I took my first sip of coffee. Some of the haze had cleared from my head.
“I can’t believe it’s all true. It’s not possible.”
Greer placed a hand on my leg. “It is true. It is what happened. Jeremy West pretended to be Vaughn Hunter to gain access to this apartment. To get his hands on the information I carried with me on the defense contract companies. He worked his charm and charisma on you Emily to get what he wanted. And he got it.” She paused. “And if we don’t help the authorities stop him, he’ll keep doing it. Who knows what the next job will be. Nuclear weapons? Information on our spies? Access to the president? It’s never-ending.”
“He isn’t that kind of man.”
“The man you thought you knew might not have been, but Jeremy West is. He’s a thief of the most dangerous calculated level. You have to accept it.”
I kicked my legs to the floor. “I don’t.” I stormed inside.
I marched to my bedroom to get dressed.
I didn’t want to think about Vaughn. I didn’t want to analyze the bureau’s questions. There was one place I could go to escape all of that. A place where women lined the corridor, waiting for my help. A place I helped women get back at the men who hurt them. Who made them feel lesser. Who used them. Who punished them.
I might not be able to punish Vaugh, or Jeremy or whoever in the hell he was, but he couldn’t stop me from going after Senator Mitcherson and men like him.
I felt bad for the cases that came across my desk today.
25
Another week passed. I called it hell. Other people called it Monday through Friday. I tugged on my messenger bag and the case load I had on Lana Foley. My heels echoed in the hall. I hadn’t bothered to change into my walking shoes when I left my office.
Professor Harrison’s building was in one of the prominent parts of campus. A place that was allotted for the noble. For the professors who had accolades behind their names.
I knocked on Max’s door.
He walked around his desk to greet me.
“Don’t you look stunning today.” He led me inside.
The comment took me off guard. I didn’t bother to thank him. I didn’t bother with a lot of mundane things in the past week. I had enough energy to get myself to work. Enough to kick ass while I was there and then enough to get home.
After that I spent the night locked in my room with wine. One, sometimes two bottles. I switched from red to white. I didn’t care. As long as it helped me forget, I didn’t care about any of it.
Max had an oval table in the corner of his office. It was well-worn. I imagined he had crafted brilliant arguments and closing statements here. Researched historical cases. Mentored some of Americans most prestigious graduates. It should have felt like an honor to sit on one side while he sat on the other. The moment was lost on my struggle to move through it.
I handed him a copy of one of the files I made. It had the latest transcript from Lana’s statements.
“This is great work Emily.” He read one page after another. “Your interview questions are on point. I can’t think of anything else I would have asked her. This is extremely thorough.”
“Thank you.” I waited while he sifted through the material.
“How many aides do you have working on this with you?”
“Only two,” I reported. “Jessie and Gregory. They are my mentees. Because of the sensitivity of the case I didn’t want to broaden the scope. It’s a huge research commitment, but they are up for it.”
“I think that makes what you’re doing even more impressive. You’re handling a lot right now.”
I bit the inside of my cheek. There were moments when the cracks in my armor would appear. I didn’t know when they were going to come, but I respected Max Harrison. His approval meant something to me.
“You are interested in staying on in the faculty position?”
I nodded. “Absolutely. It was the reason I came here, and even if it doesn’t work out. I know the field is competitive, I think I’d like to stay in the city. I want to continue to help the clinic somehow even after I’m no longer in the program.”
“I would say given your dedication to your class, your students, and this.” He pointed at Lana’s file. “You are easily in the top five for the position.”
“Really?” My eyes widened. “You can’t be serious.”