Page 27 of Innocent Intent

“Good thing I have one of those then.” He extended the papers, and the woman hesitantly accepted and stood moments later.

“If you’ll give me just a minute, I must show this to our bank manager. I’m sure you understand why.”

“Absolutely. Take your time.”

Davis didn’t really want the woman to take her time, but he decided playing nice was the quickest way to get what he wanted. He watched as she crossed the bank and paused at one of the offices before she knocked and stuck her head in the open door. Through the paneled glass, he could see her hand over the warrant, and an older, balding white man flipped through the pages and then glanced his way. Davis lifted his head in acknowledgment before the guy handed the paperwork back to the woman, who immediately rejoined him.

“This way, Detective.”

After being handed off to one of the attendants behind the counter, Davis was escorted into the vault that held the safe deposit boxes. He handed over the key they found at Williams’s apartment. She moved to the wall of boxes and removed the one that belonged to Williams, handing it over to Davis.

Once she was gone, Davis pulled on the gloves and carefully lifted the lid, frowning at the contents. He found three passports with matching identification cards with Williams’s photos on them.

“Who the hell is this guy?”

After carefully lifting the items from the box and placing them in one of the clear evidence bags, Davis examined the last thing in the box, a flash drive—one he couldn’t wait to get on screen because his gut was telling him that he finally had the lead he was hoping for.

9.

“Were there any complaints?”

“No. Truthfully, everyone was very understanding but also very eager to reschedule. I told them I would be in touch soon to have a new date on the books.”

“As soon as I know something, we can work on alternative dates.”

Cassidy had no clue if and when her life would be settled again. It seemed as if she received one blow after another.

Dead husband.

False identity.

No access to any parts of his life.

Being the main murder suspect.

“Shit, Cass. How are you? I probably should have begun there instead of diving right into business.”

“No . . .” Cassidy softly shook her head, staring into the sky as the colors shifted once again. The orange, hazy glow was being swallowed by the darkness of night. “Regardless of what’s going on with my personal life, the world doesn’t stop.”

“True, but that doesn’t mean I can’t be considerate of what you’re going through. I can’t begin to imagine how you’re handling this.”

Cassidy released a sharp laugh. “I’m not handling this. I suppose that’s the best explanation. My life for the past three years has been a complete lie. I’m not sleeping because the idea of doing so has my anxiety spiking. Lie or not, someone shot my husband. Who’s to say I’m not at risk? I have no idea who killed him or why, and the cops think I’m the murderer. They don’t give a shit whether I’m safe or a target. I’m so damn exhausted and don’t have any idea what to do with any of those feelings. So, there you have it. I’m not handling any of this. I’m just . . .” After a brief pause, Cassidy exhaled the last word. “Here.”

“Oh, Cass. I’m coming over. You really shouldn’t be alone . . .”

“‘No, please don’t. You being here won’t change any of what’s happening.”

The line went quiet, and Cassidy realized her tone might have been a little harsher than she intended. “What I mean is, this is my new reality, Tia. I can’t expect anyone to make sense of this for me. As much as I appreciate you wanting to help, there’s nothing you can do.”

“I understand. I just want to help. You have been so amazing to me, and I feel like I need to return the favor. To do something—anything.”

“You’re doing enough. You’re handling the business side of things, so I don’t have to. I can focus on my personal life, or what’s left of it.”

“That’s my job, Cass. You pay me to handle the business stuff.”

“But it still matters, so I don’t want to demean your efforts. I have to go, Tia. If I need anything, I’ll reach out, but for now, just continue handling things on your end.”

“I will, and please don’t hesitate to call for anything at all, Cass.”

---