Chapter 11 #2
“Let’s start with why you’re here. Because I know you came in voluntarily. Everything you say is privileged, and if you want Mr. Storm to leave, I’ll kick him out.” She almost looked a little giddy at the thought, or maybe that was just amusement in her expression.
Berkley couldn’t tell.
Nick turned around at that and glowered at Sinead, but the woman was unaffected by his glare. Just sniffed imperiously.
“No, he can stay.” Berkley couldn’t look at him again even as she wondered what the hell he was doing here. She should probably feel more vulnerable with him here, but he made her feel safer in a way she couldn’t explain.
“Okay. Then start at the beginning.” Sinead’s voice was soft, encouraging.
For a moment she almost told her about James Reed, but decided to just stick to the facts of the night before.
She and Micah were the only ones who knew what happened in regard to Reed and she wasn’t sure she trusted anyone else.
So she recapped how she’d woken up this morning and run straight to her brother’s place.
She went right up until she saw the cops outside her house and left out the part about Krystal calling Micah. No need to get her sister in trouble.
Because those detectives had each asked about Krystal, so something more was going on there.
“I was freaked out seeing all those flashing lights, so my brother and I headed straight to the police station.” She looked at Nick, who’d moved in next to her and was leaning against the desk. “How’d you know I was here?”
“Clover told me.”
That answered something else that she’d been wondering about.
He frowned at her. “Wait, didn’t you tell her you were here?”
Nope, not touching that. She was no snitch, and if Micah and Clover had a thing going on, she wasn’t telling Nick.
She turned back to the lawyer. “Should I tell the cops the truth?”
“Not if they don’t ask for it. Not yet anyway. In fact, you’re not saying a damn word to them. I’m still waiting to find out when Mr. Moore’s time of death was.”
“Why…oh, right. Do you know how…” She cleared her throat. “How he was killed?”
“Sharp force trauma to the neck.”
Just like James Reed. She shivered and was surprised when Nick placed a gentle hand over hers and squeezed. But she also didn’t hate it.
“Henry has cameras at his house.”
“If they had you on camera, you’d be in cuffs.” There was no give in the woman’s tone as she stood. “Sit tight,” she said as she glanced at her phone and stepped out of the room.
Once it was just the two of them, Berkley glanced at Nick to find him watching her with a mix of emotions.
“Do you know if my brother is here? Ah, Micah? And what about Krystal? I haven’t seen her.”
“All your siblings are in the lobby. They’re fit to be tied.” His expression was still difficult to read. The man would have made a great attorney.
She blinked. “Can I call one of them using your phone?”
“Of course.” He held out his phone with ease.
Instead of calling Krystal, because she didn’t want to put her in an awkward position—and also, she was nervous about talking to her—she called Micah.
“It’s me,” she said when he answered. “I’m using Nick Storm’s phone.”
“Are you okay?”
“I think so.” She told him what was going on, then said, “Is there anything I need to know?”
“They don’t have access to your house,” he whispered as a horn honked in the background and she figured he’d gone outside the station to talk. “No warrant. But it seems like they’re trying hard to get one.”
“Do you know why?”
“Other than you being the ex-wife? Apparently you sent him some threatening emails?”
“Wait, what! No I didn’t!” She was being framed. But who would hate her that much?
“Yeah, that’s what I figured. Hopefully these dumbass detectives will figure it out, but if not, your new attorney has an incredible investigator on her payroll.”
“Really?”
“Oh yeah. The absolute best. I’m going to dig more myself now that I know what bullshit they’ve got. And if I had to guess, someone spoofed your email address or just created one that looks close enough to yours.”
She had more questions, but didn’t want to ask too many in front of Nick. Seriously, why was he here? She understood that Clover had told him, but that didn’t explain his presence. “How’s Krystal? Is this going to affect her job or anything?” she asked Micah.
He started to answer, but suddenly Krystal was on the line. “How are you? Are you okay? Did those bastards screw with you? I’ll murder Dewey.” There was pure rage in her voice.
“I’m fine. They were just doing their job.” That was debatable, but she didn’t want her sister getting worked up. “I’m more worried about you. Will this affect your cases or—”
“Oh my god, stop. I’m a grown woman. That’s why I’m not officially talking to you about anything right now. Here’s Micah,” she murmured before her brother came back on the line.
“Everyone’s good. Just keep your mouth shut—because Henry’s cameras were turned off last night.”
She wasn’t sure how she felt about that. One on hand, it was good for her because she’d been able to escape without being seen. But clearly someone was setting her up. She just had no idea why. She had no real enemies that she could think of.
Once they disconnected, she handed the phone back to Nick, but still felt lost, untethered from everything.
“Did your brother say anything about your blood test?” Nick asked.
Damn it, she’d forgotten to ask. She shook her head.
He stood again, paced to the window, his big body almost vibrating with rage. “You were with me until midnight last night, so if—”
Her lawyer stepped into the room then, cutting him off. “You’re free to go.”
“Wait, what?” Berkley said.
“TOD is eleven o’clock last night. You couldn’t have done it. Nick will be making a statement, verifying your alibi,” she said, looking at him pointedly. “And I’ve already given them the name of the restaurant you two were at. I’m sure the annoyed staff will remember the two of you.”
She nodded, feeling a little in shock. “What about…what I told you?”
“Hold on to that for now. We’re going to tell them, but I want to get you out of here right now.
You’ve likely been drugged and you’re in shock.
I want you to go home, get a shower and reset.
They’ve already proven they don’t respect the law by trying to talk to you without your lawyer.
We’re not going to do them any favors. Your job is not to solve your ex-husband’s murder.
That’s on them.” There was steel in Sinead’s voice.
“Also I need your email address. However many you have. Work ones, personal ones.”
“Is this because of the alleged angry emails I sent him?” At the lawyer’s look she said, “I talked to my brother while you were gone. He filled me in.”
The woman nodded. “Yes. I’ve seen the emails and they’re…calculated. The wording feels off to me. Either way, I’ve got my investigator working to track down who sent them, but I need your addresses.”
“You’re fast,” Berkley murmured, even as she started scribbling down all her email addresses. She had four. Two personal and two for work.
She also realized the woman was right about getting out of here.
She wasn’t sure that she was actually in shock, but she couldn’t be at this station another second longer or she’d start screaming.
Her ex-husband had been murdered, someone was trying to frame her for it, and…
her emotions about his death were complicated.
At one point she’d thought she wanted him dead, had hated him so deeply.
But now… She shook off the dark thought.
“I need to find out who’s trying to set me up. ”
Sinead nodded even as Nick placed a steady hand at the small of her back. His touch anchored her, made her feel less alone even as she told herself that was stupid. He was simply here to provide an alibi.
In the lobby she found all of her siblings, even Krystal, who hung back from the others while everyone hugged her. Her sister simply nodded at Berkley, relief in her gaze as she eyed her, before heading back into the station.
“I’m going to give the cops my statement,” Nick said and disappeared back inside.
She still wasn’t sure why he was there and hadn’t had time to ask him before her three brothers whisked her out of the lobby and into Apollo’s SUV.
She wanted to call him, thank him, but…then second-guessed herself. Her lawyer was right. She needed a shower and to reset from all this.
Then figure out who the hell hated her enough to murder two people and set her up for it.