Often (Iron Orchids Book 4)

by Danielle Norman

  When I got in front of the sheriff’s station, I heaved a few deep breaths. I stared at the parked motorcycles and told myself that I would not let anyone drive on one of those until Sawyer was in custody.

  I have had enough of all the bullshit.

  This had to end. And it had to end right that minute.

  Only, when I pulled the door to the station open, Deputy Sawyer Bressler was standing there.

  Fuck.

  I had two jobs. Hand the drive to Detective Brown and avoid Sawyer Bressler. Sweat trickled down my cheeks as I gripped the drive in my palm firmly.

  Relax. Breathe. I could do this. I chanted the words in my head as I tried walking past him. But it was a useless attempt.

  Bressler planted his large figure in front of me. Swallowing hard, I watched his tall frame acting like a wall between me and the people I needed to see. He narrowed his eyes, making my stomach twist in fear. His expression was the most unfriendly thing I had ever seen in this place. It was as if he hated seeing me.

  “What are you doing here?” He folded his arms across his chest.

  “I need to see Detective Brown.” I was even surprised that my voice did not quiver.

  He raised a brow as a smirk played on the corners of his lips. He was treating me like I really was a criminal.

  “I asked you what are you doing here, not who did you come to see.”

  I sighed exasperatedly and looked at him straight in the eyes. “I said that I’m here to see the detective who is handling my case.”

  “Detective Brown is not in.”

  My heart sank. “Okay, can I see another detective?”

  I needed to get someone who wasn’t him. I needed to hand this fucking thumb drive over. It has to land in good hands, and Bressler did not have good hands.

  “What are you doing? Are you making a fist at me?” Bressler asked irritatingly as he stared at my hand.

  Shit.

  I shook my head. “No, I just don’t like the sheriff’s station,” I lied. I couldn’t tell him I had the drive balled up in my clenched fist. It was the only evidence I had. I couldn’t let him take it from me. Not when I was just a few feet away from the people who deserved to get their hands on it.

  “What’s in your hand?”

  Instinctively, I took a step back. “Nothing.” I pulled my hand behind me.

  Bressler chuckled in disbelief. His jaws clenched, and the veins in his neck started protruding. He was obviously not buying it. “Open you hand,” he ordered in a very low voice.

  Shaking my head deliberately, I took another step backward. “No, I need to speak to the detective.”

  “Open your hand. That is a direct order.” Bressler touched the handle of his pistol. It was a warning. I knew he wouldn’t shoot me right in the front of the sheriff’s station. But he was definitely trying to scare the hell out of me, and it was working. He grabbed my wrist forcibly and raised it over my head. His grip was tight, and it fucking hurt. Slipping his fingers between mine, he opened my clenched hand and removed the USB thumb drive. He looked down at me and smirked victoriously. “What are you up to? Taylor said you were manipulative.”

  “It’s you! I know it’s you! That’s the evidence. It’s you.” Tears ran down my face, my words were garbled and probably unintelligible, but I was hysterical at this point. My hand fucking hurt. My pride fucking hurt. And I had just lost the very last shred of hope.

  Bressler looked at me as if I was saying something preposterous. With a faint winning smile, he turned around and walked away, leaving me behind and taking the USB...with him.

  It felt like my life was taken away from me. My knees wobbled, and my energy left my body. With tears forming in my eyes, I fell to the ground, crying hopelessly. Just when I thought something good was finally about to happen, I get smacked back down. When would things finally go my way?

  A few minutes passed, and I felt someone shaking my shoulders. When I looked up, all I saw was a blurry image of an officer staring down at me.

  “Miss Scarvoni, you need to calm down.”

  It was Detective Brown.

  “I thought that you weren’t here.”

  “I was in my office. What are you doing here?” He held out a hand, and I took it.

  I stood as sobs wracked through my body over the realization of everything that one little USB represented. I lost the hope of freedom, my happily ever after, clearing my name, Ian. I had lost it all and all because of that dickwad deputy.

