She knew something was wrong. She's known for days. Will had been evasive, stressed, a baseball constantly in his hand. Peter had shifted from resigned to cold. Diane would barely look at her. When he walks into her office, his hands in his pockets and his face nervous she can feel herself sinking, the fear building with the confusion. She says 'Hey', her voice happier than she feels.
'Hey.' He starts to sit, changes his mind, then sinks into the couch. 'Alicia, we need to talk about something.'
'About Peter.' It's out before she can think it.
He looks surprised but nods. 'The SA's office has a RICO investigation going. I'm part of it.'
'Why?' He just looks at her and she looks away. She knows. 'He's going after you, because of me.'
'Yes.' His voice is quiet.
'What does he have? Peter isn't stupid. He must have something if he thinks he can keep going after you.' As the details work themselves out in her head, the fear grows with the confusion.
'It's something I did a long time ago. A mistake.' He closes his eyes briefly, his voice regretful.
'What kind of mistake?'
'I was gambling, a lot. I got in over my head. So I thought that I would borrow money to cover it. I took forty-five thousand from a client's account intending to put it back before the weekend was over.' He can barely look at her. Her head is spinning. 'They found out before I could put it back. I paid it back, left the firm. Left that life. But Peter knows and he's using it to come after me as part of the RICO investigation.'
Finally he looks at her but she's staring at the floor. She can barely breathe. Finally her face closes and she looks up. 'Okay.'
'Okay?' The nervousness on his face has turned to fear. He doesn't understand. 'Alicia, it was a long time ago.'
'I get that. It was once?' Her voice is slow, measured.
'Yes. A mistake.'
'It was handled at your firm?'
'Yes. It's why I left.'
'Okay then.' She looks at him, her gaze steady and her eyes determined. 'Okay.'
The next time she sees Peter, it's her who is cold.