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‘You’d think a lawyer would be more careful about her privacy settings,’ Marcus said.
‘Lucky for us she wasn’t,’ Scarlett replied.
‘We found Alice in the background of two graduation pictures,’ Kate went on. ‘The man in the third photo has no social media presence that we could find. He’s also not in the DMV database. Nor is Demetrius Russell, for that matter.’ She rolled her shoulders and cracked her knuckles. ‘Wish me luck. Sit tight, Marcus. I’ll motion you in when I’m ready.’
Unfortunately, Alice sat mutinously silent, staring at the glass when Kate had the guard turn her chair around. After working it for thirty minutes without a single reaction from Alice, Kate crooked her finger at the glass, motioning Marcus to join her.
Marcus drew a breath and squared his shoulders before walking from the observation room into Interview Four. He didn’t say a word at first. Just focused on Alice’s reaction when she saw him. He wasn’t disappointed, and neither was Kate Coppola.
Alice’s eyes narrowed, flashed with pure hate. Had Marcus not been expecting it, he might have taken an actual step back.
‘Hello, Allison,’ he said quietly. ‘Or is it Alice?’
She leaned back in her chair, her lips curving in a bitter smile, full of malice. ‘Well, well, well. If it’s not Mr Nine Lives himself. I should have killed you when I had the chance.’
Cinci
Wednesday 5 August, 6.55 P.M.
Scarlett blew out a breath. ‘That clarifies things,’ she said to Deacon.
‘I’d say so,’ Deacon murmured. ‘The women still get me. They look all sweet, like butter wouldn’t melt in their mouths, you know? And then they go all Miz Hyde and freak me the hell out.’
Scarlett smiled at the genuine dismay in his voice. Deacon was the sharpest partner she’d ever had, but he tended to get blindsided by truly evil women. ‘It’s one of nature’s equalizers,’ she said, ‘like with sea anemones. They look like a pretty flower until their tentacles shoot paralyzing toxin into their unsuspecting prey, and then bada-bing. It’s game over.’
‘You are blood—’
‘You better not be about to say bloodthirsty,’ she warned. ‘I’ve got tentacles too.’
‘Pfff,’ Deacon scoffed. ‘But I’ll tell everyone that you scare me if you want me to.’
‘That’ll work,’ she murmured as Marcus took the chair next to Alice, spun it around and straddled it. ‘She was so close to him, so many times, Deacon. Why didn’t she kill him when she had the chance?’
‘I don’t know. She didn’t, though,’ Deacon said softly, lightly bumping his shoulder into hers. ‘Keep telling yourself that. He’s alive and she’s in custody.’
On the other side of the glass, Marcus broke his silence. ‘Why didn’t you?’ he asked Alice. ‘You had a number of opportunities to kill me even after your partner botched the pillow job. Thanks for saving my life, by the way. Demetrius was pretty close to finishing me off when you told him that someone was coming.’
Alice’s mouth opened in surprise before she could catch herself. ‘He was a useless fool.’
‘Bingo,’ Deacon murmured.
‘I so want her ass to fry,’ Scarlett murmured back.
Marcus shrugged at Alice. ‘You’re here and he’s not, so what does that make you?’
‘Obedient,’ she muttered.
Her lawyer cleared his throat. ‘Miss Newman.’
‘Don’t worry,’ she said with a laugh that chilled Scarlett to the bone. ‘I’m not going to tell them anything useful. Not unless I get what I want.’
‘And what is that, Alice?’ Kate asked.
‘Immunity. Total and complete.’
Kate choked on a laugh. ‘Really? I don’t think so.’
Alice smiled smugly. ‘Then you’re wasting my time. And yours. I walk or you get nothing.’
‘Perhaps,’ Marcus said quietly. ‘Or maybe Agent Coppola doesn’t need you. I wonder if DJ will be as stoic when she questions him.’
‘DJ’s just a boy toy. He knows nothing.’
