I nodded, too afraid to speak. I knew my voice was going to come out shaky and I didn’t want to start crying at the station. I would never be able to live that down.
“Okay,” my father said. “You can watch from outside, okay? You cannot be present in the interrogation room. You cannot make yourself known to Sabrina, to her attorney, to anyone. Got it?”
I nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah, of course, Dad,” I said. “I won’t - no one will even know I’m here.”
“Rigo will be around,” he warned, waggling his index finger in my direction. “He still knows to pull you in his office if he thinks you’re not listening.”
I followed him out of Rigo’s office and across the hall. My father positioned me in front of the window before opening the door.
“Don’t do anything stupid, Alice,” he said. “Promise me.”
“I promise,” I said.
He nodded once and stepped inside. Sabrina was already sitting down. Her wrists and ankles were handcuff free, which I didn’t think was fair, exactly. She had killed someone. That hadn’t changed. She was still a threat.
But there was nothing for me to do about it yet, so I rolled my shoulders back and tried to focus.
“Sabrina,” my father said. “I thought you were going to call your attorney to be present with you during this interrogation.”
Sabrina smiled, her eyes cold and blue. “Oh, I am,” she said. “Rumpelstiltskin, Rumpelstiltskin, Rumpelstiltskin.”
20
I held my breath.
I waited for the telling pop.
For a second, I thought he wouldn’t come. I was sure he’d stay away. Part of it was that I was possessive over the ability to call him. I knew that ate away at his magic. But it was something I liked to think that only I was allowed to do.
But I was wrong.
Clearly, Sabrina Charming knew about it. Clearly, she could do it too.
And I hated that.
I hated it so much.
Because I heard the pop. I watched as Rumple appeared in the interrogation room. He looked stunning, even if his wardrobe didn’t change. Silky dark shirt, slacks that molded to his lean body, black hair in place. Everything about him was raw and perfect, even the scars marring his back.
And I hated him for answering her call.
I knew it wasn’t fair of me. I knew he had to. It was obvious that she was the person he made the deal with. She was the one who wanted power over Rumple’s weakness. And that was me. So, of course he would come because he was protecting me. But I was still angry. I was still hurt.
I wondered if Rumple knew I was there. I wondered if he knew I was watching him ease into a plastic seat next to Sabrina Charming, careful not to even brush the clothing she wore. He wouldn’t even look at her; his dark gaze went everywhere but on her. Tension nipped at his shoulders, causing his movement to come out jerky even though he was usually graceful and smooth.
He didn’t want to be here either. I wasn’t sure if that made me feel better or not.
I crossed my arms over my chest, causing the sleeves of my jacket to pinch me under my arms. I pressed my lips together, wanting to make sure I didn’t say something I probably shouldn’t. Officers were walking back and forth, still trying to carry on with their day. It didn’t matter that Sabrina Charming had been arrested, either. They still had jobs to do, and the last thing I needed was for them to hear the grumblings of the chief’s daughter.
Especially if Detective Harrelson was around.
“What are you doing here?” my father asked, suspicion written in his tone. His back was to me so I couldn’t see if he was surprised or offended by Rumple’s presence, especially since he was aware that something was going on between me and Rumple. Or maybe he wasn’t surprised at all. Maybe this was exactly what he expected and he was glad I was witnessing it.
“I came here because I was called,” Rumple said. He might have been answering my father’s question, but he was looking through the two-way glass, almost as though he was looking directly at me, speaking directly to me. I stilled. And who’s to say he wasn’t. “I have no other obligation here besides that.”
Besides the fact that he was bound to his deal, and if he didn’t come, I would be harmed in some sort of way.
“Now that your...representation is here,” my father said, glossing over the fact that Rumple wasn’t any sort of attorney Russell Charming would pay good money to in order to actually represent his family. “May we begin the questioning?”
