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I swallowed back the wariness that came with self-preservation. There was no way I could sit back and do nothing, especially when Ezra was suffering too. I wouldn’t squander my chance to help them.
I empathized with Zali’s frantic need to protect her mother’s legacy. I’d been so pre-occupied with getting the podcast off the ground and hitting it big with my research that I hadn’t stopped to count the human cost. Zali and her dad were that cost. They were the ones who would have to live with Rosa’s actions being made public. It wasn’t their fault, but it was their burden to carry.
I wouldn’t make the same mistake twice. I wouldn’t discount the impact on them again. I could help, and I would. I had contacts. I knew people in the industry who could assist.
“I’ll organize lawyers for them,” I promised.
“Okay,” he breathed out in a rush. “Please.”
“I’ll come to you too, okay?” I asked a few more questions and deduced that they were on the Gold Coast. The only offices I knew of there were the ones at the airport. “Is that where you are? The airport?”
“Yes.”
“I’m on my way. I’m here for you too.”
Ezra’s sob was muffled, as if he was biting it back, shoving it down under a layer of professionalism. “Thank you.” His voice cracked and he sniffed again. “I’ve got to go.”
The line went dead before I could say anything more, and I didn’t hesitate to call the one person I knew would help.
She answered immediately. “Tristan, how are you?”
“Good, Robyn. Listen, I’m sorry to do this, but I need a favour.” I paused. “Well, a referral, actually. I need your best criminal lawyer—”
“Are you in trouble?” she asked, concern lacing her voice.
“No, my…. Look, it’s complicated, but three people who are important to me need lawyers.”
“They likely won’t all be able to be represented by one person. But to begin with, we can at least have someone present to make sure they know what their rights are,” she advised, audibly tapping on a keyboard in the background.
“Yeah, I don’t know about representation,” I answered honestly. I had a bad feeling that any lawyer who laid eyes on this case would encourage Flynn and Ryder to turn against Zali to protect themselves, and I couldn’t see either one of them doing that.
“I’ll speak with Nick, my boss, and see if Jodi can help. She’s the best. Can you give me a rundown of what’s happened so I can brief her?”
I huffed. I didn’t have any information. “My friend is a federal police officer—a detective. He couldn’t give me anything other than that they were in trouble. I know they were flying to Sydney today. I happened to ring him, and he’s confirmed they’re being held at Gold Coast airport.”
“Okay, just send me their names, and I’ll get someone familiar with federal criminal laws organized for you. I’ll see if I can get you the names of a couple of other lawyers in case she can’t represent all of them.”
We said our goodbyes, and I sent Robyn the information she’d asked for. I had a quick reply—one of their associates was on the case. The need to get there, to show up and be present for all of them was overwhelming.
But so were the nerves and the fear of what might happen to them.
My hands were shaking as I started my car. I wiped my sweaty palms on my black pants and exhaled a calming breath.
This was it.
Six
Zali
“Z
ali,” Detective Fraser greeted with a nod as he strutted in.
I hated myself for the butterflies taking flight in my stomach, swooping at the man before me. He was beautiful, all golden hair and skin with his perfect features and kissable lips.
Another two officers, a woman a few years older than me and a man with a thick beard, followed him in. She closed the door without taking her eyes off me. What was this? Good cop, bad cop? “These are detectives Chisholm and Franklin.”
I rolled my eyes and shook my head. How ridiculous. “Detectives,” I greeted with as bored a tone as I could muster. I still hadn’t decided whether I was pissed at him or myself, so until I did, there was no playing nice.
