AllFreeNovel
Share Us
”I know. And I would normally listen,” he said, his gaze flitting between my face and Teo's. ”I know you're angry, boss, but I needed to do this.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. ”Leave my brother out of this. Sam doesn't have anything to do with it.”
Grayson shook his head. ”I know you want to believe that,” he said. ”But there’s something I need to show you.”
Teo lowered his knife, but didn't put it away. Grayson moved to the side of the room, gesturing for us to follow him. My heart was pounding in my chest, wondering what he could possibly have to show us. I knew Sam's apartment like the back of my hand, but right then, it felt cold, sterile, vaguely unfamiliar.
”My brother wouldn't...”
Grayson held his hand up and I trailed off. He stepped in front of the brown bookshelf, which was full of Jack Ryan novels, and grabbed a thick binder. I had never noticed it there before, but I didn't pay a lot of attention to what Sam read.
Grayson fingered the top of the folder before he handed it to me. ”I'm sorry to be the one showing you this,” he said. ”I really wish you'd given me more time.”
I wasn't sure if he was talking to me or to Teo, but at that moment, it didn't make much of a difference.
Teo's fingers curled around mine and I knew he was trying to be supportive. Grayson waited for me to take the binder. I took a deep breath before I grabbed it, my fingers touching the smooth blue leather before I opened it.
My breath caught in my throat when I opened it.
It was filled with photographs and newspaper clippings. I flipped through it, my eyes widening as I saw the familiar faces of the victims that had been found so far.
”These are all connected,” Grayson said, his voice low. ”These are all people who have crossed paths with your brother at some point or another.”
”My brother is a cop, Grayson,” I said. ”It makes sense that he's investigating this.”
”On his own time? Keeping his research in a binder like it's the 90's?” Grayson challenged.
I felt a pang of doubt, but I couldn't bring myself to believe that my brother had anything to do with these murders. ”He's just trying to help,” I said softly, my eyes still focused on the contents of the binder. ”My brother isn't a detective or anything. I was the one who told him about the strangler. He said he would investigate...”
”I understand why you want to believe that,” Grayson replied. ”But you have to admit, it doesn't look good.”
I shook my head. ”This isn't evidence. If you found Jace's digital notebook, you'd think he was the murderer too,” I said, handing him back the binder. ”Or my notes. But we're all just investigating.”
Grayson looked at Teo, a question in his eyes. Teo must have nodded because Grayson sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.
”I take your point,” he said. ”But there's something else.”
”It better be good,” I said through gritted teeth.
Grayson looked into my eyes. For a second, I thought he might apologize. He didn't. ”Follow me,” he said.
Sam's apartment was small, but right then, it felt cavernous. Grayson hesitated for a second before he opened the door to Sam's bedroom, then grabbed the handle and pushed in.
As always, his room was pretty tidy save for the mess on his nightstand. I scanned the room for anything that might indicate that my brother had anything to do with this, but there was nothing. His room looked as mundane as it always did.
”Excuse me,” Grayson said, then opened the closet behind him.
I turned around to look at what he was pointing at.
And right there, among Sam's hastily hung and folded clothes, a giant bouquet of white orchids looked right back at me.
Chapter Twenty-Eight: Teo
IheardSofiagaspas she looked at what Grayson had shown her.
He was right–it was compelling evidence–but I wished he’d given me time to break it to her. Grayson and Sofia were friends, but I didn’t think she had opened up about how much Sam meant to her, and I could see that this was hurting her.
Sofia took a step back. Her skin had paled to the point where I was almost certain she was going to faint. I reached out to steady her, but she jerked away from my touch. Her eyes were still fixed on the bouquet of white orchids; her body was trembling.
