Chapter 14
JULIA
J ulia’s jaw clenched as she slid her eyes closed, Alex’s words hanging heavy over her. Tears stung her eyes, and she pressed her lips together until they hurt.
A warm hand grasped her shoulder. “Sunshine,” Alex said, his voice soft, “whatever the answer is, it doesn’t go beyond this room.”
She clasped his hand in hers, drawing strength from it. She blew out a long breath, forcing her eyes open as she sniffled and flicked away a tear that had escaped to her cheek.
“I didn’t kill her,” she whispered.
Alex flicked his eyebrows up before he nodded. “Okay, well, that’s good. Though, I wouldn’t have judged you either way. That woman has made your life a living hell. I can understand–”
“No,” she said with a vehement shake of her head. “I didn’t do it. But I’m afraid of who did.”
“Peak Princess,” Alex whispered as he collapsed into his chair.
Julia nodded, tears filling her eyes again. “She was the last one there. When we told her…she…” Julia swallowed hard. “She didn’t have much of a reaction. She…didn’t even seem shocked.”
She pushed away from his desk and paced the length of the room. “That footage can never get out.”
“And it won’t,” Alex promised. “No one needs to know but us.”
Julia bit her thumbnail as she spun and crossed back toward him. “I have to do something, though. What if someone saw her there? What if they heard her?”
“A witness?”
Julia nodded as her mind raced through scenarios. She had to protect her family, no matter the cost. “Besides that, Grant’s at the station now. And there’s no way he could have done it.”
“Sunshine…” Alex began before he shook his head.
She lifted her eyes to his, worry etching itself into every line of her features. “Alex, I have to tell them I saw Lydia alive after Grant was there. Without that video, which we can’t let them see, Grant can’t be cleared.”
“Kid, that’s a bad idea. Let the old man fight his own battle. Clearing him may implicate you.”
“I don’t have any other choice. I’m not going to admit to anything, but I have to clear Grant. And I have to make the police look anywhere but Sierra.” She crossed to the door, determination filling her stride.
“But Julia,” Alex said as he rushed behind her, smacking a hand against the door so she couldn’t open it, “this puts you in a very bad position. Let it play out. Maybe nothing will come of it.”
“And maybe something will. If the police don’t have any leads to focus on, they’ll look for one. And I’m worried they’ll find something that will incriminate Sierra.”
“Let’s worry about that when we get there,” Alex insisted.
She shook her head. “I can’t. Alex, I have to protect my family. They are my world, and I won’t let that world crumble over truths that can be twisted into lies. But before I go, there is one other thing I need your help with.”
“Anything. Just ask.”
Julia slid her eyes closed, building her will to say the words she didn’t want to say again. “Before Lydia trapped me in the fire, she told me something. I need to know if it’s true before I deal with any fallout from it.”
“Just tell me what you need.”
Julia clicked her tongue and sighed. “Lydia claimed Sierra wasn’t Grant’s. I need to know if she was lying or not. I already have the samples. They’re in the middle right drawer of my desk. Kyle knows about this, and he’s going to run the test. Make sure he gets those samples.”
“I will.” He crinkled his brow. “But why not give them to him yourself?”
“I’m not going to tell him what I’m about to do. He wouldn’t agree.”
“Neither do I. Maybe we ought to pay Grant’s Sequel a visit so we can double-team you.”
Julia offered him an amused glance. “Very funny. I’m heading to the station. Wish me luck.”
Alex pressed harder against the door. “Wait, wait. Let me get you legal counsel before you go.”
She shook her head. “Mitchell’s there. He’ll represent me.”
“One last try. Julia, please rethink this. Let the chips fall where they fall, then we’ll come up with a plan.”
“Sorry, Alex. I can’t take that chance. I’ll be okay. Handle things on this end. I need that information about Sierra when I get back.”
Alex’s jaw flexed but he lifted his hand as he nodded. “I’m on it. The parentage of the Peak Princess is now my prime objective.”
“And remember, mum’s the word,” she said with a wag of her finger.
“My lips are sealed. Good luck, Sunshine.”
She nodded at him before she pulled the door open and left the room behind. Determination filled every step she took despite the quivering that filled her stomach and the weakness than made her knees tremble.
She squeezed her jaw tight to stop her lower lip from trembling. A tangle of thoughts raced through her mind, a mix of concern and fear.
Had Sierra done something?
She didn’t want to believe it of her stepdaughter, but she couldn’t help but wonder if Sierra had decided to put an end to Lydia’s reign of terror.
