She knew all that she needed to know: Lucas was not a murderer; he was a protector. Causing someone’s death was not something easy to deal with, and she understood most of all.
Always do what’s right.
And sometimes what was right wasn’t always the same as what was lawful.
Sometime that afternoon, Captain Bushnell called her in to talk. She finished her phone call and entered the captain’s office, then sat on the chair opposite him.
He was at his desk, scribbling down on a notepad. “Anderson’s alibi checks out,” he said without looking up. “We have a written statement from his security detail from that night, plus GPS logs of their whereabouts.”
So that meant he was definitely cleared of the Dixon murder. It was back to square one on his case. “Was there anything else, sir?”
“Yes.” He put the pen down and looked up at her, the clear blue pools of his eyes boring into her. “The stuff about Fenrir and Anderson … you need to drop it.”
“Sir?” Her hands balled into fists.
“Aside from all these coincidences, do you have anything definitive? Any proof of criminal activity? From Fenrir or Anderson?”
Her heart sank. Of course not. All the other cases she found were only mildly related to Lucas Anderson. It was what lead her to the kidnapping case, but there was no definitive proof of wrongdoing. Her gaze lowered to her lap. “No, sir.”
“Then it’s best you focus your time and energy on your other active cases.”
“Sir?” Her head snapped back up. “What about Dixon? He’s still a victim.”
“I know that, Detective, and I’m not saying to drop his case. But obviously, you’re going to have to look at other angles.” He sighed. “Maybe this business with Bianchi has you so tied up in knots that you’re not seeing things clearly.”
Her hands clenched in her lap. Did he think she was incompetent?
“It’s not that I don’t think you can’t do your job,” he said, as if reading her mind. “I can see it in your face. I’ve never doubted you, Selinofoto. Not even when Aarons was here. I’m just saying that maybe you need a break. Why don’t you take tomorrow off? Get refreshed and have a clear head for when you start again.”
“Sir, my caseload is all backed up and—”
“Should I make it an order?” When she sank back into the chair, he continued. “It’s just twenty-four hours. You can do whatever you want, just don’t think about work or Bianchi.”
Bushnell obviously wasn’t going to budge on this. “Fine. I mean, yes, sir. Is that all?”
He gave her a curt nod, and she stood up, then went straight out the door. Marching back to her desk, she sat down, staring at the blank screen of her computer.
It wasn’t like she had never been wrong. When she was fresh out of the academy, she didn’t yet trust her instincts. But over the years, she had honed them, and she knew when to trust her gut. She knew something wasn’t right. She’d thought the worst of Lucas, that he had a taste of violence when he was a teen and then he became a cold-blooded killer. But clearly, she had added one and one and came up with three.
She rubbed the bridge of her nose with her fingers. How could she have been so wrong? Maybe Bushnell was right. The past couple of months was wearing her down, and between what happened with Derek and now the Bianchi trial coming up.
Or maybe Lucas Anderson was making her instincts go haywire. Things hadn’t been the same since the first time she walked into Blood Moon. Since she first set her eyes on him.
And then last night happened. A strange feeling came over her, and now that she knew Caroline Devereux’s side of the story, she realized what it was: guilt.
Something inside her yearned for him, and she told herself it wasn’t that she wanted him. Well, she had wanted him last night, but that was a moment of weakness on her part. But she needed to see him, and this time, she had to do the apologizing. She cringed, thinking of how he was the one who came to her to say sorry the other night. Not only that, he had worked so hard in the kitchen and helped out her family without expecting anything in return.
She gathered her things, determined to see him. It was the least she could do. She would explain what happened and then while they wouldn’t part as friends, she could at least clear her conscience. Yes, that was it. That was the only reason she found herself driving to the Fenrir Corp. building. She knew he would still be there, working late. She parked her car on the curb and waited.
After what seemed like forever, she saw the glass doors open and a familiar figure walk out. Lucas looked incredibly handsome in a dark formal suit. However, her heart sank when she realized he wasn’t alone. A tall, blonde woman dressed in a floor-length dress was beside him, clinging to his arm. She looked up at him, smiling as he bent down to whisper something in her ear.
Her fingers gripped the wheel, her jaw tightening. Of course Lucas had a date. Why wouldn’t he? She couldn’t help that tiny pinprick of jealousy in her chest. Okay, not so tiny, really, but she had no right to feel it. Maybe she could just call him to apologize. Or send an email in the morning. After all, it was obvious, despite the fact that it had been less than forty-eight hours since she was in his arms, he had already moved on.
The tightness in her chest grew as she watched them step inside his town car. She shifted the gear fully intending to head home, but she was on the same side of the street as Lucas’s vehicle, so she had no choice but to maneuver the car behind them. Of course, he was also heading downtown, so
