15. Evgeny #5
“Yeah, you mentioned that, but before that, why did you think he was there? Do you have CCTV footage?” I ask, remembering what Charlie had said about it not existing.
Alvarez shifts his weight in his seat, making his ill-fitting suit bunch and stretch in equal measure across his too-round belly and his too-small shoulders. “I’m not going to discuss an ongoing case with you, Nikitin. You’re being sent everything we have.”
“I am,” I agree, “and I’m not seeing any mention of video proof. It’s weird that a witness would randomly come up with my client’s name. What are the odds that they would even know who he is?”
Shoving the folder back in my briefcase, I close it and say, “I’ve been doing this a long time, Detectives, and if this is all you’ve got, then this might be the shortest trial I’ve ever worked on.”
Sasha looks over at me. “You’re still going to charge me the full price, though, aren’t you?”
“I am,” I say, even though we both know the dollar he paid me when I passed the bar is the only money I’ll ever take from him.
“I’m not going to stay here and listen to this,” Alvarez says, standing and hiking up his pants by the belt. “If he won’t answer our questions, then we’re done.”
“Since I’m here, I’d like a private meeting with my client before I go.”
Alvarez glares at me while Bronson stands and shuts off the microphone and camera. “Of course. Just knock on the door when you’re done.”
It’s only after they’ve shut the door that I turn to Sasha and ask, “You sure you’re okay?”
He shrugs one of his shoulders. “I’m fine. I wanted to kill the bastard, but I had your annoying voice in my head warning me that it wouldn’t help my case if I killed a guy, even if it was in self-defense.”
“Annoying?”
“It is now. It’s making me do all kinds of shit that I don’t want to do. My instinct is to fight, to kill every single one of these motherfuckers until I’m on the outside of these walls and back with my family. You’re the voice of reason in my head telling me that’s a really stupid idea.”
“It is,” I say. “Keep listening to that annoying voice. It’s helping, whether it seems like it right now or not. Is Cindy able to visit? No one’s giving her any trouble?”
Sasha sighs and shakes his head. “I hate seeing her in this place, but I’m too selfish to demand she stop coming. I need to see her. It’s the only thing keeping me somewhat sane right now.”
“She’d just come anyway. We both know it, and I think she needs this just as much as you do.”
“She does,” he agrees. He looks around the small, depressing room we’re in. “I already knew she was too good for me. I didn’t need this reminder.”
“She loves you,” I remind him, “and this will be over soon. They don’t have CCTV footage. Charlie told me he couldn’t find any either. They’re grasping at straws. They want to pin this on you, but everything they have is insubstantial so far.”
“Nice comment about the tattoo. You think those two dumbasses will put it together?”
“I think they already have. They just don’t want to admit it, because then they’d have to accept the fact that their case isn’t as airtight as they want it to be.”
“They do have a massive hard-on for me,” Sasha says, giving me the faintest hint of a smile.
“Apparently everyone in here does. You sure you’re okay? They’re keeping you separate from the other prisoners? The guards aren’t fucking with you too much?”
“Yeah, I’m fine, Ev. I can hold out a while longer.”
I nod, knowing he’s not exaggerating. He’ll crack at some point, but I’m hoping we won’t get to that point. One of DeMarco’s men killed Rosalie, and as soon as I have the evidence to prove it, I’m getting the whole fucking thing dismissed.
After I say goodbye to Sasha and promise him yet again that I’m going to get his ass out of here, I get in my car and call Niki.
“Any luck with the CCTV footage?” I ask as soon as I hear him answer.
“Not yet,” he says, and those two words hold all the frustration we’re both feeling right now.
“The tattoo on her ankle ties her to DeMarco’s men.”
“Well,” Niki says while I hear him typing in the background, “if you’ve taught me anything it’s that a good lawyer can talk his way out of just about anything. Just because she was being held by them doesn’t mean they killed her.”
“That’s why my brilliant hacker cousin is going to get me some solid proof.”
He gives a soft laugh. “I’m working on it.”
“Just remember to get some sleep and eat. Don’t work yourself to death, Niki.”
“Van won’t let me,” he says. “Apparently I have a forced bedtime now.”
It’s my turn to laugh before I say, “I’m so glad you found her.”
“Yeah, me too. Speaking of, how’s your houseguest?”
“She’s fine.”
The abrupt way I say it makes Niki laugh again. “I’m really glad I stopped watching your security footage.”
“Yeah, me too,” I say, hanging up before he can ask me questions about it.
I check my phone again. Harper is awake, sitting at one of the kitchen stools, drinking coffee, and looking so sad it’s like a physical ache in my own chest. I know I hurt her by leaving without a word or note, and I still don’t know what to do when I see her again.
I do know I’m going to avoid it for as long as possible.