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“What do you mean?”
I was grateful for the hot drink but was still so infernally cold. My gaze traveled back to the weapon on the counter, cursing myself for ever picking the damn thing up, but I couldn’t let her call the authorities. I’d have had colleagues crawling all over the place and how would Walker’s unconscious body look then?
“Now that you’ve knocked him out and decided I’m okay, what’s your plan?”
“I…” Hesitating, my brows knitted. I didn’t have a plan. “I didn’t really get that far.”
“Are you planning to leave?” She motioned to the glass doors behind her. “On walking away from us and not looking back? Or…” Pausing, her stare met mine. “Are you planning on taking whatever you think you’ve learned back to your superiors?”
“I can’t just sit on what I know, Tiffany.” Indignation sparked in my voice. “Can’t ignore what I know to be true.”
“And what’s that?” she pressed. “We’ve already established that you have no evidence against him.”
“I have the fact that he bound and drugged me,” I countered.
“And the fact that you entered his property without permission,” she argued, her voice annoyingly calm. “And your recent assault of him.”
“Hehad a gun!” I snapped, outraged that she was somehow painting me as the bad guy.
“He pulled the gun on you?” Leaning back, she waited for me to answer, her tone neither supportive nor reproachful.
Fleetingly, I considered lying and making it sound as if he’d threatened me with the weapon—she’d never know the truth after all—but I stopped myself, scarcely believing the woman I’d become. I’d gotten into this job to do the right thing. When had I become such a duplicitous and conniving person?
“No,” I confessed, reaching for my head and rubbing away the impending tension headache. “It was on his person when he came looking for me.”
“You can see my point then?” She folded her arms across her chest. “The best you have, Detective, is an impasse—your word against his and not much else.”
“What about your word?” I demanded. “You know the things he’s done… what he’s capable of?”
“I’m in love with him,” she reminded me. “I’ve never pressed charges, and you’ll never convince me to speak for the prosecution.”
“I know.” Shit. My shoulders fell as wearily I accepted the truth. For reasons only known to her, Noble was a lost cause. She’d never help us nail Walker. My entire pursuit had been a waste of time.
“But I hope you can see my point, as well? The man you’re entangled with is trouble, Miss Noble. I’d be willing to wager my pension that you’re not the first woman he’s stalked and attacked. Somewhere out there are other victims and they deserve justice.” My words hung in the air between us, her fingers tightening on the cup she grasped. “As a lawyer, I’m sure you agree with me.”
“If there was any proof of other victims, then I would.” Her blue eyes drilled into me. “I am, as you say, a lawyer, Detective. I need evidence for any case to exist.”
“So, it’s a stalemate then?” My discouragement was easy to hear in my voice.
“Yes.” She nodded. “We both have good points, and I see no obvious compromise.”
“What next then?” I asked, draining my cup.
Motioning to the teapot, she smiled. “How about another cup?”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Kade
The dull ache in my head stirred me, compelling my eyes to open and face reality, but as I blinked around the well-lit hall, I wasn’t clear what I was looking at.
“Where the fuck am I?” I murmured, or perhaps more importantly, why was I on the floor?
Rising to an upright position, I groaned at my head’s disapproval. Apparently, it would prefer I stay sprawled out in the corridor, but that wasn’t going to happen. I had to find out what transpired and ensure Tiffany was okay. If anything had happened to her, I’d—
An image of Tiffany strapped to the bench in her playroom filled my mind, curling my lips as relief spread through me. At least Tiffany was fine—more than fine, actually. Whatever else happened could be dealt with.
Shoving away the throw that had been laid out over me, my brow creased. Why was I covered up, and who, except my little girl, would care enough to even bother? If only I could remember… Using the wall for support, I climbed to my feet and glanced around trying to get my bearings.
