Page 12 of Rascal

“No, it clearly wasn’t. Why would the mayor, a women’s abuse panel, and several criminal justice rights campaigners give her an alibi if she wasn’t there? This time, Rascal, you’re wrong, there’s no doubt about it.”

“Are you fuckin’ with me?” I questioned, wondering if Hallie had got to Lio.

“I’m gonna pretend you didn’t ask that,” Lio snapped.

“And I’m telling you that’s her. Hallie has to have fucked with the footage, and you’re falling for it.”

“Then go tell the mayor and the esteemed people he was meeting with that they’re mistaken in their alibis because my hands are tied.” Lio didn’t bother continuing and hung up.

“God damn it!” I shouted and threw my phone at the wall.

“I’m going to ask you this once, prospect. Are you sure that’s her?” Chance said from behind me.

“Yes! Hallie’s making me out to be crazy; it’s what she does. Five years ago, she drugged and assaulted me, and now she’s gaslighting me. I know what I saw,” I yelled.

“If you say Hallie attacked you, she did. But Rascal, you appear fuckin’ deranged right now. We need proof,” Chance said.

“How? We had evidence, and yet Hallie miraculously has video footage of being elsewhere. I swear she sold her soul to the devil.” I paced back and forth. Hallie had tried to kill me once and failed. I still had no idea why. Hallie had never explained herself; all I knew was that she’d constantly denied the attack.

“You’re dead sure there’s no twin or lookalike?” Chance asked.

“Yes! And Sunny checked too. Chance, this bitch is beyond psycho.”

“Then we might have to call in the big guns,” Chance stated.

I frowned. Who were the big guns?

“The only way to beat crazy is by using insanity,” Chance muttered weirdly, and I wondered what the hell he was on about. I soon found out.

Two of the most dangerous women I knew sauntered into the clubhouse. The first, small, red-headed and nicely rounded, looked sane. The second, tall, brunette, slender and gorgeous, appeared remote.

“Oh, fuck, Chance meant business,” Bear muttered.

“Start explaining,” Artemis demanded as she and Simone sat down. Artemis was legendary in this part of the state and a well-known bounty hunter. Simone was as famous. Both of them were mercenaries, and I’d hate to hear their kill count.

“Prospect,” Chance yelled, and I headed over.

Artemis scrutinised me as she took a seat. She was the old lady of Ace from Rage MC, our sister MC. Ace was the VP over there. It was common knowledge that Artemis was a lunatic, and everyone in Rage loved her. Few knew Simone well, though her reputation was terrifying.

The doors banged open again, and a guy entered. The infamous Nigel, the Juno Group’s hacker. No system was safe from him. My stress eased. With these, I’d be able to return Hallie to prison, where she belonged.

“Thanks, prospect; life was growing dull. Now give me everything from the beginning,” Artemis said, placing her phone down and hitting record.

“Begin with the first time you met her and continue from there. When I say everything, Rascal, I mean that. Hold back, and we’re no use to you,” Simone added.

I sat down and started talking. Artemis and Simone jumped in with questions as Nigel made notes. Finally, I brought up the wreath.

“You’ve got a massive problem,” Nigel said.

“What?” Chance demanded.

“I analysed the florist and delivery clips. They’ve not been tampered with,” Nigel stated.

Shock raced through me. “They have to have been. Hallie can’t physically have been in two places at once.”

“No…” Artemis tapped a pen on her notepad. “She might have broken in, adjusted the time/date, turned up, made her purchase, and left. Same with the delivery firm. Then she has a rock-solid alibi. Then she simply puts the system right again.”

“Isn’t that a little complicated?” I asked.