She eyes me, but we both hurry to get dressed. Claire is answering the door after another knock just as I’m pulling my shirt down over my head.
“Hello?” Claire sounds confused but not worried, so I try to stay level as I pull up to stand behind her.
There’s a woman at the door.
“Hello. Ms. Andrews?” Claire nods, holding onto the door just in case a slam is in order. “Hi, great. I’m Tess Beaumont. I saw you at the precinct yesterday, and I was hoping I could talk to you.”
I step forward, putting my hand on the small of Claire’s back. “About what?”
“Theodore McDowell Jr.” Claire and I both freeze, my heart pounding against my ribs. “I think you might be just the person to help me get his ass thrown behind bars for good.”
It takes me a moment to process. She’s talking about actually busting Teddy? That’s a fucking change. Everyone has been too afraid to stand up to him.
Claire fumbles slightly as she steps backward, opening the door further for our impromptu guest.
“Come inside. We can talk about this more privately.”
Ms. Beaumont steps into the apartment, and Claire closes and locks the door again. I keep my distance, watching over the scene so I can tell at a glance if this woman starts acting squirrely.
Sitting down on the couch, Claire gestures for Ms. Beaumont to join her. “Please have a seat.”
When she does, there’s no missing the tension rippling through Claire. She’s already been dealing with a lot, and now someone’s here claiming they want to take down Teddy.
“I’m sorry to drop in unannounced like this, but I feel like time is of the essence.” Ms. Beaumont faces Claire, and she’s giving all sorts of no-bullshit vibes. As she talks, her hand drifts to a thin scar along her jawline, tracing it absently. “I heard about what was happening with Senator McDowell while I was at the station. The truth is, I’m an investigative journalist, and I’ve been digging into his corruption for months.”
“You’re a reporter?” Claire leans in, and I watch the tension ease slightly from her shoulders.
“I am. It started with embezzlement, but not long ago, women started coming to me. One of the senator’s old aides. Then more. All sexually harassed.” Ms. Beaumont’s composure cracks for just a second—something dark and personal flashing through her eyes before she shuts it down. Her fingers find that scar again. “Let’s just say I have my own reasons for wanting men like Theodore McDowell to face consequences. And then yesterday, I saw you.”
A tremor starts through Claire’s body, and I step toward her. She looks up at me, eyes glassy, and I sit down behind her on the couch, lending her my presence.
“He’s done this to more people?Severalmore?” Claire shakes her head, forcing herself to breathe evenly. “Do you really think you can bring this to light?”
“I want to try. He’s been tough to track, and as you’ve noticed, he’s done enough to keep himself from getting caught. His slip-up with you—the boat incident, from what a detective told me—was the first time he left that much evidence. And you didn’t take the bribe.”
Claire pulls into herself, and I can guess she’s feeling ashamed that this stranger knows what happened.
“Hey,” I get her to look at me, “this is a good thing. Ms. Beaumont might actually be willing to work with us. Which is more than I can say for the fucking cops.”
“I understand why their hands are tied, but yeah, they’ve been less than helpful. The other women only agreed to talk with me because I promised anonymity. You took your case to the police, so… I’m hoping you’ll be willing to take this a step further.”
Stiffening, Claire sits up straighter. “And what would that entail?”
Meeting Claire’s eyes intensely, Ms. Beaumont takes her hands. “I propose that you arrange a meeting with Senator McDowell to ‘apologize.’ This ought to lure him out. While you’re there, I’ll be somewhere out of sight, recording. All you need to do is get him to admit what he did to you, and we’re golden. He can even say it proudly. Whatever it takes.”
“I’ll be going too. There’s no way I’m letting Claire do this without backup.”
Ms. Beaumont eyes me, paying real attention to me for the first time. “Are you her bodyguard?”
I nod, smirking slightly. “Yeah, something like that. And I’m trained, so you don’t have to worry about me blowing the operation. I have several silent ops missions under my belt.”
Her eyes flare wide for a moment, but then she turns down the corners of her mouth and nods.
“Alright, Rambo. I’m fine with it since it does look like you can handle yourself.” She gestures at my military tattoos, visible since I’m wearing just a T-shirt. “Claire?”
Claire releases Ms. Beaumont’s hands. She doesn’t take mine. Instead, she stands and walks to the window, arms wrapped around herself.
Silence stretches out. I can see her shoulders rising and falling with deep breaths. When she turns back around, there are tears in her eyes, but her jaw is set.
