Chapter 16 #2
“And maybe a dozen other people entered that apartment while my client took a walk to clear her thoughts,” Mitchell suggested with a shrug.
“Put those handcuffs on her, and I will have her out of them within the hour. I’ll also slap a lawsuit on this department the likes of which this city has never seen before. ”
The other detective entered the room, pressing his hand against his partner’s chest. “Joe, come on, let it go.”
Joe tossed his hands into the air, his frustration clear from the tension in his jaw.
The detective bit his lower lip, storming toward the door.
“Can I assume my client is free to go?”
“She is,” the calmer detective answered, “for now. Don’t leave town, Mrs. Harrington.”
“I won’t,” she promised softly.
Mitchell let his shoulders slump as the second detective left the room. “That was close, Julia.”
“Who is the other suspect?” she questioned.
“Mr. Worthington,” he answered. “And now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to defend my third suspect of the night.”
“I’m so sorry, Mitchell.” She squeezed his arm.
He gave her a brief smile before he led her from the room. She pushed into the waiting room as he disappeared into another interrogation room.
She scanned the space, finding Grant perched on the edge of a chair across the room. He leapt to his feet as he spotted her. She hurried toward him as he raced to her. They flung their arms around each other, holding each other tight.
“Thank goodness you’re okay, Julia.”
He pulled back from her, cupping her face in his hands. “Please don’t ever do that again.”
“I’m sorry. I just had to buy us some time.”
“I know. I talked to Alex. I don’t like it, but I know why you did it. Thank you.”
“You don’t need to thank me,” she said as she slipped her hand into his. “I would never hesitate to protect her.”
He nodded, his gaze falling to the floor, a tightness still in his jaw. “We should get you home.”
She shook her head. “I’m okay. I’m sure you want to stay for Worthington?”
He glanced at her, his features pinching as he rubbed her arm. “Thank you.”
“Of course. Worthington is like one of the family.”
He wrapped his arm around her and led her to a chair. She eased into the seat and laid her head against his shoulder.
“At least this time, you can blame Worthington for the chairs,” he whispered after he kissed the top of her head.
She giggled as she craned her neck to glance up at him. “They’re awful, aren’t they?”
“They are. Thanks to you, I know now this.”
She groaned with a wince. “I’m sorry. Believe me, I didn’t want to do it this way, but I had no other choice.”
“Let’s just promise not to do anything like this ever again, okay?”
“Okay,” she said with a smile.
Time passed slowly again, but without the stress of the interrogation room, replaced instead by the warmth of her husband’s arms which comforted her.
Her mind whirled as she wondered what was happening in the interrogation room. After over three hours, Worthington and Mitchell finally emerged.
They crossed to them as Julia and Grant climbed to their feet.
“Is he free to go?” Grant asked.
“For now,” Mitchell said. “No leaving town. But at this point, he can go home.”
“That’s great,” Julia said, relief sweeping through her.
“Mr. and Mrs. Harrington, thank you both for waiting. You did not need to do that.”
“Of course, we did,” Julia said with a smile as she rubbed his arm. “You’re family. And you did not need to do what you did. But I thank you so much for it.”
“You could not have killed her, Mrs. Harrington. I saw her not twenty minutes after you did.”
“Why did you?” Grant asked.
Worthington flicked his gaze to the floor.
“You are my family. Seeing Mrs. Harrington, someone who brought light back into this home, in constant turmoil because of Mrs. Knight’s vendettas was intolerable.
I took it upon myself to have a conversation with her about the harm she nearly caused. Enough was enough.”
Julia tilted her head. “You went there for me?”
“Yes, Mrs. Harrington, I did. I did not kill her, but I warned her that should anything else happen to you, she may not be so lucky.”
Julia slid her eyes closed, guilt coursing through her as she grabbed his hand and squeezed. “Oh, Worthington. Thank you. I appreciate that sentiment. But please, don’t take a risk like that again.”
“I would do it all over, Mrs. Harrington.”
“Thank you, Worthington, for speaking up,” Grant said. “Let’s go home.”
They slid into Julia’s car for the return trip. The headlights cut through the murky darkness as they left the sterile glow of the police station behind. The city’s sprawling lights faded into the rearview mirror.
The heavy silence in the car was a stark contrast to the oppressive, buzzing fluorescence of the interrogation room they’d left behind. The world now seemed shadowed with the weight of accusations and uncertainty.
The warm lights of Harrington House were an inviting sight after the long night. Exhaustion coursed through Julia as she slogged through the front door.
“May I bring you anything?” Worthington asked as they stepped into the foyer.
“No, please go rest, Worthington,” Julia said.
“She’s right. We’ll be fine.”
Worthington offered them a nod before he shuffled toward the kitchen. Alex hurried down the stairs. Grant wrinkled his nose as he studied the man’s nautically themed silk robe covering his lobster-print pajamas.
“Thank goodness you’re home. I have news that will change everything.”
Julia's stomach clenched at the words. What had he found and how would it affect the hell they were living through?