Liz Gionelli/Four Suits

Liz did her best to hold back an excited scream as they left the courtroom. Pete attempted no such composure.

“Holy shit!” Pete announced, spinning Catherine in the air, “Not Guilty!”

“Catherine,” Rodney Eisel said, interrupting the celebration.

“Mandie didn’t do it either,” Catherine explained, “She—”

“I’m sorry,” he said.

Catherine stepped away from Pete to look Rodney in the eyes.

“Did you really think—actually never mind, it’s worse if you went through all of this and didn’t think I could be a murderer.”

“You were pulling away from all of us—”

“I pulled away from your father, because he was a controlling piece of shit.”

“Maybe don’t say that just outside of the courtroom of your murder trial,” Liz muttered.

“You could have reached out,” Catherine insisted, “But the only times you came to me of your own accord was when you wanted me isolated from whoever you disliked.”

“I still don’t—” Rodney began.

“Good,” Catherine said, “I don’t want your approval. I don’t want anything to do with you or anything else of Henry Eisel’s. I didn’t want to see him murdered, but I’m glad he’ll never be in my life again.”

“You’re in the will, Catherine,” he said, coolly, “We postponed in case this trial went our way, but it looks like you’ll have to tolerate one last thing of my father’s.”

Catherine kept a stoic expression, but remained silent. Rodney left with matching volume.

“Either he’s a very petty man,” Liz assessed, “Or this trial was a determining factor on if he got any inheritance at all.”

“What?”

“You didn’t get that impression?” Liz asked.

“Why would my trial—”

“Because you inherited,” Dad said, startling Liz, “Eisel was probably shrewd enough to include a small sum for both children, or rather, a fine sum for the girl, and an insultingly small sum for the boy.”

“Why would they be different?” Pete asked.

“Because he never liked Rodney,” Catherine answered.

“So he was just as bad a father as he was a man,” Dad concluded, “Our office is open if you want help with anything.”

“We’re representing Mandie when the time comes to it,” Liz revealed.

Dad nodded.

“You wouldn’t have implicated your sister without being sure she could be properly defended. Your trust in us will not go unfounded.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“Richard, please, or Riccardo since you’re family.”

“Only mom calls you that,” Pete and Liz said.

“You can also call me dad if you like.”

“Richard is fine,” Catherine said.

“You already know Pietro’s full name, but you can call my daughter Izzy or Isabella.”

“No you can’t,” Liz said, “And only dad calls me Izzy. It’s Liz.”

“Pietro?” Catherine asked.

“Petruccio’s the family nickname, but we named him Pietro.”

“I don’t hate Pietro,” Catherine admitted.

“I don’t either, but no one calls me by that when I ask them.”

“Maybe I can be the first.”

“Maybe.” Pete looked doe-eyed.

“Get a room,” Liz said, “I have a follow-up case to prepare for.”

Diamond smiled.

I’ve been waiting for our rematch, she projected to everyone in the building.

Rematch? Nightingale took the bait, When have we fought?

She pulled Nightingale into her mind. It gave her less leverage, but what she needed was control.

She made a sort of aquarium underneath her, so she could see Nightingale through the floor.

What the hell is this? Nightingale asked, hitting the glass without enough power to even vibrate it.

You know what’s going on.

Why are you doing this?

You messed with our business first, O Bride of Justice.

Nightingale scowled.

What? Not a fan of the nickname? I think it’s cute.

She managed to crack the glass beneath Diamond. Diamond stepped back, quickly returning the glass to its previous state.

Impressive, she admitted.

Nightingale was pushing on the walls now, trying to find structural weakness in Diamond’s mental defenses. Diamond shored up, expecting a pinpoint attack.

You don’t even want to negotiate? Nightingale asked.

Are you negotiable?

Nightingale shrugged.

See? You’re stubborn as a mule. Why name yourself after a bird if you never fly away when a predator’s around?

You wouldn’t understand.

Try me.

My mother called me Nightingale.

Cute. You’re right though, I don’t get letting your mom name you twice.

Nightingale’s expression was disarmingly blank. Diamond stepped further away.

“New pro—” Her radio cut out, but the distraction was enough for Nightingale to break free.

Diamond caught her in a cage this time before finding everyone else to message.

What problem?

The hero we actually expected, Club revealed, Electron’s here.

