Page 100 of Charmed Forces

“What are you doing here?” I asked, looking around at the lack of surprise on anyone else’s face.

“Nice to see you too. You shouldn’t have dressed up.”

“I was undercover!”

“That’s definitelyyourdress.”

“Well, yes.” I waited for the moment Maddox slipped in a comment about the last time he’d seen the dress. That was when it was dangling from his living room light fitting, but he politely didn’t mention it.

“And your shoes.”

“I was undercover at aparty.”

“Someone gets all the good jobs,” said Maddox with a shrug. “What were you two? Bodyguards? Bouncers?” he asked, addressing Solomon and Delgado.

“We stayed outside,” said Solomon.

“Sensible,” said Maddox and pulled a face. “Anything could have happened.”

I waited for Solomon to mention the fire or my escape via the balcony, but he didn’t and I was grateful for that.

“Seriously, what are you doing here? Because I don’t think you’re arresting us,” I persisted.

“I could if you like?” said Maddox, a small smile threatening to curl his lips. “Did you set anything on fire?”

I gasped. “When?”

“I like that you need to ask ‘when?’ I was referring to today.”

“No, but Lily did.”

“Oh, boy!”

“Stop deflecting and tell me why you’re here!”

“He’s the one who’s going to stop me from going to jail,” said Daniel, and Maddox nodded.

“I thoughtwewere doing that. Mom and Dad hired us!” I said.

“They told me when I stopped by for lunch,” said Maddox, shrugging with the kind of nonchalance I envied. I was confused and wanted answers and Maddox was taking his sweet time about giving them. He was obviously enjoying it. “Figured I’d throw in some government services for free, so here we are,” he added.

“I called Maddox the night everything went down,” explained Solomon. “It occurred to me when I was drawing Daniel’s blood that my word wouldn’t suffice in court and a good lawyer could argue that I might have tampered with the evidence, so I arranged for Maddox to get Daniel officially checked out. That started an evidence chain thatwouldstand up in court. My lab results confirmed drugs were in Daniel’s system, but it couldn’t be admissible. Thankfully, the Feds’ tests are admissible and they achieved the same results.”

“We have everything,” said Farid. “Clothes, blood, urine, photographs, and statement.”

“Our boss was looking into corruption angles with other aspects of the Victor brothers’ case and felt this might slide in neatly,” added Maddox.

“I don’t know what to say,” I said, surprised as well as relieved. At least, now I knew why Maddox was dodging my calls and ran away from me at the coroner’s office.

“I’m sure that won’t last,” said Maddox.

“I was going to explain everything I remembered,” said Daniel. “There are a few other things that came back since I spoke to you that night.”

“In that case, I’d like to make this official,” said Maddox. “I want to record it.”

“Sure,” said Daniel. “But I’d like to go through it informally with everyone here first, and then we can make the recording. I don’t want my sister or anyone else’s voice on the tape. I don’t know what blowback could come from this and I don’t want anyone else getting caught in the crossfire.”

“All right then,” agreed Maddox. “Start talking.”

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