Page 32 of Evil Eyed
Someone brushed past me, making me do a double take. Ivarr? But—
He pulled the door open for us. “The least I can do for such beautiful ladies is open the door.”
“So kind!” Vivi pretended like she didn’t know him. “Thank you, sir.”
“My pleasure.” He inclined his head and winked at me. “And to think that I was mad when I got that parking ticket. It was worth it just to see you today.” In our bond, he added,:I don’t feel any ward. It’s not like the one at the fountain. We four should still be able to pass through without any issue.:
That settled Doran down a little. As I passed the pillars, goosebumps flared down my arms, almost like I stepped through a sheet of cooler air. But it didn’t keep me out. Hopefully I hadn’t set off some kind of fae alarm with my presence. I still wasn’t sure I understood how I could be human but not exactly, let alone fae, but not exactly.
I reached for Warwick. :Can you still hear me?:
My step faltered as we entered the building. Silence echoed in my head.
Warwick was gone.
19
Iplastered on a fake, stiff smile, trying to pretend that everything was okay as Vivi spoke to the female officer at the desk. Ivarr waited a polite distance behind us. A female officer gestured to us and led us down the hallway. Vaguely, I heard Ivarr speaking to the same person, asking about where to pay parking tickets. I wiped clammy palms on my jeans and willed my stomach to settle down.
This isn’t like that nasty swamp. I’m not trapped. I’m not alone. All the guys are close. Warwick heard me in the swamp. He’ll hear me now when I make the wish.
I tried to block out the doubts and what ifs. I didn’t have his gold coin in my pocket this time. I’d given it back to him already. Hopefully that wouldn’t make a difference in his ability to come to my aid if I needed him.
The officer opened a door and stepped aside. “The detectives will be with you in a moment.”
“Thank you,” Vivi said. “Riann, let me introduce you to my boss, Sloan Archer. Mr. Archer, this is my best friend, Riann Newkirk.”
The man stood and held out his hand. “A pleasure, Ms. Newkirk.”
I didn’t need Aidan’s vicious growl in my head to remember not to touch him. I gave the man as wide a smile as I could muster under the circumstances and said, “Thank you so much, Mr. Archer. Vivi says you’re the absolute best attorney around.”
He wore a slick, tasteful gray suit that managed to look conservative and yet extremely expensive at the same time. In her heels, Vivi was a bit taller than him. “High praise indeed coming from the best paralegal I’ve ever had. I’ve certainly heard a great deal about you.”
Pulling out the seat beside him, he gestured for me to sit down, while Vivi walked around the table to sit on his opposite side. The only other chair in the room had its back to the door. He didn’t seem upset that I didn’t shake his hand, but I didn’t like being separated from my friend. Granted, we were all on the same side, and I didn’t want my back to the door when the cops came in, but I didn’t know this guy.
:Do you sense anything off about him?:Doran asked.
I watched Mr. Archer as he sat back down and pushed a thick blue folder over to Vivi. She immediately flipped open the folder and scanned the papers, already slipping into work mode.
:Nothing specific.:I finally said.:Maybe I just don’t like lawyers.:
:Or maybe he’s working a glamor,:Aidan replied.:He’s someone you know.:
:I don’t really know him, though. Only through Vivi. I haven’t even met him until today.:
:But he knows all about you through her. No fault of hers, but beware. He knows you were in an unhappy marriage. She very likely told him plenty of details about your life without even realizing it.:
“Keep your answers to yes and no if at all possible,” Mr. Archer said. “I’m assuming that Viviana gave you a quick background about how these kinds of interviews usually go?”
“Yeah,” I replied.
“If you don’t want to answer something, just shake your head. I’ll tell them to move on. You’re not legally obligated to answer their questions. Don’t incriminate yourself. ‘I don’t recall’ is one of the best answers you can give.”
“Okay,” I whispered, clutching my hands together in my lap.
The door opened and the same two detectives who’d come to the house entered. Beasley sat in the chair across from us, but the younger cop stayed standing by the door.
“Thank you for coming in today, Ms. Newkirk,” Detective Beasley said.
