Page 174 of Dark Romeo

I nodded. Dr. Carmichael was a medical examiner who worked the night shift. He and Espo had little contact. Performing Espo’s autopsy would have been easier for him. “Did he find anything?”

“I don’t think that’s something I can discuss with you,” she said, her voice turning frosty. She glared at me out of the corner of her eye.

My blood chilled. A single flare of anger attempted to take off—I thought friends were supposed to take friends’ sides—but it fell to earth like a kite that wouldn’t catch the wind. I couldn’t blame her for acting this way towards me. She and Espo had been close too. I knew she’d even had a small crush on Espo, despite her hesitance at his playboyish ways.

“I should go.” I turned towards the exit.

Lacey grabbed my arm and spun me to face her. Her face was creased with blame, her eyes shiny with anger, her lip trembling. “Why won’t you tell them who did it?”

More apologies jammed up into a knot at my throat. Soon I would choke on them.

“Without your testimony, we have nothing,” she went on, her voice becoming more harried, more agitated. “Espo’s murderer gets away with it.”

“I’m sorry,” I finally managed to say.

Lacey’s face hardened and her gaze went to something over my shoulder. “I’m sorry too.”

A firm hand rested on my shoulder and I turned. Two officers in their shiny blue uniforms had been sent to escort me out. I recognized the officer with his hand on me as Detective Pierce. There was an almost sorry look in his cornflower blue eyes. He was just doing his job, even if he didn’t like it. Beside him was a new male officer whose name I couldn’t remember.

“Ms. Capulet,” Pierce addressed me. His formal tone struck me. He usually called me Capi just like Espo did. Had. Just like Espo had done. He’d never call me Capi again.

I realized Pierce was still talking to me. “You are not allowed to be here under your current suspension. I’m sorry, but we’re going to have to escort you out.”

Oh.

Right.

I didn’t fight them as they led me out, up past the ground floor desks and the reception area. As I passed, the voices hushed around me. Heads turned. I felt the weight of every pair of eyes staring at me. Passing judgment on me, even without knowing the full story. Some of them were openly scowling at me, soft four-letter words uttered deliberately just within earshot. As if I had been the one to pull the trigger.

Now I truly understood how Roman felt.

JULIANNA

____________

“What do I do, Nora?” I begged her. I was lying on my side, curled up on the covers of my bed.

Tell me. What do I do?

Nora sat by my side, brushing my hair from my forehead as if I were a sick child. I had told her everything. Confessed everything. The things I knew were too big, too swollen to keep inside me. I’d burst if I did.

I was so twisted up in my thoughts, like rope around my body, that I could not see a way to untangle myself. I could not cut my way out.

Should I hate Roman for killing my friend? My friend that would have killed him, the man I love. Or should I vilify my partner, who killed Roman’s friend? If I wished that Espinoza were still alive, it would be wishing Roman dead. Roman’s death would mean a death of me, too. How could I give thanks that Roman lived if Espinoza was dead?

Nora took my hand and patted it. “The only question you need to ask yourself is…how much do you love him?”

“What does love have to do with anything?”

“Love has everything to do with everything.”

I pushed myself up to sitting and sniffed. “I don’t understand.”

Nora smiled. “My girl.” She wiped my cheeks. “Love forgives. Love accepts. If you love Roman, truly love him…go to him.”

“But he’s gone.” I sent him away. Why did I send the keeper of my heart away? Why did I banish my only joy?

Nora gripped me with a strength that I didn’t know she had. “Then don’t stop looking until you find him.”

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