“Or what? You’ll prosecute me? You have to catch me first.”
Her face is as red as her hair and burning with rage. “If you’re lucky—yes. Otherwise, try me and see.” She turns on her heels and storms out the door.
“Make sure you look both ways before you go fuck yourself!” I call after her. Stupid cunt.
She’s had it in for me ever since I moved to Gulf View. I’ve never met anyone who is so strict about following the rules. I guess that’s why she’s the prosecutor and I’m a criminal defense attorney.
I like to think of laws as more of guidelines with decorative gray areas than rules. Rules schmules.
It’s dark when I wake up with my head pounding and face plastered to my desk.Shit!It has to be after seven if it’s dark. I look at my phone, my eyes strain to focus. Sure enough, I have a missed call from the girl and Ethan.
The empty bottle of Weller’s sits on top of my planner. It was over half full when I started drinking on an empty stomach, like an idiot. I need to call the girl and follow up with her about her first therapy appointment, and I can’t even think straight with my head spinning the way it is.
I can’t preach to her about staying in control and taking responsibility when I let myself get drunk in my own office on a Monday when I’m buried in cases. But I’m going to anyway.
That was stupid and reckless, and I can never let it happen again. I will have to wait before calling, to give my head time to stop spinning, be able to focus, and I don’t feel like something that’s been run over by a truck. I send her a text to let her know when to be expecting my call.
8:06 p.m. -I’m running late at the office. I’ll call you in an hour.
It’s not a total lie. I’m still at the office and it’s late. I pop two ibuprofen and down a bottle of water. Emma will have left some food for me at the beach house. I’ll head back there and make my calls after I’ve eaten.
Forty-five minutes later, I’m watching the clock on my phone like an idiot waiting for the correct time. I’ve checkedthe cameras in her room and she wasn’t there or anywhere else in the house that I could see.
Where the hell is she? Her location shows her still on the property so unless she left and didn’t take her phone, she’s there somewhere. I couldn’t find her on any of the barn cameras either. Screw it, I’m calling early.
Chapter 17
Nick
The girl picks up on the third ring. “Hello.” She sounds so cheerful.
“Where are you?” I try not to sound annoyed.
My head is still mildly throbbing, adding to my irritation. I’ve never done anything that stupid before. I don’t know what’s gotten into me lately.
“At the farm.” She replies sarcastically. I run my fingers through my hair with irritation.
“Where at, at the farm?” Still trying not to sound annoyed, I’m not good at this game.
“I’m sitting on the porch at Elizabeth’s.”
Figures, it didn’t occur to me to check there. I checked Mama’s quarters, but I don’t make it a habit to impede on the farm employee’s privacy.
“How was therapy? What did you tell her?” I was tempted to tap her therapy sessions but decided it’d be better if I didn’t.
She claims multiple abusers and there’s no way to tell who is innocent and who isn’t if she can’t identify them. If I hear the details about her abuse, I just might burn that whole fucking shithole town to the ground.
“That’s private.” She says sweetly, like she’s taunting me, which I know she probably isn’t.
It still gets under my skin. I grit my teeth, warring with myself over what I truly want. If she would just tell me, I’d handher the gasoline and matches. Anything she needs to get her retribution. “All of it is private? What about your name?”
“I didn’t tell her more than what she needed to know or anything that could be used to identify the real me, if that’s what you’re worried about. Besides, today was just an intake appointment. Even if it wasn’t, she said she’s bound by law to keep what I tell her private.”
Not true.
“Murder falls under the laws for mandatory reporting, but she won’t tell you that.”
“Oh,” she whispers.