‘Perhaps,’ he said again. ‘We’ll find out soon enough, because he’s in the interview room next door,’ he lied smoothly. ‘I’d love to see his face when he finds out his daddy is dead. Or does he already know? Will he still follow you around like a puppy when he finds out what you’ve done? I hope not. I’d like to see the kid grow a pair and throw you to the wolves.’
This time Alice’s shock was pronounced, her eyes narrowing to mere slits. ‘Fuck you, O’Ba
Behind the glass, Deacon tilted his head. ‘How did he know that?’
‘He guessed,’ Scarlett said. ‘She said Demetrius was a useless fool. Marcus knew that Phillip had stabbed Demetrius. He knew that DJ was younger and Alice had him on a short leash at the gym. He added it up. He’s smart like that, you know.’
Deacon rolled his eyes. ‘I think I’m going to puke.’
Scarlett’s lips twitched. ‘Now you know how I’ve felt all these months.’
Marcus had twisted his face into a grimace. ‘I don’t think so. I didn’t want to fuck you before I found out you wanted to kill me. Desperate women aren’t my type.’
‘You can go to hell.’
Marcus didn’t flinch. Didn’t bat an eye as he regarded Alice with contempt. Scarlett’s heart swelled with pride. Then collapsed in her chest when he replied.
‘Not yet. I haven’t used up all of my nine lives.’
‘There’s still time, Marcus,’ Alice said a smile.
‘Fucking idiot,’ Deacon growled. ‘Poking a cornered snake with a stick is not smart.’
‘He’s got a damn hard head,’ Scarlett said, gritting her teeth. ‘I’ll smack him later.’ Her cell phone buzzed, but she ignored it for a moment, not wanting to look away from the viper sitting at the table. Sitting too damn close to what’s mine.
In the interview room, Marcus raised his brows at Alice. ‘Since you’re here and Demetrius is dead, someone else will have to take the baton. Who? Not DJ. He’s just a puppy. This guy maybe?’ He tapped the photo that Kate had enlarged. ‘Is he your sugar daddy?’
An almost intangible tightening of Alice’s body, then she relaxed with a smile. ‘Yes. He was. He paid my tuition and I was his arm candy. Then I graduated and didn’t need him anymore. Got a better offer.’
Kate sat next to Marcus. ‘Assassin was a better offer?’ she asked. ‘I wouldn’t think you’d need a law degree for that.’
Scarlett’s phone buzzed again and she cursed softly, not wanting to miss Alice’s answer.
‘It’s Vince,’ Deacon said, looking at his own phone. ‘He’s decrypted the files from Drake Co
‘In a minute. I want to finish this.’ She handed Deacon the external drive that Diesel had given her. ‘Can you ask him to scan this for any booby traps? It’s got the non-picture files from McCord’s computer.’
‘Do I want to know how you got these?’ Deacon asked.
‘No. Tell Vince I’ll go through the files. I need to be sure they’re safe for my computer.’
‘Okay,’ Deacon said cautiously. ‘I hope you know what you’re doing.’ He looked over his shoulder. ‘You coming, Lynda? Agent Troy?’
Scarlett hadn’t forgotten they were back there. Nor had she forgotten that there was one other person sitting in the back row. She waited until Deacon and the others had left before sighing wearily. ‘You might as well come closer, Dad.’
Jonas Bishop joined her in front of the glass, crossing his arms over his big chest. ‘I didn’t know if you knew I was there.’
‘Spotted you the minute I walked in, but this wasn’t about me or you. This was about Marcus. I didn’t want him distracted. You can talk to him when they’re finished.’
‘Bossy,’ he said, but his hand was gentle when he brushed it over her hair. He put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. She went willingly, leaning her head against his chest, but keeping her hands in her pockets.
She didn’t want him to find out that he’d been right all along. That she wasn’t tough enough to be a cop. That the job had chewed her up and was getting ready to spit her out.