The meeting took place two days later. Jalen had accompanied Ashlyn to the Raffles, waiting outside the hotel in a Starbucks across the street. They had agreed that if Ashlyn didn't leave the hotel within the next hour, he would go for help.

Ashlyn entered the lobby and took the elevator to the fifth floor. When she reached the ostentatious suite, she was met by two of Gazal's security guards and searched for weapons and listening devices. They then escorted her through an antechamber to the elegant living area. The floor-to-ceiling windows offered an impressive postcard view of the city. The beige-colored wallpaper and the light parquet floor, with their sleek warmth, were in complete contrast to the occasion of the meeting with the head of one of Massachusetts' most feared crime organizations.

Kamil Gazal was an impressive personality. The pictures of him that we knew from the media did not even come close to capturing the aura that surrounded the powerful man. With a smile, he rose from the elegant couch and walked towards Ashlyn with an outstretched hand. Only his eyes showed a coldness and hardness that suggested his true character. "Counselor, thank you for coming to me today as my guest. Please, have a seat." With a welcoming gesture, he showed Ashlyn to a place in the corner of the couch. He poured tea into the white porcelain cups when she sat down. "First of all, I would like to say that I am deeply sorry for what has happened to you and your family and friends," he said warmly to Ashlyn. "I hope that your friend will recover soon. I heard that she is on the right track!"

Ashlyn, who had agreed to the meeting with the firm intention of listening to what the crime boss had to say, felt anger threatening to take over again. How did Gazal know about Kim? And what business was it of his anyway? She had every intention of getting up and ending their conversation but pulled herself together for a moment. This was just too important.

"Let me get right to the point. I am well aware of the complex circumstances of our meeting, and your reputation, Ms. O'Laighin, precedes you. I assure you that I have absolutely nothing to do with the situation. However, I have valuable connections in the city, so I have information that I am willing to share with you. I can also assure you that the person who shot Ms. Shae is no longer a danger to you. I took care of that. That's all I can do for you. Whether you're interested in it or not is up to you."

Like hell, you had nothing to do with it, Ashlyn thought, still on the verge of losing her composure. She had had enough experience with so-called family clans in Boston to realize one thing: there was an Inner Circle, immediate kinship, in which there was a trust that knew no bounds. They looked out for each other, and mistakes and failures were always covered. Hierarchies and absolute subordination to the word of the elders and the clan chiefs formed the foundation of a dangerous and terror-inspiring parallel society. Outside this inner circle, people lied, cheated, and often behaved in a shocking way that was second to none. Whatever Gazal told, suggested, or promised her was of no value whatsoever. Unless it would benefit him or one of his family members. She would not be deceived by his unquestionably amiable, empathetic, and obviously insincere behavior.

"I see you have doubts, Ms. O'Laighin. So let me just say one thing. I know that your client has been put in a terrible situation, and I have heard that he only acted the way he did because he wanted to protect his family, especially his daughter. Your client was blackmailed by Mr. Sanchez! And I know one person who can confirm this in court. Only you can judge whether you want to talk to this person and whether it can help in your case."

Gazal paused briefly, looking Ashlyn directly in the eyes with his cold, blue eyes. Then he sipped tea from the simple white cup before him. "That's all I have to say."

He nodded at Ashlyn, rose, and disappeared through a door at the front of the suite in the next moment.

xxx

After Ashlyn had left the Raffles and updated Jalen, the two had said goodbye to each other. Ashlyn now needed time to think about what to do next. After a long walk, the lawyer sat in Boston Common thirty minutes later.

Ashlyn loved Boston for its many faces. It could be hectic, big city, cosmopolitan, full of contradictions and diversity on the one hand, and quiet, almost provincial.

She closed her eyes and laid her head back, breathing deeply and with relief. Kim had woken up again. She had just spoken to Jody, who had excitedly and joyfully reported on it. It was good news that filled her with a great sense of happiness. At the same time, however, she also felt guilty about the whole situation. But that couldn't be helped now. It would have to wait; she couldn't let guilt cloud her thoughts. After all, the matter was not over yet.

