Page 64 of Sleeping with the Dark (The Righteous 3)
“The thing is, the evidence is saying Maeve killed a police detective, but she swears she’s never seen the guy and wouldn’t do that unless he was a dirty mark.”
“So, the cop wasn’t on her list,” Arek asked.
“No, so he was either on someone’s list, and she is the fallout, or she was convenient collateral damage. I personally believe it was the first.”
“What evidence do they have?” Arek asked.
Trev sighed as he thought over the long list. “For starters, she can’t remember the whole night.” They all lifted an eyebrow, and he held up his hand to stop them before they asked the same question he had. “She can’t recall because she was partying it up at a bar on her night off and woke up in an alley covered in blood miles away. But, she has no defensive wounds.”
Trev held up a finger to count off the holes in the case. “Was on the other side of town.” A second finger was lifted. “She had zero motive to kill the father of two kids, who from what I can tell was squeaky clean.” He lifted the third finger. “And she had enough alcohol in her system to knock over an elephant. They, unfortunately, didn’t bother to test her for drugs when they dragged her into the station.”
“You think she was roofied?” Ray asked.
“I do, and with enough of something to wipe her memory of being at the detective’s murder.”
“So, you think she was there?” Arek chimed in.
“I’m not one hundred percent sure, but it would be the easiest way to ensure all the DNA lines up. She conveniently had the murder weapon still on her when they found her passed out a couple of alliey’s over. Based on the photos it was clenched in her hand like a total amateur and she is no amateur with a knife. According to her. I could be sceptical but it is all a little too convenient. The problem is I cannot say who she works for or how I know she wouldn’t do this. If she did do this, why would she be this sloppy?”
Cody snorted a laugh. “What you can’t work with—well, jury members, you see, I know my client didn’t do it because she is not that sloppy of a murderer. In fact, she works for a secret organization that stalks and murders low life criminals for a living, as you can clearly see this case against my client simply makes no sense.”
Trev smirked back. “I do not think it would have the outcome we desire, no.”
“If she didn’t do it, then why frame her? Seems like an odd target unless you knew…shit,” Arek froze, his eyes going wide as it registered what Trev was already thinking. “It had to be someone that knew what she does for Morry. That’s fucked up,” Arek said. He stood and began to pace as he thought. “And if they knew what she does for Morry, then they most likely know who Morry really is, and if that’s the case, then we could all be at risk and worse they have to have money…I don’t like this. Whoever is doing this needs to die.”
“Agreed, the problem is, they are way ahead of us. They obviously know who we are and what we did overseas, but we don’t know who they are. I’ve been going over so many strange issues that have cropped up of late, including Alejandro being tipped off that I was not acting in his best interest and how they found our home.”
“Son of a bitch. Whoever this person is, is going to die.” Arek cracked his knuckles, his eyes hard with the darkness that danced in their depths.
“Should we continue to pursue the Spike angle? Arek, Ray, and I have that meeting off-site with him tonight. Are we still going?”
Trev sighed and then slowly stood to lean his hands against the desk. “Yes, go, but be careful. If someone knows who we are, there is no telling what they have planned next. Everything and everyone is an option and a threat, except for those under this roof.”
Cody nodded. “Okay, I’ll go get ready.”
“Same. I will go get changed,” Ray stood and made his way toward Cody.
“Arek, can you remain behind a moment?” He called out as Arek marched across the floor. Trev scribbled a name and address down on a piece of paper and handed it to his brother.
Arek glanced at the paper. “Who’s this?”
“He is a man I had planned on eliminating, but I’m not field-ready yet.” He rubbed at his side where the physical exercise of last night had taken its toll. “Eliminate him anyway you like, and as quickly as you can make it happen.”
A wicked smile lifted the corner of his mouth. “I’m getting free reign?”
“He is a teen rapist that just made his final payment to society in my bank account. Now I think it’s time he paid the rest of his debt with your unique brand of justice.”
“Have I told you lately how much I fucking love you,” Arek asked, making them laugh.
“Get out of here. I have work to do—oh and Arek,” he called out as Arek reached the door, his twin's eyes locking with his own.
Arek smiled wide. “Don’t worry. He will scream like no one before him ever has.” With that, the office door clicked into place.
Cody rolled his shoulders, the leather jacket creaking as he stepped out of his car. He scanned the empty lot, the deserted building, and overflowing garbage bins, not doing anything to settle the uneasiness in his mind. Ray closed his door, and the sound practically echoed, sending a shiver down Cody’s spine as he stuffed his gun into the belt of his jeans.
The Mustang he’d won was certainly coming in handy as it rumbled up beside him, and Arek parked the sexy car. “Any of this seeming right to you?” Cody called out as Arek got out.
Cody’s eyes scanned the only lit building on the entire street, the windows glowing a muted orange through the thick dirt coating.
