“Correct,” Saffi said.
Taylor, still pacing, continued, “This all happened at a party that we’ve been waiting weeks for—that we’ve been training Dimple Kapoor for. But right before it happens, there are issues with her wiring. Then she disappears entirely and shows up at the police station hours later. Which is exactly when the police get alerted to a fire at his mansion. Please tell me you see where I’m going with this.”
Saffi blanched. There was no way.
Taylor hurried to justify himself. “I’m not saying she’s guilty of anything, but isn’t it a little too convenient? It’s possible she realized Olsen was her attacker and decided to take matters into her own hands. Fear makes you do stupid things.”
“What, like arson? You’re out of your mind!” Andino exclaimed. “Saffi, tell him he’s out of his mind.”
Saffi and Taylor exchanged looks. He seemed uncharacteristically conflicted, his brow furrowed. “Look,” he said, “I know she’s yourfriend.” Saffi was ready to disagree on principle alone, but she let him continue. “But you can’t let that cloud your judgment. You have to admit there’s something weird going on, right? And I can’t keep letting you hang around her with this bad feeling I have.”
Saffi bristled. As though he waslettingherdo anything. Did he think she was an idiot? Had he never once stopped to consider that Saffi knew what she was doing? It suddenly became clear that Andino and Taylor still saw a naïve twenty-year-old girl when they looked at her. They expected her to act the same, speak the same, love them the same.
This entire time as she’d been lying to them about just how many steps ahead she was, the chasm between them had been growing further apart. Maybe Andino and Taylor hadn’t been able to get to know this new version of herself becauseshehadn’t let them. They still wanted to protect her and Saffi couldn’t even feel any warmth in response to that because it wasn’t really her they wanted to protect.
“You’re out of your mind, Taylor,” she said. With a pang of loss, she felt the distance between them expand yet again. Maybe out of reach for good.
He immediately deflated, but Andino already had a comforting hand on his shoulder. And just like that, Saffi’s worst fears had been confirmed. Six words from her was all it had taken for Taylor to backpedal.
She was horrified. She liked to think that she would be different in his position, but would she? Didn’t she also seek approval from them without even realizing it? Hadn’t she kept most of her theories from them out of fear that they would disagree and accuse her of falling back into old habits?
Dimple was right, but only partially. It was all three of them who were holding one another back. For the first time, Saffi felt only relief at the thought that she would be leaving again when this case was done with. It would be for the best.
“No, you’re right,” Taylor said. “I was jumping to conclusions. Sorry.”
“You had a theory and got trigger-happy. Happens to the best of us,” Andino consoled. “That’s what we’re here for, right, Saf?”
She mumbled her support, but her mind was elsewhere.
Saffi already knew that winning wouldn’t be as simple as getting her coworkers on her side. The only concrete evidence she had was Martinez’s testimony and the vial. She’d been able to send it to a lab for testing—calling in a favor from an old contact of hers—and they’d confirmed it. Blood. That was what had been inside. There weren’t enough traces of it to confirm whose blood it was, but it was a start.
With the lack of substantial evidence, Saffi had also gained a new deadline. She needed to prove Olsen’s innocence and Dimple’s guilt before his court date. Olsen had managed to pull some strings, because of course he had, and got the date pushed back indefinitely until he finished directing his current project. As much as she was glad for the extra time to build a case, she didn’t think it fair that he got something so close to a free pass. If it were Dimple facing his fate, Saffi knew she wouldn’t get even half of the same consideration.
Saffi only wished it didn’t feel so dirty to essentially help Olsen evade consequence yet again. He didn’t deserve to be put on death row for a crime he didn’t commit, but he had hit Shyla Patel, hadn’t he? Along with his ex-wives. Why should a man like that be allowed to roam free? In the safety of her own mind, where no one was around to judge her, Saffi ranked Olsen as a much worse offender than Dimple Kapoor.
“It’s awfully quiet around here.” Three heads turned to the door, where Dimple Kapoor herself entered. The sound of her heels clicked alongside Saffi’s heartbeat. “Where are the interns?”
“Speak of the devil,” Saffi mumbled.
Dimple hesitated for a beat. “Oh, were you talking about me?”
“We give the interns some time off in the summer when classes are out.” Taylor changed the subject with a hint of panic.
He wasn’t the only one surprised at her sudden appearance. Saffi hadn’t seen the actress since the police station. She looked well, glowing almost, clearly not losing any sleep. Andino, of course, was ecstatic at the sight of her. His pupils might as well have transformed into cartoon hearts.
“We never got time off,” Saffi muttered.
“Eli’s idea,” Atlas replied, as though it needed any explaining. “I hear a couple of their friends are going to Punta Cana.”
“What are you doing here?” Taylor said abruptly. He then seemed to realize how that sounded and amended himself. “Not that you’re not always welcome.”
Dimple rested an arm across Saffi’s shoulder. Saffi wouldn’t be surprised if a permanent brand was now singed into her skin. She should have pulled away. She did not.
“Sorry to intrude. I thought I’d come by and say hello. I never got the chance to thank you for arresting Hector Olsen.”
Andino and Taylor exchanged looks, but for once, Saffi got the impression that they weren’t at all on the same page.
“Is something the matter?” Dimple asked. “If an outside perspective might help, I’m always willing to listen.”
