by Elle Gray
Torres sits across from me in his bright orange county coveralls. He has a scraggly beard that seems to be turning more gray than black, and his hair, once so impeccably neat, stands out in a hundred different directions. His skin is sallow, his cheeks sunken in, and dark half-circles stand out beneath his eyes.
“Let me guess, you’re going for Unabomber chic? Is that it?”
Torres looks at me, clearly unamused. “What do you want, Arrington?”
“Now, this time I came just to gloat.”
He stares at me—or rather, through me. He’s only in county lockup and already looks like he’s falling apart. I can’t imagine what it’s going to be like for him up at a real prison. He’s slumped forward, his shoulder stooped, and his hands are manacled to the table. He looks like a beaten man. A defeated man. It’s nice to see, but I figure I’ll give him a good kick while he’s down.
“I’m glad you’re having fun with this, you piece of—”
“Easy, Torres,” I interrupt. “We don’t want the guards to think you’re being hostile or dangerous, now do we?”
“Say what you have to say and get the hell out.”
“Last time I was here, you were so certain you were getting out. Now you look like all the hope has been sucked right out of you,” I say. “What’s changed, former deputy chief?”
He glares at me, pure hatred in his eyes. I laugh and snap my fingers.
“Oh, that’s right. They found evidence that you were paid off to smother the investigation into my wife’s murder. And it was murder, by the way. But you knew that because you were paid to kneecap the investigation.”
“Is that what you came here to say? Really, Arrington?” he hisses. “Is that all you got?”
“Actually no. That’s not what I came here to say at all.”
“Then spit it out and piss off.”
“Fine. I just wanted to let you know something. You remember how you wanted me to use the influence of my family name to help you?”
“Yeah. Sure.”
“Well, I wanted you to know that I will be using the influence of my family’s name after all,” I tell him. “Once you go to prison—and you will most definitely be going to prison—I’m going to call up the warden, who is a friend of my family’s. Can you guess what I’m going to ask this old family friend who owes my family a lot of favors?”
“Enlighten me.”
“Well, let’s just say I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a clerical error that landed you in gen pop as opposed to a cell in isolation.”
Torres’ eyes widen in fury. He tries to stand up suddenly, but the manacles keep him from doing so. He slams his fists on the table in impotent rage, glaring at me with the purest hatred I’ve ever seen.
“You can’t do that,” he shouts. “You can’t do that!”
I lean forward across the table and grin. “I’m a free man. I can do anything I want.” I get to my feet. “Have a nice life, Torres. I’m going to be out here living mine to the fullest.”
“Paxton, you can’t do that! Get back here, you piece of garbage! Get back here! You can’t do that to me! I’ll kill you! I swear to God, I’ll kill you!”
I walk out of the county jail with a small grin on my face. I have no intention of doing what I threatened Torres with—though I could. I just wanted to see the look on his face and give him just a small taste of the fear Veronica must have felt.
But it’s over now. I’m done. I’ll never think of Torres again after I get in my car and drive away. It’s the start of a new day for me. I’m going to try to do as Veronica asked and move forward. I’m going to try to live my life and find joy. Maybe even find love again. Who knows?
But I’m going to take the first step tonight by taking May to dinner.
My cellphone rings as I get to my car, so I stop and pull the phone out of my pocket and look at the number curiously. Astra Russo is Blake’s partner, and though we get along with each other, we never call—we’re not that close. We’re mostly friends when Blake is around because she’s our common denominator.
So, I’m curious why she’d be calling me now. I connect the call and press the phone to my ear.
“Astra, hey. How are you?” I ask.
“Paxton, it’s Blake. There was a fire at her place—”
My heart drops into my stomach and I feel my hand trembling. “What? How? What happened? Is she all right?”
“I don’t know much more than you right now, but I thought you’d want to know. I’m on my way to the hospital. She’s at St. Immanuel’s.”
“I’ll see you there.”
I disconnect the call and drop my phone into my pocket, then get into my car. My heart is racing and I feel like I might be sick. The thought of anything happening to Blake, after already losing Veronica, is too much to bear. I jam on the accelerator and take off, driving like a maniac as I say a silent word of prayer, hoping she’s all right.
She’s got to be all right.
Note From Elle Gray
I hope you enjoyed A Wife's Secret, book 4 in the Pax Arrington Mystery Series. This book was long overdue and I hope you enjoyed it!
Being a new indie writer is tough. However, your support has helped tremendously.
I don’t have a large budget, huge following, or any of the cutting edge marketing techniques.
So, all I kindly ask is that if you enjoyed this book, please take a moment of your time and leave me a review and maybe recommend the book to a fellow book lover or two.
This way I can continue to write all day and night and bring you more books you love!
Also, don’t forget to check out the Blake Wilder Mysteries and the Olivia Knight series.
By the way, if you find any typos or want to reach out to me, feel free to email me at [email protected]
Your writer friend,
Elle Gray
Also by Elle Gray
Olivia Knight FBI Mystery Thrillers
Book One - New Girl in Town
Blake Wilder FBI Mystery Thrillers
Book One - The 7 She Saw
Book Two - A Perfect Wife
Book Three - Her Perfect Crime
Book Four - The Chosen Girls
Book Five - The Secret She Kept
Book Six - The Lost Girls
Book Seven - The Lost Sister
A Pax Arrington Mystery
Free Prequel - Deadly Pursuit
Book One - I See You
Book Two - Her Last Call
Book Three - Woman In The Water
Book Four - A Wife’s Secret