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Odin’s forehead furrows. He opens his mouth to ask something, but Mr. Jamison clears his throat, and we both turn to him.
24
SANTOS
Iwait impatiently to take my wife home, irritated at not being in the attorney’s office with her, but also needing this time to get my thoughts together. Today is turning into a shit show, as if I will pay for the last seven days of peace with just this one.
Bea Avery knowing where Madelena was shouldn’t come as a surprise to me. Find your enemy’s weakness. Exploit that weakness. It’s your way in. I learned that even before I met the Commander. But my reaction to her comment? That was just stupidity on my part. The way I peeled out of there confirmed to her that Madelena is my weakness.
I made her a target.
As I sit staring at that closed door, I go through our conversation again. I didn’t expect her to come clean about my mother. But what she said, and her satisfied expression? It’s bothering me. She got under my skin today, and she knows it.
I get to my feet and push a hand into my hair, pacing. My phone dings with an email. It’s the police report. I’d told Val to get me in touch with Detective Hayes, the agent who’d worked on Alexia’s case. I have the paper version of the coroner’s report at the house. I want to talk to Hayes about the stab wounds and the fact that according to the coroner, they were made by a right-handed person. But it turns out I can’t talk to Hayes. No one can, because he died in a hiking accident weeks after he closed Alexia’s case. Got too close to the edge of a cliff apparently.
What if I was wrong about Alexia’s father? What if it hadn’t been him who killed her? Then who? Who would murder her so violently, so cruelly, then pose her the way they did? Alexia had no enemies. She was kind, friendly and warm, and there was rage in the killer’s hand.
My phone dings with a message.
Caius: Back from the dead?
Me: Don’t be an ass.
Caius: What the hell’s going on, Santos? We used to talk, remember?
I rub my throbbing temple.
Caius: Drinks to celebrate wifey’s birthday?
Me: Wifey?
Caius: Typo. Fat thumbs. Drink?
Me: Tomorrow. It’s been a long day.
Caius sends two thumbs up emojis and follows it up with the middle finger. It makes me smile because that’s him.
Me: Meet you at the club, brother.
Caius: Augustine’s remember? Dad will turn over in his grave if he hears you call it the club.
The office door opens then, so I type out a quick response telling him the time, then tuck my phone into my pocket.
Madelena shakes Jamison’s hand and thanks him. She’s holding a folder and looks a little paler than when she went in, but when she meets my eyes, she musters up her anger. It’s good. Anger makes you strong. I need her strong right now.
I go to her, stand a few inches from her, then turn to Jamison. “All done here?”
He nods.
I look to Madelena. “Home or your uncle’s house?”
“Home.”
“We can go over together when you’re ready,” Odin tells her.
“I don’t think so,” I tell them both.
Jamison clears his throat and excuses himself. “What do you mean, you don’t think so?” Madelena asks me.
