You need to bore yourself tonight so you’re fresh tomorrow.”

Ellie gave her a dubious look.

“Have I ever steered you wrong?”

“No,” she admitted with clear reluctance.

“Then do it. Pasta and a thick biography. I’ll see you in the morning.”

She closed the door and waved a goodbye before hurrying inside.

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