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What? She couldn’t have been much more than a teenager. But the Lexie I knew would do anything to protect her brother. And from the sound of it, putting her parents away for a long time was a big step toward that.
“Do they know?” I prayed the authorities hadn’t put her at risk by identifying her as a rat.
“Not sure. But she testified against both of them in court.”
Lexie.
What kind of hell had she been through?
“Life sentences?” I asked to reconfirm I’d heard correctly earlier. One ticking time bomb had already exploded, but another could be close.
“Supposed to be life. Donnie got out forgood behavior.” Zegas made an unimpressed face. “I’ve put a private investigator on him. The guy has one foot in prison and one out. He makes a wrong move and back in he goes.”
“How does that affect Lexie?”
I wanted the man back in a jail cell far away from Lexie and Eric. But more than that, I wanted her to be free from worry.
“The judge for her case is a friend of mine and despises rotten parents, even of grown children. I’ve explained the situation and barring something extraordinary, she won’t serve any time. We can have her volunteer for anger management and community service as a goodwill gesture.”
I should’ve been relieved to hear that, but something about it felt like false hope.
“What about the witness? Garrison? Will he retract his statement?” That burned me up all over again. I understood he thought he saw what he saw, but he should’ve given Lexie the benefit of the doubt. Heknewher. Was he bribed? Surely he knew that the man she hit was slime.
“If we could get him to recant, that would be a positive step.” He pointed at me. “And before you get any ideas, stay away from him.”
I scowled. Paying him a visit soon was most definitely a possibility. If I could talk to him, straighten the record, he’d have a different outlook on the situation.
“Let’s not add witness tampering to your legal woes.” He polished off his drink and went to the bar to get a refill.
How was it tampering to tell someone the truth? Again, another situation I could do nothing to rectify. It felt like my wrists were in invisible handcuffs.
“Speaking of your legal woes.” He dropped back into the chair.
“Fix Lexie’s problems first,” I said through my teeth.
“Did you hear nothing of this conversation? I’m close. Nailing Donnie again will go a long way to doing just what you want.”
I wouldn’t be satisfied until Lexie was free and clear.
“Do you like this place?” Zegas looked around as if he were just noticing for the first time we were in my apartment.
“More now than I ever have.”
He rubbed the arm of the chair like he was testing the quality of the leather. “Don’t get comfortable because you may not be keeping it.”
It wasn’t the money, though the loss would be noticeable. And it wasn’t the fine furnishings or the view.
The apartment symbolized what I’d worked for. And Eric’s painting belonged on that wall in my study. In fact, they belonged on all the walls. Lexie’s shoes belonged kicked off in the foyer. Muffy’s and Millie’s toys belonged scattered in every room. I wasn’t going to give that up without a fight.
“I’m keeping those damn dogs.”
Teague had known I wouldn’t return them. They were a pain and disruptive and may cost me my fortune in hot dogs. But they were mine.
“What?”
“I’m keeping the apartment.”
Zegas didn’t need to hear my revelation about the dogs, but I wanted it clear I wasn’t going anywhere.