“Interrogation,” Rumple corrected. “You arrested her. Let’s not pretend this is anything else than what it is. Clearly, you’ve obtained enough evidence to get yourself an arrest warrant. Let me guess: You didn’t go to Judge Lupine.”
“And what does that have to do with anything?” my father asked. “You sure you want him representing you, Sabrina?”
“Oh, I trust that he’ll do what’s right,” Sabrina said. There didn’t seem to be a hint of doubt in her voice. If I was being honest, she didn’t sound scared or remorseful. She didn’t even seem pissed that she had been arrested in the first place.
“Okay,” my father said slowly, his shoulders hunching forward. “I guess we can start with the obvious question and sort out the details. Did you kill Mary Stone?”
“You can’t ask her that,” Rumple said. There was a look in his eye, one that seemed to hold a warning.
I knew my father was also bound to something just as Rumple was. I wasn’t sure what gave him the right to arrest her if there was a chance something could happen to me. It wasn’t in my father’s power to override magic, even if he was chief of police. And even if magic had been turned in, the deals made with magic still held.
“Oh, he can ask me whatever he wants,” Sabrina said, lips quirking up as an arrogant glimmer flickered in her eyes. “Just as long as he understands that there will be consequences for those questions.”
Consequences? So, now my father couldn’t even do his job?
I shifted my weight, practically stomping on the floor. I was furious. I was ready to barge in there and ask the questions if she was going to hold my father hostage. We were so close to the truth. I knew it. Rumple knew it. My dad knew it. Hell, even Sabrina knew it. But because of some stupid deal my dad and Rumple made years ago, they couldn’t actually say anything? They couldn’t ask her relevant questions?
This was bullshit.
“Your DNA was found on the body of Mary Stone,” my father said again. He dropped the folder in front of Sabrina and Rumple but neither of them opened it. “How do you think it got there?”
Sabrina shrugged. I wasn’t sure how it was possible, but she managed to make the gesture look graceful. I almost hated her for it. “I don’t know,” she said. “You’re the detective. You tell me.”
My father paused. I saw the uniform stretch across his back. He was thinking. But he was pissed off at the same time.
I started to chew my bottom lip, watching the scene unfold before me, trying to figure everything out.
“Let’s try a different question,” my father said, leaning back. Now, he was more relaxed, more casual. He must have something good he could work with. “Did you know that Russell Charming was having an affair with Mary Stone at the time of her murder?”
Sabrina clenched her teeth together, and an ugly vein popped up in her forehead. She tightened the grip she had on her fingers and glared. For a moment, she said nothing, absolutely nothing. I could practically hear Rumple breathing even though he was as silent as a wraith. His eyes looked everywhere but at the mirror, everywhere but at me.
“Well?” my father asked. I imagined a cocky look on his face, eyebrows raised, lips curved without smirking.
“And what does my husband’s affair have anything to do with this?” Sabrina asked.
My father chuckled as Rumple looked away.
“Well, gee, I don’t know, Sabrina,” he said. “Sounds like a pretty damn good motive for murder to me.”
&n
bsp; “Why would I kill Mary Stone myself?” she asked through clenched teeth. She leaned forward in her seat but my father never flinched. “You think I would deign to do anything to her? You think I would touch her? I didn’t know where she’d been. I would never sully myself with...with that whore.”
I tightened my grip on my arms. It was just a word. I knew that. But it had no right coming from her. She was the last person who should be allowed to judge anyone. I began to pace back and forth, trying to keep my footsteps light. I wasn’t sure if the occupants of the room could hear what was going on outside, and I didn’t want to draw any attention to myself.
“Be that as it may, your DNA was found on her body,” my father said, sliding the same manila folder I’d given him to her. “I should say, your magic was on her. Reports go on to say that it was your magic that actually killed her. We have the proof right here. I just thought you might want to explain yourself before we send you to Neverland.”