Containing Nightingale was no longer a priority task. Diamond threw her away from her mind, seeing the world around her again perfectly. She focused on Spade, trying to knock him into consciousness. If any of them had a shot at stopping Electron, it was him.

“What did you ask me here for?” Catherine asked.

Liz just played the tape.

“Hello, Rick,” the face of Henry Eisel said, “If you’re seeing this, then I’ve been murdered, and since one of the Piec sisters would be my number-one suspect, I’m sending their most likely counsel video evidence of their crime or lack thereof. You can decide what to do with this, if anything. Just remember that suppressing evidence is a crime.”

“Why did you only find this now?”

“It only just got here,” Liz said, “I think he wanted you to sweat in prison for a bit.”

“The video?”

“Since you’re not a black woman, the video completely exonerates you. We’ve sent copies of both to the police, but we figured we’d let you know you and Mandie were off the hook.”

“Can we see it?” Mandie asked, “Maybe we know her. Maybe I can thank her.”

“I thought you’d be angrier about someone else taking your vengeance,” Pete noted.

“I gave up on it anyways, but I’m still glad he’s in the ground.”

“I am so glad I will not have to prepare you for the witness stand.” Liz angled a prayer of thanks upward.

Catherine was already switching out the tapes.

Eisel stared down the barrel of Club’s weapon, and swallowed.

Finally his smirk left for moment.

“You don’t do assassinations.”

“The Four Suits don’t. We’re here to steal some valuable information. I do favors though.”

She carefully aimed at his heart.

“Who asked you for a favor? Your father?”

“Someone who considers you a nuisance.”

He was clearly wracking his brain—no, he was searching every database possible to find the deal that lead to his death.

“They weren’t stupid,” Club revealed, “In-person, off the record.”

“You’re a record.”

“I am, but unlike you, I make sure no one else can get to the records I keep.”

She waited until she felt his presence in the system she was still connected to before pulling completely out and shooting him twice in the chest.

She leaned her head on the desk so she could look up at him.

“Daddy always said you complained too much about your kids, so this was a gift from us to them, especially to Rodney.”

She pushed him aside to check the computer for the information again.

She grabbed the walkie-talkie.

“Someone got to Eisel. Grab someone pliable and I’ll give them authorization, over.”

“Wait, someone killed him?” Heart asked, “On our heist?”

“Man had enemies,” Diamond said, “Don’t worry about them being pliable, I can manage that.”

“Small problem: You know the security guards we got to help us?” Heart said, “I just found two of them unconscious.”

What? Diamond asked.

“Guess we’ve got a Mcclain on our hands,” Spade noted.

“Do you know her?” Liz asked.

“Club, of the Four Suits,” Mandie said, “Technopath.”

“No real name?”

“Not that I know of,” Mandie admitted, “Funny how Eisel didn’t include sound. He seemed to recognize her.”

“The name Diana Eves was in the system,” Catherine noted, “But someone scrubbed it.”

“Only Eves family I know wouldn’t need to do mercenary work,” Liz said, “And an assassin hired by them wouldn’t use their name as an alias.”

“She could be a relative,” Pete argued, “Or someone else paid her to frame the Eves for some reason.”

“The Suits don’t do assassin work,” Mandie insisted, “This was personal.”

“How do you know so much about a group of mercenaries?” Liz asked. Was Pete marrying into something dangerous?

“She went on a date with Spade once,” Catherine revealed before Mandie could fail to answer, “The telekinetic.”

“Sounds reliable,” Liz commented, “Did he say he rescued kittens on his off-days?”

“Not that kind of date,” Mandie said.

“Did you mention any of your history with Henry Eisel?”

Mandie shook her head.

“Then this probably won’t loop back to you.”

She looked back at the video.

“I’ll have things prepared just in case.”

Heart ran to the location Diamond set in his mind, giving every hostage along the way an incredible desire to talk to Electron.

Spade was unconscious in a hallway. He was a small guy, but Heart still wasn’t sure he could lift him.

He transferred some of his panic, but Spade didn’t stir.

“Get out of the building. I’ll deal with the perpetrators,” Electron was saying to a crowd that wasn’t getting quieter, but it was only a matter of time before Heart’s influence ran out.

He dragged Spade to the stairs only to find a woman on the other side of the door.

