11. Evgeny #2
When I scoff instead of admitting what we both know, which is that the vast majority of my clients are guilty as hell, he says, “Sasha Melnikov is a known member of the Melnikov Bratva. He’s supposed to be a psychotic killer, the stuff horror movies are made of, but you’re acting like you don’t think he did it. Why is that?”
“I fight hard for every client I represent. You know that,” I tell him, grabbing my reading glasses and picking up the closest stack of papers, hoping he’ll take the hint and leave this alone.
He doesn’t.
“You do, but this feels different.”
I’ve obviously chosen the wrong paralegal, because this one is actually too damn good. With a sigh that lets him know I’m starting to get annoyed, I look over at him, even though his face is slightly blurry since I don’t need glasses for anything that isn’t written and right in front of me.
“My gut has served me well over the years. You’re right, with most clients I know my job is to create doubt because proving innocence would be impossible.
My gut is telling me Sasha is innocent, and I’ve learned to trust it over the years.
” I leave out the bit where he’s my cousin and I know for a fact he’d never stab someone in the sloppy way that this poor girl was apparently murdered in.
Sasha takes pride in his work, and he never kills without a reason.
Caleb can’t know all that, though, so I skip it and say, “I want this case dismissed, and we’re going to make that happen. You know I hate to fail, Caleb.”
“I get it,” he says, knowing exactly what I’m telling him. “Clear my schedule for the foreseeable future because I’m going to basically be living here until the miraculous occurs.”
“I’m glad we’re on the same page,” I tell him, refusing to feel sorry for the guy who’s well on his way to becoming a millionaire in his early twenties, thanks to me. No one said the job was easy, but it sure as fuck pays well.
While he mentally says goodbye to whatever social life he has, I pick up the phone on the desk and ask Gertie to please bring us some coffee. I’m not at all surprised when she says she’s already placed an order along with an early lunch. This office would fall apart without her.
Settling in, I start flipping through all the paperwork, determined to find some shred of good news I can share with my family tonight.
Caleb does the same, taking the seat across from me and grabbing his own pile of papers.
We read in silence, both of us occasionally stopping to jot down a note, and when Gertie comes in with coffee and lunch, we thank her and keep going, eating and drinking while we work.
The only time I stop is when my bladder insists on it and when Charlie calls to let me know he’s still searching but hasn’t found anything useful about Rosalie yet.
I only admit defeat when I’m forced to leave to meet with my family.
Tossing my reading glasses on the table, I scrub a hand over my face, hoping like hell I can at least manage a few hours of sleep tonight.
I hadn’t gotten any last night or the night before thanks to Harper and then Sasha’s arrest. I’m exhausted, past the point that I normally push myself to, and it’s going to start to affect my work, if it hasn’t already.
“I’m leaving,” I tell Caleb. “You should too. Go home and get some sleep. We can start again in the morning.”
He doesn’t argue, just nods and starts to gather up his things. “Get some sleep, Ev,” he tells me. “You look exhausted.”
“I will,” I tell him.
He raises a brow like he doesn’t believe me, but he lets it go, wanting to escape the office more than he wants to lecture me about my sleep habits.
I’m grateful he’s not so consumed with the job that he can’t let himself walk away when given the chance.
I’m sure he’ll eventually reach that point, but for now, he gives me a tired wave and leaves before I change my mind and force him to pull an all-nighter.
With a tired groan, I finish arranging the papers how I want them so I’ll know exactly where I’ve left off, and then I shut off the lights and head downstairs.
Gertie, sensible woman that she is, took off hours ago.
In the parking garage, I nod to the new guard and get in my car.
Knowing it doesn’t matter if anyone sees me going to my Uncle Lev’s, I don’t bother worrying about a tail or switching vehicles.
I do give a quick scan for a small, white hatchback, and when I don’t see Harper, I tell myself that’s a very good thing.
Niki did as promised, and when I pull up to my uncle’s building, I’m stopped before I can even get into the garage.
As soon as I say my name, they nod and step back, letting me in without question.
I park close to the private elevator and once I’m in it, I lean back against the wall and try to prepare myself for what I’m about to face.
This isn’t just a meeting with my client’s family.
