Page 92 of Innocent Intent

“What rumors, Captain?”

“Come on, Cass. Do me the honor of at least respecting our history. People talk. You already know that. I’m asking you. Should I be worried about backlash from the Arnold case?”

“I didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Then why does that woman in there hate you so much that she potentially killed your husband and tried to frame you for it?”

Cassidy glanced at the mirror. “I made her a promise that I didn’t keep. Sometimes, it’s the little things that break people. You never know at the time, but when it all falls down, the small details are the only ones that matter.”

“Cass, I need to know what we’re dealing with. If something that might hurt this department—hell, the city for that matter—will come out, then tell me now. I don’t want to be blindsided.”

“There’s nothing you should be worried about, Captain. I give you my word. The worst of what I did was have an inappropriate relationship with my superior. That’s all. I never lied about the details of the case. I wouldn’t have done that.”

“Then what promise did you make and not keep?”

“That her voice mattered and that everything would be okay.” Cassidy’s eyes left him and landed on the one-way mirror. “She lost her father and her mother within weeks of each other. Her entire family was torn apart, and she was left alone.”

Something I can relate to.

“Because the psycho bastard raped and murdered innocent women.”

“As true as that may be, as a child, all she ever knew was that she lost her parents and somehow decided to blame me. She fixated on it. Even if I don’t understand how or why, I know what that’s like. I know how the mind works. How it tricks us into believing things make sense when they really don’t. In her reality, she lost her parents because of me, and her mind has allowed her to believe that all these years.”

“Well, truth or not, we still have to prove that she was the one who actually pulled the trigger. The guys upstairs are digging through her cloud storage, searching for the original video to kill her alibi, but it will help to get a confession.”

“Which isn’t happening without your help.” Davis’s voice had both Cassidy and Captain Jones looking in his direction.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“She refuses to talk. To me, at least. Said if I want to know all the details, then I had to get Cassidy in the room. She’ll only talk to her.”

“Not happening,” Captain drilled out.

Cassidy’s eyes were on him in a matter of seconds. “Why not? I know how to handle myself in there.”

“Given the nature of things, I’m not so sure you can—”

“Please let me go in there. You want a confession, I can get one.”

“And then she gets a lawyer who gets the confession thrown out because of your history. The only way you go in the box with her is with the DA present to ensure it’s all on the up and up.”

Davis finally spoke up. “Then get her here.”

Captain Jones looked between them before he shook his head in defeat, knowing he wouldn’t win the argument with them teamed up. “Fine, but don’t you dare enter that room until DA Greene arrives. In fact, head to my office now so that I can keep an eye on you.”

Cassidy nodded and delivered a tight smile to Davis before following Jones. While he initiated the call with the Greene, Davis stopped Cassidy outside of the captain’s door.

“You sure you want to do this?”

“I feel like I need to. Especially if I’m the only way she’ll confess. I need my life back.”

Davis moved closer, placing a hand at her hip. Cassidy looked down where they were connected, then lifted her eyes, looking around before he gripped her chin and brought her eyes to his. “Hey, it doesn’t matter.”

“It does.”

“Not to me, so if you haven’t changed your mind, let them see. I don’t care.”

She smiled and leaned into his touch. “Neither do I.”

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