Remain Silent

Books by Robyn Gigl BY WAY OF SORROW SURVIVOR’S GUILT REMAIN SILENT Published by Kensington Publishing Corp. REMAIN SILENT ROBYN GIGL www.kensingtonbooks.com Table of Contents Also by Title Page Copyright Page Dedication CHAPTER 1 CHAPTER 2 CHAPTER 3 CHAPTER 4 CHAPTER 5 CHAPTER 6 CHAPTER 7 CHAPTER 8 CHAPTER 9 CHAPTER 10 CHAPTER 11 CHAPTER 12 CHAPTER 13 CHAPTER 14 CHAPTER 15 CHAPTER 16 CHAPTER 17 CHAPTER 18 CHAPTER 19 CHAPTER 20 CHAPTER 21 CHAPTER 22 CHAPTER 23 CHAPTER 24 CHAPTER 25 CHAPTER 26 CHAPTER 27 CHAPTER 28 CHAPTER 29 CHAPTER 30 CHAPTER 31 CHAPTER 32 CHAPTER 33 CHAPTER 34 CHAPTER 35 CHAPTER 36 CHAPTER 37 CHAPTER 38 CHAPTER 39 CHAPTER 40 CHAPTER 41 CHAPTER 42 CHAPTER 43 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. To the extent that the image or images on the cover of this book depict a person or persons, such person or persons are merely models, and are not intended to portray any character or characters featured in the book. KENSINGTON BOOKS are published by Kensington Publishing Corp. 119 West 40th Street New York, NY 10018 Copyright © 2023 by Robyn Gigl All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews. Library of Congress Card Catalogue Number: 2023930909 The K with book logo Reg. US Pat. & TM Off. ISBN: 978-1-4967-4176-9 First Kensington Hardcover Edition: June 2023 ISBN: 978-1-4967-4178-3 (ebook) For Abigail, Alice, Caroline, Gwendolyn, and Madison CHAPTER 1 Wednesday, May 27, 2009, 10:30 a.m. ERIN EYED THE CAMERA IN THE CORNER OF THE CEILING. AFTER ALMOST twelve years as a criminal defense lawyer, she had been in enough interrogation rooms to know that it probably wasn’t the only one focused on her. She brushed her copper-colored hair back off her face, willing her expression to conceal the emotions roiling inside. She glanced to her left at her law partner, Duane Swisher, hoping to find solace in his commanding appearance, but as she studied his face, she found it inscrutable. Duane, who had spent seven years as an FBI Special Agent, had mastered many tricks during his time with the Bureau, one of them being the art of hiding whatever he was thinking. The door to the room suddenly swung open, and a man swaggered in, followed closely by a woman. “Ms. McCabe, Mr. Swisher, I’m Detective Adam Lonza with the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office. We spoke yesterday. And this is Detective Emily Carter with the Avalon Police Department,” he said, extending his hand and shaking Duane and Erin’s hands in turn, with Carter then following suit. Lonza looked to be in his early thirties, with close-cropped black hair and brown eyes. His broad shoulders and barrel chest certainly looked like the by-products of many hours in a gym. Carter appeared older—mid-forties perhaps—her brown hair pulled back in a tight ponytail. Despite the fact that Carter was there to interrogate her, Erin was immediately curious about Carter’s backstory. It wasn’t easy for women in law enforcement, so if Erin’s guesstimate of Carter’s age was close, it meant she had gone through the police academy when there were very few women recruits. “Thank you for coming in,” Lonza said, dropping a folder on the table in front of him before sitting opposite them. Thank you for coming in, Erin thought. Not like you gave me much choice. Lonza folded his arms across his chest. “You’re both experienced lawyers, so let me be clear. Ms. McCabe, you have the right to leave anytime you’d like. This is not a custodial interrogation. We’re just trying to gather information on the murder of Bradford Montgomery.” Duane leaned forward in his chair, narrowing the space between himself and Lonza. At six-two, with broad shoulders and a hard body, Duane’s size was imposing, a fact he wasn’t afraid to use to his advantage. “Since we are, as you said, experienced lawyers,” Duane said, “I will likewise presume you and Detective Carter are experienced detectives. So, let’s lay our cards on the table, shall we. We’re in the county prosecutor’s office in one of your interrogation rooms, meaning this is all being video-recorded and probably monitored by others sitting in another room. Your preamble about Ms. McCabe being free to leave is just your way to avoid providing her with her Miranda rights. That way you can always claim it wasn’t a custodial interrogation. Which means that if you so choose, you can cherry-pick her words and use them against her.” Duane stroked his goatee and leaned back. “Do you think Ms. McCabe is somehow involved in Mr. Montgomery’s death?” “Let’s just say she’s a person of interest,” Lonza responded. “Let’s just say,” Duane said, feeding Lonza’s words back to him, “legally there is no such thing as a person of interest, Detective. Either Ms. McCabe’s a suspect or she’s not, and we both know there are different ramifications.” Erin watched her partner, still trying to adjust to her unexpected role in this unfolding drama. She was supposed to be the one fencing with the detectives, parrying the lunges at her client, but not today. In this morning’s performance, the part of Erin McCabe will be played by Duane Swisher, she thought. And yet as much as she hated being the understudy, there was no one she trusted more than Duane. He was not only her partner, he was her best friend. When he left the Bureau six years ago, he could have gone anywhere, but to Erin’s surprise, he agreed to become her partner, and together they started the firm of McCabe & Swisher. Of course, at the time, Erin was still living as Ian McCabe. A year after they formed the