Sabrina flipped the folder open and skimmed the pages. I was surprised she even bothered to look. She didn’t seem to be the type that actually cared about that sort of thing - the details. But maybe I was wrong about her.
“There’s a paralytic agent on her person too,” Sabrina said. “That doesn’t belong to me.” She flipped the folder closed. “You’re going to have trouble proving I killed her when you have two different traces of magic on her body.”
“See, you have motive,” my father said. “I know you know your husband was cheating on you with Mary Stone. I know you know he had Mary Stone in the same room as you after both of you delivered children on the same day because Mary Stone’s child is his child.”
Sabrina slammed her palm on the table between them. My father did not even flinch.
“Are you asking me if I knew about Russell’s affairs?” she asked. “Of course I knew. And it all started with Mary Stone. She was supposed to be our live-in nanny, and then Russell went and got her pregnant. Do you know that his bastard is in our will? Do you know my children are getting less than what they deserve because he insisted, she get a third of the estate? Anything is too much, but a third?”
“Why not kill the child?” my father asked, folding his arms over his chest. “You saw her as a threat to your children, why not take out Rory Rose?”
“You think I didn’t try?” Sabrina clenched her teeth together. “Those damn aunts of hers were always protecting her. Even crystals and salt around their house...Those little superstitions are grounded in truth. And I don’t have my magic anymore. I can’t just kill her.”
“Did you know he was having other affairs?” my father asked. His voice was casual, but my heart skipped a beat. Somehow, I knew where my father was going with this. I held my breath and waited for her answer. “Did you know he was seeing other people throughout the course of your marriage?”
Sabrina crossed her arms over her chest and looked away. Rumple kept his eyes focused on my father, though every now and then he would shift his gaze so it somehow held mine through the glass. He still said nothing. I wasn’t sure if that was a statement unto itself, or if there was more to it.
“Well?” my father pushed. “You’ve been running your mouth about how Mary ruined things for your children. Did anyone else ruin it - or attempt to? Russell is as arrogant as they come, Sabrina. Who knows what he was doing - or who he was doing it with? Your kids have to share another piece of inheritance with someone else?”
“Shut your dirty mouth,” she said through clenched teeth, turning her head back to my father. Spittle fell on the surface of the table, and she glared at my father as though it was his fault. “You know as well as I do, that, that girl is the only result of one of his affairs.”
My father sat back. My lips curved up. My forehead practically grazed the interrogation glass as I leaned forward.
“So,” my father said casually. I recognized this tone. This was when he knew the truth and was casually trying to sniff it out without making it obvious. “You knew there were multiple affairs. How did you find out?”
Sabrina opened her mouth. Judging from the wrinkle over her tiny nose, I knew she was going to deny it. And then, she stopped. “I hired a PI to follow Russell,” she said. “After what happened, I needed to know if he had any more children I didn’t know about. And he didn’t. Then again, he wasn’t cheating with me. Not until little Anna Dkaarsgard.”
My mouth went dry when I heard Anna’s name.
“That little twit interned with the Red Queen,” she continued. “I knew, eventually, she and Russell would meet. I just didn’t think he cared about her when she was the same age as his children. But he did. I saw them at events together. I saw the way she looked at him. So, I sent a PI to follow her around.”
“Did you? If that’s the case, this PI would know what happened to her the night she died, wouldn’t he?”
My heart echoed in my ear. I pressed my palms against the glass. I needed something, something, to hold myself into place. I felt like I was going to melt into the room.
Sabrina ripped a piece of nail off of her thumb and tossed it onto the floor. She pressed her lips together. For a moment, I didn’t think she was going to say anything. But then, she leaned forward.