Never before in her career as a lawyer had evil come so close to her personally. She had always wanted to avoid that, but somehow, she had ended up in it. Sure, she was a prosecutor, and crime was her daily bread. She had met and convicted murderers, drug smugglers, pimps, the scum of society. That was her job. Lawyers were part of the system; she kept telling her friends, who had often asked her how she could do this job. Lawyers, she explained, were an essential part of the legal system, one side of the scales of justice, weighing right against wrong. And most of the time, she believed in it herself.

But none of that mattered to her now. She saw herself and her family, which she also included Kim in, on one side, and a powerful criminal organization on the other. She suspected that Gazal was more involved than he was sharing. She even considered involving the BPD to sort things out.

Was that perhaps even her duty? But what would be the consequences? Would that escalate the situation even further? If that happened, no investigative authority, special unit, or no witness protection program could give them the security they needed. Besides, it was questionable whether there was anything concrete that the BPD could have worked with at this point. Kamil Gazal was probably under constant surveillance anyway.

She dismissed the thought for the time being and asked herself another question: What was the point of meeting with the witness?

The answer was as simple as it was practical: If she could prove with the witness's testimony that Nicholas Brandt had only shot Eric Sanchez because he was being blackmailed. His daughter Lily's life was threatened, but her client would still be convicted. Because at no time did the situation give him the right to shoot Sanchez and endanger the lives of two other people. On the other hand, this obviously hopeless situation could significantly mitigate the sentence for him. After all, he hadn't shot to kill for no reason, but it was the only way for him to protect his daughter's life. In the best case, the court would then sentence him for the manslaughter of Sanchez and the dangerous bodily harm of the two other victims and, given the emotional dilemma, impose a sentence of eight to ten years. With a favorable prognosis and Ashlyn's help, who would file the appropriate applications for an early release, Brandt would be back with his family in a few years.

The court case would play out differently if they couldn't call a witness and Brandt remained silent. And that's precisely what it looked like at the moment. Even with all of Ashlyn's experience as a lawyer, she wouldn't be able to avert a guilty verdict for the murder of Sanchez and the attempted murder of the two random customers at the bakery. And the verdict in the case of murder was clear: Brandt would have to serve a life sentence.

Ashlyn felt in a moral quandary. After all, under normal circumstances, she was the one who ensured that criminals received their justified convictions.

This time, she had to weigh up the evidence.

Was Brandt really the evil man who belonged behind bars forever for killing a person in cold blood and without motive? Or was he a father who wanted to defend his daughter's life and body and went catastrophically overboard in doing so? And did she now hold the key to proving the second option? For the first time in her life, Ashlyn could identify with the idea that the end justified all means.

Who, she wondered, was she to decide otherwise? How could she reconcile Gazal's statement that her family and client were no longer in danger? And if that was the case, was Ashlyn now endangering the freedom, life, and safety of others dependent on her decisions for better or worse by acting without thinking? And that even without them having any influence over it, let alone suspecting what was happening here? She shook her head and slammed her fist on the faded wood of the bench she was sitting on. What an incredible mess!

Her friend Kim almost died. And she still had a client and a court case that continued into the following week. Then there was a potential witness who could change everything, a witness she could only meet with the interference of Kamil Gazal, one of the most dangerous men she had ever met. Indecisive about what to do next, thoughts turned in her head. She didn't know the answers to too many questions right now.

xxx

Kim was in a joking mood again. As battered and still dazed as she was due to the massive injuries, she was also strong and full of optimism. And her way of showing it was humor. She still had a thick bandage around her head, but the swelling in her face had subsided somewhat, and except for the dark circles around her eyes, she looked like herself again. The monitoring equipment beeped steadily, and the sun shone warmly through the window of the small private room.

Ashlyn had to laugh heartily at Kim's performance, who, in her own brilliance, was imitating one of the doctors treating her.

"That's enough now," Ashlyn said, laughing. 'You need to rest.' She squeezed Kim's hand before getting up from her chair and kissed the other woman on the cheek, lingering a second or two longer than usual. "See you tomorrow!"