This is my family, and they’re all hurting right now and expecting me to make it better.
This is what I promised them I’d do, it’s why I’ve worked my ass off and separated myself from their lives.
If I can’t do this, then it was all for nothing.
The pressure is enormous, and I feel every pound of it on my shoulders right now.
When the doors open, I step into my Uncle Lev and Aunt Jolene’s penthouse apartment, and the first thing I see is a bunch of red-rimmed, hopeful eyes.
It kills a part of me to shake my head and say, “I haven’t found anything yet, but I will. ”
“Of course you will,” my Uncle Lev says, walking over to give me a hug and pat my back. “We all know you can do this, Ev.”
My throat suddenly feels smaller when I nod and hug him back.
“How did he look when you talked to him?” my Aunt Jolene asks before stepping in to give me a hug too.
She’s already asked me this. I told her all about the visit yesterday when I spoke with everyone, but I know she needs to hear it again, so I say, “He looked good, Aunt Jolene. He’s behaving himself and knows we’re going to get him out. He’s safe. They’re not going to hurt him.”
I feel her nod, and when I pull back, fresh tears are running down her cheeks. As soon as my uncle sees them, he wraps her in a hug and kisses her head.
Looking around, I see my entire family crammed into the living room, all of them looking at me and wanting a miracle that I can’t give them, not right now at least.
“Caleb and I spent the day looking through what we have so far, which isn’t much.
The prosecution will start sending over discovery—the evidence and information they’re required to turn over—witness statements, crime scene photos, police statements, any evidence they have so far, anything and everything.
As the information comes in, I’ll go through every word of it and figure out how we can get this dismissed.
The next meeting before the judge is a month from now.
I can’t promise I’ll find what we need before then, but I will find it.
Sasha didn’t do this, and I will prove it. ”
“I can’t believe he got caught for something he didn’t do,” Uncle Vitaly says, and it’s one of the few times I’ve seen him where he isn’t cracking a joke.
He’s not even eating a snack. It’s one of the most disturbing things I’ve ever seen because it’s a stark reminder that something is very, very wrong.
“This will work to our advantage,” I tell him. “It’s a lot easier to prove his innocence when he actually didn’t commit the crime.”
“First time for you, I’m sure,” Uncle Vitaly says, giving me a hint of his old self. I’m so grateful to see it, I can’t help but give a small laugh. The corner of his mouth lifts at hearing it, and I know he said it just to make me feel better.
“But we can’t prove where he was,” Cindy says, jumping in for the first time. She may not be privy to everything her husband does, but she’s been told why we can’t show proof of where he was the night of the murder. Our goal is to have the murder charge dropped, not have another one added on.
“I usually don’t tell my clients to outright lie,” I tell her, “but stick to the story of him being home that night. They won’t believe it, but they can’t prove it wrong, and that’s really all we need.”
“I can do that. I’ll do anything to get him out of there,” she says, and I know she means it.
She’d surprised me by lunging for Sasha this morning during the arraignment, but I really should’ve seen it coming.
Cindy would do absolutely anything for my cousin, and I’m really glad she’d done it, because Sasha needed that just as much as she did.
“How are the girls?” I ask her, walking closer so I can give her a hug.
“They’re hanging in there,” she says. “Your sister has been a lifesaver. She’s with them now, helping them pick out a movie with their cousins. Yel’s made it into a fun sleepover instead of an absolute nightmare.”
“She’s good with stuff like that,” I say, remembering all the times she’d helped me when we were growing up.
“Yeah,” Cindy agrees. “She even got Reese to settle down for a bit. All four of the girls are taking it hard, but you know how Reese is. She’s glued to Sasha on a normal day, but when she’s upset, he’s all she wants.
” I hear the emotion in her voice when she says, “This is the longest he’s ever been away from them, and I know it must be killing him. ”
“It is,” I say, because there’s no point in lying about it. Cindy deserves better than that, and she’d see right through my lies anyway. “But he’s handling it. He’s doing what he needs to do so he can get back to you all.”
“You mean you told him not to kill anyone while he’s in jail, right?”
“I did, yeah. That’s the last thing we need. He knows that, and he promised to not do anything unless he has no choice.”