Case: 1: A Dystopian Mystery (Annalise Storm Chronicles Book 2)
Page 12
“No offence, Detective, but that sounds like hogwash to me.”
She shrugged. “It’s what happened. I’m sure Detective Madoc will corroborate my story.”
“Indeed, he has.” He lifted his glasses and rubbed his eyes. “Okay, you are free to go, but—”
She raised a brow. “But what?”
“You haven’t undergone a psychological evaluation after you were shot. Please visit the DPD’s psychologist as soon as possible.”
Annalise almost cursed aloud. She hated going to a shrink. They always asked about her thoughts, her feelings, and why she did things in a particular way. There were times she had to pretend to be happy during her sessions to get out of any more invasive conversations about her love life. “Sure. I’ll gladly do that.”
She left the interrogation room feeling like a massive weight was lifted off her shoulders. Devlin was right when he said they would have a date with Internal Affairs for the entire night. She was in desperate need of a cup of coffee, a bagel, and a shower. Her mind went back to the topic of her partner and his extensive knowledge of the system and investigation. It was no wonder their Chief had taken him in. Devlin worked hard, and he was smart. Making a beeline for the coffee area, she blushed. Since when did I start thinking of him in the positive light?
At the coffee maker, Des eyed her from the side. She wore a pair of skin-tight black jeans and a red sweater that matched her lipstick. Her golden cat-like eyes twinkled with curiosity as she turned. “How did the inquisition go?”
Annalise broke into a faint smile. “As exciting as staring at a white wall for an hour.”
“I have been under Corbin’s seductive stare of scrutiny nineteen times. After our last date, we decided to stick to first name basis, or, at least, I did. He likes to call me ‘Ms Green’. It gets on my nerves.”
“He told me I need to see a shrink.”
“Be glad he didn’t ask you to touch your nose and balance on one foot…”
Annalise’s brows jumped. “He asked that of you?”
“Only once. Rios and I spent a night in a bar for a stakeout, and I had a drink or two. Corbin has a problem with people drinking on the job.”
“Badmouthing me already?” Corbin said from across the office.
Des took a sip of her coffee and winked at him. “Just stating the truth, sir.”
He adjusted his skinny tie and stormed out of the HPD office. Annalise took this chance to go and see Chief Sunderland. She knocked on his door, and he called for her to enter.
“Morning, sir.”
He looked as if he hadn’t slept much last night. She knew it was Devlin’s and her fault, but apologising at this stage seemed irrelevant.
“Your case was transferred to Homicide,” he informed her. “They won the bid since a pureblood’s body had shown up dead. While Internal Affairs is looking into your trespassing escapade on the Montgomery Institute’s private property, I suggest you take some time off and see a psychologist for your re-evaluation in the meantime. Once you submit the updated files on your mental health, I will allow you to come back.”
“What about Brent’s interrogation in the afternoon? Can I stick around to watch it?”
He drummed his fingers on his desk, pressing his lips into a disapproving line. But, once he looked up, his foul mood slowly dispelled. “You can watch and nothing else. Understood?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good. Dismissed.”
16
A Threat
Annalise arrived at her apartment shortly after talking to Chief. She had time to take a shower and eat something prior to heading back to the DPD. As she made her way to the bathroom, she stripped off yesterday’s clothes, pausing next to her bed. This was where she had made love to Mavel before he had to go into hiding. Her heart mourned the loss of his prominent existence in her life with a painful squeeze. She rubbed her chest better. Would we see each other again? His mother didn’t seem too happy with Annalise showing up for a visit. If Christine knew something about Mavel’s whereabouts, she was keeping her lips sealed. Perhaps that was for the best. He did tell her to move on and live a life she was meant to. What he hadn’t considered was that she wanted him to be a part of her existence in Divinity.
She turned on the hot water, letting it steam up the tiled bathroom, and climbed under the spray that washed away the stiffness in her back. The mechanical actions took care of themselves while her mind wandered to the time she spent with her beast. She closed her eyes, letting her fingers glide down her chest and brush her hardened nipples. Descending further, she imagined his hands on her, travelling with her movements over her stomach to between her thighs. Her breath hitched when she slipped her finger between her folds and started to slowly rub her clit. Moving her body out of the stream of water, she thought only of him, his husky voice in her ear while he was on top of her, the warmth of his hard body against hers when they made love to each other. She started to get wet, thinking about being in his arms. The longer her fingers circled her bud, the harder she had to bite her lower lip to keep her voice in. And, when she finally went over the edge with pleasure, she steadied herself against the tiles. Waves of her orgasm rocked her body, and she wished he was there with her. She couldn’t let him go. He was her lover. Her beast.
Annalise finished her shower and ordered breakfast from the Tower’s restaurant. She settled on her sofa, staring out at the drizzle outside her windows. Her wrist comms beeped, and she checked who was calling her.
“Hey, Monique!” she greeted her friend.
“Annalise, I’ve got some amazing news. I have talked to my fiancé about your desire to move out of the Tower. He can’t see the reason why you would want to leave, but he said he has a building in Silver near the Riverfront Garden. I saw some pictures. It’s a great catch! I live nearby, too. We can go for morning jogs together!”
