Page 196 of Offside Devil

ZANE

Hollis slouches back in his chair, rubbing his fists aggressively into his eyes.

“Well?” I press. “How are you doing?”

“Oh, fine. Just regretting the night I decided to give up being an attorney so I could be a sports agent. How hard can it be? I said. Managing a bunch of jocks will be nothing, I said. Idiot.”

I flip the folder on Katerina Costa closed and slide it back to my side of the desk. “I didn’t know who she was. If the news comes out organically, I can claim I had no idea.”

Hollis arches a brow and sends his voice skyrocketing into a hysterical falsetto. “‘What kind of father doesn’t know who is around his child? I’d know if a murderer was living under my roof. I’m sure he was harboring her. Who knows what else he’s hiding?’”

“Some people will always think the worst. We can’t make decisions based on the extremes.”

“‘Probably a drug deal gone wrong,’” Hollis continues, dropping down into a false baritone. “‘I bet he killed her dad for the money. They’re in cahoots.’”

“No one says ‘cahoots’ anymore.”

“That’s not the point, Z. The point is that, if this woman’s crimes ever come to light before you’re able to make a statement on it, she won’t be the only one who suffers. You and Aiden will, too.”

I know he’s right. I wouldn’t have shown him Mira’s file if I thought for even a second that this could all blow over and disappear.

I’m about to be cleared by CPS for custody. If Peter Morris finds out my girlfriend was a murderer, they might take Aiden away. For good.

I drag a hand through my hair. “What do I need to do?”

The line rings for a full minute before I hang up and try again. I’m supposed to be going back to my condo to relieve Daniel. He was on babysitting duty so I could talk to Hollis.

But I need to see her.

“Pick up,” I grumble as the line continues to ring.

The statement Hollis and I drafted took less than a minute.

Recently, I became aware of a situation involving a personal employee. The employee’s position was terminated as soon as I learned about the alarming nature of their actions. I’ve handed the case over for the police to handle from this point forward. There will be no further comment at this time. Please respect my family’s privacy.

It’s vague, but it covers my ass if people ever find out who Mira is and what she’s done.

According to Hollis, it’s the easy way out.

“What if I don’t want the easy way out?” I asked, leaning across his desk. “What would you do if Mira was your client? How would you help her?”

“Mira isn’t my client. You are.”

“How would you help her?” I repeated through gritted teeth.

He narrowed his eyes warily. “As an attorney or an agent?”

I thought about it for a minute. “Both.”

Mira doesn’t pick up again, so I hang up and call again. “How do you not even have a voicemail?” I hiss under my breath.

There’s no automated voicemail. No personal outgoing message.

This might be a little more bearable if I at least got to hear her voice each time my call went unanswered.

What if I never hear her voice again?

I turn into the cracked asphalt of her apartment parking lot and kill the engine. I’m not here because I want to hear her voice again.

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