Chapter 55 Empathy Viii

Erica’s [POV]
With the assistance of a few more glasses of wine, we fall into a much less stilted conversation during dinner. The judge is mostly a silent observer from his seat, his fingers trailing over my shoulder as my friends pepper me with questions and then catch me up on the latest happenings in their own lives.
They explain how they’ve been trying to bring attention to my disappearance but have been blocked at every turn. Their inferences don’t escape my notice. If they didn’t believe I was connected to some type of powerful organization before, this seems to confirm it.