Page 101 of Breaking His Law

39

ARI

I’m sitting at my desk, archiving Nathan’s case files, feeling more contented than I’ve ever been.

Moving in with Nathan has been incredible and now permanent doesn’t look so scary to me. It’s been over a month since I moved in and with each passing day I fall more and more in love with him.

I’ve never said the words, I love you.

Neither has he to me, but I think he does.

Even his mom said that yesterday when she called to ask us to dinner tomorrow night, informing me that she’d never seen him like this before. She actually said he had hearts in his eyes that looked a lot like love which made him playfully end the call, but then he phoned her straight back and lied telling her his reception dropped out.

Chuckling to myself at the memory, I hum along to The Beach Boys, “God Only Knows,” the song that’s been swirling around my head all morning.

Just like Nathan, the beat is addictive.

A ding from my phone alerts me to new emails arriving in my inbox and I sit up straighter, a knot in my throat buildinginstantly when I see Julie’s name flashing across the screen of my cell.

It’s been months since I last spoke to her, because after I decided I was all in with Nathan, combined with Max’s recount about how Julie screwed him over, and adding the fact Julie never sent me anything, I figured she was lying that she had anything concrete in the first place. My mind was made up and my decision was final; Daniel wasn’t involved. And while I have been trying to dig for more information on Kevin Taylor, I have yet again come up short.

I think hiring a private investigator will be my best shot, but I have yet to narrow down my shortlist.

My fingers move fast across the screen, and I tap open her email and then the attachment.

I stare at my screen and reread the words.

Then again.

And again, making sure I understand, and I’m unable to believe what I’m seeing.

I hit print, then run to the printer before anyone sees it.

As I head back to my desk, the paper shakes in my trembling hands and I read it again.

Crash Report Summary

Case Number: 10CR07354

Weather Conditions: Clear night, no adverse weather conditions.

Road Conditions: Dry, no visible hazards or obstructions.

Incident Type: Two-vehicle collision with fatalities.

Summary of Findings: At approximately 11p.m., a collision occurred between Vehicle 1, Toyota Corolla, and Vehicle 2, Ford F150, on Cabrillo Highway. Weather conditions wereclear and road conditions were dry, with no visible oil spills, debris, or hazards present on the roadway.

Upon initial investigation, it was determined that Vehicle 2 driven by Mr. Kevin Taylor, traveling at a high rate of speed and in an erratic manner, crossed into the lane of Vehicle 1, causing a head-on collision. The force of the impact resulted in three fatalities in Vehicle 1: Mr. Robert Donovan, Mrs. Emily Donovan, and Ms. Riley Donovan were pronounced dead at the scene. Another passenger of Vehicle 1 sustained injuries but survived the crash.

Vehicle 2’s driver was uninjured but appeared to show signs of impairment, and preliminary findings suggest that a combination of alcohol and excessive speeding may have contributed to the cause. Further analysis is recommended to confirm the exact cause of the driver’s behavior.

There are no witness statements but the evidence of tire marks and vehicle positions suggest that Vehicle 2’s actions were directly responsible for the crash. No contributing external factors were found to be involved.

Conclusion: The crash resulted in the deaths of three individuals and the serious injury of the surviving passenger due to the reckless or negligent actions of the driver of Vehicle 2. The evidence points to a clear responsibility on the part of the driver of Vehicle 2, whose actions—likely influenced by speed and/or impairment—directly led to the fatal crash. Further investigation into the driver’s alcohol/drug use is ongoing, and charges may be filed accordingly.

Is this real?

This is not the same crash report in my family’s case file.

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