Chapter Four
The way to Wyley’s is quiet. I try to get more out of Natalia, but she isn’t budging. I know she’s hiding a lot from me, and I want to know why. I want to know it all. This is more than Hayley’s murder. I’m crossing lines that I swore I’d never cross simply because I want to take this girl home and hide her away from the rest of the world.
As soon as I throw my truck in park, she’s jumping out and running inside the theater. She’s peculiar to me. She didn’t want me to bring her here, but I had to. The internal voice in my head was screaming for me to make sure she got here safe and sound. The logical voice told me I need to talk with Jason about her and what’s going on.
Jason is a great guy, which is why I know Natalia is safe with him. His brother is Caden, and he’s fucking brilliant. I have no doubt in my mind that Jason has learned a thing or two from being around him.
I quickly get out of my truck and follow Natalia inside the theater. She’s nowhere to be found upon entrance, but Jason is standing front and center with his arms positioned across his chest. “What do I owe the pleasure of seeing one of our finest today, Detective?”
“I wanted to talk to you about one of your employees, Natalia.” I announce with confidence. My detective face has slipped over my regular face, suggesting I’m not here for pleasantries today.
“A great girl, that one. Is she in some kind of trouble?” He uncrosses his arms as he steps closer to me, quieting his tone. He doesn’t want anyone to hear us talking.
I look around us and notice a couple of bystanders waiting by the concessions. “Can we talk somewhere more private?”
He nods his head gently. “Follow me.” He leads us away to the left, and into his office. Once we both enter, he closes the door behind us. “So, Detective Martinez,” he says as he sits down in his chair behind his desk. “What’s going on with Natalia?”
I take a seat in the chair on the other side of his desk. “You know I can’t give you specifics on the case,” I remind him as I take a deep breath. “I just need to ask you a favor. Maybe it’s for me, or it’s for the case, like I’m telling myself it is. I don’t know anymore, but I know I need you to keep her safe. Her sister is tangled in a messy spider web, and Natalia told me that the men might be coming for her if they knew she was talking to me. I’m not asking you or telling you this so you feel obligated to help her. I’m telling you this because she trusts you, and so do I. She needs to be hidden from the world for a bit so I can do my job and keep her safe while I close my case.”
His eyes widen a bit, but he quickly snaps back to reality, softening his face when he collects himself. “Something happened to Hayley?” he asks quietly.
“I can’t give you any details.”
Jason cuts me off with his hand raised. “I didn’t ask for the details, Seb.” He leans forward, closing in on me from across the desk. “I asked if something happened to her sister. Of all people in the world, don’t you think I can be trusted with that much information?”
Running my hand down my face, I think about all the times Jason has helped the department. “Hayley’s case came on my desk this morning.”
Jason gives me one nod. “Which means she’s your victim in your case,” he whispers. “Hayley was a good girl who was led down a dark path.”
“You knew her?” I lean back in my chair as I wait for him to answer.
“Very well. Natalia has been working for me for six years now. It’s hard not to meet her sister and learn more about them.” He shrugs his shoulders, but I can see the sadness in his eyes. “Don’t worry about Natalia being safe, I got her. Nobody knows she’s here, and if they do, I’ll make sure you’re my first phone call. She’s a good girl that I’ve been trying to save this whole time by myself. Maybe she’ll tell you about it one of these days.”
“Six years? How have none of us ever met her? And what do you mean you’ve been trying to save her?” I clench my fists until they turn snow white.
Jason chuckles a bit at my reaction. “Calm down, Prince Charming. None of you were ever supposed to know about her. I’ll talk to her and see what I can tell you. She won’t say anything to you herself because she’s scared, but maybe I can help her out a bit. Be gentle with her. She’s not completely fragile, but if you push too much, she might just break.”
“Who are you trying to save her from?” I ask before I have a chance to think.
“Like I said, I’ll talk to Natalia and see what she’s comfortable with me telling you. I’ll call you later, Seb, or should I stick with Detective Martinez right now?” He winks as he stands from his desk.
“Should I call you Jason, or Mr. Asshole?” We both start laughing as I stand from my chair as well. We shake hands before leaving his office. I look around for Natalia, but she’s nowhere in sight. I wanted to tell her goodbye and that I would be here to check on her later. She doesn’t realize it, but I’ll be here at closing time when she gets off work as well. I was serious when I said I wasn’t letting her out of my sight.
After I fail to find Natalia after a few minutes, I decide to leave the theater. I’m sure she’s busy enough without me hanging around to keep an eye on her or find out more information. Actually, I can’t believe she would choose to work when she just found out her sister died. Something about this whole case feels strange.
Once I’m back in my vehicle, I let my mind go through the steps of everything I need to do next. Starting with the truth of what happened to Brian Phillips, the undercover who died twice. I should probably stop by Caden’s office and go over those details because the way he reacted tells me he’s just as curious.
When I get back to the station, I sigh. I love my job, but this case feels like it’s going to tear me apart. We have absolutely no leads, and the only information I could get was from Hayley’s sister who refused to tell me key details. The name of where her sister works. I feel like that’s my main source of the truth.
I make my way to Caden’s office, passing several curious eyes along the way. I’m not sure if he told anyone else about Brian’s death, but I know they all know I have a sticky case right now. They also know I rarely go to the Lieutenant’s office unless it’s something I truly can’t figure out on my own. I’m known for being the quiet guy most of the time because I stay to myself. The drama in the station can be just as bad as high school at times.
After knocking on Caden’s office door, I wait for him to let me inside. When he announces I can enter, I push the door open and softly close it behind me after I step through the entrance. He leans back in his chair, casually resting one elbow on the arm of the chair while the other is draped across his desk. “What’s up?”
I take a seat in the chair on the other side of his desk and take a deep breath. “I need to figure out what the hell happened to Phillips. I know he died by execution three years ago, so how did he end up dying a second time? It doesn’t make any sense to me.”
“I’ve already reached out to his supervisor. They thought I was playing a sick joke when I asked about Phillips. His Lieutenant confirmed that he died in the line of duty three years ago. If he knows more, I doubt he’ll be willing to tell us. They train these guys to hide in plain sight. Who says that’s not what Phillips was doing this whole time?” He leans forward just a hair. “You need to figure out more about the girl we found. She didn’t fit in with that crowd and has never landed on our radars before. Find out every detail about her and find out if she has any family.”
“She has a sister, Natalia,” I admit. “She came by the station early this morning begging me to help her find her sister. She was completely unaware she had been murdered, but she’s hiding a lot. She mentioned that Hayley works at a questionable place, but she wouldn’t tell me more than that. She also told me that Hayley had become comfortable in her lifestyle.”
“Look into the sister. Get every bit of details and evidence that you can from her. I have a feeling there’s more to the story than we can even begin to understand. I will help with the Phillips stuff, but I want you to put your focus on that girl. She just might have been in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
“Alright.” I stand up from the chair, but as I turn to leave, Caden stops me.
“Be careful with this one, Seb. Reborn cop cases aren’t the best ones to be stuck with. His Lieutenant and Captain will be the first to beat down your doors when they catch wind of what we found and what happened,” he announces.
I nod my head in understanding before I turn and leave his office. I have work to do and sitting on my ass isn’t how I’ll get it done. I need to do full background checks on both Hayley and Natalia in hopes I can find anything deeper.