  Detective Brown led me into a room, the same friggin’ familiar room. I wanted to grab onto his shirt and shake him and shout. But it wouldn’t make a difference, nothing would. Bressler was one of their own. If it came down to his word against mine, they’d believe his.

  “It isn’t me. I’m innocent.” Each word I professed my voice seemed to get louder. “He took it. It’s him. Deputy Bressler. I have proof. Well, I had proof. Deputy Bressler took it. It isn’t me. You have to believe me.”

  “One second, Miss Scarvoni.”

  I threw my head down onto the table, the same solid steel table that I had rested my head on several times over the last few weeks. I wondered how many other innocent people had felt as if they had lost all hope while sitting in this exact same seat. A few minutes later, Detective Brown returned and resumed his position in the seat across from me.

  “I went and spoke to Deputy Bressler.” I looked up, hoping that Bressler had come clean but knowing that was a snowball on its way to hell. “He has no clue what you’re talking about.”

  “He’s lying.”

  Detective Brown sighed and looked at me apologetically. “I wish there was more that I could do. Deputy Bressler feels bad, he does. He feels that you’ve gotten tangled up with something. He doesn’t want to press charges.”

  “Press charges? I haven’t done anything.”

  “Consider this a blessing, Miss Scarvoni, and leave while you still can.” My jaws swung wide open. I couldn’t believe this. “Don’t push your luck. You don’t get it. This is your last warning unless you want me to take you into holding. I would suggest that you take your leave,” Detective Brown spoke in exasperation.

  “Check the tires.” I didn’t even recognize my voice as I said that.

  “What?”

  “The thumb drive that I brought you showed Bressler messing with the tires. Check them...check the lug nuts. Please.” My hands clenched into fists. I gritted my teeth and rose from my seat. Once again, everyone else won, and I fucking lost the game.

  “Yeah, okay.” Detective Brown stared at me.

  I walked out of the sheriff’s station, down the sidewalk, and across the street. I didn’t cry. I wasn’t sure that I had anything left in me.

  I was wrong. All my bravado that I’d been convincing myself of was wrong. I wasn’t going to save myself. Fuck, I was going down for something I didn’t do. Allowing the tears to flow down my cheeks, I walked over to Queen’s Gold, garnering weird stares as every ounce of hope that I’d been holding on to washed away. Everything was over.

  Without looking around, I walked inside the shop and grabbed my laptop and camera and bagged it up.

  “Girl, what you doing—”

  I shook my head when Coco appeared behind me. I had enough strength for two words, “He won.”

  21

  Leo

  Straddling my bike, I strapped my helmet and started the engine. As the wind slapped my face, I thought how easy it would be to let go of the handles and fly off, give up and give in. Shifting gears, I passed cars as I zoomed down the interstate. I didn’t care about the cars cutting me off. This time, there was no fear. I knew that giving up wasn’t the answer, but neither was the old saying about truth setting me free. It didn’t.

  In times like these, it would have been nice to have my friends cheering me up. But I lost them too. Detective Brown was right. I shouldn’t push my luck because I didn’t have any in the first place.

  God, I wished I had someone.

&nbs
p; Just one person I could talk to. I didn’t even have the kind of mom that I could cry to.

  My mind had drifted, and before I knew it, I was already climbing the stairs to my apartment. Exhausted, I unlocked the door, and Throttle greeted me with a long and loud meow. I headed straight to my room and threw myself onto my bed, catching a glimpse of my bedside clock. Ian would be getting off work soon.

  God, I hated how my mind always found its way back to him. I closed my eyes and decided to sleep. At least then I wouldn’t be stuck in the back-and-forth nightmare that had become my life.

  Bang! Bang! Bang!

  I jumped out of bed and raced toward the door as Throttle hissed at having been disturbed. I looked through the peephole and saw two deputies standing outside.

  And the hits just kept right on coming.

  I wanted to ignore them. I wanted them to just go away. It was the middle of the fucking night, after all.

  Bang. Bang. Bang.

