“I heard you. I’m waiting for you to ask it.”
And drawing strength from the touch of my attorney’s thigh against mine.
“Your father requested an interview with me the other day. One without his counsel present.”
He no longer had a father. “You said you had a question.”
“He intimated that he was covering for someone. When I asked him to identify his alleged perpetrator, he refused to say another word, other than that he wanted to inform me that in the event of an indictment, he would be forced to expose this person. I think his point was to make me doubt that I have the right person.”
“Or to do himself as much of a favor as he can in light of an upcoming obstruction of justice charge,” Gabrielle said.
Liam didn’t take his eyes away from his adversary. “Your question is?” Now he was being rude. And was sure he didn’t care.
“Are you aware of anyone your father could be covering for?”
Liam willed his hurt into anger. And felt Gabrielle’s leg press up against his more tightly. “No.”
“And you can’t shed any light on what he might be referring to?”
“In case you aren’t remembering,” Gabi broke in, “my client has been estranged from his father and is currently bound by a restraining order to stay away from him.”
Gwen looked at both of them. Nodded. Gathered her papers into the manila folder she’d carried in.
“We’re free to go, then?” Gabrielle asked.
“Yes.” Menard stood. “But don’t leave town,” she told Liam. “We’re going to have some more questions.”
Don’t leave town?
He wasn’t under arrest. But his freedom had just been officially curtailed.
One step closer to jail.
* * *
GABRIELLE WAS FURIOUS. She barely spoke to Liam on the ride back to their apartment building.
She’d caught a glimpse of Elliott Tanner back at the FBI office. Had seen his eyebrow raised in question when they’d come out of the interview. But she’d ignored him.
For now she trusted no one with Liam’s care but herself.
The danger of that thought didn’t even bother her at the moment. She’d never been so angry in her life.
“What’s got you all tied up in knots?”
Liam’s sideways grin in her direction startled her so much she couldn’t breathe. She took a moment. Watched the traffic as he pulled out. Found their place among all the other cars.
“Do you realize what your father’s done? Or is getting ready to do?”
“Of course I do,” he told her, not sure why she was asking. “It’s what I’ve been telling you all along. The man is morally bankrupt.”
“He’s going to serve you up to them. His own son. I mean, that first night I met you, back in college, when I heard him pulling every manipulative stunt in the book to get you to move out of the dorm, I thought he was despicable, but I also thought he was doing it for the right reasons. Because he loved you so much and wanted what he thought was best for you.”
“Don’t feel bad. I thought so, too.”
She was probably saying too much. Rubbing salt in a raw wound.
She was his lawyer. She had to defend him. And in order to do that, she had to understand. “How does anyone do that? Serve up their own son? Especially someone as incredible and kind and talented as you are?”