I tore my eyes from the dashboard to look at Jordan. His face was dead serious now, not his usual joke-cracking, devil-may-care self. I believed every bit of what he was saying. But seeing my future back in QA versus the future I had been envisioning for the past few days only made me more sure. My throat closed with emotion and I had to clear it before I could speak.
“You know what? I’d rather be a bug-hunter until I retire rather than live the rest of my life without her.”
Jordan’s brows raised, and he nodded. “Seems legit. You’re reminding me of a last minute red-eye flight I once took from New York to LA for similar reasons. Right, full speed ahead, then.” His foot went down and by now he was clearly breaking some speeding laws.
“I’ll try to see what I can do with Adam, but don’t hold out too much hope, all right?”
I nodded. “I understand. I’m willing to accept that.” Then, when I went to thank him, the chiming on the dash interrupted me. There were multiple messages coming in all at once—from Adam, from Susan, even one from April.
Not long after that, he dumped me off at the terminal curb for the airlines where Susan had reserved my ticket. I had my passport, wallet and my work case with a laptop and tablet in it. And pretty much nothing else.
As luck would have it, I was on a plane forty-five minutes after checking in. But Katya was now three hours ahead of me, probably touching down right as I took off. She’d be heading straight to the Crown counsel office in Port Coquitlam.
Fortunately, I’d been able to get that address with some simple Googling. So I’d know straight where to head once I touched down.
I’d definitely arrive too late to be there for her during her deposition.
I hoped to God, though, I wouldn’t arrive too late for us.
Chapter 26
Katya
With cold, steely determination, I stepped off that plane, made my way through customs with my carry-on rolling luggage and hit the curb to summon a taxi. Here I was, back in the hometown again after years away. My gaze drifted north, as it often had on clear mornings like this. Along the horizon, my eyes traced the familiar outline to The Lions in their vigil over the city spread out below them. These two peaks in the North Shore mountains were all the sign I needed to know that I was home.
Any feelings I might have had, looking at them in any other circumstances, were currently muted by that strange numbness inside. With single-mindedness, I reminded myself I couldn’t waver until this last task was over. Until I’d cleared up that outstanding business I’d outrun almost two years before.
Perhaps I’d left this city a scared little girl, but I was stepping back into it a grown woman. A badass.
Remember how badass you are, Kat. And though it hurt to think of Lucas, his words helped get me through, running on repeat through my mind like a mantra.
As I’d planned, I got to the Crown counsel office in PoCo over an hour early. I then asked to be seated in the room where I’d be questioned as soon as possible. My family would no doubt come. Though Derek had the right to be in the room when I was questioned, my parents did not. I didn’t want to hear their guilt trips. I didn’t want to be subjected to the pressure they’d no doubt put on me. I didn’t want to be so deeply disappointed in them once again.
I just needed to get this out. The truth. My truth. And be done.
People trickled in and out, a court reporter set up her machine, videographer doing the same, making sure lighting and sound were optimal. The prosecuting attorney and the defense lawyer team. I kept my eyes down and sat and did what I was told until it came time to answer the questions.
Derek tried to approach me before the questioning, but I’d kept my eyes down, hadn’t spoken to him, hadn’t even looked at him. I couldn’t. Because I knew I’d waver and my heart would hurt. And I’d want to do anything to help him. Like I had, over and over, all throughout my life.
But putting myself in legal jeopardy wasn’t the answer. And it sure as hell wouldn’t help him. So after they swore me in, I spoke