  Each strike of knuckles against the door resonated through me like the beat of the death march.

  I blew out a slow breath and straightened my spine. I may not have any control over what was happening, but I had complete authority over how I acted.

  I would not cower like a scared little mouse. I was not that girl.

  It was what I was telling myself as I slid the chain free and opened the door.

  “Leo? Leo Scarvoni?” the deputy on the left asked.

  “Yes.”

  “You’ll need to come with us.”

  I knew it. “What now?”

  They looked at each other and then turned back to me.

  “Ma’am, would you like to put on something different?” the deputy on the right asked. They were not the same from the other times. This pair didn’t look as hard or as angry. That didn’t mean I wanted to go with them.

  Too bad I didn’t have a choice.

  I left them standing out in the hallway as I changed, and ten minutes later, I was crawling into the back of the sheriff’s car. We rode across town, and I felt like I was awaiting my fate. They walked me through the same double doors, past the same reception desk, and into the same conference room where I sat in the same plastic chair. Nothing felt the same as the last time, though.

  I scanned the room for what felt like the hundredth time, and an eerie feeling crawled over me. Someone was watching me. I turned and stared at the tinted plate glass mirror just as the door swung open and in walked Detective Brown.

  “I didn't expect to see you again so soon, Miss Scarvoni.” He settled onto the seat across from me and leaned back.

  “Honestly, I didn't expect to be here again so soon.”

  “Miss Scarvoni, today you were saying something about evidence and saying he took it. Can you tell me more about that?”

  “Why does it matter now when it didn’t matter a few hours ago?”

  “Say it does, indulge me,” Detective Brown urged.

  “Fine, but it’s exactly what I told you earlier. It was footage of Deputy Bressler messing with the brakes on a sheriff’s motorcycle.” I shoved my hands through my hair. “I had all of the evidence, it was on the USB drive Bressler took from me earlier.”

  “And you didn’t make a backup? No extra copies?”

  “I didn’t think about it. When I downloaded to the USB, the site frees up the space to record more surveillance.” Why was I explaining this to him? He knew how stuff like that worked. “Not that you believe me, but I’m innocent, I wouldn’t hurt anyone.”

  “Funny thing”—Detective Brown laid an envelope onto the table—“not too long after you left this afternoon, this arrived. It’s a USB drive, and on it is one of our own deputies sabotaging motorcycles. From the angle, I’d say it was taken at Queen’s Gold. You wouldn’t have a clue about that, would you?”

  I stared at the brown envelope and gulped. If Coco had gone behind my back and made a copy then I was grateful, and if she wanted to avoid involvement then the least that I could do was play ignorant as to where I got my footage.

  Detective Brown raised his brows and studied me. It was obvious that he already knew I wasn’t going to admit to where I got my copy. The room fell quiet for the next couple of seconds, and the ticking of the clock didn’t sound as annoying as it had earlier.

  “Miss Scarvoni, I would like to extend a sincere apology for everything you have been through. You can be assured that you have been cleared of all suspicion.” Hearing the words “you” and “free” coming from the detective’s mouth was probably the best sentence I had heard in a long time.

  “But...” What about Taylor. Was my accident truly an accident as Carter had said? All of this churned inside my head and slowly moved to my stomach, I quickly scanned the room and saw the wastebasket in the corner, making it to it just before I threw up.

  “Miss Scarvoni, I’ll give you a second. Let me get you some paper towels.” A few minutes later, a wad of those brown recycled tri-folded sheets were put in my face.

  “I’m sorry.” Was all I could muster as I cleaned myself up.

  “Here.” He held out a bottle of water.

  I took a few sips and then stood, grabbing the trash liner and tying it in a knot. No one deserved to clean up after me. I needed several days of rest and maybe a spa...and Tums.

  He spoke, his voice gentle, “You were going to ask about the involvement of the other party, Miss Taylor Grimes?”

  I nodded and returned to my seat.

