Page 11 of Silk and Sirens

They weren’t as close to Mira as I was, probably because Mira and I shared both parents, but they both mourned her just as hard. They grieved, accepted, and moved on. I never did.

“Are you coming to his party?” Brooke continued. “You know how upset he …”

A noise, like footsteps on the landing. My sister’s voice faded as I concentrated, turning my head towards the door. I couldn’t be sure whether a shadow passed beneath it or my eyes were playing tricks on me.

“Brooke, I’m sorry, but I have to go. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

“At a reasonable hour, please.”

Blowing her a kiss I cut our connection, my ears straining as I stepped out of the bath. Water droplets dripped down my body, my footsteps silent as I reached for a silk robe. The bathroom door opened without a sound, darkness greeting me as I scanned the landing. The carpet muted my steps as I crossed to my room, opening the bedside drawer for my hair clip, flipping it open to reveal the concealed blade. The upstairs turned up empty, but my heart still raced as I took the stairs one step at a time. Everything was silent but for the gentle hum of the fridge.

Yet I couldn’t relax, not until I checked every single room. My lungs froze when cool air swept over my ankles and, turning, I found my back door open just a sliver. I tentatively walked over and closed it, scanning the darkness of the garden as I did, trying to remember whether I’d even opened it earlier or not. But surely if I had, the alarm would have gone off? Letting me know it was still open?

Keeping the knife in my hand, I turned down the hallway to my front door, finding the alarm not even set. Frustrated with myself, I went to punch in the code when a sound came from the door.

Knock, knock.

I cursed as I peered through the window, quickly flipping the blade back into the hair clip before opening the door.

Detective Kane pushed through without invitation, and I glared at him.

“It’s a bit late, isn’t it, Detective?”

Kane took an aggressive step towards me, but I refused to retreat. In doing so I would only make the situation worse, as if giving him permission to push me around. “Here,” he grunted, shoving a brown A4 envelope against my chest. “That’s everything.”

I gripped the envelope tightly. “And you couldn’t have delivered this at a more convenient time?”

Kane’s grin was uncomfortable. It wasn’t lecherous, exactly. It was more … predatory. His gaze lingered anyway, tracing the damp strands of my hair as they curled against my shoulders before drifting to the silk dressing gown clinging to my damp skin.

Whether his general animosity was because I was a woman or from his failure to arrest me, I didn’t know.

“I expect you’re taking Olivia’s case seriously,” I said, keeping my tone even.

Kane exhaled slowly. “As seriously as any case involving a sex worker.”

“I don’t want it disappearing between the cracks because of your prejudice,” I said. “She deserves to be heard, regardless of the accusation.”

“Please … Olivia was just a stray⁠—”

“A stray?” I echoed, my hand curling into a fist to keep myself from striking him. “You have no idea who she was.”

Kane stepped closer, another attempt at intimidation. It almost made me smile considering I’d faced far worse monsters than him and survived.

“Olivia was only twenty-five,” I said. “She loved to dance. She was studying science, halfway through a Master’s. She fostered animals … cats, dogs, and bloody rodents.”

“Irrelevant.”

“She was gentle. Kind. She was a person, not a statistic you can dismiss because it’s convenient and fits your narrative.”

Kane’s lip curled. “She was just another whore,” he growled. “And she got what she deserved, just like you will one day.”

I laughed in his face, unable to control it. “I appreciate you being so helpful with this.” I gestured to the envelope, knowing he hadn’t had much of a choice unless he wanted me to destroy his life. “Now, if you’d please leave.”

His nostrils flared, rage flashing across his face, but he didn’t argue as he turned and left without another word.

Locking the door behind him, I made sure to set the alarm. Only when the system chimed armed did I allow myself to breathe.

Chapter 6