“That sounds great. Can you send me the details?” Annalise replied, becoming more engaged. She had forgotten about moving with everything that went on in her case. This piece of good news was the break she needed. Maybe getting away from her parents and Devlin for a while was going to be good for her.
“Done. I’ve transferred the info to your digital address. Oh, and I heard about your case.” Monique lowered her voice to a whisper. “Is it true you were investigated by Internal Affairs? You just started working at the DPD. It’s not good to raise eyebrows so early in your career.”
Annalise snorted. “I’m raising eyebrows? Wait, how did you find out about that?”
“The whole Police Department is abuzz with it. You’re the hot topic of the week! I have no doubt this has reached the higher-ups and your father.”
The world couldn’t be any crueller at this point. She sank further into her seat, wishing it would consume her and hide her from her father’s wrath. “Can I move into the apartment now? And can you come with me?”
Monique laughed. “I will talk to Aaron about it. We can split the rent for the place, making it cheaper between us. Being roommates might be great. I miss having you around! Oh, and I mustn’t forget to pat myself on the back. We’ll get great perks because I’m dating a real estate tycoon.”
“Once you tell him you’re going to move in with me, what will you do with David? Won’t your pretty servant have to go?”
“Oh crap, I’ll have to look into a three bedroom place instead. I have…started enjoying having him around. Don’t tell him I said that. I—It’s strange. Under that mask of obedience and sternness, I discovered a guy who was easy to get along with. And, he tolerates my terrible sense of humour. Even Aaron, the guy who wants to marry me, is incapable of laughing at my jokes.”
“Is David still reporting everything you do to your fiancé?” Annalise asked, tucking her damp hair behind her ear.
“Yes. It’s caused some arguments between Aaron and me. I told him there is no need to keep an eye on me all the time, but he dismissed it as”—she made a poor imitation of a guy’s voice—“
necessary measures to protect me.” Monique grumbled under her breath. “I’m a detective. I don’t need protecting.”
Annalise nodded. “I know how you feel.”
“I best get going. I’m getting my first case today.”
“Contact me once you have found a place. I’m going to head back to the DPD. There is an interrogation I’m itching to see.”
They ended the call, and Annalise’s doorbell buzzed. Her food had arrived. She accepted the tray from the delivery guy at the door and headed to the kitchen where she settled the tray on the kitchen island. Her attention focused on the small white envelope lying between the plates. She opened it, finding a card inside and a data chip. The card read ‘WATCH ME’.
Her brows scrunched together. She went into her room and turned on her terminal, slotting the data chip into the reader. A video file popped up, displaying the Tower’s underground car park. She recognised it immediately because her car was the focus of the shot. Swallowing the boulder in her throat, she pressed play and her face paled. It was a video of her and Mavel making out in her car. By the looks of it, someone was hiding behind one of the cars and recorded the entire thing.
At the end of the video, there was an address with the words ‘MEET ME AT 7 P.M.’. She was tempted to use AID to track the origin of the video but knew that uploading it to the DPD servers would be the same as digging her own grave. She cursed under her breath. They should have been more careful. At the time, she was too preoccupied with the interest he showed in her to give a damn about her surroundings. What am I going to do?
She got up and began to pace around her room. Who could have done this? If they were after her father’s political career, the video would have been uploaded to the media sites. If they were after her money, they would have asked for credits at the end of the video. So, what does this person want? The whole scenario was making her nauseated. She stopped moving and sucked in calming breaths. Her hands shook, so she flexed her fingers.
“I can do it. I can do it…” she kept repeating until her voice cracked, and she sank to the ground. Tucking her legs closer to her chest, she rested her forehead on her knees. She couldn’t fall apart here. Breathe in. Breathe out. First, she had to find them and learn what they were after. Yes. Everything will be fine. Focus!
Once she managed to get up, she ran a quivering hand through her hair.
“It will be okay…” She took a few bites of the food on her kitchen island and got ready to return to the DPD.
Annalise rested her side against the wall in the observation room while Roland Brent was brought into the interrogation room. She had waited for Devlin to show up, but he was nowhere to be found. That didn’t surprise her. He was unwell and needed medical attention. After the night of being questioned by Internal Affairs and their suspension, he must be at home, sleeping the day away. She would be, too, if she wasn’t exceedingly curious as to why Roland killed Gale Green and possibly Judy Wilson.
The Homicide detectives her case was handed over to—Zach Daniels and Tia Black—were the best detectives in their department. She could rest easy knowing the case was given to people who knew what they were doing. Their unsolved ratio was at ten percent, and she had heard rumours from Rios and Des about their great chemistry and charm. It was rare to have two purebloods as partners instead of a detective and their servant working a case. But, those two had somehow made it work for five years. Could Devlin and I manage such a partnership?
Tia slid into her seat across the table from Roland. Her legs seemed to stretch for miles under the table as she crossed them. Her lean, muscular frame didn’t take away from her sweet face and cerulean eyes. Annalise couldn’t help but compare her to an alabaster. She seemed almost too perfect in her tailored beige suit.
