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“You have me wrong, Dominic. I fear death and mortality just like everyone else. Only, I see it clearer than most. Sorry if that means I lose your respect.”
“Nonsense. A healthy fear earns you more.” His laughter slowed down as he reached under his seat to grab a small, paper bag. He tossed it to her, nodding at it. “My boys don’t sit idly by as one of their own is accused. They don’t wait for an innocent to be cleared. And neither do I. Sammy was a good kid.”
“I know he was,” she agreed. Her head bowed as the weight of guilt settled back in. “I never doubted that.”
“Where’d he go?” Dominic’s words were hesitant, something Anastacia suspected didn’t happen often.
She knew what he was really asking: Where did his soul go?
“There was a bright, pure light when Sammy left. I’ve never seen where it leads, but no one ready to leave ever fights against it. It’s good and calm. They’re gone, but I know it’s somewhere better.”
“Montgomery told me you didn’t seem to side with the detectives trying to say it was him. I’m glad someone in that damn building fought for him.”
“Is that why you chose me to fight on your behalf?” She looked in the bag and pulled out an item wrapped in plastic, noticing a few pieces of paper along with it.
“It’s why I believe you’d do the right thing because you see things differently. More than the black-and-white of the law. I’m not expecting a white light at my end, baby, and I’m not gonna hurry my way along either by taking the fall for someone else.”
“What’s this?”
“Something found in Sammy’s room at the manor. He’d been renting one of the employee rooms with his mother. I think someone took his tie clip and left something of theirs, which leads me back to your police station.”
Anastacia turned the item over. It was an enamel pin in the shape of a folded ribbon. She didn’t recognize the small black and navy pin immediately, but the station number on one side of the ribbon was unmistakable. Upon closer inspection, she remembered seeing a few of the other detectives and officers in the station wearing them. She had asked Knight about the one he usually wore. He explained it was the pin they gave out when his partner died. A mourning pin, and only those at the station had this one.
“This was in Sammy’s room?”
“I don’t like the trade myself. A tie clip for a pin?” Dominic watched her. “You know what it is?”
“Yeah, and you’re right. It’s connected to the station.”
“Someone from the office is pushing hard to point at me and my boys. I don’t like the insinuation. Knight knows better, but our agreement seems to be on shaky ground if he thinks I would hire someone as loathsome as Curtis.”
“I see word gets around fast. I just got the call about Curtis myself.” Anastacia tucked the pin back into the paper bag carefully.
“Try to do yourself a favor and never meet him face-to-face. I would hate for a pretty thing like you to get tangled up in a waste of space like Curtis.” He waved the cigar in her direction again as if chastising a child.
“I’ll try my best and I’ll see what I can do to clear the air about your involvement.” Anastacia felt the car ease to a stop.
“You do that, baby.” His smile became much less predatory. Montgomery opened her door as Dominic waved her out. “Until next time.”
Anastacia climbed out of the car, standing in front of the station as promised. Mel quickly followed and stood next to her on the sidewalk. Montgomery gave her a stiff nod of the head. Once he seated himself back inside, the car pulled away from the curb.
“Hey, Geist!”
Anastacia looked up to see Baker walking down the steps toward her, pointing to the car turning the corner.
“Was that Dominic Deblous?”
“Yeah, he gave me a lift. And a little something for the case. Is Knight here?”
“He’s out trying to find that scum, Curtis. What’s going on?”
“Something I need to talk with Knight about.”
“We’ll get him on the phone. Until then, let's get you inside and off the streets. Way too many eyes out here.”
Knightrushedthroughthehall, his hands catching himself before he slammed into the walls in his haste through the station. He scrambled through the maze of desks to Anastacia’s side, eyes running over her face, hair, and down her arms as he checked for injuries. Perched on the empty chair next to Anastacia, Mel focused on Knight’s movements. A small floor lamp flickered at his side and the radio behind Knight’s desk turned to chaotic static. Anastacia’s hand went over to the empty chair. Her fingertips trailed through the area where Mel’s hand was, the cold feeling seeping up through her fingers.
There was a faint resistance to her movement. Instead of breezing through empty air, it was like swimming through ice-cold water, still able to move freely, but it took effort. She had met spirits with the ability to move things; enraged spirits who threw books, sculptures, or anything they could lift in a fit of resentment for those still living. Mel didn’t hold on to negative emotions as those spirits had. Outside of his fit at Jason’s, his emotions seemed to peek when it came to her.
