Page 60 of Outlaw Ridge: Griff
“Margo,” Lily said gently, but the panic had already set in.
The lawyer turned to Lily and Griff, eyes sharp now with something more than legal irritation. “We’re done here. I need EMTs now. She’s in distress.”
“Interview paused,” Griff said for the sake of the recording, and he took out his phone, calling for help.
Margo pressed her hands against her temples, rocking slightly, her breaths ragged. Lily watched her, heart pounding, not just from the unfolding panic attack but from the truth clawing its way out. Because panic… didn’t always come from innocence.
Lily stepped into the hall, her boots soft against the worn floor as the door to the interview room closed behind her. Griff joined her, folding his arms as they watched through the small inset window. Inside, Margo sat slumped in the chair, her chest rising and falling in sharp, uneven bursts. Her lawyer had crouched beside her, murmuring something low and firm, trying to talk her down.
“It’s real,” Lily said quietly. “The panic attack. She’s not faking it.”
Griff gave a small nod, his eyes still locked on the scene inside. “Yeah,” he muttered. “Which means this interview’s done. At least for today.”
True. They wouldn’t get anything more out of Margo until she was stable. And with her attorney now glaring toward the door like he was ready to block it with his body, there’d be no convincing him otherwise.
Lily sighed, her frustration boiling beneath the surface. They’d been circling the truth for days, brushing up against it, only to watch it retreat like smoke in their hands. Margo’s panic was real, but it was also a shield now. And that meant waiting.
She stepped back into the room just far enough to catch the lawyer’s attention. “When the EMTs arrive, we’ll send them back here,” she said. “If you or your client need anything in the meantime—”
“We don’t,” Kellerman snapped, standing now with his arms crossed protectively in front of Margo. “What weneedis for you to leave. You’ve pushed her too far already.” He narrowed his eyes, the words cutting sharp and fast. “So do everyone a favor and take your accusations with you.”
Lily didn’t reply. She just nodded once and stepped back out into the hall. Lily checked the time on her watch and was about to say it would be over an hour before Everett’s scheduled interview—plenty of time to regroup—when Griff’s phone buzzed.
He glanced at the screen and instantly stepped away from the door to the interview room, closing it gently behind them before answering. “It’s Holly,” he said, his brow already furrowed. He tapped the screen and put the call on speaker.
“Holly?” Griff said. “What’s going on?”
Her voice came through in a whisper that was sharp and panicked. “There’s an intruder in the office building. It’s not Mr. Langston. He’s not coming in today. I don’t know who it is. They’re in one of the back rooms, I think. I heard a crash.”
Lily’s blood went cold.
“Did you see them?” Griff asked.
“No—no, I just heard something when I was in the bathroom,” Holly blurted, still whispering. “I locked myself in and called you. Please, can you come?”
“We’re on our way,” Griff said, already moving.
Lily was right behind him, adrenaline firing through her limbs. Someone wasn’t finished covering their tracks.
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Chapter Fourteen
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With Lily right beside him, Griff hurried back to the bullpen, their steps quick and focused. Jesse and Hayes were at the water cooler, in mid-conversation, but both deputies straightened the moment they saw Griff’s expression.
“We’ve got a possible intruder at Langston Holdings,” Griff said, without slowing. “The receptionist called it in. We’re heading there now.”
Jesse nodded and started moving with Hayes close behind. No hesitation.
Griff and Lily hurried to his truck, tires kicking up gravel as he tore out of the lot. The streets were mostly clear this time of day, giving them a clean run toward the office building.
As they approached Langston Holdings, Griff eased off the gas, eyes scanning the lot. Nothing obvious. But the front door stood slightly ajar.
Griff parked fast, both he and Lily jumping out, weapons drawn. They moved as one to the entrance. Griff nudged the door wider with the barrel of his gun and stepped inside.
The front lobby was empty. No Holly. No sounds.
