“You’re not going anywhere, Ms. West,” Chief Walcott stated.
“No,” Olivia hissed as she pulled away again. “Let me go.”
Nausea rose in her throat as the first licks of panic took hold.
Suddenly, the door flew open and slammed against the wall so hard that the mirrored window shook. Through her hazy vision, she could make out masses of wild red hair and violent green eyes. For a brief, irrational moment, Olivia thought she was looking at a fiery Celtic goddess.
“Take your hands off my client right now, Deputy,” Erica’s voice snapped sharply.
Helga released Olivia and stepped back, hands held up. Erica was across the room and pulling Olivia protectively behind her.
“I’ll have your badges for this,” she threatened.
“We were merely asking Ms. West some questions.” He shrugged. “She is here of her own free will.”
Erica spoke again, her tone dangerously low. “You’re in so much trouble, Chief Walcott. I don’t even know where to begin. But as of now, this interview is terminated.”
“It’s over when I say it’s over.” Walcott’s eyes flashed. “As I said, Ms. West is here voluntarily.”
“Be that as it may”—Erica’s fury was barely contained—“she agreed to answer a few questions. She did not agree to these bullying tactics.”
“Now listen, Ms. Kelly,” he snapped.
“No, you listen,” she interrupted. “You will not come anywhere near my client unless you have absolute, incontrovertible evidence that she should be held as a person of interest, evidence that will hold up in a court of law. If you do not, you will leave me no recourse but to lodge a formal complaint with your superiors and to advise my client to sue, not just your department, but also you, personally, for victimization, undue duress, extreme emotional distress, harassment, and anything else I can make stick. Do you understand me?”
“Perfectly,” he answered, his voice like ice. “Deputy Hanson, please escort Miss Kelly and her client out.”
“Don’t bother.” Erica’s tone matched his. “We can find our own way out.”
She kept a light hold on Olivia as they made their way through the department. Despite the fact that Olivia was white as a sheet, she held her head upright by sheer will alone.
“I’m so sorry I didn’t get to you sooner,” Erica whispered under her breath, just loud enough for Olivia to hear. “They kept stalling me.”
Olivia didn’t trust herself to speak. She just concentrated on the doors, and as soon as she was outside, she ran around the corner and down the alley at the side of the building. Resting one hand against the rough brick, she heaved and then vomited on the ground, continuing to retch until finally her stomach was empty.
“Jesus, Olivia.” Erica rubbed soothing circles on her back. “What the hell did they do to you? This can’t just be about Brody disappearing?”
“You know about that?” Olivia gasped, wiping her mouth with the back of her shaking hand.
“I do now.” Erica scowled. “Tell me what happened.”
“Not here.” Olivia straightened, her body still shaky and her breath shallow. “Take me somewhere else, someplace safe, and I’ll tell you what I know.”
11
“I called Jake, he’s on his way,” Erica said soothingly as she pulled the thick blanket from the back of the sofa and wrapped it around Olivia.
“Where is he?” Olivia sipped her tea. “I expected him to be at the police station.”
“Salem.”
“What’s he doing in Salem?” She frowned.
“Fool’s errand.” Erica’s lips thinned. “Looks like Walcott wanted Jake out of the way because of his friendship with you.”
“Damn it,” she muttered staring at the flames dancing merrily in the fireplace. “Jake’s wanted to be a cop ever since we were kids. The last thing I want is to cause him trouble with his job.”
“Olivia, none of this is your fault,” Erica stated bluntly. “Jake’s a big boy. Trust me, he can look after himself.”
