“Was her bank account drained?” He didn’t answer, but looking at his face, he didn’t need to. “Let me see the note.”
“No.”
“Don’t make me snatch it from you and get my fingerprints on it, Lute, I’m in enough trouble as it is.”Luteinstead ofLieutenant, I didn’t use the abbreviation often, and never in front of others lest he be accused of some sort of favoritism simply because no one else had the balls to give him a nickname. But his eyes softened when he looked at me before darting around again.
“Fine, but don’t fucking touch it.”
He flicked it open, and I had to grip my T-shirt to stop myself from snatching it from him, practically inhaling it as I tried to get closer. I didn’t know what Karolina’s handwriting looked like, I’d only ever seen her signature. Was this normal for her? This messy scrawl, dotted with what I can only assume were tears.
This felt all wrong, dread already creeping down my back as I read the note.
I’m sorry.
Mom, I love you. Please forgive me.
I should have seen Kim’s state of mind. I should have been able to save him.
I’ve done nothing worthwhile, and my life will be reduced to evidence in a box. Don’t even open the box. Just leave it, and me be, to die in piece.
Goodbye.
Niles snatched it away, sliding it into an evidence bag beforepulling off the gloves. He wasn’t looking at me, and thoughts were swirling wildly through my mind.
Evidence in a box.
No coincidences.
Karolina and I had only yesterday fought in the evidence locker immediatelyaftershe checked out a box, then she had made some crack about my father.
Don’t even open the box.
It was a warning, and if that wasn’t obvious enough.
To die in piece.
No way she’d make that mistake,pieceinstead ofpeace?
It was a warning.
I swallowed. “How did she die?”
“Cut her wrists in the bath.”
“Lute, please. There are clues in that note. She was warning me, and why would she warn me unless I was looking into something I shouldn’t? Which means I was right, my father, Officer Kim, and now Torres—”
“Nikki.” I stared at him. He hadn’t used my first name since… ever. His face was drained of color, and he whispered, “You need to let this all go. Just get on with your life.”
My eyes searched his, and the pain I found there killed me. Niles turned away, telling me to go, relax a bit on my weeks off, try to reset, and get back to a good place. All those stock standard things you tell people when they have time off work, forced or otherwise.
“Lute… Niles,” I pleaded with him. “Please. Please justconsider—”
“I can’t.”
“Niles?”
“You don’t understand, Nikki. Please, you need to let it go.”
I watched as he walked away, but he didn’t look back, and eventually, I had to leave the station before I caught theunwanted attention of Burke.
