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Bridger nodded decisively. “Tai’s right. At least we’ve got a suspect now. No point in debating motives until we’re sure we’ve got the right person.”
“Copy that,” Mason murmured.
Around the room, Tai saw only unwavering focus etched on each face.
“What happens now?” Tenaya asked as he helped her to her feet.
“First, we interrogate the suspect.” And man, he was looking forward to that.
Beside him, Bridger nodded, looking just as eager for a fight. “I know I’m ready to have a chat with Mrs. Moreau.”
From her perch on the sofa arm, Kate twirled a hank of dark hair around an elegant finger, humor glinting in her eyes. “Pretty sure she won’t enjoy the conversation.”
Despite the heavy situation, Tenaya huffed a surprised laugh. Hearing that musical sound after so much fear and chaos lifted Tai’s spirits. For now, he’d take the small win.
33
“I don’t care what you say. I want to make him pay until it hurts.”
The stylish fifty-something woman jumped up from her seat across from Tenaya and stalked out of Tenaya’s office, her expertly made up face a mask of fury. She paused in the doorway to glare back at Tenaya. “He can’t just tear apart my life and walk away. I’ll find a way to get him.”
With her client’s angry vow ringing in her ears, Tenaya leaned back in her office chair, exhaustion seeping into her bones. Crumpled tissues littered her desk, remnants of the crying jag her latest client had dissolved into before storming out. Mondays were often stressful, but today topped the all-time list. And it was only ten a.m.
She pressed her fingertips to her throbbing temples. The woman’s hysterics and hurtful accusations shouldn’t have affected her this profoundly. Such emotional outbursts came with the territory in cutthroat divorce cases.
But today, her client’s petty vindictiveness struck an especially raw nerve. The constant conflict, the avarice and selfishness she witnessed daily, was starting to wear. She longed for more meaning and balance than fighting over money and assets afforded.
With a weary sigh, she tidied the contracts and wiped down the glass top, removing any trace of the unpleasant scene. Time to put it behind her and refocus on the other cases waiting to be processed. There were phone calls to return, motions to draft, a deposition to prep for.
But the spark she usually found in organizing legal strategy eluded her. The thought of diving into the other pending divorce she was handling for the wife of an aging rock star filled her with dread. The huge settlement she aimed to win for the wronged woman would be a coup, career-wise. The trouble was, she wasn’t sure she still wanted the prize waiting at the end of that tarnished rainbow.
And there was the small matter of a plan to bring Svetlana Moreau in for questioning. While she worked, and the team kept her under their usual surveillance, Paige and Kate were delving into possible ways to bring Svetlana out into the open. Plus, Tai’s foray into the casino might still yield a starting point.
The faint sound of footsteps sounded in the hall outside her. She sat up straighter, pulse kicking faster.
She ordered herself to calm down. It was the middle of the workday, there was nothing sinister about people coming and going. Plus, Tai and her father and the rest of the team were in place, as usual. An ant wouldn’t get into the building, let alone her office, without them knowing.
Megan came into view and poked her head into the open doorway. Her assistant’s sunny smile eased her tension. “I’m heading down for a latte. You want anything?”
Tenaya shook her head. “I’m good. But thanks.” Much as the thought of a caramel latte with extra whip called to her, the caffeine would only amp her up more.
Megan considered her for a moment, a frown turning down her lips. “If you’re sure…” She jerked a thumb down the hallway. “That Deana Tanager is a piece of work for sure.”
“No doubt.” Tenaya adjusted the tilt of her monitor a centimeter. “I’m okay. Really. She just needs time to calm down.”
“Like a decade.” Megan snorted and left.
With effort, Tenaya turned her focus back to the screen glowing with the half-finished motion. The words seemed to blur and run together, but she had to push past her malaise. Just because the man who’d terrorized her for almost two years was not the same man terrorizing her now didn’t mean there wasn’t work to be done.
Voices sounded in the hallway again, growing louder. She looked up just as Jarrod appeared. He smiled wide, as if seeing her brightened his day. How had she never noticed the deep insincerity? The way that catchy smile never reached his eyes?
Fidgety, he wrapped his knuckles on the doorjamb. “I was hoping I’d catch you in the office today.”
Tenaya managed a polite smile. “Just trying to keep my head above water. You know how it gets.”
“True, that.” He strode in, every inch the self-assured senior partner. The scent of his expensive cologne wafted across her desk, conjuring memories of petty office disputes and tense contract negotiations.
Jarrod’s sharp gaze moved over her, lingering. “You look tired. Trouble in paradise already?”
