39

“Nothing, other than you’re very good at your job but given the way Matt treated you, I honestly believe you were and still are ready for something entirely different. Look, I admire that, and you’ve had the respect of your peers. I’m just asking is if the man is worth jeopardizing everything you’ve worked for?”

“Yeah, Jenny, he is. Because it’s the right thing to do.” The fact the question was easy to answer gave me a feeling that I wasn’t completely nuts. Joshua wasn’t a bad man, no matter how many times he’d attempted to tell me he was. I could trust him. Maybe I was just worried about trusting myself. Jenny was right about something very important.

I was more than ready for something different, and Joshua had that in spades.

“You’re right, honey. It’s just I don’t want you hurt. You forget that I know all about mafia guys. Plus, I know about JoshuaJames’ reputation. He makes that dude you tried to convict, the Butcher, look like a candy store salesman. He deserves to go to prison.”

“Only if he’s guilty. But I don’t know how he could have been in two places at once.”

“If the evidence you got from the medical examiner was wrong, then it’s possible.”

I hadn’t remembered telling her that I’d talked to Victoria in detail. “She’s never wrong. Victoria is meticulous.”

“True. Now you have me curious. Are you still seeing this guy?” Her sexy, imploring voice had returned.

“Let’s just say I’m taking what we shared into self-advisement until I determine how to handle the case.” Now I was lying to her. Why? Because I couldn’t trust anyone other than Joshua and myself. Wasn’t that nuts? And the reason? Because I’d been knocked off my game and was fearful I couldn’t get back up.

“Good girl. I’m not trying to tell you what to do,” Jenny continued, “but you need to think about and protect yourself. You have such a bright future.”

Why did I feel like I’d suddenly dropped into a surreal world? “You’re right. That’s why I’m staying late to ensure I’m putting all the pieces together. Cases like this just nag at my inner do-the-right-thing girl. You know how it is.”

“Sadly, I do. Maybe we can grab brunch over the weekend? You’ve been working too hard. Plus, I will want all the juicy details.” Her laugh made me roll my eyes.

“Somebody needs to earn the big bucks. Right? Brunch sounds perfect,” I said, trying to keep the tone of my voice light. Why did I have the distinct feeling that wasn’t going to happen?

“Fantastic. Then we’ll talk soon. Just be careful, girl. Like I said, I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

Yeah, neither did I, but I also didn’t like living a lie, which is exactly what I felt like I was doing. Living inside a bubble that was going to burst soon. The nagging continued.

After ending the call, I held the phone to my head. I knew my bestie was right, but my little voice was nagging me that whatever was going on, being caught in the middle was the worst possible place to be. I wasn’t cut out to be a fledgling criminal, but I refused to allow the railroad into hell to continue. Maybe I needed to don my superwoman cape. I almost laughed when movement caught my attention.

Christine was leaving her office, heading out with the last person she’d met with behind closed doors. I glanced at my watch. It was nearly closing time. How had the hours passed? The fact she had her purse with her meant she wasn’t returning. If the majority of the people in the office left work on time, I could slide inside and see if she had anything in her personal files.

It was the riskiest thing of all but something that might help. I refused to allow Joshua to be taken to jail. And I had a sick feeling inside that they’d find a way to railroad him back into jail for safe keeping. He needed to go somewhere to keep from being found. Oh, God. This was getting so far out of hand I couldn’t think straight.

I tried not to pay any attention to what was happening outside my office door, but it was difficult not to hold my breath untilshe walked out. After she did, I sat back, glancing at the upload. It needed a few more minutes. Fuck. I certainly would never become a career criminal.

As I was staring out the massive administrative pool, my view of the front entrance a direct line of vision, I didn’t notice when my assistant, Cally, walked in.

“Ms. Barrios?”

“Shit. Sorry,” I laughed, pressing my hand against my chest and shifting further in front of the computer. “I didn’t see you standing there.”

“It’s okay. Do you need anything else for the day?”

She seemed as if something was bothEricag her. “No, I’ll be leaving in a little while. Is everything okay?”

Cally brushed her hand through her hair. “I think so. Everyone seems to be acting weird in the office.”

“Any idea why?”

“I don’t know but Ms. Warner is on the warpath.”

Christine required all the employees who weren’t considered top level to use her last name. For some reason, that had always irritated me. “Did she say anything?”

“Just muttered something about not being able to trust anyone.”

I took a deep breath, getting up from my desk and heading toward the window. “Everyone can have a bad day. It’s the nature of our business. Go home and grab a glass of wine.” When the two women reached the front entrance, they continued talking. As they separated, I held my breath, quickly moving away from the window as Christine stopped short, glancing upat the building. No, directly at the location of my window. Fuck. She was onto me. I could feel it in my gut. I had to act quickly before anything further happened to Joshua.

