Page 42 of Twisted Elites

“I’ll lead the way.” Mr. Blunt headed down the hall with the lawyer at his heels.

We walked through the common room doors, out into the hallway and down the stairs. Leopold slung an arm around Prakash’s shoulders, and Sebastian continued to hold me at his side.

My pulse pounded in my throat twice as fast as our footsteps. This had to be good news because if it was bad, the police would be here to make a second arrest.

As we descended to the ground floor, Leopold’s whispered words of comfort echoed in the stairwell. Prakash kept his head down, occasionally nodding, but the slump in his shoulders indicated that he was expecting the worst.

My heart twisted. Damn Ashley for making a false report that got him arrested and damn Corrine for starting everything by accusing the kings of rape.

At the bottom of the stairwell, Mr. Blunt opened the door to the ground floor and stepped out. “It’s over the first on the left. I’ll be back in an hour to lock up.”

Mr. Pinkerton thanked him and stepped into the room, followed by Leopold and Prakash. Sebastian and I stepped inside to find the others sitting around a table in a room half the size used by the Board of Governors.

The lawyer placed his briefcase flat on the table and flicked open the latch with his thumbs. He turned to Sebastian first. “Thank goodness you made a statement to the police about Miss Claymore and submitted photographic evidence. It certainly sheds light on her statement.”

“Have they discounted it?”

“They’re viewing it as malicious and giving it the attention it deserves.”

Lowering myself into the seat opposite Leopold and next to Sebastian, I gulped. Hopefully, that meant none.

He turned to me. “The character references you arranged helped a long way to secure Mr. Kashaayah’s release, and in light of recent developments with your sister, the police have discounted her original statement.”

I turned to Prakash, who gave me a tiny smile.

“Is she going to be punished for wasting police time?” asked Leopold.

Mr. Pinkerton leaned back in his seat and raised his brows. “Considering a more recent statement submitted by the witness to a double-poisoning, I would say that wasting police time is the least of Ashley Evergreen’s problems.”

“What does that mean for Kash?” asked Sebastian.

“All charges regarding the assault of Ashley Evergreen have been dropped due to a lack of evidence.”

All the air left my lungs in a huge sigh of relief, and my muscles turned to mush. “Finally!”

“Thank you.” Sebastian pumped the lawyer’s hand up and down.

Prakash shook his hand next. “I appreciate everything you’ve done for me, Mr. Pinkerton.”

After Leopold and I thanked the lawyer, he excused himself and left the room, leaving us all standing by the door.

Prakash doubled over, resting his hands on his thighs. His breaths came in ragged bursts. “I thought he came to tell me something worse had happened.”

I rubbed circles on his back. “It’s over now.”

“Not yet,” he murmured. “Your sister might have done the right thing in the end, but nothing can take away what I’ve experienced since getting arrested. I want to have words with her.”

I locked eyes with Sebastian, who grimaced.

“What?” Prakash straightened, turning his gaze from me to Sebastian, and to Leopold, who leaned against the door and rubbed the back of his neck.

“About Ashley.” Leopold’s voice trailed off.

I blew out a long breath and curled my fingers around Prakash’s hand. Where did we even begin with that girl? “Ummm… She meant what she said at the end of last term about wanting that money. Only she tried blackmailing the knights, and Bruce beat her up.”

Leopold’s brows drew together. “The twins must have helped. Not even Bruce could have dished out the amount of damage we saw.”

“What are you saying?” asked Prakash.