29. Twenty-Nine

twenty-nine

Charlotte

Imade it within ten minutes, trying not to trip over my damn feet as I raced up the steps and inside the building, praying the white boards and files were still in my office. Perry, my colleague whose office was directly beside mine, spotted me as he was coming out of the break room and hustled toward me fast, determined to match my pace.

"Anything I can do for you, Perry?" I asked, walking even faster just for my brows to crinkle when he'd burst in a jog in order to keep up with me.

What the hell was he doing?

"I thought you were off today," he said, hissing through a crude curse when his coffee spilled out of his cup and found refuge on his plaid button-down.

"I am," I replied. "I had to come in long enough to grab something from my office."

I was nearly there, the door right in my line of sight, but I was stopped dead in my tracks when Perry had damn near knocked me over trying to get past me, spilling more coffee all over the floor rather than himself. It wasn't until his back was pressed against my office door, his chest heaving as he panted, when I crossed my arms tightly against my chest and said, "Let me guess… Harley told you not to let me in there."

To my utmost surprise, Perry nodded. "I'm sorry, Charlotte."

It was another cold, hard slap to the face, but I had to give the woman her props—Harley was smart to assume I'd come here. Which also meant that the odds of everything I had pertaining to Delilah and Amber's cases still being in my office were outstandingly slim. And, if I was right, then they had to be locked up tightly inside Harley's office.

But then again…

If they were inside Harley's office, then why demand Perry guard mine?

"I just need to grab my blood pressure medicine. I forgot to take it home last night and I need it, Perry."

It was the best goddamn lie I could scrounge up at the moment, and Perry looked torn as he began grinding his teeth, contemplating. He had no real way of knowing if I was lying and we both knew it. Might as well use it to my advantage.

"Are you fucking kidding me right now?" I growled, making him gulp hard as I stepped forward and fisted his drenched apparel, forcing him to stare deep into my raging eyes. "This is a life-or-death situation and you're seriously just going to stand there? Fucking move."

I didn't fully unhand him until he stepped to the side, giving me access to unlock the door. Once I was in, I locked it, then whirled around fast, ignoring Perry's apology echoing from the other side.

The white boards were still here and—thank you, God—all of the information I'd posted and jotted along them had remained untouched. I didn't have a lot of time, so I dug for my phone and once I had the camera ready, snapped picture after picture, down to every last detail I could get. When I was done with that, I moved on the remaining pages in both Amber and Delilah's file. All I had to do now was send each one to my email address, and then print them out as soon as I got home.

Later, though.

It would have to wait until later.

I'd already spent too much time hunting for fake blood pressure medicine, and I had to get the hell out of here.

I blew out a hoarse breath when I pulled up to my destination and parked, my pulse roaring through my ears. I had to be certifiably insane, but it wasn't until I left the office and made it back to my car when I'd realized that, suspended or not, this was probably the best and last chance I had to get some solid answers. I couldn't talk to Karl, not yet at least, and since Phoenix and Spike were currently with Harley, on their way to Karl's apartment with a warrant, it could be hours before I'd hear from either of them again. I was breaking so many rules and whole-heartedly understood the risks if I got caught, but I just couldn't help it—it was a risk I had to take. There were two sides to every story and if I was going to do this, then it had to be now.

So, I got out of the car and approached the front door with my head raised high.

"Daniel Strickland?" I asked, greeting the man who opened the door with somewhat of a strained smile.

"Yes?" he replied in question, observing me through curious eyes. "I'm sorry, do I know you?"

"I'm Charlotte Greene. You may not remember me, but I work for the DA's office."

"Oh, of course," Daniel replied, looking surprised as he shook my hand. "Please, come in." He stepped aside, and I nodded, thanking him. "Is-uh, everything okay? I was just about to step out and grab a few things from the store."

"Yes," I told him, softening my features to ease the worry still flashing through his eyes. "Everything is fine. I wasn't where I could speak with Amber while she was in the hospital, so I'm just doing a personal check-in. Is she awake?"

"She is." He turned to the staircase, nudging his head for me to follow. "She's in our bedroom. Doc told her to stay in bed and get plenty of rest. She hasn't left there since we got home from the hospital."

We made it to the top, and as he lightly pushed open the door in the middle of the hallway, he walked in and said, "Amber, baby. Charlotte Greene from the DA's office is here to see you."

"From the DA's office?" she questioned, sounding startled.

"Yes. She works with Detective Rhodes and Hutch."

I remained rooted in place, refusing to move until Daniel's head popped out of the door and invited me in. I found Amber sitting up in bed, releasing an ugly yawn that had her wincing and clutching her ribs. Her pretty face was still bruised and there were still slight traces of inflammation around and under her eyes. Aside from that, she looked better—much, much better than when I last saw her lying unconscious in a hospital bed.

