He squared his shoulders and pulled open the door to the office suite. The furnishings were mismatched and looked as though they’d been pulled from a sixties or seventies sitcom set. He marched to the receptionist’s desk. She barely glanced at him, so he cleared his throat and glared.

She rolled her eyes but didn’t look at him. “What can I do for you?”

“Tell Grant Joshua I need to see him.”

Grant Joshua, the public defender, wouldn’t be thrilled by his impromptu visit, but he wasn’t thrilled it was required. Senator Langdon’s ultimatum had left him little choice. He had to apply effective pressure immediately. The promotion was his. Anything else was unacceptable.

“You think that’s enough to get him out here?” The woman’s sarcasm was thicker than Nutella on a slice of bread. “Unless you have a court order, you can get in line.”

“Just pick up the phone and tell him Dane Nichols is here.”