Chapter 1

The yellow cab smelled of stale cigarettes and pine air freshener. I watched the rain-slicked streets of New York blur past the window.

In my last life, this was the ride that took me to the hotel, to the Pulitzer jury sequestration, and to the beginning of my end.

This time, it was the ride that would save me.

My daughter, Gabrielle, had destroyed me. She used my name, my reputation as a juror, to sell fake "inside information" on the winners to desperate people. When it all blew up, she pointed her finger at me.

She called herself a "whistleblower" online, feeding the mob lies about my supposed corruption. I lost my career, my freedom, and finally, my life. A stress-induced heart attack in a lonely apartment, hounded by strangers.

Now, I was back in this taxi, on this exact day. I had a second chance.

"Driver, can you stop at that liquor store?" I asked, my voice steady.

He glanced at me in the rearview mirror, a respected journalist in a sensible coat. He probably thought I was buying a celebratory bottle.

I walked in, grabbed a bottle of cheap whiskey, and paid in cash.

Back on the sidewalk, I saw what I was looking for: a parked NYPD cruiser, two officers inside.

I twisted the cap off the bottle, the seal cracking loudly in the quiet afternoon. I raised it to my lips and started chugging, the harsh liquid burning my throat. I made sure they could see me.

I took another long swallow, then threw the empty bottle into a public trash can with a loud crash. I started walking, deliberately unsteady on my feet.

The cruiser' s lights flashed. Two officers got out. One was young, his face a mix of confusion and awe. The other was older, seasoned, his eyes missing nothing.

"Ma'am, I need you to stop right there," the older one said.

I turned, feigning surprise. "Is there a problem, officer?"

The young one, Ryan Scott, spoke up. "Ma'am... are you Debra Jones? The journalist?"

I recognized him from my past life. He was a good cop, one of the few who had looked at me with a flicker of doubt instead of pure disgust during my arrest.

"I am," I said, slurring my words just enough. "Just having a little... pre-jury celebration."

The older officer, Andrew Morris, sighed. "Ma'am, you're drinking in public. You're clearly intoxicated. We have to take you in."

"Take me in? For what?" I asked, playing dumb.

"Public intoxication and disorderly conduct," Morris said flatly. "Let's go."

At the precinct, they processed me. When they asked for my one phone call, I shook my head.

"No one to call."

"What about your daughter? Gabrielle?" Scott asked gently. He knew my work, so he knew about my family.

"No," I said, looking down at my hands. "I'm too ashamed. She'd be so disappointed."

The lie tasted bitter, but it was necessary.

The judge gave me the standard sentence: 30 days. It was perfect.

As they led me to the holding cell, I knew Gabrielle was just now putting her plan into motion. She was calling her marks, setting up the scam, confident I was locked away in a hotel, reviewing submissions, completely oblivious.

But I wasn't in a hotel. I was in a jail cell. And this time, I had the perfect alibi.