Page 37 of The Guilty Trial

He closed his eyes, but it remained, seared into his mind like a brand on flesh.

Not tonight.

Soon.

Turning away from the window, he returned to the table. He stood over the photographs, his gloved hands resting lightly on the edge of the surface. The unmarked faces stared up at him, unaware of what was coming.

Patience was required, as was precision. The record must be corrected properly, methodically, or it would be meaningless. Rushing led to errors, and errors were unacceptable. He had already learned that lesson far too well.

And correct it he would.

One by one.

Until the record was finally whole once again.

Chapter Twenty

Residence of Jason and Victoria King

Tacoma, Washington

Allie balanced the pizza on one arm and knocked on the door with her free hand. A stack of flattened boxes rested against the wall in the hallway outside Jason and Victoria's apartment, and she could hear muffled movement behind the door before Victoria pulled it open.

“You’re a lifesaver,” Victoria chirped, stepping aside to let Allie in. Joey was cradled in her arm, and she looked up at her mother, wide-eyed and squirming, with one tiny fist clutching the collar of Victoria's shirt. Dark circles underscored Victoria's eyes, but her smile was warm and genuine. “I was five minutes away from ordering something I probably would have regretted.”

“And that is what I'm here for. I figured even if you had dinner, pizza can always be reheated.” Allie stepped inside and stopped as she got a glimpse of the place. The apartment she knew so well had been transformed into a landscape of boxes stacked in uneven columns, some sealed and labeled in Jason's blocky handwriting, while others were gaping open and waiting. The bookshelves were empty and all the art and photos removed from the walls.

“This is why I love you,” Victoria said, gently placing Joey in the playpen set up next to the couch. She grabbed the warm box from Allie. “That smells divine.”

“Tell me about it. I almost dug in on the way over. Not sure which I want first, the pepperoni and sausage or the veggie.” Allie put her hands on her hips and eyed the controlled chaos.

“I know,” Victoria said, reading her expression. “It looks like a warehouse exploded in here.”

“I was going to say it has a certain rustic charm.”

Victoria laughed and headed toward the kitchen while Allie bent over the playpen and picked up Joey. “Hello, cutie pie. Have you been helping Mommy pack?”

Joey gurgled and put her tiny fingers on Allie’s chin, then tried to grab her hair. “Oh no, you don’t. C’mon, let’s go see what your mom is doing.” She followed her friend into the other room where was laying out a stack of paper plates.

“This way you don’t have to choose,” Victoria explained, putting a slice of each onto a plate and handing it to Allie. “Jason ran out to get more supplies. Apparently, we underestimated how much stuff two adults and one very small person can accumulate.”

Allie sat down at the table and set Joey on her knee. The baby immediately grabbed for her pizza, and Allie had to lean back to keep it out of reach. “Nice try, kid. Give it a few months.” She turned back to Victoria. “I hear you. When I moved back in with Grams, I couldn’t believe the sheer quantity of knickknacks, tchotchkes, and books I’d acquired.”

“Now books I can understand.” Victoria took a bite. “Oh my, that hits the spot. I haven't even thought about food today,” she admitted, lowering herself into a chair. She took Joey from Allie and put her in the bouncer on the floor beside her. “Between this one deciding that naps are optional and trying to figure out which boxes go where, I had no idea what to do for dinner.”

“Maybe I should have brought four,” Allie smiled. “You need fuel if you're going to survive this move.”

They ate silently for a few moments while both watching Joey. The baby kicked her legs against the fabric seat while Allie ate up her sweet giggles.

“So,” Allie said, nudging Victoria's knee under the table. “When do I get to see this house? I'm starting to feel left out.”

Her friend held up a finger as she continued to chew. “Not yet. I want you to see it when everything's in place. The furniture, the curtains, all of it. I want the full reveal.”

Allie shot her a mock glare. “You're killing me.”

“I know, and I'm enjoying it.” Victoria grinned. “But it's worth the wait, I promise. You should see the kitchen. It has actual counter space. Like, more than two feet of it.”

“Revolutionary. Who even knew that was a thing?”