Chicks, Man

“Well, you did. I’ve been covering for you since I noticed it. Tried to figure out how it could have happened. But seems little Hannah Matthews isn’t as perfect as she claims to be. Those files went missing under your watch.”

“You’re lying.”

“I wish I was. But it gets better. Now the system is showing I was the one who entered them.” He sighs, once again giving his attention to the outside. “The files were tampered with. Every single document you read, filed, submitted, touched, it’s all under my login and signature now. Well…was, since the server is showing I went in and swiped it all off. Even Clara’s original testimony is gone.”

The room is starting to spin. Dizziness threatens my vision, and I shake my head in disbelief. I’m struggling to process what he’s telling me. There’s no way I made a mistake entering those testimonies. Since the moment I stepped foot into this firm, I’ve been working to make sure everything I touch is treated with the utmost importance. So, if it wasn’t me, then who?

“I didn’t enter those wrong. I wouldn’t have. Someone must have changed it.”

Levi whips around. “Oh yeah? And who? Who would want to do that?”

“I don’t know! But it wasn’t me. There has to be another reason.” He stares at me, wanting that reason, but I can’t give it. “Do you truly believe I made those errors?” I need to know. Because if he does, then I don’t know where we, as a couple, go from here. There’s a long pause, and my stomach tightens.

Finally, he speaks. “I don’t.” The breath I’m holding releases. “I never thought you did. That’s why I never came out and asked you. I thought I could figure out what went wrong and fix it. You were so diligent. It seemed off right from the start. But now this. Someone has access to those files and is purposely sabotaging this case—us.”

I want to deny that theory because it sounds crazy. But without that, the finger points to one of us. “Has anyone had access to your files? Computer? Keycard?”

“No. No one.”

“Braydon?”

I shake my head. “Of course not. Just because you hate him, doesn’t mean he—”

“Hannah, we got into a fight in the bathroom at dinner on Friday.”

“What? What do you mean a fight? You said it wasn’t a big deal. Nothing—”

“I lied. I couldn’t stand him touching you. I went after him and threatened him to stay away from you. It got physical.”

I gasp, anger setting in. His knuckles. That’s how they got bruised and bloodied. “Levi, you didn’t. You can’t get—”

“That’s not what matters. What matters is he threatened me back. He told me, ‘Nice working with you.’ The way he said it…it was creepy. Like it had an underlying meaning to it.”

“Like he’s going to get you fired for assaulting him?”

“No, he told me he was going to take my place. Get rid of me, then slip into my spot. Meaning with you. He knows about us.”

There’s no way. We’ve been careful. This is all too insane. I just need to retrace my steps. Backtrack all my notes. Braydon never showed any liking to Levi, but he wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize his career—my career. “I don’t know. I think you’re looking at the wrong person. There has to be somebody else.”

He’s back to pacing his office. He doesn’t offer any other solutions, and I don’t have any. Think, Hannah. Think… It can’t be Braydon. Can it? “We need to get the trial postponed.”

He finally faces me. “And how do we do that? You don’t just call the supreme court judge and tell him you lost all your files and your only witness and need a continuance.” His words come out harsh, but I try not to take offense.

“Tell him we found a break in the case and need a few extra days to deliberate.”

“No.”

“Why not? If we can delay the trial, I can backtrack my steps. Search deeper for clues. My criminal law internship taught me a lot about reading between the lines and finding clues normal people would never check for—”

“Stop being so damn naive! This isn’t a class project. Don’t you think we’ve tried to get that continuance? We were denied. Don’t you think I backtracked all your steps? Everything you touched. Witness lists, leads—all wiped out. And now Clara Hill is a ghost. Braydon Connor is behind this. I know it.”

Not this again. I sigh, my own tone now laced with annoyance. “I just don’t see—”

“Jesus Christ, Hannah! Open your damn eyes! It’s him. If you can’t see that then…”

“Then what?” I ask, my stomach dropping.

Levi shakes his head, turmoil in his eyes. His palms swipe down his face. His chest rises and falls in heavy pants. No… “Listen…I can’t do this right now. We need to take a step back. Us…it’s clouding my judgement. If I wasn’t so…” He pauses, as if measuring which words will hurt less. “If I was focused on work, this wouldn’t have happened.”