“Have you ever had a lawyer before, Miss Hudson?”

“You can call me Grace. And no. I’ve never had the need.”

“We don’t trust men in suits very often,” Emmitt said.

Nora shushed her husband and Carson laughed. “That’s probably smart, Mr. Hudson. Grace, you need to understand that the attorneys working with the city are there to minimize the damage.”

“I didn’t do anything.”

“They don’t care about that. They’re not interested in the truth. I’m sorry. If you sat right here and told me that you did take a bribe and had a history of doing so, I’d have to go into any meetings or courtroom with that information in my head and never tell anyone.”

“Attorney-client privilege,” Nora said.

“Exactly. As it stands, I believe you did nothing wrong. But someone out there accused you of doing this. For what reason, we don’t know. Could be the guy is just an asshole and wants to throw his weight around. Could be he saw the opportunity to stick it to the person he views as getting in his way. Maybe he received some barroom advice and thinks he’s going to walk away with settlement money instead of having to fix his property. We don’t know his motivation. We just know you’re at the center of it. And that’s where I come in.” Carson looked around the room and then asked, “You’re a Dodgers fan?” he asked.

“Uhm, yeah.” Grace looked confused.

“Think of this like a baseball game. The team at bat isn’t guaranteed to win the game unless there isn’t anyone on the field stopping them. Right now, you’re playing defense, but sooner or later you’re going to be at bat. That could happen if they terminate you without evidence or harass you to the point of quitting. Mr. Sokolov may slander your name, and arguably already has. Any of us who have a workplace know how soon gossip is spread and believed. Me being in your dugout is going to make a difference.”

Dameon saw the moment Grace really understood what Carson was telling her.

“So when I walk into the office with an attorney, I don’t look guilty, I look smart.”

“Exactly. Michelle Overland is a private investigator who is going to be in contact with you later today. She’s going to ask you a lot of questions, want to see your finances, ask you about your relationships at work. Be honest with her.”

“Why a private investigator?”

“Good question,” Carson said. “If you were on the take, where’s the money? Have you bought any fancy cars, taken an elaborate trip lately?”

“Dameon bought me a necklace,” she pointed out.

Carson looked between the two of them. “Did you tell anyone that?”

“No. But Richard asked me about it.”

He shrugged. “Your boyfriend is allowed to buy you gifts.”

Dameon reached for her hand and squeezed it. “Our relationship isn’t public. Grace was worried her work would find it a conflict of interest.”

“Somewhat irrelevant at this point. But for now, just keep things under the radar.”

Grace turned to Dameon. “I knew you shouldn’t have come over last night.”

“No, that’s not what I’m saying,” Carson said.

“I was told to stay away from my clients.”

“So they don’t have to investigate those clients,” Carson explained. “Unless you two are willing to end your relationship—”

“Not gonna happen.” Dameon’s voice was stern enough to make everyone stare.

“Then be prepared to answer questions. For now, go about your normal routines. Just don’t waltz into city hall holding hands until we have a handle on this. But don’t sneak around like you’re doing something wrong either.” Carson offered a kind smile.

Dameon kissed her cheek.

Carson picked up her statement. “Okay, let’s get to work on this. But before we do, call the office and tell them you’re requesting that the same three people that were in the room yesterday are there today when you come in.”

“What if they can’t?”

“Doesn’t matter. It’s a power move. If they all show up, it’s a bonus. I guarantee you they will all be there the next time when word that you’ve hired an attorney gets around.”

Grace was smiling. “This feels good.”

Grace really wanted Dameon by her side, but Carson made it clear that this first meeting wasn’t the time or place.

The other thing she wanted but wasn’t going to get . . . was the ability to say anything to anyone.

They arrived together in Carson’s car. It was eleven thirty, the requested time to meet Richard, Vivian, and Mr. Simons.

“You ready?” Carson asked.

“More than I was yesterday.”

“Let me do the talking. This should be brief.”

Grace lifted her chin and led the way into the office. They walked into the lobby, and already she felt the stares.

Good gossip never takes long to spread.

They walked past the front lobby and into her corner of the city offices. Because there wasn’t a general secretary greeting people, Grace walked through the hall to see if anyone was around.

Evan saw her first. “Holy shit, Grace. What’s going on?”

She accepted Evan’s hug, but didn’t answer his question. “Where is Richard?”

“They’re in the conference room. Are you okay?” Evan looked over her shoulder.

“I’m fine. I can’t talk now.”

Grace walked around her friend, past her office, and into the conference room.

Like the day before, Richard and Vivian sat on one side of the table.

At first glance, Richard stayed in his seat.

When Carson walked in behind her, Richard and Vivian both stood.

“Hello, Grace,” Vivian said first.

Grace smiled and said nothing.

Carson moved forward and removed two business cards from his pocket. “I’m Carson Phillips, of Franklin, Phillips, and Bowers.”

“Oh.” Vivian looked at Grace and back to Carson.

It took everything in Grace to not gloat.

Vivian introduced herself, and so did Richard.

“Please have a seat,” Vivian said while taking hers.

“Are we waiting for Mr. Simons?” Carson asked.

“No, he had a prior commitment.”

“I see.” Carson turned to look at Grace, then back to the others.

“I’m confused as to why you’re here,” Vivian said.

Richard looked past Carson and straight to Grace. “You didn’t have to hire a lawyer, Hudson.”

Grace bit her tongue. The polite Grace this and Grace that from the day before was gone, and Hudson was back.

“My client has been put on leave, isn’t that right?” Carson asked.

“Yes, pending an investigation.”

“Was there paperwork that went along with this request, because it seems that was neglected.”

“Of course. Things were hectic yesterday,” Vivian said as she shifted through a folder that sat in front of her.

“You need to sign that,” Richard said to Grace.

Carson took the paperwork, glanced at it, and put it in his briefcase. “We’ll get this back to you.”