Page 130 of Fifty-Fifty

Harry told her about the journal, and our line of thinking now that it had emerged as evidence in the trial.

‘It’s smart. That journal will have a big sway on the jury. If the journal implicates Sofia in the poisoning, and this killing and trial is part of some plan, which is what it looks like, then sure. Alexandra has faked the journal well enough to convict her sister and get herself an acquittal. She doesn’t have to be a master forger either – Frank’s handwriting was debilitated because of the drugs.

Smart.’

‘So what do we do now? We can’t let her get away with this,’ I said.

‘If I put her on the witness stand you can cross-examine her?’ said Kate.

‘You’d be knowingly throwing your client under the bus. You can’t elicit false testimony from her either – what if she convinces the jury she didn’t do it?

She’s managed to convince both of you. If I call Sofia and Dreyer does a number on her then it could make things even worse,’ I said.

We sat in silence for a few moments, lost in thought.

‘Don’t call the defendants,’ said Bloch. ‘The problem is the journal. We show the jury it’s a fake. The DAs spent all their time proving it is authentic. I don’t think they’ve had time to consider if it’s accurate.’

With the exception of Kate, who was casually eating a French fry while her friend talked, Harry, Delaney and I were all open-mouthed. These were the first words Bloch had spoken since we’d sat down. I guess she didn’t talk unless she

had something damn important to say.

‘Holy shit, that’s exactly what we need to do,’ I said.

Bloch said nothing.

‘Damn, that’s the whole nine yards right there,’ said Harry. He stared straight at Kate and said, ‘Does she do that a lot?’

Kate raised her soda to her lips, hesitated and said, ‘Welcome to my world.’

FORTY-SEVEN

EDDIE

The sound of Sylvia Sagrada’s heels on the floor. It was a clock ticking down to my cross-examination. Another night with no sleep. This time, I’d been working.

I was ready to take down Sagrada this morning. I’d done the work. Made the calls.

And yet I wasn’t ready. I didn’t feel it.

Sagrada took her seat in the witness box and began to pour a glass of water.

‘Eddie …’ whispered Harry.

He began talking softly, but I couldn’t hear him. I wasn’t thinking about the journal, or Sagrada, or Sofia or Alexandra. Because my head had been filled with those thoughts all night, and the only thing on my mind this morning was

Harper. I’d spent every night since her death thinking about her, and last night felt like a betrayal. She was on my mind. I’d tried to flip the switch, but it wasn’t working.

‘Remember, you’re still under oath, Miss Sagrada,’ said Judge Stone. ‘Mr.

Flynn, do you have any questions for this witness?’

I did. And I couldn’t ask any of them. The pain felt like living inside one of those old deep-water diving suits. The ones with the copper helmet and bubble

visor, the lead boots and weighted belt. I was protected from the world by this pain, and it weighed heavy on me. Dragging me down.

‘Eddie, let’s go. This is for Harper,’ said Harry.

I stood, deciding not to hide this pain, but to use it.