“You know the consequences of your actions, don’t you?” she asked slowly, making sure to keep her eyes fixed on my father. “You know what you’ve done by dragging me into this, this room and arresting me and accusing me of what happened to Mary Stone, don’t you? You know she isn’t safe now. You know -”
“Enough.” Rumple slammed his hands on the surface of the table and stood up. “We all know the consequences, Sabrina, and some still acted upon them.” He glared at my father, and I flinched. I didn’t think I had ever seen Rumple that angry, even when he was lecturing me about the Blood Forest. “Since there’s nothing to do about it now, answer the questions. I have much to do that doesn’t involve this. Pandora’s Box has been opened. Now we must prepare for the consequences.”
Sabrina glared. “You won’t be able to protect her, Imp,” she said in a low voice. I almost didn’t hear her. “The second I call Geoffrey -”
“How did you know about the other affairs, Sabrina?” my father asked. “Did they tell you? Did someone else? How did you find out about Anna?”
“Besides seeing them together?” Sabrina asked. She drummed her long fingers against the surface of the table. “I needed proof, and I didn’t have any. Just an intuitive feeling. After everything with Rory Rose and Mary Stone, I couldn’t risk my children and their legacy threatened again. So, I had a PI follow Anna around. Stephen threw a party in the summer of last year. I thought for sure he’d be able to corner Anna there, but Anna wasn’t even at the party.”
My mouth went dry again. My heart pounded harder in my head.
“Do you know where she was?” my father asked. He knew what night Sabrina was referring to. It was the night that Anna died.
“No,” Sabrina said. “Geoffrey went to the party. He returned empty-handed. Anna was dead the next morning, and before you ask, no. I have an alibi for that night. Russell and I were in a hotel room, working on our marriage. I have the receipt and I’m sure I can conjure up some witnesses.”
For once, I actually believed her.
I took a step back, then another.
Geoffrey was at the party the night Anna died.
The night I was raped.
Maybe...maybe he saw what happened to me. Maybe he knew something I didn’t.
I hated to ask him. I wanted nothing to do with him. But he might be my only hope in figuring out what happened to me that night.
21
My mind was a puddle of mush by the time I stepped out of the station and headed for my car. I wasn’t even properly thinking. I just knew I needed to ask Geoffrey Hunter for help, and I hated it.
When I reached my car, I slid into the front seat, buckled my seat belt, and started the ignition...but I didn’t go anywhere. I just sat there and thought about wh
at I was going to do next.
Geoffrey made my stomach twist and turn. I didn’t like the thought of having to go to him for any kind of help, especially not after the fact that he practically raped Belle a week ago. If we hadn’t gotten there in time…
More than that, I used my magic against him. I fought with him. I hurt him. Why the hell would he want to help me with anything?
I knew I had to try. If there was a chance he had some kind of information…
I started the car. My mind whirred along with the engine. I supposed what I needed to know why was it important for me to figure out who raped me in the first place?
Maybe I didn’t go to Geoffrey at all. Maybe I needed to go to Shane and get him to test my DNA and match it with the DreamMagic found on Ella or the DreamMagic found on Mary Stone. The residual magic he left should still be on me, shouldn’t it?
I held my breath and headed for the lab. I didn’t think on the way over. I didn’t want to talk myself out of looking into this. It was a longshot. I knew that. I knew it was probably silly of me to even try. But maybe there was some kind of connection. Maybe I’d get answers. That was all I wanted, all I was looking for. I just wanted answers.
When I got there, I glanced around the parking lot. It wasn’t as though I expected it to be full by any means, but I didn’t think it’d be this empty. My heart started to hammer in my chest as I got out of the car. If Shane wasn’t around, fine. I would find Geoffrey and ask for his help. I had a plan in case this one went awry. It would be okay.
I walked up to the door and tried to tug it open. It wouldn’t budge. This also was unsurprising, considering I had a feeling the lab was closed to the public.
So, I knocked. Consistently. Over and over again. Until I saw Shane finger the blinds so he could see who it was. When we locked eyes, we stared at each other for a moment. I saw his nostrils flare, saw him glance to the side, but then I heard the lock coming undone. In a minute, the door was open and Shane positioned his hulking frame in the crack.
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