Chapter 25
Chapter Twenty-Five
Ariana
I guess the positive side to everyone thinking that Luca made a mistake in hiring me was that they were so bewildered that it took the focus off him being a possible murderer. I stopped in the lobby before taking the elevator up to his office and placed my hands on my forehead. I had fled from one mess right into another. The preliminary hearing was tomorrow, and I wasn’t ready yet, but that was her plan. I took the file out of my bag and opened it. Everything about that night had happened quickly, and I needed more answers. Turning around, I headed out the door and hailed a cab to the police station to talk to Detective Jacks.
“Hello, Miss Williams.” He smiled. “How may I help you?”
“I was hoping you’d have a few minutes to talk.”
“For you? Of course. Please, have a seat.” He pointed to the chair across from his desk.
“How did you know that Mr. Russo was staying at the hotel the night of the murder?” I asked.
“We actually didn’t. The key to his room was found on the floor of Miss Burroughs’ room. We took it down to the front desk and asked which guest it was registered under, and that’s when we found out it belonged to Mr. Russo. So, we went up to his room to question him and, well, you know the rest of the story.”
“So, he had two room keys, correct?”
“Yes, we found one lying on the nightstand beside his bed. Our theory is that the other one must have fallen out of his pocket when he took off his pants to have sex with Miss Burroughs.”
“It was never established that the two of them had intercourse. There was no semen.”
“True, but the medical examiner stated that there was definitely penetration.”
“Still doesn’t prove that it was from my client. I would love to know how you did the forensic testing so quickly.”
He sat behind his desk and narrowed his eye while he smirked at me.
“The murder weapon and a blood-stained shirt that belonged to Mr. Russo, found in his hotel room while we were questioning him, took priority. There was no time to waste. He was the last person seen with Miss Burroughs, and we had our prime suspect right there. Why sit on evidence when we could have an open and shut case?”
“This case is far from getting shut, Mr. Jacks. My client did not murder that woman. The real murderer is still out there.”
He got up from his chair, walked over to the door, and opened it.
“Good luck proving that.”
His condescending attitude pissed me off. I got up from my chair and walked out of his office without speaking a word. I headed back to the firm only to learn that Luca had left.
“Sheila?” I spoke as I stood in the doorway of her office.
“Hey, Ariana.”
“I need your help.”
She gave me a small smile as she got up from her desk.
“I’m already on it, so don’t worry. I know Luca didn’t do it and I’ll stop at nothing to get the evidence we need to prove his innocence.”
“Thanks. Let me know what you find as soon as possible.”
“I will.” She smiled.
I needed to make one more stop before heading home. Pulling out my burner phone, I called Luca.
“Hello.”
“Hey. I was surprised you left the office.”
“I was done for the day, so I decided to go home. Where are you?”
“I’m stopping by the medical examiner’s office to see if there’s an updated autopsy report.”
“I need you to come by when you’re done and don’t worry about dinner. We’ll order in.”
“Is there a specific reason you need me to stop by?” I asked with a smile.
“I could give you a million reasons, but I don’t want to get hard at the moment. So, I’ll just show you when you get here.”
“I look forward to it.”
“Me too. I’ll see you soon. Oh, and stop by your apartment first and pack a small bag for the night.”
“Will do.”
The thought of him being inside me again was riveting. My body craved him in ways I never knew existed. My attraction to him was so strong that sometimes it scared me. I often wondered if he hired me to defend him because he wanted to prove to me that he didn’t kill Gina Burroughs. I wasn’t the best choice. Maybe I would have been in five or ten years, but not now. I was so scared that I would screw this up for him and send him to prison for the rest of his life. It was apparent that the district attorney and the cops were out to get him.
“Excuse me, Dr. High? I’m Ariana Williams, Luca Russo’s attorney in the Gina Burroughs case.”
“Ah yes, please come in, Miss Williams.” He smiled. “What can I do for you?”
“I need an updated autopsy report on Miss Burroughs if one is available.”
“Yes. I just finished it today. Have a seat.” He gestured with his hand.
As I stepped inside his office, he moved some papers around on his desk, pulling out the autopsy report and handing it to me.
“Were there any new findings?” I asked as I looked it over.
“Yes. She was pregnant.”
“What?” My eyes widened.
“About twelve weeks.”
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck, I thought to myself. This was bad. Real bad. I brought my hand to my forehead and pinched my brows together, trying to soothe the ache that had suddenly appeared.
“And you’re sure there was intercourse the day of the murder?” I asked.
“There definitely was penetration. But from what I could see, it was consensual. There was no bruising or tears in the vaginal area. No semen or epithelial cells were found, indicating the killer or whomever she had sex with was wearing a condom.”
“Thank you, Dr. High.”
“You’re welcome. I’m sure I’ll be seeing a lot of you if you’re working for Mr. Russo’s firm.”
“Maybe.” I gave a small smile.
As soon as I left the building, I pulled my phone from my purse and dialed Sheila.
“Hello.”
“Sheila, it’s Ariana. I need you to find out everything, and I mean everything, about Gina Burroughs. Also, I want her client list and see if you can get me her phone records. Interview everyone you can at that escort service. Someone has to know something.”
“I’ll get right on it.”
“Thanks. Call me if you find something. I’ll be over at Luca’s going over some things with him before the preliminary hearing tomorrow morning.”
I headed home, packed a small bag, and walked over to Luca’s. Emil saw me coming and held the door open for me.
“Evening, Ariana.” He smiled.
“Hi, Emil. How are you?”
“I’m okay. Hey, I know Mr. Russo didn’t kill that girl.”
“No, he didn’t, and I will prove it.” A small smile crossed my lips.
I pulled Gina Burroughs’ photo from my purse.
“Have you ever seen this woman before? Maybe she came to visit Luca at one time?”
He took the photograph from my hand and studied it.
“No. I’ve never seen her before.”
I silently let out the deep breath I was holding. If he had seen her here at some point, that would have posed a problem.
“Thanks, Emil.”
“You’re welcome. Have a good night, Ariana.”
“You too.” I smiled as I headed towards the elevator.