"Sir, this case is blowing up—media caught wind somehow, and now it's all over the internet."
"What's the witness, that Nelson Whitney, saying?"
"He brought a few classmates outside for interviews. Talking about rooting out criminal syndicates."
The corner of my mouth twitched. Nelson's addiction to playing the hero was getting worse by the day.
Ten minutes later, Detective Mercer walked back in.
He set a detention notice on the table in front of me.
"Laurel Fox—on suspicion of organizing and leading a criminal syndicate and of aggravated assault, you are hereby placed under criminal detention."
I picked up the pen and signed.
As I pressed my thumb to the ink pad, Detective Mercer dropped his voice.
"Kid, if you've got evidence, get it out now. Every eye in the city is on you."
I wiped the red ink off my finger.
"Thanks for the tip. Let the bullet fly a while longer."
I was taken to the detention center.
Seven or eight women in yellow vests sat inside the cell, every head turning toward me at once.
A heavyset woman near the wall corner stood up.
"Fresh meat? What're you in for?"
I ignored her.
She walked over and kicked the edge of my bunk.
"Gone deaf? I asked you a question!"
I looked up at her.
"Stay away from me if you don't want to die."
The woman burst out laughing.
"Ha! Scrawny little thing talks tough. Girls—time to educate her."
Several women closed in around me.
Just then, a guard rapped on the iron door from outside.
"Number 093, Laurel Fox. Attorney visit."
The heavyset woman glared at me, then slunk back to her corner.
I stood and followed the guard to the visitation room.
My lawyer was already waiting. Ernest Henson.
He'd been a senior when I was in college. Now he was the top criminal defense attorney in the city.
"Laurel, it's bad out there."
"What did Nelson do now?"
Ernest opened the case file in his hands.
"He gave a live media interview outside the police precinct this morning."
"He's doubling down—says you're a criminal syndicate leader. And he threw out something new."
I watched the gravity settle deeper into Ernest's face.
"Tell me."
Ernest took a long breath.
"He brought up the girl who killed herself—jumped off the building. Gail Lambert."
"He says you forced her to pour drinks at the karaoke lounge, that she was—"
"That she couldn't live with the shame."
My hand clenched hard. Gail Lambert.