Page 19 of What's Left of Us

“You said you found the house Alastair was kept at?” she asks, crossing her arms. “Does that have something to do with whoever James is?”

I nod. “We found mail with his name and the house Alastair was kept in belonged to James Nunes. He disappeared years ago.”

“Like… disappeared as in died?”

Like I’m pretty sure he was buried in the backyard with part of his wife“More than likely.”

Jo nods, and I hear footsteps upstairs, indicating Vinny is getting ready to join us. Before he enters the room, Jo reachesout and grips my wrist, her blue eyes imploring as she stares at me. “Have you seen Alastair again? How is he?”

Here’s where it gets tricky. I’m still working the case, and even if I think I should step away, I can’t let go now. We have both the suspected Citrus Grove Slayers in custody and it feels like the end is near. It’s so close but I’m still buried in unanswered questions.

In reality, I shouldn’t say anything at all, but I can’t leave her hanging when she looks at me like that. My thumb brushes along her knuckles. “He’s healing.”

“But how is he?” she stresses, her eyebrows knitting together. “Is he in pain, suffering? Remorseful? What is he like?”

I can’t see Alastair anymore without his attorney, and like a smart man he’s not waiving his rights to council this time. But there’s no way to truly ask him questions like the ones Jo is dying to hear. “Alastair has an attorney now, and assigned guards who stand armed and in the room at all times. We are never alone together. The only things I can ask are things associated with the case.”

Jo frowns, pulling her hand from my grip. “I thought you might try harder to check on him.”

Her words leave a mark, and I have to look away. “If I mess up and get removed from this case, no one who really cares for him will be close. He’s healing and he’s receiving excellent medical care. I believe the doctors plan to discharge him soon-”

“Back to prison?” she asks icily, and Vinny appears to her left. “Isolated and alone?”

I swallow. “He’ll likely return to solitary since his escape-”

“Technically he was abducted,” Vinny says, like I need the reminder.

“Yes, that may be true, but in the eyes of the law now he’s tasted freedom. For the first time in over fifteen years. Thatmakes him a flight risk, extenuating circumstances aside. As a Death Row inmate, he’s considered highly dangerous no matter what.”

Jo sneers at me before ducking her head, and I already knew that wasn’t going to go over well. The connection we had a short time ago under the haze of amazing sex is already being destroyed.

I know this situation between us is destined to be short-lived, but how will it last any longer than this if we can’t even agree on anything when we all chat with each other?

My phone buzzes again, and Vinny cocks his head as he glares at me. “Better take that.”

He doesn’t elaborate, and I grit my teeth instead of arguing as I eye the caller ID.Jensen again.“What?”

“Boss, we have an issue here,” Jensen says, his voice strained. “You need to get down to the hospital now.”

“What’s happened?” I ask, standing. The couple watches me, but their eyes are guarded. I’ve successfully pissed both of them off.

“Oh, nothing much,” he hisses. “Except the damn Slayers seem to have figured out Constantine is here, and his adoring fans are causing issues outside the hospital. No one’s gotten in yet.”

“Have the local PD-”

“We called them already,” he interrupts. “You need to come down here and speak with the staff. I don’t know where the hell you went after the house, but things are a mess here. Finley said there’s a rumor that Director Pabst is going to come down here and investigate the case himself.”

Chapter 6

Days later, I’m back in Citrus Grove in a cell that’s unfamiliar to me, looking forever in the face.

My lip twitches as I look up at the wall, picturing the drawings that used to decorate the cell I once called home. Everything from before is gone, and I have no idea where any of those drawings went or if I’ll be visiting a completely new cell once my time in solitary confinement is over.

The art was the only thing meaningful I kept in here, and they fucked that up. I don’t know who replaced Bradshaw during my absence, but I heard some of the guards muttering that now that he’s back things can return to normal. I wonder if whoever the interim was let someone fuck with my room.

I’m in solitary for the foreseeable future.

“Porscha,” I say into the nothingness, peering around the little cell. I had started to believe this was enough until I tasted the outside world again, and now I can see that was a delusional thought. This place is just an empty cage. “Where are you?”

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