Exposed by William Bernhardt

Author:William Bernhardt [Bernhardt, William]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781954871212
Publisher: Babylon Books

Chapter Twenty-Three

While Kenzi waited for the jailhouse gatekeeper to admit her, she texted Emma. She expected a response. She did not expect Emma to appear ten minutes later, decked out in her traditional black but looking much more alert than she would’ve expected.

“Isn’t this past your bedtime?”

Emma plopped down on the seedy, splintered bench beside Kenzi. “I hear you have a client in the joint.”

“And you came? Even before you saw my text?”

“You think I’m going to abandon you just when the case veers into territory I actually know something about?”

“Are you going to discourage me from handling this case?”

“There’s nothing I could say that hasn’t already occurred to you.”

“There are many lawyers in Seattle with more criminal experience.”

“But few with as much heart.”

Kenzi looked up. “What?”

“And few who care about their clients like you do. Which is probably more valuable than jaded lawyers jumping through familiar hoops.”

“I…well, I…thanks.”

Emma glanced out the corner of her eye. “You know, when we were growing up, sometimes I kind of resented you.”

“Do tell.”

“I thought you were all flash, no substance. I was a better student and I worked harder, but everyone congregated around you. But after we worked on that Breville case…I saw things a little differently. You’re not just the flash. You’re the heart. I’m the brain, clearly. And it’s good to have both brains and heart, especially when you’re trying a case in front of a jury. Right now, you’re what Morgan needs.”

“I don’t know…everything.”

“I’ll fill in the blanks.” Emma gave her a gentle nudge. “If we feel like we’re getting in over our heads, we can bring in another attorney. Morgan can afford it. May I ask you a question?”

Kenzi didn’t wait. “She didn’t do it.”

“Tell me you didn’t ask.”

“She volunteered.”

“And you believe her?”

“I do. Do you?”

Emma shrugged. “I don’t know anything about people. I’ll let you be the judge.”

“I think the cops are desperate to charge someone. They’ve been looking incompetent during this entire Seattle Strangler business.”

“But they still wouldn’t do arrest her if they didn’t have some compelling evidence. They don’t want a false charge blowing up in their faces. Remember, once the prosecution picks a defendant, they can’t change their minds. Win or lose, they have to go down the line unequivocally insisting the person they charged was guilty.”

“I suppose that’s true. Any way we can find out what they have?”

“Eventually the prosecution will have to share their evidence. But they’ll wait until the last possible moment. Let me see if I can speed up the process. I have some friends.”

Kenzi blinked. Emma has friends?

“They won’t give up the farm, but I might be able to pry a detail or two out of them.”

“That would be great.”

Emma pushed to her feet. “I’ll check in with you tomorrow morning. Reassure Morgan. Then get some sleep.”

“I’ll try.” She grinned. “Hailee will want to know everything.”

“Nah. She already knows all there is to know.”

“From the internet?”

“From her aunt.”

“You’ve been texting?”

Emma paused by the door. “Remember what I said about you being the heart and me being the head? Hailee is the heart and the head.

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