Page 5 of The Honest Affair
“Yes,” she said, a hell of a lot more calmly than I would be if I found out my childhood best friend had literally stolen my identity. “But just the same…” She shook her head. “For a moment, I thought I would have to be here anyway. Calvin called me just after you left, wanting to waive spousal privilege. But last night, his attorneys talked him out of it again. And I drove back from Boston right away.”
She turned to look down at her hands, which were folded in front of her skirt again. For a moment, I thought I saw the shadow of a bruise on her neck, just under her ear. But before I could say anything, a scratch of static indicated that the room’s speakers were turned back on.
“Zola. He’s on his way up.”
I glanced toward the mirror, behind which I knew Derek was standing. “Shit.”
“This is what’s going to happen,” Nina said calmly as if we were still having the same conversation. “I’m turning myself in for the crimes I mentioned. Maybe that makes me an accessory to this whole disgusting scheme. Maybe it doesn’t. I looked it up. Identity fraud or not, I’m still part owner of a variety of real estate used to traffic young women into sex slavery throughout the tristate area. So, I’m going to own it. Because that’s how I can help put Calvin where he belongs. You said it yourself, didn’t you?”
I glanced toward the door, half expecting my boss to come tearing through any second. “I said…”
“You said the only way around it was if I was an accessory to the crime. Well, I am, as I just discovered. So I’m turning myself in.”
I nearly dropped my phone as I shoved it back into my pocket. “Nina, before you do anything, you need to call your lawyer. The new prosecutor on this case is here to—”
“New prosecutor?” she interrupted. “What do you mean, new prosecutor?”
“I recused myself yesterday. Told my boss about you and me, and as of yesterday, I’m off the case.”
“You—you what?”
“I recused myself,” I repeated, this time impatiently. “Nina, I had to. I should have done it from the start. And because I didn’t, technically I’m on administrative leave. I’m not even supposed to be here. We shouldn’t even be talking. I just—”
“Zola,” Derek interrupted sharply with a knock on the glass. His meaning was clear.
I frowned at the mirror, then turned back to Nina. “Look, Cardozo is solid, but he doesn’t know you. Get a lawyer, Nina. Now. Do not put yourself through a deposition. Do not say a word until you have someone to advise you legally. Please. Do it for Olivia, if not yourself. Do it for—for me.”
There was a knock on the glass, which I took to be my final warning.
“I have to go, Nina,” I said. “Fuck, I’m…I’m so goddamn sorry.”
Her eyes widened again, as if she was just registering that I was going to leave her once more. “You know, I could have borne anything if I’d thought you believed me.”
A tear fell down her cheek, cutting a red flushed line down her porcelain skin. I felt like it was cutting me through completely.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered again.
And then, because I could already hear the sounds of Cardozo’s voice booming to the receptionist on the other side of the barriers, I let the door close and ran in the opposite direction, to escape out the back door like the rat I was.
It killed me to leave her there alone. Unprotected.
But it was the only thing left to do.