extracting a molar, six months ago. They could have killed her in a significant enough dosage, but it would have taken some time. Enough, possibly, for her to realize she was in trouble and call for help. There were no ligature marks on the body, no sign of restraint."
"That would have raised a red flag with the police," I mused.
"Exactly. Whoever administered the stuff needed to do so in a way that she'd willingly take it, then never know what hit her. Which is exactly what the tox screen showed."
"So, what drug did kill her?"
"Designer club drug. Though, her system showed levels far above anything we've seen coming into the ER in party-goers. They call it Shooting Stars, and my sources in vice say it’s costly."
"Not something a struggling actress could afford," I pointed out.
"No."
Relief should’ve flooded through me. I was right. There was a mastermind behind all of this who had killed Donna. And Aiden knew it. But the look on his face wasn't as reassuring as I'd like.
"So this means I’m cleared?"
His laid-back expression twitched. "Donna’s death is being ruled murder. But I have no physical evidence linking her to the judge."
"But you said-"
" Physical evidence ," he repeated.
Shit. He was right. The stationary only proved that Donna could have been the one to send the video to the police station. Not how she got it or why. And the drugs only proved she was killed by someone, not who, not that it wasn't me, not that it had anything to do with the judge.
Aiden leaned forward, closing some of the distance between us. "Look, I want to believe you, Jamie," he said, his voice low and softer now. "I really do."
I swallowed hard, his sudden foray into tenderness surprising me.
"But you can't," I answered.
He slowly shook his head back and forth, the apology in his eyes clear. "I wouldn't be doing my job if I ignored evidence."
"I'm not asking you to ignore," I countered. "Just... keep an open mind."
"I'm here, aren't I?"
I nodded. He was. Though I still wasn't quite sure why.
"Jamie, I'm sorry," he started, leaning just that much closer. His eyes shone under the lamplight, a brilliant blue. His mouth softened, his eyebrows drawing together in genuine concern.
As he opened his mouth to say more, I felt myself softening in response.
But he stopped there.
An unmistakable wee-ooh sound of sirens blared through the night air, shattering the calm.
For one second our eyes locked.
"Oh, we got trouble, Jamie," Caleigh said in my ear.
Fury snaked up my back, clenching my muscles, making me tremble. This wasn’t happening. Not again.
I jumped up at the same time as Aiden.
He reached toward me.
Did he expect to hold me down, wrestle me to the ground so the police could arrive and cuff me? He had another thing coming.
I curled my fist and swung.
CHAPTER TWELVE
_____
My heels seeped deep into the sand at the playground. It slowed me down, making each step more difficult. My thigh muscles ached, but I wasn’t stopping. Sirens blasted from the west, so I booked it east.
And I wasn’t alone.
Aiden, after recovering from my right hook straight to his eye, followed me. I felt him a few steps behind. He called my name as I rounded the seesaw, but I didn't turn around.
Perspiration pressed my blouse to my back and dotted my forehead. My ear piece fell out somewhere near the slide. The mic jiggled between my boobs.
"I’m exiting near the swings," I yelled into my chest, gasping for air, in case they could hear me.
Hopefully Aiden couldn’t.
My main thought, I can’t believe I let him trick me again , pumped adrenaline through my legs and kept me moving.
By the time I neared the exit, flashing red and blue lights illuminated the night sky. They were too close. Aiden’s slapping footsteps gained distance. I considered kicking off my pumps, but a) they were snakeskin, b) they cost way too much to leave on the side of the road, and c) running barefoot on cement and
"That would have raised a red flag with the police," I mused.
"Exactly. Whoever administered the stuff needed to do so in a way that she'd willingly take it, then never know what hit her. Which is exactly what the tox screen showed."
"So, what drug did kill her?"
"Designer club drug. Though, her system showed levels far above anything we've seen coming into the ER in party-goers. They call it Shooting Stars, and my sources in vice say it’s costly."
"Not something a struggling actress could afford," I pointed out.
"No."
Relief should’ve flooded through me. I was right. There was a mastermind behind all of this who had killed Donna. And Aiden knew it. But the look on his face wasn't as reassuring as I'd like.
"So this means I’m cleared?"
His laid-back expression twitched. "Donna’s death is being ruled murder. But I have no physical evidence linking her to the judge."
"But you said-"
" Physical evidence ," he repeated.
Shit. He was right. The stationary only proved that Donna could have been the one to send the video to the police station. Not how she got it or why. And the drugs only proved she was killed by someone, not who, not that it wasn't me, not that it had anything to do with the judge.
Aiden leaned forward, closing some of the distance between us. "Look, I want to believe you, Jamie," he said, his voice low and softer now. "I really do."
I swallowed hard, his sudden foray into tenderness surprising me.
"But you can't," I answered.
He slowly shook his head back and forth, the apology in his eyes clear. "I wouldn't be doing my job if I ignored evidence."
"I'm not asking you to ignore," I countered. "Just... keep an open mind."
"I'm here, aren't I?"
I nodded. He was. Though I still wasn't quite sure why.
"Jamie, I'm sorry," he started, leaning just that much closer. His eyes shone under the lamplight, a brilliant blue. His mouth softened, his eyebrows drawing together in genuine concern.
As he opened his mouth to say more, I felt myself softening in response.
But he stopped there.
An unmistakable wee-ooh sound of sirens blared through the night air, shattering the calm.
For one second our eyes locked.
"Oh, we got trouble, Jamie," Caleigh said in my ear.
Fury snaked up my back, clenching my muscles, making me tremble. This wasn’t happening. Not again.
I jumped up at the same time as Aiden.
He reached toward me.
Did he expect to hold me down, wrestle me to the ground so the police could arrive and cuff me? He had another thing coming.
I curled my fist and swung.
CHAPTER TWELVE
_____
My heels seeped deep into the sand at the playground. It slowed me down, making each step more difficult. My thigh muscles ached, but I wasn’t stopping. Sirens blasted from the west, so I booked it east.
And I wasn’t alone.
Aiden, after recovering from my right hook straight to his eye, followed me. I felt him a few steps behind. He called my name as I rounded the seesaw, but I didn't turn around.
Perspiration pressed my blouse to my back and dotted my forehead. My ear piece fell out somewhere near the slide. The mic jiggled between my boobs.
"I’m exiting near the swings," I yelled into my chest, gasping for air, in case they could hear me.
Hopefully Aiden couldn’t.
My main thought, I can’t believe I let him trick me again , pumped adrenaline through my legs and kept me moving.
By the time I neared the exit, flashing red and blue lights illuminated the night sky. They were too close. Aiden’s slapping footsteps gained distance. I considered kicking off my pumps, but a) they were snakeskin, b) they cost way too much to leave on the side of the road, and c) running barefoot on cement and
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