Chapter 2 #2
“Well, I mean, to be fair…it’s not you who has to like her. It’s him. And if he likes her–”
“I don’t,” Alex answered. “Look, let’s stop arguing over Miranda. You suspect her of being involved with The Board, and I never liked her that way to start with. So, she stays in the suspect pool. But maybe I can use her to get information.”
“How?” Ava asked, not certain she wanted to hear the answer.
“Well…” Alex lifted a shoulder, his features twisting with uncertainty. “You know, maybe…I should go alone.”
“No,” Ava shot back flatly. “I’m not leaving you alone with her.”
“Ava, he’s a grown man. He can be alone with her.”
Ava’s nostrils flared as she pressed her lips together and curled her fingers into fists. “She’s a user. And she’s going to take advantage of him to get information.”
“Or he can take advantage of her to get information,” Chris argued. “Hon, I’m with Alex on this. You should be proud of us getting along.”
“You’re only agreeing with him to keep me away from him.”
“That’s ridiculous, Ava. I think he makes a good point. Let him go talk to her alone and see what information he can get.”
Ava crossed her arms, a pout forming on her lips. She hated this plan, but she had somewhere else she wanted to go. “Fine. But…I’m meeting you there as soon as I make my stop.”
“Which is?” Alex asked.
“You don’t get to know. Neither of you. I’m a grown woman. I can do things alone, right?” She slid off her stool and strode from the room.
“Ava…” Chris called after her as Alex clicked his tongue and said, “Avs…”
She climbed the stairs to her room to change her clothes, selecting a form-fitting dress that accentuated her curves. “Take that, Miranda,” she answered as she pulled on her heels.
Shoving her phone into her purse, her heart sank for a minute.
It wouldn’t matter how good she looked in the dress when Alex fell for this woman.
She narrowed her eyes, imagining the smirk on the woman’s face as she clung to Alex’s arm.
“Hi, Ava…sorry you’re at a hotel for the weekend.
I just thought it was best for you not to stay with us now that we’re married. ”
Ava crinkled her nose at the scenario, striding from the room and clomping down the stairs in her heels.
“Hey, you look good,” Alex said as he followed behind her, dressed and ready. “Did you pick that dress on purpose?”
“Why would I do that?” She flicked a lock of blonde hair over her shoulder as she grabbed her keys.
“Ava, are you seriously not going to tell us where you’re going?” Chris asked.
“Yep.”
“Avs, maybe you should–”
She arched an eyebrow at him, stopping his comment.
“Drive safe. You should definitely drive safe. You…sometimes drive fast. And then…we’ll meet at the office?”
She nodded at him before she kissed Chris’s cheek. “See you later, hon.”
“Ava!” he demanded, but she headed out the door, leaving him behind as she strode to her car, slid in, and fired the engine.
She aimed the sporty car toward her destination, allowing the warm summer air to blow through her hair as she tried to cool off.
She blew out a long breath, convincing herself the stress was getting to her. It must have been all the drama with Alex’s company, and the arguing with Chris.
Her foot smashed the accelerator toward the floor, picking up speed. She had to find a way to make sure they all got along until they solved this issue.
Maybe if they could work out their divorce…
But why did that make her stomach twist into a knot.
Because of Miranda. The divorce made it way too possible for Miranda to sink her claws into Alex.
She arrived at her destination and before she strode inside, she tugged her phone from her purse, typing a message. Hey Ace, I’ve been thinking…maybe we should hold off on the divorce for now.
As Ava stepped into the stark, fluorescent-lit lobby of the prison, the air hung heavy with despair. The clank of doors and the murmur of hushed voices echoed off the cold, concrete walls.
She approached the desk, her heels clicking assertively against the grimy floor, a stark contrast to the oppressive silence that enveloped her.
“I’m here to see Simon Blackburn.”
The officer behind the desk passed a logbook over to her. “Sign this. And I’ll need to see your ID.”
Ava slid her license across the desk to the woman after signing the visitor’s log.
The woman checked it, then flicked it back to her. “Have a seat, we’ll call you when he’s ready.”
“Thanks.” Ava slid into one of the plastic chairs and returned her license to her wallet as she waited.
It only took a few minutes before she was called back to the visiting area. She sat for a moment before Simon Blackburn took a seat across from her. She lifted the phone from the holder as he sat down.
His eyes went wide as he spotted her. “You’re…Alex’s…”
“Wife,” she answered. “Yes.”
He swallowed hard, slouching in his seat. “I have nothing to say.”
He pulled the phone from his ear, but she shouted into her end. “Wait, I believe you.”
His eyebrows pinched as he pressed the phone back to his ear.
“I believe you,” she repeated. “I think you’re innocent, and there’s more to this story.”
“I am,” he said, his voice strained. “I’m innocent. But this public defender…he…he says I’m going away for life. I didn’t murder Madeleine Wells. I didn’t take that money. I don’t care what the logs say.”
“Okay, easy,” Ava said. “What can you tell me about what happened?”
“Nothing,” he said, his lips tugging into a grimace. “I don’t know anything. Just that I’m innocent. I swear.”
“You have to know something. Have you ever given out your password to anyone? Girlfriend, wife, your sister, your mom?”
“No.”
She sucked in a breath. “What can you tell me about Miranda Vale?”
“Miranda? She’s…” He shrugged. “I don’t know. I mean…she’s tough, but…”
“Tough?”
“She runs a tight ship. I’m shocked this could have even happened under her. She came in and rearranged the whole place.”
“Where did she come from? How did she get hired?”
“Oh, umm, she came from project management. She wasn’t a new hire, she just transferred.”
Ava narrowed her eyes. Transferred? So the woman could have had access this entire time. “Could she have had access from the team she was on before she was CFO?”
“No,” Simon answered. “No, project managers don’t have access to financial accounts. They submit purchase orders to us. They can’t sign in to do anything in accounts.”
Ava chewed her lower lip as she considered it.
“I swear, Mrs. Stone–”
“Collins,” she answered.
He winced. “Sorry.”
“It’s fine. Call me Ava.”
“Look, Ava, I didn’t do this. I’m sorry I can’t be of more help. Maybe…I don’t know…maybe if I saw the logs or something, I could help more? I don’t know… I just…I know I didn’t do it.”
“All right. I’ll see what I can do about getting the logs and getting you some help.”
His features showed surprise. “Really? Oh, that would…I can’t…I can’t afford an attorney. My mom’s sick and–”
Ava leaned closer to the plastic separating them, her eyes locking onto Simon’s. “You don’t need to convince me. I’m going to dive into this headfirst. No promises, but I don’t back down from a challenge.”
“Thank you. Thanks. When can I expect to hear from you?”
“I don’t know. Give me a few days, okay?”
“Okay, perfect. Thank you. Thank you, Ava.”
She bobbed her head and replaced the receiver. As she strode from the jail back to her car, she pondered the situation. Would Simon Blackburn help them find anything or would he be a dead end in their search for the truth?