Page 122 of Ruthless Court

She starts toward another chair.

I catch the back of it and pull it away before she can sit.

The metal legs scrape across the floor.

Every conversation around us stops.

Hannah looks at my hand.

“Move the chair back.”

“Tell me why you lied.”

“You were a drunk stranger at a private party I wasn’t supposed to attend.”

“You shook my hand.”

“That didn’t entitle you to government records.”

“You met me again and pretended you didn’t know who Sandy was.”

Her mouth curves.

“You looked so close to solving it.”

A laugh comes from the row ahead.

I glance toward the student who made it.

He lowers his head.

Hannah reaches for the chair.

I hold it in place.

“You enjoyed that.”

“A little.”

“You let me think you were two different women.”

“I never told you that.”

“You denied having a twin.”

“I don’t have one.”

“Cousin?”

“No cousin either.”

I lean closer.

“You knew exactly what I meant.”

“You made assumptions. I watched them fail.”

Professor Aldridge looks up.