Epilogue
Alex
The ballroom of the Thornton Estate glitters under the light of a thousand crystal chandeliers, the air thick with the scent of expensive perfume and the low murmur of polite conversation.
I adjust my tie, the silk a familiar weight against my throat.
My shoulder aches faintly beneath the tailored jacket of my tuxedo, a dull reminder of the night it all came crashing down. Good. It keeps me sharp.
Mason appears at my side, a glass of champagne in hand, his eyes already scanning the crowd like he’s assessing threats instead of guests.
"Your father really knows how to throw a 'thank you' party," he mutters, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
"All this to celebrate the police department's finest?
Almost makes you forget they're just here for the tax write-off. "
"It's a gala, not a party," I correct, my gaze sweeping across the room until it lands on her.
Liv is talking to Captain Grant and his wife, a genuine smile on her face that makes the entire room feel a little less suffocating.
She's wearing a deep blue dress that catches the light every time she moves, and for a second, the noise of the crowd fades away.
Mason follows my line of sight and his expression softens slightly. "Still no word?" he asks quietly, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial hush.
I shake my head, turning my attention back to him. "Not enough. The feds are confirming our intel. York Malone wasn't the head of the snake, just the one who held the purse strings."
"Figures," Mason scoffs. "That rich SOB was too arrogant to get his hands dirty. So, we're looking at a council?"
"Something like that," I confirm. "At least three others running different aspects of the operation," I pause, my eyes narrowing. "Including someone on the inside, helping them stay off the radar."
"And the Succinylcholine?" Mason presses, his voice grim. "We still don't have a solid lead on who's supplying them."
"No," I admit, my frustration mounting. "But without York's money, their operations are taking a hit. They're scrambling. That's when they'll make a mistake."
Before Mason can respond, Liv excuses herself from the Grants and makes her way over to us, her movements graceful and confident. She slides her hand into the crook of my arm, her touch a grounding force in the sea of strangers.
"Detectives," she says, her eyes twinkling. "Discussing shop talk at a gala? How rude."
"Just celebrating our recent success," Mason says with a wink, though his expression remains serious.
Liv's smile fades slightly as she looks up at me. "It's not over, is it?"
I shake my head. "York was the beginning, Liv. Not the end. There are others, and we're going to find them."
Her expression hardens, a flicker of the old fire in her eyes. "Good. They don't get to walk away after what they did."
Captain Grant approaches, his wife, Nadine, in tow. "Alex," the captain says, his voice low and gravelly. "Your father wanted me to pass along his regards. He's... tied up with the mayor."
"Of course he is," I reply, my tone neutral.
Nadine gives Liv a warm smile. "It's so good to see you again, dear. You look wonderful."
"Thank you, Nadine. It's good to see you too," Liv responds, her smile genuine.
I watch as Nadine's gaze flits around the room, never quite landing on anyone for too long.
She stays close to her husband, her hands clasped demurely in front of her, a perfect picture of a quiet, supportive wife.
She barely says another word, just nods along as the Captain talks about the department's recent successes.
After they move on to mingle with other guests, I turn back to Liv, but I notice she has a strange look on her face, her brow furrowed in thought.
"What's wrong?" I ask, my voice low.
She hesitates, glancing back in the direction the Grants had gone. "It's nothing... just, that was weird."
"Nadine? She's always like that. She’s just a quiet person."
Liv shakes her head, her expression still puzzled.
"No, not like that. The last time I saw her, at the precinct, she was.
.. different. Talkative, open. She told me things about the case, about how you guys were handling everything, and warned me about the ring.
I mean, she was the one who kept the conversation going. "
I frown, my mind racing. "Talkative? Nadine? That doesn't sound like her at all. In the years I've known her, I think I've heard her say maybe fifty words that weren't a direct reply to a question. She's always been meek, just... in the background."
Liv's eyes meet mine, and I see a flicker of concern there.
"Well, the woman I talked to that day wasn't in the background. She was front and center. It was like she was trying to talk me through things to come to conclusions on my own. Like she wasn’t allowed to say certain things so she was steering me to figure it out myself.
I just thought it was her personality, but seeing her now. .."
A cold knot forms in my stomach. The woman Liv described sounded nothing like the timid secretary who trails after Captain Grant like a shadow.
Why would she put on an act for Liv? And what was she trying to express?
It's a small detail, a loose thread in a case we thought we'd mostly tied up, but it's enough to make the hair on the back of my neck stand up.
"I'll look into it," I say, my voice firm.
But as I say the words, I know this isn't just about looking into it.
It's the start of something else, something we hadn't seen coming.
And I have a sinking feeling it's going to be more complicated than taking down an arrogant rich bastard with a god complex.