Page 111 of Power & Punishment

“I’m sorry I lied to you about dropping the case, but I was worried about putting you in danger,” I say, feeling like a complete hypocrite after my spat with Leo. “Now I realize that I shouldn’t have made that decision for you.”

Keith crosses his arms, his eyes going blank, completely blocking me from any emotion he may be experiencing. Every second that passes by without him saying anything makes me wonder if I’m about to lose him too.

Suddenly, I can’t take it anymore. I lean forward and say, “Please say something, Keith.”

“You lied to me for weeks,” he says.

“I know and⁠—”

“And dragged me into a homicide that we were explicitly told to let go.”

“I know.”

“Jesus, Mia.” He exhales hard, dragging a hand over his face. “Do you have any idea how bad this could’ve gotten?”

“I know.”

“No, you don’t,” he says, his voice sharpening. “You’re my partner and I love you. If something happened to you because of this, that would destroy me. More importantly, if something happened to me and you knew you could’ve prevented it?” He shakes his head, disappointment lining his eyes. “You never would’ve dug yourself out of that hole.”

I swallow hard, rubbing my hands together. “I wasn’t trying to hurt you.”

“I know,” he says, his voice cracking, “and that’s what pisses me off the most.”

“I’m sorry,” I say, bracing my hands against the table and pushing myself to my feet. “This was a mistake. I’m going to⁠—”

“Mia, sit down.”

I freeze, thrown off by the authority in his words. And then I nod and slowly lower myself back into my chair.

Keith shuts his eyes and releases a frustrated breath before resting his elbows on the table. And then he just looks at me, inhaling hard through his nose while considering what to say next.

“Just because I’m pissed at you doesn’t mean I’m done,” he says like he’s answering his own question. “I know you didn’t just bring me here to confess and apologize. And because I’d rather not see you end up dead or in jail, I’m going to help you.”

My shoulders sag from relief. “Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me yet,” he mutters, tilting his head to the side. “What do you need?”

I do another scan, making note of everyone who’s recently entered the small café. Once I confirm that there’s no one suspicious, I turn my computer screen toward Keith.

He quirks a brow before grabbing my laptop and pulling it closer to him. “Who’s Marco Bellini?”

With my access to the station’s databases being restricted, I wasn’t able to look up Marco Bellini’s record. Luckily, there were a few articles about him online. Nothing useful, but it confirms that the man existed and he wasn’t exactly an upstanding citizen.

“That’s what I’m trying to figure out,” I explain. “I found his fingerprints on a matchbook I picked up where the vict—my brother was murdered before his body was moved. I wasn’t sure if it was anything, but now there are too many coincidences to ignore.”

And now Leo’s fellow councilman is in the mix somehow—strangely connected with one of the men that tried to jump Alice.

“This says he’s been dead for almost twenty years. That doesn’t make any sense.”

“I know,” I say, feeling winded from sharing everything. “Which is why I need your help. I’m stumped and you’re the only person who can help get me out of my own head.”

He tilts his chin down, locking in on the screen in front of him. “I don’t think I’m equipped to be hunting down ghosts.”

I scoff, throwing my head back and letting it rest there for a second. The tiled ceiling seems to spin in place the more I rack my brain over this puzzle.

I lift my head, looking at Keith again. “Let’s table it then. Would you be able to look into someone else for me? And it’s going to need to be discreet. This person has some pull inside the NYPD.”

A shiver zips up my spine thinking about my brief interaction with Adrian yesterday. I knew something was off about him even before I saw the man with the broken arm.