She waved to Kim and then left the room. Outside in the hallway, she thanked the officer assigned to Kim's protection, who was stoically watching to ensure no unauthorized person entered the room. Even though Ashlyn assumed after her conversation with Kamil Gazal that Kim was no longer in danger, she was still very grateful for the protection. After all, they were dealing with a criminal organization here, and their deal was not yet sealed.

When Ashlyn opened the door to the stairwell, she wanted to walk down the three floors to get some exercise. She saw Jody and Leon leaving the elevator. They hadn't spotted her yet, and for a moment, she considered just sneaking away. Then she thought better of it and turned around.

"Ashlyn," Jody called to the attorney, taking the blonde in her arms. 'How is my daughter?'

"Jody. Kim is fine. She's almost back to her old self. She'll be happy to see you." Turning to Leon, Ashlyn said, "Hello!" and walked on without waiting.

xxx

Ashlyn looked uneasily at the points she had noted on the white paper sheet before her. She had returned to her office immediately after visiting Kim. She was clearer and more focused than she had been in a long time. After going through all the notes again, she felt she had to keep too many balls in the air simultaneously. She had to sort them. What was really important now? Without prioritizing, her list included:

1. Security for family and Kim

2. Role of Kamil Gazal

3. Testimony of witness number six

4. Expert opinion on Brandt's criminal responsibility

5. Testimony of Anja Brandt?

First things first! She circled the third point with her pen. Everything depended on the testimony of the mysterious sixth witness. If he confirmed that Brandt had acted out of a dilemma, the rest of the steps would follow.

She looked at her cell phone uncertainly. Should she call Gazal and ask him how he got the witness? They were running out of time. Today was Wednesday, and the court case would enter the next round in just one week. If she still wanted to introduce the witness at the trial, she had to file a motion for evidence in good time. She had very little time.

At that moment, the door to her office opened, and Stephanie Weston poked her head into the room. "Ashlyn, a certain Mr. Sidqi insists on speaking to you." She looked at her colleague questioningly. "Should I send him away again?"

Ashlyn pricked up her ears. "No, that's fine. He can come in. Thank you."

Stephanie nodded and returned shortly after that with the potential sixth witness.

Malik Sadqi could hardly have been more than twenty-five years old. The tall and lanky young man stood in front of her, fidgeting with his hands restlessly. He was 6'7" tall, slim, and had medium-length, raven-black hair. His face had a dark complexion, so you only noticed the many pimples at a second glance. Scant beard growth adorned his cheeks and chin.

Ashlyn's confidence vanished instantly. Discouraged, she shied away from looking the man directly in the eye. If she was supposed to base her defense strategy on this guy, they had a problem. What was Kamil Gazal thinking? Malik Sadqi only returned Ashlyn's gaze briefly and then stared at the floor, feeling insecure. Oh well, she thought. Maybe I'm wrong about him too. What I don't have, I can't lose!

"Hello, Mr. Sadqi," she said. 'Please have a seat.'

The young man nodded, then pulled one of the chairs from the meeting table towards him. He almost stumbled before he sat down uncertainly.

Well, this could be interesting, the lawyer thought and sat at the table with the greatest self-confidence she could muster in the current situation.

During the next hour, while talking to the young man, her skepticism gradually turned to confidence. She was amazed. What Malik Sadqi had to report was unlike everything she had feared just a short time before. The man was really good, and above all, he seemed to be telling the truth.

After Sadqi had left the office, Ashlyn collapsed into her desk chair. She leaned back, closed her eyes, and recalled Kamil Gazal's words: "I know that your client has been put in a terrible situation, and I've heard that the only reason he acted as he did, was to protect his family, especially his daughter. Your client was being blackmailed by Mr. Sanchez! And I know a person who can confirm exactly that in court."

She had now spoken to this person, Malik Sadqi, and Ashlyn couldn't help but admire Gazal. The Godfather of Boston had once again masterfully manipulated the situation.

She now had what she needed. But should she really call Malik Sadqi as a witness? It could be the deciding turning point for the court case. Was that morally justifiable?

The whole case was becoming increasingly absurd, and what seemed to be yesterday's best idea was questionable again today. Out of nowhere, a thought popped into her head that could give her more clarity. One person stood for truth and sincerity more than anyone else. She had to talk to this person!