"Do you want me to stay?" Daniel asked her from the doorway.

Thankfully, Amber shook her head. With what I had to speak with her about, Daniel sticking around would only make the situation worse, and that was the last thing I needed to happen given that I had no goddamn business being in their house right now.

"No, it's okay. Don't forget to grab my soup, please."

Daniel gave her a half smile and then crossed the room, pressing a tender kiss to the side of her head. "I'll be back soon. I love you. Call me if you want me to pick up anything else while I'm out."

She whispered she loved him back and then together we waited, refusing to speak until we heard the front door shut and the deadbolt slide back.

"What's this about, Ms. Greene?" she asked, keeping her head down as she fidgeted with her hands in her lap. "I already told the detectives everything I know."

It wasn't until I said Karl's name when her head lifted and her blown, panicked pupils locked on mine.

Huh, so my gut feeling was right. She didn't tell the detectives everything.

"I need to ask you some serious questions and I need you to answer them honestly. Karl's fate rests on your answers and I do not have time for you to sit there and feed me bullshit. Do you understand?"

Amber's eyes grew impossibly wider, but she nodded, her breath shuddering with her body.

"Do you know who I am?"

She nodded. "Yes. You're his ex-wife. He-he's talked about you before. Nothing serious, but he's mentioned you."

"Did you meet him in a grocery store?"

"Yes," she answered, confirming Karl was being truthful about that part. "About three—hell, maybe four months ago. I don't really remember."

"Did you sleep with him?"

Again, she bobbed her head.

"How many times?"

"Like, two, maybe three, I think. Why the hell does that matter? I thought you weren't together anymore."

"And when is the last time you've seen or spoken with him?"

"Oh god," she whispered, shaking her head as she pondered it. "It's been weeks—at least a month if not longer. Again, why does that matter? What the hell is going on?"

"I'm not here to hound you over your relationship with Karl. I'm here because somehow, a strand of Karl's hair ended up on your body the night you were attacked. He's been arrested and my boss, plus the detectives are at his apartment ransacking the place as we speak."

Amber sat up straighter then, her bruised skin paling faintly. "That's not possible," she murmured, shaking her head at me. "I haven't seen or spoken to him. And he couldn't have been at the sanctum that night because I never told him about that place. I never told him about Daniel, the sanctum, none of it. Any time we'd meet, it was always at his apartment. It was just a couple harmless hookups and that's it. I swear."

I nodded, struggling to contain the emotions crashing through me as I processed every single thing she'd said word for word, scrutinizing her intensely.

Fuck.

She was telling the truth.

Which explained why she never mentioned any of this to the detectives when they'd asked her about the follicles. How could she possibly give up Karl's name when they hadn't crossed paths in over a month?

"Okay, Amber." I didn't bother asking for permission. I just sat down on the edge of her bed and then turned, facing her. "I'm assuming Daniel doesn't know about this, am I right?"

Amber frowned, looking away from me with a tear snaking down her swollen cheek. "No, he doesn't." She sniffled, bringing the sleeve of her pajamas up to wipe under her nose. "Daniel's a good guy. I love him so damn much, but this isn't an unusual thing for us. He's cheated on me plenty of times, even before we decided to start swinging. Only difference is that I'm a hell of a lot better at not getting caught than he is."

Wow. I frankly didn't know what to say to that.

"It doesn't make it right," she continued. "I know it doesn't. But all of that bullshit aside, I'm telling you the truth, Ms. Greene."

"And you swear Daniel doesn't know?"

"I'm positive he doesn't." Then slowly, her face fell. "Damnit. I guess it doesn't matter now that Karl's DNA is involved. If Karl's been arrested, then it's only a matter of time before the detective's show back up wanting to talk to me."

"Which is precisely why I'm here, Amber. I need you to listen to me and if you would, please, do me this huge favor and I will forever be indebted to you."

Amber blinked at me like she was utterly confused. "Wh-what is it?"

"My boss took me off these cases, Amber. Legally speaking, I have no business being here talking to you right now."

"Then why are you?" she wondered.

"Because if my suspicions are correct, then Karl is being framed, Amber. Framed for a heinous crime he did not commit, and I cannot just stand back and simply do nothing. Do you want an innocent man to go to prison?"

She frowned again and shook her head.

"Neither do I. So when my boss and the detectives show up to question you, I need you to be honest with them. Tell them everything you just told me, but you cannot—whatever you do—you cannot mention I was here to any of them, especially Harley. This is crucial, Amber. If my boss finds out I was here, Karl's done for, and I won't be able to help him."

More tears snaked down her cheeks, but after taking a minute to steady her breathing and really give it some thought, she outstretched her hand and offered me a sad smile.

"You have a deal, Ms. Greene."