He turned his scathing glare toward Noah, Delaney, and Eli. “And the three of you won’t be left out of that harassment suit. I have no doubt you talked her into dragging me down here like some suspect.”
Delaney rolled her eyes. She held his gaze, steady and silent. The man reeked of entitlement and manipulation.
“Stop. Just stop,” Vivian practically shouted. She sank back into the chair, shoulders shaking as the tears kept falling.
Olivia shifted beside her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, whispering something that Delaney couldn’t hear. It seemed to soothe her, if only a little.
Vivian wiped at her face, then looked up at her father. Her expression was softer now, but full of raw emotion. “Please. Back off. Not just now but with the court order too. You’ve already gotten what you wanted. Grant is gone. He’s out of my life. So what’s left, Dad? Why do you still need that kind of control over me?”
“I won’t back off,” he snarled. “Not when I need to protect my granddaughters.” ThenLawrence looked her dead in the eye. “So tell me why you withdrew ten thousand dollars in cash yesterday.”
The words hit like a bomb. Vivian’s breath caught, her gaze darting away from her father’s.
And Delaney’s mind began to race. Wade had said Vivian hired him toscarethem. Maybe that money was payment for that job. Or maybe it had nothing to do with Wade at all. Maybe it was for something else.
Like paying for a hit on Grant.
But why would Vivian want her fiancé dead? Was this because she blamed Grant for Lawrence’s petition to declare her incompetent?
Vivian’s chin lifted, but her voice came out thin. “I wanted the cash for the safe house. I didn’t know how long Olivia and I would be there, and I didn’t want to rely on anyone else.”
Delaney watched her closely. Something about the answer didn’t sit right. Vivian was defensive, but there was also a flicker of something else. Guilt, maybe. Or fear.
Vivian opened her mouth to say more, but Sheriff Chase raised a hand. “Hold onto that. You can explain everything when I take your statement.”
Delaney understood the interruption. The sheriff wanted it all recorded, wanted Vivian’s words on the record in case she needed to pursue charges. And it wasn’t just about the money. The sheriff would no doubt ask Vivian about Wade too,and his claim that she hired him.
Sheriff Chase gestured for Vivian to follow her. “Let’s go talk, Mrs. Camden.”
Vivian rose, eyes red and cheeks still wet, and followed the sheriff toward the back hall that led to the interview rooms.
As they walked off, Eli leaned in closer to Noah. “I’ll stay with Delaney.”
Delaney didn’t miss the low murmur or the glance Eli sent her way. She also didn’t miss the reason behind it. He didn’t want her stuck handling Lawrence alone. She was grateful, though she didn’t say it aloud.
Olivia moved quickly once her mother was gone, edging farther from her grandfather until she stood on the opposite side of the room. She didn’t say a word to him, but her arms folded tight across her chest and her mouth pulled into a hard line. It was clear she wanted nothing to do with Lawrence Melborne.
Lawrence ignored her. He adjusted the cuffs of his tailored jacket and lowered himself into one of the hard plastic chairs in the small reception area, but the tension in his jaw betrayed his annoyance.
Delaney stayed on her feet, standing near Olivia and keeping her body angled toward both of them.
Delaney’s phone buzzed in her hand. She glanced down at the screen. The call was coming from Crossfire Ops dispatch.
She answered quickly. “Hart.”
“Delaney, it’s Karla,” the dispatcher said. “I’ve got a call coming in for you. It sounds important. I’m forwarding it to you now.”
Delaney straightened. “Thanks, Karla.”
A beat later, the line clicked, and a breathless voice came through.
“Delaney? It’s Ava.”
Delaney’s heart leapt. Eli turned toward her, alert.
“I need help,” Ava said, her voice ragged and drenched with fear. “I got out. I ran from the institute. Please, come and get me.”
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