“Boo!” He sent panic toward her, but she gritted her teeth.

She reached a hand crackling with electricity toward him.

“Fuck!”

He dropped Spade and ran.

Problem in the stairwell, he warned, Woman with electric hands. Might be the one who killed Eisel.

Eisel was shot, not electrocuted, Club revealed, Just get out as fast as possible. The living EMP messed with their systems enough that I got what I needed.

What? Spade managed to sound groggy even psychically.

Job’s done, Diamond explained, Get out.

The last thing Liz expected was for Catherine to ask for her accompaniment to the will-reading.

“To my ex-wife’s son born during our marriage, Rodney,” the lawyer read.

Liz winced at the implication.

“The Sum of $50,000 for his exceptional service to me and my company all these years.”

$50,000 wouldn’t usually be small, unless it was gifted by a billionaire. Liz was correct. He went through the trial to increase his share.

“To my daughter, Magdalena, all my real-estate properties, not including those owned by Eiselcorp, and the sum of $5,000,000.”

She could potentially double that or more if she handled those properties well enough. The girl was smiling.

“To my goddaughter, Catherine Piec, all other properties and assets, including my 60% share in the Eiselcorp company. Perhaps it will make up for all that I’ve done.”

Catherine was setting her jaw, like she planned to reject it.

“You don’t think those two are a better set of hands for all those assets, do you?” Liz asked.

Catherine looked over the room. Liz spotted a woman with dark hair, who might have been Rodney’s mother, scoff and leave without acknowledging anyone else. Several business-types looked at Catherine greedily.

“Did you get an engagement ring?” Liz asked.

Catherine carefully showed her left hand.

“Use it to push your hair back,” Liz directed, “They’re less likely to bother you if they know you’re taken.”

“Most of them are married.”

“Most of them have been divorced.”

Catherine sighed, but pushed back her hair, causing some of them to look away. A man in all black, with hair and eyes in matching hues, kept watching, but too subtly to get a bead on his intent.

Catherine sighed again, standing up.

“Now for why I asked you here instead of your brother, or my sister.”

She walked over to Rodney Eisel in the corner.

“I understand why,” she told him, “But I don’t forgive you for trying to get me convicted of murder.”

“I won’t apologize again.”

“Good,” Catherine said, “That’s not why I came here.”

“Why then?”

“You’ve been acting as interim CEO in your father’s absence.”

“The will makes it clear he didn’t consider himself my father.”

“Doesn’t change the birth certificate,” Liz said.

“Ms. Gionelli,” Rodney turned to her, “Your presence here wouldn’t be connected to the ring Catherine’s wearing, would it?”

“They have to do with the same thing, Mr. Eisel.”

He turned back to Catherine.

“You know the only reason dad never payed him off was because he considered Grace Johnson to be the one that got away?”

“Like he’d accept your money,” Liz scoffed.

“Your family too good for the legally acquired stuff?”

“Bold claim considering how dear old dad was executed,” Liz imitated two gunshots. She was off the clock, and no one in this room was going to hire her anyways.

Rodney turned back to Catherine.

“You said you wanted nothing more to do with my father, but here you are, going through with his vicarious fantasy.”

Catherine punched him in the face, causing an audible wince from the audience of alleged mourners.

“Are you done with your tantrum?” Catherine asked, “Or should I make my offer later?”

Rodney held his nose, but successfully stood up.

“That was uncalled for.”

“No, I think those count as fighting words,” Liz corrected, “You’re just lucky she chose to punch you instead of me.”

The sneer was less effective now that he was holding his nose with both hands.

“I think it would be best for the company if you kept your position as CEO,” Catherine said, “Just remember who’s letting you stay there.”

Catherine turned around, and Liz followed her out of the room.

“You took me because Pete would have punched his ass, and Mandie would have…”

“I have no idea, but I wasn’t going to offer him a job around his ex.”

Catherine’s expression looked strained.

Liz put an arm around her shoulders.

“You should come to my parents house for dinner. I think you need some garlic.”

“It’s not like Rodney’s a vampire.”

“Worse, he’s a business major.”

Catherine finally laughed, then struggled to stop as Liz gently guided her out of the building.

“I’m never getting his stench off of me, am I?” Catherine asked.

“Maybe not,” Liz assessed, “But tomato’s pretty effective.”