The next morning I roll over and my arm hits the sheets instead of Liam. I peek my eye open and see he's already left for work. I frown when I realize he didn't wake me up to kiss me goodbye, again. I use my palm to hit my alarm clock off and then lay in bed dreading getting ready for the day. I didn't like seeing Topher twice a week when he was my professor and I certainly don't like seeing him everyday now that he's my client. I muster up the courage to get out of bed and I sluggishly walk into the bathroom to start the shower. My walk-in closet sits in the corner of the bathroom and I notice the light has been left on when I grab a towel by the door.

"Liam?" I call out, wondering if he hasn't left for work yet. When I don't get a response, I look back to his closet door that's shut. I don't know why Liam would be in my closet and suddenly my stomach sinks. A layer of heat now covers my skin and the room narrows around me. I slowly put one foot in front of the other and make my way inside my closet.

I see it as soon as I step inside. The shoebox full of pregnancy tests is sitting on my dressing table in the center of the closet. I stand there in complete horror, not moving any farther. How did Liam know about this? And worse, he didn't wake me up. He just fled the scene. I spin on my heel and dash out of my closet sprinting towards my phone on the night stand. I have no missed calls or messages and I quickly dial Liam's number. It goes straight to voicemail which is concerning since he always has to have his phone on him. Suddenly, my phone starts buzzing in my hand and my heart leaps for a split second until I see it's my boss. Which also isn't good seeing how early it is.

"Hello?" I answer and I sit back down on the edge of my bed.

"Hey Ellie, it's Kavanaugh. I was just making sure you were coming into the office before you saw John Gates today."

I nod my head even though he can't see me, "Yes, of course why? What's up?"

"It seems one of the leads you had on Gates, a Rebecca Kane, didn't make it on her flight back from Florida last night. She was supposed to come straight to our office this morning to give us her statement but apparently no one is able to get a hold of her."

My jaw drops slightly and I shake my head as I say, "Are the police looking into this? Are there any leads as to where she is now?" Kavanaugh says something away from the phone and I can hear Peabody's voice in the background. If both of them are in the office already and it's this early, it can't be good.

"Sorry about that Ellie, yes we do have someone following up on this but didn't know if John had said anything to you about this sudden change in plans?"

"No sir, I haven't heard anything. According to John, Rebecca was his contact who worked at the lab. I was working on figuring out her position there. Supposedly, she is the one that got his credentials that let him in the building that morning. That's all I know."

I hear my voice echo and suddenly I realize I'm now on speakerphone. I hear Peabody speak next, "According to our research, Rebecca Kane doesn't have a position at the lab. There isn't a key card for a Rebecca Kane for the building. The phone number we had for her has also been disconnected." Everything my bosses are telling me is shocking but I think what surprises me the most, is that they are doing their own research on this case. They aren't letting me handle it on my own. What else have they discovered that I don't know yet?

"Oh, I hadn't realized you had someone already looking into it." I reply as I try and keep the disappointment out of my voice.

"Ellie, this has potential to be a huge case. We are just making sure no detail gets overlooked. We'll finish discussing this when you get here but in the mean time, don't tell John that Rebecca is missing. Let's see what he knows about this."

I hear him drop the receiver into the base and the line goes dead. So now I have a missing husband and suspect. Which one do I go after first? I hear the shower still running and curse myself for wasting water. I throw off my pajamas and quickly get ready for work.

I grab Emma and head straight to Kavanaugh's office when I arrive at work. I tried calling Liam thirteen more times on the way over but his phone is still off. I also tried calling Teddy three times but it rolled to voicemail too.

When I round the corner into Kavanaugh's office, both him and Peabody are waiting for me. I give them each a small smile as Emma and I take seats on the opposite side of his large intimidating desk. Peabody folds his arms over his chest and rests his butt on the edge of Kavanaugh's filing cabinet. I slightly cower before them and I feel like I've been brought into the principal's office.

"Thanks for meeting with us, we just have a few things about this case that we'd like to go over with you since you are the only one that has managed to get anything out of Gates thus far," Peabody says in his curt snooty tone and I always imagine Kermit the frog when I hear his voice.

"Okay great, what can I help you with?" I reply as I quickly cross my feet under my chair and fold my hands in my lap. Emma glances to me and she is also worried that we are in trouble.

