Gray waited two hours for the lawyer to arrive. Considering it was a last-minute arrangement, he was grateful the wait wasn't longer. The police officers then moved him to a private, unrecorded room where he and the lawyer could confer.

Neal Ashley, a polished-looking man in his forties with slicked-back hair, was the lawyer. The first thing he did, once they were alone, was ask Gray if he had killed Lacy.

"Was that really the sort of thing a lawyer should be asking?" Gray wondered. He'd only dealt with corporate lawyers before. He stared blankly, and the lawyer smiled.

"Mr. Meyer," Neal said, "I don't care what you did. We have attorney-client privilege; I can't tell anyone anything you say without your explicit permission. I only ask because the answer will help me determine how best to assist you."

Gray supposed that made sense. During the wait, while the police had attempted to interrogate him, they mentioned finding security footage from the taxi he'd taken to the Bronx. He had no idea how they'd found it—perhaps the cab driver had recognized him—but the damage was done.

If this went to trial, he'd surely be found guilty and receive the harshest punishment, especially with Brann Knighton involved. Pleading guilty for a lighter sentence seemed his best bet. As long as they couldn't prove premeditation, he might be okay.

The fact that Lacy intended to drug him might work in his favor. He could claim self-defense, a momentary lapse of rationality.

"I did it," Gray said flatly. "There's no point in denying it; I don't want a trial. Tell me my options."

"Why don't you start from the beginning?" Neal suggested mildly, as if he hadn't just received a murder confession. "I'll need to know everything that happened."

Gray could tell him everything except his plan to accidentally kill Lacy the following day. Attorney-client privilege or not, he wanted no doubt that he deserved a lighter sentence for second-degree murder.

"Are you aware that Lacy Knighton was completely obsessed with my younger brother?" he asked before beginning his story.

"That would be Aaron Hale, correct? I've seen the news. But I didn't know there was a connection beyond him getting engaged to someone else at her birthday party."

"She'd been after him for years, even drugging his high school girlfriend because she ate lunch with Aaron. On multiple occasions, she tried to drug him before discovering he was married, believing that sleeping with him once would make him marry her."

The lawyer eyed him curiously. "How is this relevant?"

"Because Lacy's first instinct is always to drug people she can't control. The day I killed her, she tried to drug me. I wrestled the needle away and jabbed her with it. I then had people escort her from my office.

"Once she was gone, I realized she'd never leave Aaron or me alone. For my family's safety, she needed to disappear. I snuck out a hidden office door, got her into a cab, and took her to a Bronx alley where I thought she wouldn't be found for a while. That's it," Gray finished nonchalantly.

Neal straightened the papers on his desk before looking Gray in the eye. He seemed unfazed, making Gray wonder how many murder confessions it took to reach such casualness.

"Mr. Meyer, you're telling me you killed Lacy in a spur-of-the-moment act of self-defense to protect your younger brother?"

Gray nodded. "Aaron took his family on vacation because of his wife's stress over Lacy stalking their apartment building. I saw my chance and took it. I don't regret it, but I do regret getting caught."

The lawyer actually laughed. "You're an honest one. Most people will swear they didn't do it, or if they did, that it was an accident. From what you say, it sounds like this woman had it coming to her."

His demeanor grew more serious. "That being said, Brann Knighton wants justice. You're smart to avoid trial. Your best bet is a signed confession with exact details, since it was a spur-of-the-moment decision. I can probably negotiate 15 years to life."

Fifteen years to life. What a horrible uncertainty. Gray might be released when his niece and nephew were teenagers, or he might never get out.

Even though 15 years was the best minimum sentence he could expect, the thought of wasting so much time in prison was abhorrent. His company would likely be in shambles upon his release. He had enough to live on without his playboy lifestyle, but who would want him then? Murderers weren't exactly desirable dating material. He'd have to leave New York and change his name to truly start over, but that would be a major parole violation, requiring him to wait until his sentence was complete.

Neal interrupted Gray's thoughts. "I recommend making your confession as straightforward as possible. Don't make it obvious you hated her or wanted her gone. It needs to seem like a moment of weakness. Write it out, and I'll help you edit it."

Gray sighed. At least this man seemed competent. He'd have to thank Aaron later, assuming his brother ever spoke to him again.

(The final promotional line has been removed as it is not part of the text to be cleaned up.)