Kelly's body went rigid. She forced herself to lean back in her chair, creating distance, her mind racing through the calculus of exposure. James was already moving, reaching for his coffee cup with deliberate casualness, his expression shifting into the neutral mask of professional courtesy.

Sandra approached the counter, and for a moment Kelly thought they might escape unscathed. The court administrator ordered a latte, her back turned to them. But then she glanced over her shoulder, and Kelly saw the flicker of recognition in her eyes—not suspicion yet, but the beginning of it. The slow realization that she'd seen something worth noting.

James cleared his throat quietly, a signal they'd developed. Kelly understood immediately. She gathered her files, moving with the deliberate slowness of someone who simply happened to be finishing up. She didn't look at him again. That would be the mistake—the glance that confirmed everything.

"Thank you for the recommendation," James said, loud enough for Sandra to hear. "I'll look into that civil procedure case for the seminar."

It was a perfect cover, the kind of mundane professional exchange that happened constantly in Auburn's small legal community. Kelly nodded once, professional and distant, and stood. Her coffee was still half-full, abandoned on the table like evidence of a crime scene.

She moved toward the door, keeping her pace even, her expression carefully neutral. Behind her, she could feel Sandra watching, could sense the wheels turning in the court administrator's mind. Had she seen something? Or was she simply noting the coincidence of two prosecutors' office personnel meeting at the same coffee shop?

The November wind hit Kelly as she stepped outside, and she forced herself not to walk too quickly, not to look back through the window. She turned left on Maple Street, away from the courthouse, her hands shoved deep in her coat pockets. Her phone buzzed almost immediately—a text from James, just two words: "Be careful."

Kelly didn't respond. She couldn't. Not now. Not when Sandra Chen was probably still inside, ordering her latte, processing what she'd seen or thought she'd seen. The stakes of their relationship had just shifted again, becoming sharper, more dangerous. Auburn's courthouse was too small for secrets, and they'd just learned how quickly those secrets could unravel.