Page 30 of Not This Soon

Rachel’s eyes darted back to the postures of the four predators across the table from her. She studied each of them closely, taking in their appearances one at a time.

As the lawyers settled in, their attention turned to Elias Grant. They leaned in close, their voices low and conspiratorial. Rachel strained to hear their conversation, but their words were muffled and indistinct.

Ethan moved closer, his shoulder brushing against Rachel's. Discreetly, he slid his phone into her hand, the screen illuminated with a message. Rachel glanced down, her eyes narrowing as she read the words: "Lawyers have known mob connections."

A chill ran down her spine. She looked up at Ethan, a silent question in her eyes. He nodded almost imperceptibly, his expression grim.

Rachel's gaze flickered back to the lawyers, their presence taking on a new, sinister meaning. She studied their faces, searching for any hint of the corruption that lurked beneath their polished exteriors.

The lead lawyer turned to Rachel, his smile sharp and predatory. "Now, Ranger Blackwood, I believe you had some questions for my client?"

Rachel straightened her shoulders, her resolve hardening. She met Elias Grant's gaze, her eyes boring into his.

"Let's start with the night of the murder," she said, her voice steady and unwavering. "Where were you on the evening of June 15th?"

“I told you. With these fine gentlemen.”

Rachel pulled out a folder from her stack of documents, her fingers flipping through the pages with practiced ease. She retrieved several newspaper clippings and slid them across the table towards Elias Grant.

Rachel tapped her finger on one of the headlines, her nail making a harsh sound against the paper. "According to these articles, Ms. Morris wrote several unflattering pieces about your company, Grant Industries."

Grant leaned back in his chair, a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. "I don't have time to read every little tabloid story that comes out about my business."

She opened her mouth to respond, but Ethan beat her to it.

"Mr. Grant, can you account for your whereabouts on the nights of June 15th and June 16th? Your location, not your witnesses."

Grant shrugged, his shoulders rising and falling in a casual motion. "I was at work, putting in late nights at the office. My lawyers can attest to that."

The lawyers nodded in unison, their expressions smug and self-satisfied.

Rachel exchanged a look with Ethan, skepticism written plainly on her face. She knew Grant was lying, but proving it would be another matter entirely.

She leaned forward, her elbows resting on the table. "And I suppose you have no idea what happened to Ms. Morris on the night she was murdered?"

Grant's smile was cold and empty. "As I said, Ranger Blackwood, I scarcely knew the woman. And I certainly had nothing to do with her death."

Rachel's fingers curled into fists, the urge to wipe that smirk off his face nearly overwhelming. But she forced herself to remain calm, to keep her emotions in check.

She couldn't let Grant see how much he was getting under her skin.

When dealing with organized crime, the rules were different. Alibis meant very little, for starters.

As she turned her gaze to the lawyers, each of them wearing an air of arrogance as if the room belonged to them, she realized that they may have already won this round. The thought churned her stomach with frustration.

Elias leaned back in his chair, his smug smile never leaving his face. "Anything else you need to know, Ranger Blackwood?" he asked.

Rachel gritted her teeth behind a feigned polite smile. She’d faced predators before, and sometimes, the direct approach was the best.

Arrogance could be used as leverage. "Actually, yes," she said, "How about a polygraph test?"

Elias' lawyers immediately erupted into protest, their outrage filling the room. But Elias simply shrugged and raised a hand to silence them.

"I've got nothing to hide," he said, meeting Rachel's gaze squarely with an unnerving confidence in his eyes.

“Prove it.”

Her words were like a trigger pull.

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