With a doggedness fueling her, she pushed herself to leave the quiet safety of Harrington House behind, making the drive into the city. She swung into the police station’s lot and parked.
Every step she took toward the station jarred her. She practiced what she might say, though she would look to Mitchell for guidance.
She entered and found a seat in the waiting room before she sent Mitchell a text. Hi. I’m in the waiting room. I need some legal advice when you have a minute.
She shifted in the uncomfortable chair, shivering as the icy air around her made the wait even more uncomfortable. She blew out a shaky breath as her leg bobbed up and down.
When Mitchell appeared, she leapt from her seat, wringing her hands in front of her as her heart thudded against her ribs.
“Julia,” he greeted her with a bob of his head, “sorry to keep meeting under these circumstances.”
He motioned for her to sit. She perched on the edge of her chair, her muscles tight. “How is Grant?”
“Doing well considering the circumstances. No charges yet. Just some questions. I’ve advised him to maintain his right to the fifth. We’ll see–”
“He didn’t do it. He couldn’t have.”
Mitchell offered her a tight-lipped smile as he patted her hand. “I appreciate your candor, as always. It will be excellent to have his wife at his side if this becomes more public.”
Julia shook her head. “It won’t. He couldn’t have done it. I have proof.”
Mitchell straightened in his seat, his brow furrowing. “Proof?”
Julia licked her lips, sliding her sweaty palms down her pants. “Yes. And that’s where my request for legal advice comes in.”
He squeezed her arm. “Whatever you say stays between us as your legal counsel.”
She lowered her voice, leaning closer to her. “Grant couldn’t have killed Lydia because…I visited her after he did, and she was very much alive.”
Mitchell bobbed his head, puckering his lips as he considered it. “All right. That certainly will clear his name, but it paints a target on your back.”
“I know, but I have to tell them about my visit,” she insisted, her gaze unwavering.
He sighed as he shook his head, a frown deepening the lines on his face. “This really puts you in the crosshairs.”
“Mitchell,” she said as he rose, “I’m not leaving here without clearing his name.”
“Understood. Give me a minute. I’ll see if I can get us a private space to talk options.”
She nodded as she slid back into the chair. Her heart continued to hammer as he approached the door leading to the interrogation rooms and disappeared inside.
The uncomfortable seat did little to ease her tension or anxiety. She pictured Sierra, so angry with her mother that it led her to do something that couldn’t be undone. She wouldn’t let her pay for it if she had.
Mitchell appeared again, drawing her attention as he motioned for her to follow him. They settled in an icy cold interrogation room.
“Tell me everything.”
Julia nodded, her hands pressed against the cold metal table, allowing it to tether her to the reality of the room. “Grant may have visited Lydia tonight, but when he left, she was alive. I saw her after…very much alive.”
“What time did you visit her?” Mitchell uncapped his pen and pressed it against his legal pad.
“Quarter after six. Which should be a full forty-five minutes after Grant was there.”
He snapped his gaze up to her. “You seem sure.”
“I am.”
“And you’re willing to swear that you saw her alive?”
She nodded. “Yes, I am.”
“Did you kill her?”
Julia pressed her lips together as she stared at the scuffed table.
“Julia? Anything you say to me is between us.”
Her forehead pinched as she tried to find her way through the maze of her thoughts. “Mitchell, it’s really complicated.”
“If you go through with this, if you tell the police you were there after Grant, they are going to naturally ask that question. If you’re banking on them thinking you’re only covering for Grant to weave confusion into the narrative, don’t.”
“I’m not lying.”
“I didn’t say you were. And there will likely be some security footage to corroborate all of this.”
She shifted in her seat, weighing her options.
“Julia, if there is something you’re not saying, you shouldn’t hold back. I need as much information as possible to protect you.”
She fluttered her eyelashes, biting into her lower lip before she spoke again. “There won’t be any security footage from earlier tonight. It’s…missing.”
“How do you know that?”
Julia raised her gaze to his, pressing her lips together.
“I’m going to assume your tech whiz friend has taken care of that. Can I also safely assume that the reason he did that is to protect you from a murder charge?”
She shook her head. “I didn’t kill Lydia. When I left, she was alive. But that video shows someone else going to her apartment. Someone who may be the killer, and I would very much prefer the police did not know this.”
“Who is it?” Mitchell asked.
Julia slid her gaze to the table, her finger rubbing her engagement ring.