Page 67 of Sinful Seduction
“Alright, Detectives. I’ll be here.”
I kill our call and walk, tilting my head back and groaning while we move. “Guess that proves Freemon himself isn’t our shooter.”
“I caught most of what he said.” Releasing me, he reaches around and scratches the back of his neck. “Freemon’s about to start a shitstorm. Just stepping onto old turf and asking questions leaves him with a debt he can’tlegallyrepay. Two decades of doing things the right way, now it’s all gonna come undone.”
“Fathers do what they’ve gotta do.” I slow just before the corner and wait for his eyes to swing back to mine. “Good, loving fathers will stop at nothing to make the world a better place for their daughters. We know that better than anyone, right?”
“Guess I’m just better at it.” He draws a heaving breath, combing hishand through short brown hair. “Freemon’s lost his touch. He can’t even walk onto Beckman’s turf without CIs calling it in. Beckman, too, will have his own eyes on the street.”
“So Grant’s already in debt and, if he hasn’t committed a crime yet, he will soon. He’ll do whatever it takes to get answers. We need a confession, and we need it fast. But I’ve got a bad fuckin’ feeling this isn’t gonna end with smiles, no matter how it shakes out.” I push on again, rounding the corridor corner and spotting Clay at his post by Molly’s door. “I hate when my dumb suspicions turn out to be right.”
“A kid is dead.” He digs his hands into his pockets and meets my stride, his shoulder brushing mine as we walk. “No matter what Ben did or didn’t do, whether he was a reformed street bully or not, he had a right to live.”
“I know.” I draw a deep breath, exhaling again with a sigh. And approaching Clay, I say nothing of how his spine snaps straight and his shoulders whip back.Kid needs to chill the fuck out. “Officer.”
“Detectives.” He swallows, his jaw flexing tight. “Molly Freemon is in her room. As is her friend, Tori.”
“Grant and Layla Freemon?”
“Grant hasn’t returned from his…” He makes a face. “Excursion yet, sir. And Mrs. Freemon went home to settle her other two children in for the night. She said she’d be back before bed.”
“Good. We need Molly to start talking before her folks get back and throw their shields up again. You wanna come in, Officer? Wanna watch?”
His eyes widen with surprise. Excitement. Then they dim again when his brain catches up and tells him toact cool. “Yes, sir. I would.”
I drop my chin and step around him, pressing my hand to the door. But before I open it, I glance back and meet his eyes. “You’re coming to Doctor Emeri’s wedding this weekend, right?”
“Y-yes, sir.” He gulps nervously. “I RSVP’d a while back.”
Of course you did. “You bringing a date, Officer?”
He shakes his head, frenzied swings of his jaw from left to right. “No, sir. A wedding may be a social event, but I’ll be in the company of my superiors. I’d rather attend alone and avoid female drama.”
I snort.Come to more social events with us, kid, and you’ll see plenty of female drama.“Find me on Saturday, okay? I wanna introduce you to someone.”
“O-okay, sir.” He pales. “Will do.”
Fletch makes a face in my peripherals, but I ignore it and movethrough Molly’s door in silence, as her wary eyes, red from tears and exhaustion, come to mine.
“Hi, Molly.” I walk to the end of her bed and wait as my colleagues follow me in, then as Fletch shuts the door with a snick of finality, I take stock of the room, the machines that track the girl’s heart rate—racing faster with every second our standoff drags on—and the whiteboard behind her with her name and stats written in rushed scribbles.
She’s yet to shower since her ordeal, which means her hair is a ponytail nest and her cheeks are a splotchy mess. Her jaw trembles and her pulse skitters. But she remains silent. Steady, despite her shaking hands.
I peer to her right, to her friend, who is legions more confident. Stronger. But then again, it wasn’t her heart that stopped this week. It wasn’t her boyfriend who was shot dead in the street. “Tori. How are you girls doing?”
“We’re okay,” Molly mumbles. “Is everything?—”
“She’s pretty tired, Detective.” Tori lifts her jaw, proud and perfunctory. “Maybe you could come back another time.”
“Actually, I figure now is the perfect time to talk.” I bring my gaze back to the girl in the bed. “I know you’re in pain, Molly. And I know you’re scared. But trying to speak to you with your parents around is proving useless. They keep blocking you.”
“They’re her parents,” Tori bites out. “They’re literally protecting her. That’s their job.”
“Exactly. But we have a moment now, so I think it would be best if we get to the bottom of things real quick.”
“Detective—”
“What trouble did Ben get into recently, Molly? Who was coming after him?”
