Page 24 of Ruthless Regret

“It’s been a busy week.”

“Why don’t you go home? I’ll assign someone to investigate the fire.”

“What’s the point?”

I can predict how things will go. The fire will be put down as an arson attempt, and I doubt the investigation will go anywhere. They’ll say it’s because of my history. That someone is trying to drive me out, because they don’t want either an ex-con or a murderer living in their neighborhood.

“Setting fire to the house is a step up from the brick through the window, though. Could it be linked to the attack on Ashley?”

“I doubt it. You’re a trouble magnet right now, and that interview will have increased your visibility.”

“Speaking of interviews, what happened with Detective Holson?”

“We let him go. There wasn’t anything we could hold him on. Incompetence isn’t a crime. You don’t still think he’s responsible, do you?”

I don’t, but it doesn’t mean he isn’t involved somehow. He’s the only person that makes sense, and I’m not ready to let go of that lead yet.

“Maybe you should let me talk to him.”

“You know I can’t do that. We have to do this the right way.”

“That doesn’t seem to be working so far.”

“Give me time. It’s only been a couple of days. There’s a lot to look through in the case files. Trust the process.”

“Trusting the process lost me years of my life. You’ll have to forgive me fornotbeing comfortable with that.”

“I understand, but it’s different now. There are new evidence discovery methods. We have all the information from the case. It’s just going to take some time to go through it.”

I snort. I know for a fact that the case files he has access to don’t include half the investigation. I can’t tell him that though.

“You also have someone setting fire to my house, and someone attacking Ashley. And no fucking idea who it was.”

“Go home, Zain. I’ll call you tomorrow, if I have any updates.”

I give brief thought to arguing some more, but there’s not really much point, so I go back to my car.

I’m halfway back to my house, when I change my mind about where I’m going, spin the wheel and head for Esme Trumont’s place.

CHAPTER TWELVE

ASHLEY

“We don’t haveto talk, if you don’t want to. I just wanted to check on you, and make sure you’re okay.”

Her words ease something inside me, just a little. She doesn’t push as hard as Jessa-Mae when she wants to know something, and I’m not sure I could handle that right now. Still, I can’t just ignore it either.

“I thought coming back was the right thing to do. It made sense. But it doesn’t feel right, Karla.”

She nods. “Can I come in?”

I step back, and she walks past me and settles on the edge of the bed.

“Just from the little you’ve shared, it’s obvious you’ve been through a lot the last few days. It’s normal to feel out of place, especially after what happened today.”

I close the door and join her.

“I guess. But it’s not just that. It’s like … I don’t know how to be myself anymore. I’ve spent so long running away from what happened, changing who I am, and now … Now I feel like I’ve spent the last fourteen years living … not a lie, but …” I shrug, frustrated. I don’t know how to explain it.

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