"Well we went over the notes you have been giving us and it seems like you have a hole in John Gates's statement." Kavanaugh says plainly and I look to him confused, "A hole?"

"Yes, it seems that you have no reason for John Gates to have been at that lab in the first place. What was John doing at a science lab at four in the morning?"

I refrain from biting my cheek as my eyes dart back and forth between my two bosses. I hadn't gotten that far with Topher yet. We haven't figured out a realistic reason for him to have been there. We don't have our stories straight. I know I can't mention a syringe with powers. I've spent too much time playing games with Topher and not enough time figuring out a solution that we can tell everyday civilians. Maybe I can play the crazy card? Play it off like Topher didn't know what he was doing. I just don't know the full bio the C.I.A gave "John Gates" when Topher retired. I couldn't just call up the C.I.A and ask them what new life they gave Topher.

"Oh well he hasn't told me yet. He just keeps saying he was framed by someone and that I was supposed to look into Rebecca Kane," I reply and that's honest enough. Peabody looks to Emma and unexpectedly speaks to her, "Have you heard him mention anything about being at the laboratory?"

Emma darts her eyes to me and then back to the big bosses, "Um, I'm not in the holding room when they meet sir so I don't know either."

Both Kavanaugh and Peabody flick their faces over to me in confusion, "Why aren't you having Emma record your sessions? She needs to be in the room with you for more than just learning purposes."

I try and play dumb quickly, "Well she is an intern and I didn't know how you felt about having her in the room with him. That and I don't think John will allow it, he only speaks with me." Peabody looks back to Emma who is mentally freaking out. She's terrified of saying the wrong thing but she also thinks I've been slightly suspicious about this whole case.

"So John has only ever met with Ellie? You've never seen anyone else in the holding room with her?" Emma sinks down further into her chair and it's beyond obvious how uncomfortable she is right now.

"Not besides those two officers, um Officer Greysor and I think it was Officer Stark? It's only ever been one of those three." I wish I had Liam's ability to become invisible right now. I know I am in deep shit. There is no reason Liam or Teddy should be sniffing around this case. I know for a fact the Captain removed them from it so I could do my job ethically.

"Ellie, why is your husband and his partner involved with this case? Their Captain explicitly told me that he had removed them from this case so there would be no conflict of interest. We can't have an officer tempering with any evidence. A judge could see that your husband worked the crime scene and anything credible you had will be tossed. You know better," Kavanaugh scolds and I quickly scoot forward in my chair to try and save my career.

"Liam and his partner were the original officers on the scene, I brought them in to get their statements," I reply and everything I am saying goes against everything I learned in law school. I know I am screwed. My abilities won't help me dig my way out of this one.

"You brought them in for a statement in front of the accused?" Peabody asks completely floored with my behavior and I hear Emma wondering why I am lying. She knows I flipped out and called Liam and Teddy in myself. She too wishes she could disappear right now.

"Ellie I know you are a damn good lawyer with extreme potential to make partner here, but right now you are performing like an uninformed law student. Which makes me worry about what you are teaching Emma here. I'm afraid I am going to have to pull you from this case before it's further tainted. The firm needs this case and we can't have you blow it," Kavanaugh says sternly but with a hint of disappointment. I can't believe my bosses are disappointed in me. I had no idea what that felt like until now.

"I don't know if John will work with anyone else," I tell Kavanaugh but he just shakes his head at me, "He'll have to. As of right now, you are on probation and are not allowed in a court room. I'll have you team up with Tristan on the Fisher case. He can use your eyes going through all of those files." I give a slight shake of my head as I try and keep my irritation inside. He wants me to work as an assistant with Tristan on a case that should have been mine in the first place?

"We'll have you and Emma help with research. I'll let Tristan know to use your assistance," Peabody says and I muster up the fakest smile I can achieve. Emma is relieved to be off of Topher's case but she knows I just got embarrassingly demoted.

"Okay great! I'll go find Tristan now and have him fill me in on his progress," I choke out and I want to jump over this desk and let my anger and frustrations out on both of my smug bosses. Instead, I quickly stand from the leather chair and Emma follows me out into the hallway. I look to her and say, "I'm just going to go grab the files I had on John Gates so I can hand them over to Kavanaugh and Peabody. You can go meet Tristan in his office and I'll meet you there."

Emma nods and immediately understands I need a minute alone. I pull my phone out of my blazer pocket and still see no missed class from Liam. Could this day possibly get any worse?