Page 108 of Wicked Sin

“Relationship? Is this a domestic violence case?”

“Sorry, I misspoke,” Sarah explained. “Their previous relationship was tangential. He provided protective detail for the Vice President—the former Vice President—and Ms. Reid was…an acquaintance of VPOTUS.”

Nora blinks. “Wait. The same Reid family who were in the news last week for financial crimes? The ones who are connected to the current POTUS?”

“The same.”

She holds out her hand for the case file. “I heard a bit about this case. I thought the Feds had it.”

“The local connection is the reservoir murders.” McBride’s face is beyond grim. “When we executed the warrant, we found photographic evidence that Newcomb was responsible for those as well.”

“Is that why you went there? Because you connected the two cases?”

McBride and Singh exchange a wary look. “Yes. But we stuck to the scope of the warrant. He had the murder evidence glued to his wall in plain sight.”

“All right. Thanks. Obviously, I’ll be arguing against bail. You can transfer him to booking since he’s lawyered up and won’t talk. Has his attorney shown up yet?”

“Right behind you, counselor.” I don’t recognize this guy, but he looks expensive.

Nora knows him, though. They greet each other cordially, although he doesn’t hide that he’s a pit bull. “Your detectives had no right to be in my client’s apartment, A.D.A. I’ve reviewed the warrant. It was an overreach, based on nothing but the wild accusations of a woman whose reputation for lying has international reach. We’ll see you in court, and this will be thrown out.” He gives McBride, Singh, and me a dirty look. “My client was working the same case as your detectives, clearly, and they wildly misinterpreted the information they found in his apartment.”

Working the same case. I can’t stop myself from storming across the squad room. My colleagues get me before I punch him, McBride grabbing one arm and Singh putting his entire body in front of me on the other side. “Get out of here,” I growl. “Your client isn’t going anywhere tonight, so your dirty work is done, you piece of shit.”

“Detective,” Nora smoothly says behind me.

I shrug off my friends. “He’s not fucking worth it.”

“There’s a process here,” she reminds me. “Please don’t interfere with it.”

“I’m out. I’m out,” I repeat. So fucking out.

“Good.” She turns to the lawyer. “Bring that argument to court. Don’t air it in front of my detectives. And Vasquez is right. Your client poses a clear danger to the population. I’m confident the warrant was executed appropriately, and the rest is up to a judge to determine.”

He leaves, and she gives me a pointed look, like,this better be clear cut.

Aw, fuck it. I jerk my head toward the empty conference room. “Can we talk for a minute?”

“Sure.” She glances over at McBride. “I’ll be right back so we can go over my response to his ridiculous motion, all right? I need to know everything—and I mean everything—about how the warrant came about.”

Sarah nods, then gives me an awkward thumbs up when Nora turns around again.

I laugh despite myself.

Once in the conference room, I push the door shut and get right to the point. “I need to disclose a personal relationship with the victim of the crime here, Taylor Reid.”

Nora groans. “Really, Luke?”

“I’m being upfront about this.”

“Why were you involved in the arrest? Jesus Christ, you always need to be such a fucking hero.”

I don’t have a great answer for that. She’s not wrong. Still, I regret nothing. “We didn’t know he’d return to the apartment.”

“That seems like splitting hairs. You shouldn’t have been involved in the investigation to begin with.”

I wasn’t involved with Taylor when the investigation started, but I’m going to leave that detail out. It doesn’t matter now. “Nora, you know I’m a good cop.”

“I know you like to break rules when they get in your way. Try not to do that anymore.” She jerks her head in the direction of Sarah and Ram. “Do they know?”

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