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Gemma glanced at her daughter, who was looking at her phone.
“She’s really a lawyer,” Maureen said, showing her mother the screen. “Totally legit.”
“Then I guess it’s okay.” Gemma opened the door. “Please come in.” She led them to the living room. “Pardon the mess. Toddlers.”
Sam sat next to Laura on the sofa and Gemma held the child out to Maureen. “Take her in the kitchen, please.”
“No, Mom,” Maureen said. She took the baby and sat in one of the chairs. “I’m not leaving you alone with them.”
Her mother sighed, exasperated. “You said she was legit.”
“She is, but I’m still not leaving.”
Gemma sat down, shaking her head. “Then let’s make this quick. She’s going to need a bottle soon. What do you want to know about Driscoll and why? Who did he hurt that you care about?”
“Did you hear about the young woman who was killed this weekend?” Sam asked.
Both Epsteins nodded warily. “And?” Maureen asked, a little too belligerently. She’d gone pale again. “It wasn’t Driscoll. He’s dead.”
“The police think that he had a partner,” Laura said. “Or an accomplice.”
Maureen’s mouth fell open and she looked sick. Her mother swooped in to grab the baby before Maureen dropped her. “Mo? What’s wrong?”
Maureen closed her eyes and covered her mouth with her hands. “Oh my God,” she whispered. “Oh my God.”
Sam slid from the sofa, dropping to one knee next to her. “Head between your knees, Maureen,” he said soothingly, placing a hand on her back to urge her forward. “Breathe with me. In and out.”
He’d had to do this several times in sessions when clients became overwhelmed. He gave Gemma a questioning look, but she was staring at her daughter in horror, clutching the baby so hard that the child squirmed.
Laura came to the rescue, taking the child and settling her in a playpen before returning to the sofa. “What can I do?” she asked helplessly.
“That was good,” Sam said, using his calmest voice. “Maureen’s going to be fine. She just needs to breathe.”
“My fault,” Maureen whispered. “All my fault.”
“Just breathe,” Sam said, waiting until the girl lifted her tear-streaked face.
“I thought it was over because he was dead.”
Laura placed a box of tissues on the arm of the chair where Maureen sat, and Sam gave her a grateful smile before turning back to the teenager.
“Maureen,” he murmured. “If you know something, you need to tell someone.”
“McKittrick will arrest me,” she whispered.
Her mother gasped. “What?”
Sam’s mind raced as he wondered what she knew. “Tell us and we’ll figure it out together, okay?”
She nodded, new tears pooling in her eyes. “I’m sorry, Mom.”
Gemma moved to sit on the arm of Maureen’s chair, her arm going around her daughter’s shoulders protectively. “Hold on, Mo. You need to wait until we get you a lawyer.”
“I’m a lawyer,” Laura said. “If she needs one, I’ll act on her behalf.”
Gemma looked Laura up and down, no doubt noting her expensive suit and designer shoes. “We can’t afford you. My husband was out of work after Driscoll beat him up. We’re barely making ends meet.”
“Pro bono,” Laura said quietly. “Sam’s my friend and I want to help him. If your daughter knows something that could help him, I’ll help her.”
