Chapter 24 Lily #2
“No, of course he didn’t fucking do it, Max,” Rockwell says, running his hand over his beard.
“The day he was arrested, we were supposed to meet two of our informants. You know those days when you wake up with a bad gut feeling? Yeah, it was one of those. On my way to the meeting spot, a truck had an accident and blocked the street for hours. Carter didn’t pick up the phone, and when I finally arrived, the area was swarmed with police cars.
I saw two covered corpses and got ready to identify Carter but was informed of his arrest instead. ”
I want to go back in time to the point where the biggest mystery in my life was finding out which one of the kids brought mice to school after watching Ratatouille.
“They tapped my phones for years. I wasn’t allowed to visit Carter in jail, wasn’t allowed to attend the trial.
I was treated as a suspect, and no one cared for what Carter and I had to say.
Then Leah left, said it was because another job opportunity opened up, but she left for the same reason as Damon.
The trust was gone, and I don’t need to tell you guys that our job doesn’t work without fully trusting each other.
Sam was the only one who believed in Carter’s, and my, innocence. ”
“Because that shit was a setup right out of the textbook, cleanly executed,” Sam says, holding Ruby a bit tighter.
“We spent two years being shunned by everyone. We weren’t allowed to leave the military, but we weren’t allowed to do our work either. It took a move across the country and a lot of effort from Cantrell until I was allowed to form a new task force.”
“So, Leah is the name of the woman you’re holding on to so dearly, Arthur? Got yourself a pretty little thing back in the day?” Logan asks with raised eyebrows.
“I would advise you to shut your fucking mouth, Cabrera, unless you want me to make you eat through a straw for the next few weeks.”
Rockwell tries to stand up, only held back by Sam’s firm grip.
“Sorry,” Logan says. “Didn’t know it was such a sensitive topic.”
“It isn’t.”
“Sure isn’t,” Logan mumbles, and Ruby kicks his shin.
“Stop provoking him, for fuck’s sake.”
“Am I the only one who thinks it’s weird that all of this is happening now?” Max asks, leaning forward. “If you’ve witnessed a murder in 2019, why would you come forward years later? Personally, I feel like all of this started when Sanders showed up.”
“Don’t make a conspiracy out of it,” Logan says with a sigh. “Shit always comes in groups, like sneezes. Not everything goes all the way up.”
“Our focus should be on finding a solution before we start arguing about the why. The murder investigation takes place in another jurisdiction, and I’m sure I’m speaking for all of us when I say we don’t want Carter to end up on death row.”
“Of course not, darling, but we have this under control,” Sam says, trying to take the remote from Ruby.
“We should get in touch with Damon and Leah,” she says, completely unbothered by her husband’s polite attempt to shut her up. “Maybe they noticed something back then, incidents that seem off in hindsight, people that had been acting weird…”
“Ruby, Sam is right,” Rockwell interrupts her.
“This is our fight, and I’m not going to drag you into this.
Which is also the reason I didn’t tell you anything about it, Max.
I would have gladly kept it that way if your dumb man wouldn’t have felt the urge to create chaos by trying to blackmail me. ”
“I am very much getting involved,” Ruby shoots back. “Today, they are focused on Carter. Who knows if you are next? Or my husband? I’m not going to let this happen, sorry.”
“You heard her,” Sam says with a shrug.
“Let’s start with Leah.” A few documents with Leah’s information appear on the screen, and this time, Sam can’t stop Rockwell from grabbing the remote.
“No,” he bellows, and the room falls dead silent. “Not her,” he says, a little quieter. “I don’t like you being involved, but Leah—no. Leave her out of this.”
“Fine, fine,” Ruby says, and Rockwell reluctantly lets go of the remote.
“We still have Damon. So far, I’ve just been scratching the surface, and I’m still waiting to hear back from some of my contacts, but as of now, he’s a phantom.
Could be homeless or dead, or, my suspicion, he doesn’t want to be found. ”
All men seem disappointed as they lean back on the couch, and Logan is the first to speak up.
“So, you’ve got a pretty presentation and some discouraging findings. Right, peanut?”
“Nope,” she says, jumping up from Sam’s lap to reach for the only phone that’s still lying in the open. “I also have Damon’s number. Well, one that had belonged to him at some point.”
“The number you’ve dialed is not in service.”
“Impressive outcome, Mrs. Ryves,” Logan jokes, and Ruby throws the phone right into his stomach.
“We should let the matter rest for today,” Max says, stroking over my thigh. “Everyone is finally up to date, and it’s not like we’re going to find a magic solution in the next hour.”
“Max is right,” Charlie says, stretching out his legs. “I’m gonna go for a walk. Anyone wanna join me and Mochi?”
“Me,” Logan says, scratching Mochi’s head.
He passes Max and me on his way to the patio doors, and I get up and put my hand on his arm.
“Can we talk?”
“I don’t think there’s anything we need to talk about.”
He brushes my hand away like it’s a nuisance, and my already forced smile vanishes.