“So, Detectives, I really don’t see any need to arrest Lucy Burke.” Ronan Black, my attorney, relaxed back in his chair and smirked.
The laptop sat on the table, and carefully cut CCTV played over and over again.
Detective Vane looked like she wanted to shoot him in cold blood right there. “And you had this footage and didn’t think to share it.”
“What can I say, we just discovered it the moment you showed up at the house,” I said with a grin that made her face redden dramatically.
“Sounds like serendipitous timing to me,” Ronan said with a shit-eating grin.
“And where are the two men who were involved in the killing?”
I shrugged. “I have no idea. I’ve never heard from them again. We weren’t exactly friends. I had no idea what they’d done.”
“Where’s the audio on the file?” Whitely interrupted.
“I’ll ask my IT guy, she’s outside. Maybe it can be recovered, who knows?” I smiled at the detectives.
We all knew it would never be recovered, just like the rest of the video would never be found. There was the moment of the Castillo kid’s shooting, and that was it.
Detective Vane held my stare, waiting for me to twitch. I met her probing look and smiled. She pushed back from the table abruptly and cursed loudly, her elbow hitting her coffee mug. It fell to the floor and shattered into pieces.
“Oops, butterfingers,” Ronan remarked lazily, tapping idly on his briefcase. “I take it we’re done here, Detectives? Seeing as you’re completely wrong in your accusations and have absolutely no evidence to charge either my client or his sister-in-law with anything.”
Whitely straightened as both Ronan and I stood. A muscle worked in his jaw as he watched us.
“For now,” he finally spit out.
“In that case, have a great afternoon.”
We swept out into the hallway as a cop hurried to open the interrogation room door.
Outside, in the waiting room, Giada and Elio were watching for us. Instead of Giada’s usual wisecracks, she looked serious. I stopped as soon as I stepped into the room. Elio’s hands clenched into fists by his sides.
Something was wrong.
“What’s happened?” I crossed to them in three long strides.
“It’s Lucy. It seems like she found the secret passage, the one that comes out on Multree Street.”
“And?”
“I had to check the footage to see what happened. The Castillos picked her up. They’ve been watching, waiting for a chance to get to her. The timing is suspicious as hell.”
“Bastardi.” I shoved a hand through my hair, tension pulsing through me.
Charlie would be distraught about her sister. I had to get her back as quickly as possible. If something happened to her… No. I couldn’t afford to think like that. They needed a bargaining chip. They wanted a shot at me. Killing their hostage wouldn’t get them anywhere. I could be reasonable and rational about this. It was the only way to make sure I didn’t make any mistakes. Charlotte would never forgive me.
“There’s something else,” Elio said heavily, stopping me in my tracks. “Charlie went with her, trying to stop her from leaving, I guess. Sonny was watching the entrance to the passage inside the house, and he missed it all.”
I whirled around and grabbed my best friend. An explosion of violence. I yanked him close, unable to bear the words he was about to say but knowing they were coming.
His pale eyes met mine, and I knew.
“They took Charlie, too. They’ve got your wife.”