  “She’s manipulative, but she was also manipulated. It seems that Sawyer Bressler saw the hatred she had for you and he already resented several of your friends and their husbands so you became his scapegoat and she was his pawn.”

  “The witness the night of the wedding?”

  “Was Taylor. She claimed that Bressler said he saw you but had informed her that since he was drinking that it would look bad to his superiors if he called. She did it for him.”

  “And the text?”

  “I guess Miss Grimes had a habit of going through Mr. Christakos’s phone whenever he was in a meeting and at some point had mentioned it. Bressler filed that info away. He and Taylor spoke almost every day, they were texting and she mentioned looking through Ian’s photos. Thirty minutes later we see a text to Taylor asking if she wants to play a prank on you. She agreed and send you the text.”

  “So simple but so complicated.”

  “That’s usually how it ends up.” The detective rose from his seat. “I need you to fill out some paperwork, and we’ll need you to give a statement of everything you saw yesterday. You can do that now or you could come back tomorrow. Either is okay with me.”

  “I’d rather do it now, if that’s okay?”

  He smiled. “It is. Thank you.”

  I spent the next couple of hours filling out the paperwork and giving my statement in detail. By the time I slid the last piece of paper across the table, all I wanted to do was sleep.

  “Can I go home now?”

  Detective Brown smiled. “Yes, Miss Scarvoni, everything is dropped. You are clear. You can go. Would you like us to take you back to your apartment or do you want to call someone?”

  “No offense, but I’d rather call an Uber.”

  “None taken.” Detective Brown held up his hands in a treaty.

  I turned and headed for the door of the small room, catching sight of the damn ticking clock. It was just after ten, I’d been here a little over eight hours. I stopped, my hand on the knob and turned. “One more question, if I may.”

  “Sure.”

  “Who was outside the station when you thought it was me?”

  “No one. We finally got our hands on the city camera feed from above the stoplights. It clearly shows him working around the bikes and then walking back into the station moments before he tells us that you were outside. I think that he was just trying to build a case of you being in places where events were happening.” He reached for the envelope and slid it back into the pocket of his jacket before standing to fo
llow me out.

  “Oh, my friends will be informed, right?” I wanted to know that I could start talking to Sophie and Ariel again.

  “Of course, and if you would like, I’d be happy to call your job as well.”

  “Nah. I don’t think I can go back. But thanks. Time for a new start.”

  “I’m sorry again.”

  I couldn’t say anything. Granted it wasn’t the detective’s fault that my life had been destroyed by someone making false claims but it was his fault for believing them. I knew and understood that he was just doing his job. But he should have looked into it better and dug deeper. I mean, good God, how did they not have CCTV cameras outside the sheriff station? It’s ridiculous that they had to wait a few weeks for the city workers to finally get them their requested camera feed.

  I headed out of the station, set on going to Coco’s to thank her and calling for a ride from her shop, and squinted against the bright morning sunlight. When I opened them again, I saw the familiar sports car parked in front. My stomach twisted, and my heart did a sudden rumble as tears formed in my eyes. Damn! When did I become such a crybaby?

  Probably the second I walked into a friggin’ eighties movie.

  “What are you doing here?” I asked Ian. Seeing him was like a hot knife carving through my heart. It cut and at the same time seared, a reminder of everything that had transpired over the last few days. He had been with Taylor. She had been in his home.

  Ian raised his head to see me, uncrossed his ankles, then walked up to me. My heart plummeted when our eyes met, and all I could think about was how the fuck could I start to forget him. He looked gorgeous in his dark jeans and white button-down dress shirt. It was a stark contrast against his olive skin. I wanted to applaud myself for not turning to jelly.

  “I’m here for you.” He was acting as if he cared when, in reality, I knew he didn’t. ’Cause if he did, he would have been with me when I needed him the most. He would not have been with Taylor the other night.

  I snorted loudly. “Why?”

  “Well, I thought you might need a ride,” Ian responded with a shrug.

  “How did you know I was here?” I was scared that if I looked him in the eyes I would break down in tears.