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"Alright, Mr. Jenson," Jake said, handing the folder back to Mark. "It seems like your client has a solid alibi. For now, we'll let him go. But I want to make it clear that we'll be keeping an eye on him. Maybe you're aware of the reports women have been making about a bearded man following them. Not to mention, your brother here nearly assaulted a federal employee." Jake gestured to Fiona, who remained quiet beside him.
Mark's expression remained unchanged, but there was a flicker of something in his eyes that made Jake uneasy. "I'm aware," he said smoothly. "And I assure you, my brother will not be causing any more trouble. I'll make sure of it."
With that, Mark stood up and helped Clide to his feet. The two brothers exchanged a tense look before Mark led Clide out of the interrogation room. As soon as they were gone, Fiona let out a low whistle.
"That lawyer is something else," she said, her voice filled with disbelief. "Did you see the way he just waltzed in here and shut us down?"
Jake nodded, his mind still racing. There was something about the Jenson brothers that he didn't trust, something that made his skin crawl. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but he knew that there was more to them than met the eye.
He faced Fiona, realizing he hadn't answered her. "Not much we can do now," he said. "Let's go regroup."
CHAPTER TWENTY THREE
Later that day, Fiona sat across from Jake at his apartment, picking at her salad while they discussed the case. The afternoon sunlight filtered through the blinds, but did little to ease Fiona’s anxieties. The man in the woods hadn’t panned out, and they’d found no clues at the scene of Matilda’s death.
"Alright, so we need to look into other suspects," Jake said, tapping the edge of his laptop. "I've been digging into Matilda Black's brother. His name is Mason. No criminal record, lives in Portland, works as a janitor."
Fiona chewed thoughtfully, her gaze drifting to the window. Mason—right. That was his name. "Do you think he could be involved in all this?"
"Hard to say," Jake replied, scrolling through the information on his screen. "But it's worth checking out. We need to follow every lead we can."
Fiona nodded, taking a sip of her iced tea. "What about Clyde? I know we had to let him go, but something just doesn't sit right with me about him and his brother."
"I agree," Jake admitted, his brow furrowing. "But without any solid evidence, our hands are tied. For now, we should focus on Mason and see where that takes us."
"Okay," Fiona sighed, setting down her fork. "Let's start with Mason.”
Fiona studied the ID photo on the screen, feeling a sudden rush of memories. She recalled standing in Mason Black's cramped living room three years ago, the air thick with the scent of stale cigarettes and grief. His eyes had been red-rimmed, pleading with her to reconsider the ruling on his sister's death.
Fiona shook her head, trying to clear the image from her mind as she looked back at the computer screen. "Jake, I met Mason a few years ago when I was working Matilda's case. He didn't believe it was an accident then, and I doubt he does now."
“Yeah. We need to look deeper into him.”
Fiona nodded reluctantly, knowing that they couldn't afford to let any potential leads slip away. As she stared at the ID photo, she found herself wondering what Mason knew about his sister's death – and whether he held the key to unraveling the mystery that had brought them back to Portland.
The sunlight streaming through the curtains cast a warm glow over Jake's apartment, creating an almost serene atmosphere that belied the tension simmering beneath the surface. Fiona absently traced the patterns on the coffee table with her fingertips, trying to focus on the case at hand, but her thoughts kept drifting to the man sitting beside her.
"Hey, I'll be right back," Jake said suddenly, pushing himself up from the couch and heading towards the bathroom. As he disappeared from sight, Fiona couldn't help but notice the weariness in his shoulders, the way his usual confidence seemed to have faded.
Left alone with her thoughts, she tried to shake off her growing unease. But just as she started to regain her focus, Jake's phone buzzed on the coffee table, momentarily distracting her. She knew it was wrong, but curiosity got the better of her, and she glanced at the screen. Her heart plummeted when she saw the name: Lauren. His ex.
Hey, I can talk later, the message read.
Fiona's mind raced as she tried to process what she'd seen. It made sense now – the distance, the strange behavior. Jake had been talking to Lauren, and Fiona couldn't help but fear the worst. Was he considering getting back together with her? Had Fiona lost him, after everything they'd been through? The thought twisted at her insides like a knife.
Jake emerged from the bathroom, rubbing his hands on his jeans to dry them. He halted mid-step when he saw Fiona standing by the door, her purse clutched tightly in her hands, her eyes red-rimmed.
"Hey," he said cautiously, picking up on the tense atmosphere in the room. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," she replied quickly, too quickly. Her voice wavered slightly, betraying her emotions. "I just need to go back to my apartment for a bit. I'll meet up with you later."
"Wait, Fiona—" Jake started, reaching out for her arm as if to stop her. But she was already out the door, leaving him alone in the dimly lit living room.
CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR
The silence in the apartment was deafening as Jake stood there, staring at the closed door. Fiona's abrupt departure left him feeling uneasy, a nagging thought worming its way into his mind. Could she have seen Lauren's text? He shook his head, dismissing the idea. Fiona wouldn't snoop through his phone, and he trusted her to know that he would never intentionally hurt her.
But as much as he tried to convince himself, the gnawing guilt of keeping Lauren's pregnancy from Fiona remained. He knew he should tell her, but the timing couldn't be worse. They had a case to solve; people were counting on them. The truth would have to wait.
