Page 54 of Pursuit of Happiness

“On it. I can be there within the hour.”

“There’s one more thing.”

Stevie braced for more bad news. “Yes?”

“Emily Watkins came by with discovery on that case you’re workingwith her. She wouldn’t leave it though, and she insisted she has to talk to youtoday. I told her you weren’t at the office, and she’d have to be blind anddeaf not to know what’s going on, but she made me promise to try to reach you.I have her cell phone number.”

Stevie racked her brain for what could be so important on theBarkley case but came up empty. “Okay, I’ll get her number when I see you. And,Hannah?”

“Yes?”

“Thanks.”

Stevie hung up the phone, grateful to have a plan that didn’tinvolve being dependent on one of Meredith’s inner circle. She’d stay atHannah’s until the heat died down and occupy her time by working on Barkley’scase and all the others that had probably suffered from her lack of attentionsince she’d met Meredith Mitchell. Getting involved had been a mistake, andonce she made it out of here and back to the cocoon of her uneventful life, sheand Meredith were done no matter how much it wounded her to break theirconnection.

Chapter Eighteen

Stevie sat at Hannah’s kitchen table and struggled toprocess what Emily was telling her, but after everything that had happened thatday, her brain was sluggish. “You came all the way over here, at eight o’clockat night, just to tell me your agents have finally decrypted the files youseized from William Barkley’s computer?”

Emily cast a look over her shoulder. “Who else is here?”

“For crying out loud, quit acting like a spy on a mission. Hannahis here, but she works in the PD’s office, so there’s nothing you can say to methat you can’t say in front of her. Her husband Dave is out of town, and no oneelse lives here. Now, I’ve had a really shitty day, and I’m not in the mood toplay games, so tell me what’s on your mind, and let’s get this over with.”

“Are you really dating her? Meredith Mitchell?” Emily asked. “Imean, I know you went to Justice Riley’s wedding with her, but this seems moreserious. Is it true?”

Stevie stood. “Did you come here to gossip? Because if you did,you can leave right now. My personal life is off limits for conversation.Understood?”

Emily nodded. “I hear you, but what if your personal life createsa conflict for you on a case?”

“What?”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t approach this very well, but we need totalk, so can you please sit down?”

Stevie sank into her seat, unable to process where thisconversation might be going. “I’m sitting, now spill.”

“It’s about the files. They were on your client’s hard drive, butthey didn’t originate on his computer, so we’re not sure if he’s the originalsource.”

“Did you bring them to me?”

Emily ducked her gaze. “I have them with me.”

“Way to dodge the question. Can I have the files?”

“If you’re dating Meredith Mitchell, you may have aninsurmountable conflict of interest.”

Stevie’s gut churned at the ominous tone in Emily’s voice. “Whatare you talking about?”

Emily faced her square on. “I have a ton of respect for you as alawyer and a person, but I have a duty to make sure that any prosecution ofyour client isn’t going to get tossed out because his attorney has a conflictof interest that might impair his defense. I need you to answer the question.”

The answer should be easy, but Stevie had struggled on and offall day about whether she’d done the right thing by sending Meredith away. Hadshe overreacted to the way Meredith brushed off Jen’s leak like it was all partof the game? Maybe she had, a little, but that didn’t change the fact that whenit came to politics, she might never be certain Meredith would choose herfeelings over expediency. She’d sent Meredith away, but a part of her held outhope Meredith might make some grand gesture to demonstrate the intimacy they’dshared and the fledging relationship they’d begun were at least as important aspublicity that might buy her votes. Silly, really. Meredith’s goal to bepresident was a lifelong dream, and Stevie knew she was nothing more than astop along the road to Meredith’s goal.

“No, we’re not dating. We’re not in a relationship. We’re notreally even friends.” Stevie crossed her hands. “Now, tell me what you’ve got.”

Emily studied her for a moment, and then seemed satisfied withher answer. “I told you before that the Mitchell Foundation is one of theclients of Barkley’s employer, Folsom Enterprises.”

“I remember.”

“The decrypted files show a direct connection between theMitchell Foundation and the Russian hackers that your client was trying toexpose.”

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