AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He gave a small smile as he stood. His eyes darted toward the closed doors and then back to her. “Thank you again,” he said, looking like he wanted to say more, but he didn’t.
“I’ll come back later today,” she said before turning toward the doors.
“Bethenny?” Lachlan called out her name and she turned to look at him. “Will you please ask Mitch if I can call my lawyer?”
“Sure,” she said, unable to read the look in his eyes. She supposed it was about the case files, but there was something else in his eyes.
“Mitch,” Bethenny said as he walked toward her, “can you please arrange a phone call for Lachlan to his lawyer?”
“She was just here,” he said, like he’d missed the fact that Bethenny had met with her.
“Well, he has another question for her,” she said with a shrug.
“Okay then,” he said slowly before walking off.
She sat at her desk and opened her emails. A new email from the forensics team caught her attention, but she didn’t get excited: if they’d had important news for her, they would’ve called.
Bethenny,
We’ve analyzed the notepad for possible indentations. We believe the torn-out pages contained a grocery list. The following words were confirmed:
Bread
Diet Soda
Salmon
Greens
Bananas
There were several words that could not be confirmed, but they were standalone words in a column consistent with a continuing grocery list.
Bethenny tipped her head back, sighing. She would’ve loved if a name or a phone number had been written on the notepad, but she would have to work the case the old-fashioned way.
She looked at the stack of folders on her desk.
It was time to connect the dots.
LACHLAN
“Lachlan?” Emma asked as she answered the call.
“Did you threaten Bethenny?” he asked, anger riling in his chest.
“Excuse me?” From the tone of her voice he knew he wasn’t far off the mark. “I did no such thing. What did she say?”
“Of course you didn’t directly,” he said, shaking his head. “I’m warning you, she is off limits. If the CIA touches her, I’ll unleash on the entire organization.”
A pause followed. “Lachlan, I hate to be the one to remind you of this, but if she fails, you’re going to prison for a very long time. Come on, you know how this works better than anyone.”
“Even from prison I can do a lot of damage to the CIA. She is off limits,do you understand?” he asked through gritted teeth.
“Understood,” she said, then added, “but you do realize we’re not the only threat to her. If you didn’t kill those women—and the guy you chased over the falls didn’t—then someone else did, and they’re still out there. Now that you’ve been taken off the case and she’s the lead, she’s very possibly become the target. If, God forbid, something happens, do not assume it’s the CIA. Don’t make this situation worse for yourself, because we might be the only friends you have left at that point.”
She was right, but he was not about to admit it. “Stay away from her, Emma,” he warned once more.
“If this conversation is done, I need to prepare for your court appearance in a few hours. I suggest you shower and shave and put on your most charming smile if you want to go home today,” she said.
