Big Data: A Startup Thriller Novel

Chapter 57

I wondered just how many jails I was going to see before this whole charade was over. I'd never gotten so much as a speeding ticket before this, and now? How many laws had I broken? I was wanted in two states. How had life turned out like this for me? I was a powerful Latina startup geek. I was on the cover of Wired. I wasn't a Thelma or a Louise. Was I?

Speaking of Thelma and Louise, I could swear I was sitting next to them in this cell. These two women had been talking nonstop since I got there. They didn't even seem to notice me.

"Luna Valencia?"

I raised my head.

"Your lawyer's here."

My lawyer? Had Ancien already hired another lawyer on my behalf like in New York? How did they even know I where I was? I considered telling the guard that I didn't want to see this lawyer.

"Come on, lady. Let's go."

He swung open the door. I stood up slowly, trying to think my way through the problem. If the lawyer did anything funny, I decided I would scream as loudly as I could. This was a police station after all. Someone would hear me. He wouldn't be able to just take me out quickly.

The cop led me down a corridor and pointed at one of the doors. I took a deep breath, thinking maybe I should just start screaming now. Make them take me away from here. To a psych ward somewhere. I'd probably be safer in a padded room than here with an Ancien lawyer.

"Come on, come on. I don't have all day."

With that, the cop swung open the door. I opened my mouth and screamed. But the scream turned into a squeal of joy.

"Heath. What are you doing here?"

He made a shushing sign. "Luna, I'm your lawyer," he said. He thanked the officer, who turned and left, shutting the door. Heath came up to me, and I hugged him tight.

"How are you not in jail?"

"Released on bail. The cops didn't like it one bit, but I've got a clean record. Nothing they could do. Of course, I'll probably be disbarred for what I did to that guy. Technically, I'm probably not even a lawyer right now. But they don't know that."

I hugged him again.

"So when do I get out of here?"

I looked around the room. It was small and looked like it had been built in the sixties—probably hadn't been cleaned since then, either.

"That's not going to be so easy this time. The judge isn't going to look kindly on the fact that you skipped bail in New York."

"So we tell him what's going on. We have to explain this whole situation to someone. Someone has to listen."

"Nobody's going to believe it."

"But it's the truth."

"The truth doesn't matter if we can't prove it. You're going to have to trust me. I've got to go speak with someone."

"Who?"

"I can't tell you."

"Why not?"

"You're going to have to trust me," he repeated.

"I did until just now."

"Just hang tight for few more hours. You're my only priority. I've handed off all my other cases to my colleagues. I'll explain everything to you in due course. I promise. But for now, you'll be safest here. I think. Just sit tight. I have a plan."