Page 75 of Trial of Deceit

Jediah moved his lips, but it wasn’t audible.Ashari moved closer to the intercom by the window, turning up the volume but not hearing anything besides a slam of the door as the agent stormed out.The door to the room she was in opened a moment later.

The agent tossed a file onto the table beside Ashari’s coffee.“He’s a tough nut to crack,” said the agent.“But we can hold him for twenty-four hours before we have to let him go.You did good, Ash.”

Ashari nodded, turning the volume up even more while absentmindedly saying, “Thanks.”

The agent left the room, and she narrowed her eyes on Jediah’s lips.She mimicked the actions of his lips, trying to make sense of what he was saying.When she finally did, her eyes widened and she staggered backward.Goose bumps washed over her skin.She moved a hand to her mouth as the unease was replaced by fear.

She looked around the room, but couldn’t find a bin.She rushed out of the room while the door to Jediah’s interrogation room slammed shut.She wasn’t worried about stumbling into anyone she shouldn’t have.This small, well-guarded facility was built specifically for this purpose, and was occupied only by the most essential workers.

Ashari ran down the hallway where she saw a bin.Grabbing it by the sides, she hunched over it.The stench of an old sandwich drifted up her nostrils while she threw up.The dark mix pouring from her mouth landed with a splatter atop the sandwich, gathering in a shapeless, watery lump.

Nothing else came out except dry heaving.

She hadn’t been able to eat since Jediah’s arrest that morning.It’d already made rounds on all of Jamaica’s news channels, but she didn’t expect it to still leave her this queasy.

A door opened up ahead, and she lifted her head.Her eyes widened as she saw Jediah, and she quickly yanked her head down.

Damn it!

Did he see her?Her heart picked up its pace as worry seeped into her.

Two pairs of footsteps disappeared up the hallway toward the bathroom.Ashari closed her eyes as tears spilled from them.They rolled down her cheeks and fell onto the nauseating mix irritating her nose.

Up ahead, she could imagine Jediah doing his smug grin.Like this was a game.As if her career hadn’t been on the line since she left the club with him.

She hadn’t considered all angles.By the looks of it, Senior hadn’t either.

How could she be so stupid?

There was no good way out of this now.

All thanks to spousal immunity.

Jediah, two.Ashari, zero.

Chapter nineteen

Steppingoutsideoftheholding station, Jediah tilted his head from side to side.A satisfying crack rang out, making Jediah smile with satisfaction.His muscles were stiff from being immobile for such a long time.Stretching himself, he rubbed at his wrists, focusing on putting one foot before the other as he approached the throttling SUV beside the sidewalk.

Jediah tried not to look too conspicuous as he observed his surroundings.He knew this wasn’t where they’d interrogated him.Wherever it was, it hadn’t been as noisy as this St.Ann police station.

Elias had gone home hours ago.It was his first time being at the station; all he had to say was he didn’t know about the drugs being laundered at his construction sites, but he’d look into it.The blue collars who got arrested would take the fall; their families would be set for life so long as they kept their mouths shut while serving their prison sentences.After the construction site got cleared in a few weeks or months, business would resume as normal because it was rare, if ever, that the police would look in the same place twice when it came to an old businessman with a clean track record.

Jediah opened the door, pausing as he noticed who sat in the driver’s seat.His jaw clenched as he slipped inside, settling beside Dimitri, before closing the door.“Why are you here?”

“Hear seh yu did inside,” Cameron replied before driving away.

Dimitri pulled a pawn from his pocket and rested it between them on the seat.“Should I?”

As the station became smaller behind them, Jediah raised a brow at Dimitri.“To who?”

“Your queen,” Dimitri spat, his tone laced with vehement disgust.“A the reason this happen.”

“Yu don’ know dat,” Jediah replied before leaning his head against the window.Dimitri’s glare of disapproval clawed at his skin, but he disregarded it.

The drug they’d injected into him — once after the arrest, and another time after forcing him to use the bathroom — made him woozy, but he could feel the effects wearing off.It wasn’t safe to speak here, but he was desperate to voice his concerns about what they’d given to him.It was strong enough to knock him out and fog his memory.Fast-acting too, because he hadn’t been held for a full twenty-four hours, and he knew only trace amounts would be left in his bloodstream for his people to attempt to work from.It was possible that all of it would be gone by the time he got to the dungeon beneath his home.

Exhaling a ragged breath, Jediah allowed his eyes to flutter close.Some rest to rid this mental fog would be good for when he woke up.A clear mind would help him figure out who dared to betray him like this.Despite Dimitri’s beliefs and that knot of uncertainty in his gut, Jediah knew it wasn’t Ashari.After all this time, it wouldn’t be.

---