In the meantime, Zach went over the case file on his digital tablet. He adjusted his rectangular glasses on his face and joined his partner at the table. Both, Tia and Zach, looked like they worked out a lot. He was built like a professional wrestler, and she looked tough enough to punch through a block of cement.
Releasing a sigh, Zach turned off the tablet, placing it on the desk. “Mr Brent, I am Detective Daniels and this is my partner, Detective Black. Your case has been passed on to us as of this morning, and I have to say, it doesn’t look good for you.”
Roland’s eyes darted between the two detectives. “I won’t talk without my lawyer!”
“We have contacted the lawyer listed in your file. He has informed us that you are no longer his client,” Zach said in a serious tone. He leant in, resting his elbows on the table. “Would you like for us to contact the Public Defender’s office and bring a lawyer here?”
The security guard’s face turned a shade of pasty grey. Annalise noted that he started to sweat and his foot was tapping under the table from his nerves. “I did my job. I don’t see why I’m being summoned here again…”
“Because there has been another murder,” Tia said with an unsympathetic expression. “A pureblood named Judy Wilson has been found dead last night on Montgomery Institute’s property. I am told you were acquainted with her.”
“Judy? No…no, not Judy. What happened? Why is she dead?” Roland demanded.
“The cause of death was determined to be asphyxiation around the time you have killed a basilisk,” Zach informed him. “AID, bring up the photos of the deceased Mrs Wilson.”
The AI complied, projecting images of the dead woman on the floor of the greenhouse. Annalise’s gaze was focused on the suspect’s reaction. He seemed genuinely surprised by the news.
Roland’s eyes watered, and he looked away from the images. “I didn’t do it. She was a good friend.”
Tia raised her blonde brow. “A friend, Mr Brent? It doesn’t sound like it.” She stood and walked around the table, placing her hand on the guard’s shoulder. Her silky blonde hair fell over her shoulder like a curtain. “All we are trying to figure out is, did you kill her because you liked her too much or because she saw you murdering that basilisk.”
“I didn’t kill her!” Roland shouted, erupting from his seat.
Tia pushed him back down and glared at him. “We found evidence from the school’s video feeds that you often followed her around. You knew she was married. That had to tick you off. Did killing that modded woman feel good enough that you wanted to go again?”
“I wouldn’t do that to her! I loved Judy!” Roland buried his face in his hands and his shoulders started to shake as he cried into his palms.
Tia looked at her partner. With a nod, Zach took over while she retreated to her seat.
“If you loved her, do you know who could have killed her?” Zach asked with warmth in his voice.
Watching them made Annalise excited. It was no wonder those two made such a good combination. They were a perfect match.
Roland bobbed his head. “Sage. He must have done it. He…”
“We have to know what happened to help you, Mr Brent,” Zach said.
“He found out about our affair and used a recording of it to blackmail us into running that cursed drug operation at the school. Judy was short on money, and I couldn’t leave her. So, I took care of the video feeds on the nights she worked late to make Red Dust and Crystal for Sage.”
A frown formed on Annalise’s brow. Didn’t Sage say that Judy was the one blackmailing him? Did he lie to her and Devlin when they were questioning him?
“Do you have any evidence that he was blackmailing you?” Zach asked.
After a long pause, Roland shook his head. “It was always verbal. He called us in and showed us a video recording of the night we spent in his office when he was away on a business trip.”
“We will look into this and continue where we left off.” Zach indicated for Tia to get the guard standing outside and take Roland away to a holding cell.
The two detectives came out of the room, and Annalise hurried to stop them. “Wait. If Sage recorded them in his office, there has to be a hidden camera there.”
Annalise didn’t sense any animosity from the woman. She smiled back. “Thank you. I’m glad you guys are the ones looking into this.”
Zach offered his hand, and she shook it. “It’s our job. No need to thank us.”
They headed out to what Annalise assumed was the Montgomery Institute. She glanced at the time on her wrist comms. She had three hours to spare before her meeting in Bronze with her blackmailer. Her shoulders sagged as she left DPD and aimlessly walked until she arrived at the bar Jamen brought her to not too long ago. She took a window seat and stared at the passers-by through the colourful glass.
“I thought you were joking when you said you’d become a regular here,” Jamen said, striding to her table.
Annalise saw Calla following him. They took the seats across from her without asking for permission.
“Are you upset your case got taken away?” Jamen waved to Tara at the bar, ordering three beers once he had her attention. He leant across the table and patted Annalise on the shoulder. “You’ll get used to it. I heard Tia and Zach are on this one. They’re the only people in Homicide who don’t hate us, so rest easy.”
Annalise had no idea if she could trust Jamen and Calla with the problem she was facing. But, she needed to share it with someone. The only people who knew about her relationship with Mavel were Devlin and Monique. She wasn’t about to ask him for help when he was injured and in need of peaceful recovery. And Monique probably had her hands full with her first assignment. “It’s not the case I’m worried about.”
“Is it Devlin?” he asked.
Next to him, Calla’s red eyes flared, and she wrinkled her nose. “I don’t like him. My ability doesn’t work on him.”
Jamen looked at his partner. “Has that happened to you before?”
“No.” She crossed her arms. “But there’s something off about him. I can feel it.”