Sara stopped, surprised. “You’re not?”

“Nope.”

“Then where’re you looking?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Well, if the mayor can pull some strings, I was thinking of taking a look at the district attorney’s office.”

As a skeptical grin crept up her cheeks, Sara laughed out loud. “You sneaky son of a bitch,” she said. “That’s what that whole sad act before was about. You were trying to get sympathy so you could spring this idea in my face.”

“What’re you talking about?” Jared asked with a smile.

“See, I knew it. You never let up, do you? It’s always competitive.”

“What’s competitive? I want a great job that’s satisfying; you have a great job that’s satisfying. Don’t you think there’s room for two prosecutors in a family?”

“There’s certainly room for two prosecutors in a family – just not this family.”

“And why’s that?” Jared asked. “Are you jealous?”

“Of course I’m not jealous.”

“Then what is it? Are you nervous? Intimidated? Worried I’ll steal your thunder?”

“Listen, lover boy, you couldn’t steal my thunder if you were knee-deep in a kiddie pool, sucking on a lightning rod.”

“Do you realize how many Freudian references you just made in that one statement?”

“Don’t try to change the subject. I’m not the pushover I used to be,” Sara said. She grabbed the small device that controlled the positioning of Jared’s hospital mattress. “If you’re not nice to me, I’ll fold you up in that Craftmatic adjustable bed before the nurses can even hear you scream.”

“And that’s supposed to scare me?”

Sara pushed a button on the control, and Jared’s bed slowly moved into a V formation. “Okay, okay, you’re not a pushover. I take it back. But that doesn’t mean I can’t be a prosecutor.”

“I never said you couldn’t. And if you really want to join my office, I’m not going to stand in your way.”

Jared stared suspiciously at his wife. “You’re not?”

“I already got what I want. We both did.”

“So you’ll love me even if I’m a prosecutor?” Jared asked.

“Yep.”

“And you’ll love me even if I go back to defense work?”

“Yep.”

“Then I win either way, don’t I?”

“It was never about winning.”

“I know that – I just want to make sure we’re back.”

She moved closer and kissed him lightly on the forehead. “Jared, even with everything that happened, we never left.” Laying her hand on the nape of his neck, she looked him in the eyes. That’s when she saw her husband. As she used to see him. As she’d always see him. “Lucky for us,” Sara said, “some things are permanent.”

At that moment, there was a soft knock on the door. A man in a black double-breasted suit stuck his head in and said, “Mr. Lynch? I’m Richard Rubin, assistant to the mayor. Can I come in?”

“Sure,” Jared said, smoothing his hair.

Carrying an empty glass vase, Rubin headed straight for Jared’s nightstand. He hid the jar of pickles under the bed, dumped Jared’s wristwatch in a drawer, and brushed Jared’s discarded notes into the garbage. As he put the vase on the nightstand, he explained, “The mayor’s bringing flowers.” He then walked over to the window and pulled open the blinds, filling the room with a blinding shot of sunlight. “He’s waiting down the hall with the news crews – we want the first shot to be of him walking into your room.”

“How spontaneous,” Sara said.

Rubin didn’t flinch. He headed for Jared’s bed and tucked the sheets meticulously under the mattress. When he was done, he stepped away from the bed and surveyed the scene. He then looked at Sara and Jared. “So, are you two all set to go?”

Jared turned to his wife and smiled. “How do I look?”

“Bedridden and unshaven – but in a cute way. How about me?”

“Baggy-eyed and frazzled – you have sort of an exhausted-starlet thing going.”

“Perfect,” Sara said. She grabbed her husband’s hand and nodded at Rubin. “Bring it on, baby. We can’t lose.”

Acknowledgments

I’D LIKE TO THANK THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE, WHO CONTRIBUTED their tremendous talents and energies to this book: my wife and favorite lawyer, Cori, without whom this book would not exist. When I decided to write about married attorneys, I knew I’d be drawing on personal experience. What I didn’t realize was that I’d also be driving the two of us insane. From the very start, Cori kept it all together, and if this book is anything, it’s a testament to the strength of our marriage and the love I have for my wife. (Thanks, C – you know I’d be lost without you.) Jill Kneerim, my agent, for her unfailing faith in me as a writer, her insightful advice, and, most of all, her treasured friendship; Elaine Rogers; Sharon Silva-Lamberson; Robin Chaykin; Ike Williams; and everyone else at The Palmer & Dodge Agency for their constant support and, most important, for never giving up on me.

I’d also like to thank my sister, Bari, who always stands in my corner and, as a result, provides me with more help than she’ll ever realize; Noah Kuttler, for his tireless attention to every detail and nuance of this book (Noah, I can’t thank you enough; you really are incredible); Ethan Kline, for his discerning reaction to early drafts of the manuscript; Matt Oshinsky, Joel Rose, Chris Weiss, and Judd Winick, for their always perceptive suggestions and always valued friendship; Matthew Bogdanos, for inviting me into the world of prosecution and letting me see, up close, the vivid reality of what it really takes to fight crime – thank you for that trust; Maxine Rosenthal, for her extraordinary assistance; Dale Flam, Sandy Missakian, Barry Weisburg, Ronnie Aranoff, Alan Michaels, Bob Woodburn, and Eric Menoyo, for walking me through the details; Dr. Sam Snyder and Dr. Ronald K. Wright, for all the wonderful forensic and medical advice; Sara Emley, for the two words on the cover; Janice Doniger, for her keen understanding of what to wear and where to be seen; the helpful and extremely patient people at the Manhattan DA’s public information office; and all my family and friends, whose names, as always, inhabit these pages.

Finally, I’d like to thank all the truly incredible people at Rob Weisbach Books and William Morrow: Bill Wright, Patricia Alvarez, Jacqueline Deval, Michael Murphy, Lisa Queen, Sharyn Rosenblum, Elizabeth Riley, Jeanette Zwart, Richard L. Aquan, Tom Nau, Colin Dickerman, David Szanto, and all the other amazingly nice folks at Weisbach/Morrow whose hard work made this book a reality. I’m honored to work with every one of them. I also owe a great deal of thanks to Larry Kirshbaum, Maureen Egen, Mel Parker, Airié Dekidjiev, and all the terrific people at Warner Books, who always make it a true pleasure. Finally, I’d like to thank my editor and publisher, Rob Weisbach. After close to a thousand pages together, I still have a hard time finding the perfect words for Rob. As an editor and publisher, there is no better – he pushed me to draw on reserves I didn’t know existed, and his influence can be felt on every page. As a friend, he is someone I turn to without hesitation. So thank you, Rob, for your trust, for your enthusiasm, and, most of all, for your faith.