The 17th Suspect (Women's Murder Club #17)(65)

She said, “You don’t have to justify yourself, Yuki. You were doing your job. I respect that. I never felt that you were attacking me personally. I didn’t think you were mean. If you want my forgiveness, you’ve got it.”

“I do,” said Yuki. “Thank you very much.”

“If Paul hadn’t pulled the plug, do you think you would have won?”

Yuki shrugged. “You never know with juries.”

Briana said, “That horrible video. What a piece of work.” She held out the bottle to Yuki. “You’re sure?”

Yuki took the bottle, tipped it up, swallowed twice, and handed the bottle back. “That’s my limit,” she said.

Briana smiled. “So, what happens next?”

“You’ll be hearing from James any minute now. He’ll have a plan.”

“That’s good. Jesus. I still can’t believe this. Talk about having your entire life turned inside out and then outside in. I’ve got to call my mom.”

The two women stood up and walked to the front door. Briana said, “Thanks for coming. Really.”

“Thank you. Briana.”

Spontaneously they embraced and held each other for a good long minute in the doorway.

Then Yuki left the apartment and walked out to her car. When she was sitting behind the wheel, she called Parisi.

“How’d it go?” he asked.

“I told Briana that I was sorry. She forgave me. We both know that she’ll never really get over this. It’s sad.”

Yuki knew that Len hadn’t believed in this case, but he had believed in her. And she had absolutely misjudged Marc Christopher. She was never going to get over that.

Len said, “You know what the great pitcher Satchel Paige once said?”

“Tell me. I’m ready,” she said.

“‘You win a few, you lose a few. Some are rained out. But you got to dress for all of them.’ That’s what you do and have always done. You dress for all of them. This is what rain feels like.”

“Thank you, Len. I appreciate that.”

“See you in the morning, Yuki.”





CHAPTER 96


THEIR APARTMENT WAS empty when Yuki came through the door.

No surprise. It was still early. She thought of calling Brady but didn’t want him to blow her off. I’m tied up here. Can I call you right back?

She kicked off her heels and dropped into her favorite chair. She called Arthur, Cindy, Lindsay, and Claire, then she turned off the ringer on her phone.

She wasn’t hungry or tired, so she took a bath, refilling the tub with hot water and bubble bath until she was finally just done.

She dried off with the plushest towel she owned, pulled on a white cotton nightgown with buttons at the neckline and a sprinkling of lace at the hem, and got into bed. It was almost seven o’clock.

She woke up to a weight at the side of the bed. Brady. He put his hand on her shoulder and said, “Darlin’, are you sick?”

“I’m wrung out. Unbelievable day. What time is it?” she asked.

“Eleven fifteen, something like that.”

“Oh, man,” Yuki said, “I only meant to take a nap.”

“You need anything? Hot dogs? Ice cream?”

She smiled at him in the dark. “No. I’m good,” she said.

She heard Brady unbuckling his belt, throwing clothes over a chair, saying he was “gonna hose off the day.” When he came back, naked and damp, he said, “Scooch over a few,” and got under the covers. He took Yuki into his arms.

“You smell good,” he said.

“I soaked for an hour in lemongrass and citrus. I have to do that more often.”

Brady said, “I heard a rumor that your case collapsed. Lindsay told me. Don’t be mad at her.”

“It’s okay. I was going to call you but figured I’d catch you in the middle of something.”

“I deserve that. But you know how it is.”

“Not really, Brady.”

She pushed away from him, creating a foot of distance between them. “I don’t know. So why don’t you fuckin’ tell me?”

“I will. You go first,” he said. “Your case. What happened? Are you going to be all right with it?”

“Nope, no way, no chance. I’ve reached the end of my patience, Brady. Tell me what’s going on with you or hit the couch until further notice.”

He rolled onto his back, thumped the pillows into his desired support level, and said, “I’m sorry, Yuki. I couldn’t tell you anything. I was under a mayor-mandated Chinese wall. Politics played a part in this. And the immediate future of my job and the direction of the SFPD are under scrutiny, and have been for the last three months.”

He turned to face her. “You understand where I’m going?”

“Not at all,” she said. “I lost my decoder ring.”

“Ice cream,” he said. “If I’m going to break my solemn oath to the brass, I’m doing it while eating butter pecan.”





CHAPTER 97


BRADY ROLLED OUT of bed, and Yuki’s mood dramatically shifted, from fear of a broken marriage to alarm for her husband.

What could have affected his job as well as the entire police department?