Swallowing hard, I planted a practiced grin on my face before I turned around.

Thankfully, Cally finally smiled. Meanwhile, I was cringing inside. “I think I’ll do that.”

I laughed, the sound hollow. “Have a great night. We will have a lot of work on our hands given the upcoming case.”

“I’m ready,” she said confidently before walking out.

Jesus Christ. Everything was becoming uncontrollable. I needed to talk to Joshua. I needed to breathe. I still needed a CAT scan. It was time to pretend I knew what I was doing.

As I tried to busy myself for whatever time it took for the majority of employees to leave, I glanced around my office. I’d worked so hard to get where I was, so proud of my accomplishments. My parents were proud of me, my dad gushing to his friends about his successful daughter. I wasn’t certain what I’d say to them if I lost my job.

Not if. When.

Christine had made that very clear. I’d continue on my path to success or be tossed into the garbage. There was no in between. Fine. I had to boost my game. The question was could I look myself in the mirror any longer if I allowed an atrocity to happen? I knew the answer. So should everyone who knew me. Not a chance in hell.

I studied the reports provided to me by Victoria and still had questions. Maybe if I was able to definitively find an entirelydifferent connection between the two other similar murders and those of the Voltairs then I could effectively take the heat off my shoulders. It was a longshot but of all the people right now I believed I could trust, Victoria was one of the few.

Grabbing my phone, I dialed Victoria’s office. After several rings, the main voicemail came on. “Hey, Victoria. I still have a couple questions. You know my cellphone. Call me.” I had no intentions of leaving any details on either emails or phone calls. I had a feeling everything I was doing was being monitored. That left me with little time.

I glanced at my watch, becoming antsy. At least I had the jump drive safely tucked away in my purse. I had to meet Joshua soon, although I needed to tell him it was best we kept some distance between us.

I’d also warn him that he should find another location to stay without telling anyone. Great. I might as well advise him to leave town, which he couldn’t do. Not if he wanted to get out of this mess. Not if he wanted my help in getting out of this atrocious game. We’d need to play this very carefully.

After another few minutes, I noticed the last administrative assistant was leaving the office. The sweet girl didn’t bother looking in my direction. I’d worked into the night many times before. A custodial staff would drop by later, turning off all the lights, which gave me at least an hour to discover everything I might need.

I waited, taking a deep breath. Then I pulled a nailfile I had in my office drawer into my hand. That should work on the file cabinet in Christine’s office.

As I stood, I sucked in and held my breath.

I headed for her office, taking the time to ensure I’d been right and everyone had left. Given it was almost seven, I found the place empty. Still, I felt I needed to hurry and not just because I’d told Zephyr I’d meet him in the lobby at exactly seven but because I couldn’t be more uncomfortable with what I was about to do.

Before I had a chance to do anything, my phone rang. Bristling, I turned and stared at it for a few seconds before snatching it from my desk. Seeing the office number of the ME’s office, I headed toward the window as far out of earshot as possible before answEricag. “Victoria. I’m so glad you called. I think something is going on that we aren’t privy to.”

“Ms. Barrios? It’s Bailey.”

Her voice was shaking and instantly, the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. “What’s wrong?”

“I just…”

“Bailey. Try and calm down. Where is Victoria?”

“She’s… Oh, God. She’s dead.”

Stunned, I couldn’t speak for a few seconds. Then a horrible icy chill drifted into every cell and muscle. “What did you say?”

“She walked across the street to get a coffee. When she didn’t come right back, I went outside. That’s when I saw the police cars.”

I planted my free hand on the window, hating the way shadows had already settled, twilight rolling in. My heart was racing, the rush of adrenaline suffocating. “What happened?”

“The police said…” Bailey sobbed for a few seconds, and I sucked in my breath. “A hit and run driver. I can’t believe it. She was just here.”

After turning around, the entire world seemed to be spinning and I slowly slid down the window to the floor, folding one arm over my knees and rocking. “It’s going to be okay, honey.”

“Why wouldn’t they stop? Why were they leave her there bleeding?”

“I don’t know, girl. You should call somebody to drive you home. Okay?”

“My daddy is coming.”

“Good girl.” I wondered if I called my father if he could tell me what to do, provide comfort. I almost laughed, trying so hard to control my emotions. “That’s good, Bailey. I appreciate you calling me.”

Bailey continued to sob, and I closed my eyes.

“I gotta run, girl. Go home and be with your family.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Bailey ended the call, and I squeezed my phone, taking gasping breaths. I was certain I was having a panic attack. No, if I did then Christine and her power-hungry friends would win. I couldn’t allow that to happen. After taking several additional deep breaths, I managed to get to my feet, glancing out my windows and doors to ensure I was still alone.