Page 74 of Operation Annulment
I blearily rub my eyes and pick my face up off the table. I’m probably the only person ever to fall asleep during an interrogation. I don’t even know how long I’ve been out.
Mike and Zane study the computer screen as if it holds the answers to all of life’s mysteries.
“That’s fucking perfect, Jarvis—pepperoni and everything. Trace it.” Mike points at something on the screen, and Zane nods.
“Did you find out where it came from?” I ask sleepily.
Jeremy’s voice comes through Mike’s phone. “Look at that. How’d we miss that? Kate, you’re going to want to see this.”
I stand up and stretch before coming around behind them. Once Jeremy points it out, I don’t see how I missed it either.
My email address is [email protected], while the dupe is [email protected].
“Who sent the messages?”
Jeremy answers, “Jess. And Mike? I think the police department will be very interested in her Google searches. She was studying brain tumors, getting away with a hit-and-run, and even masking the taste of castor oil in smoothies.”
My jaw drops, and I look over at Zane. His eyes are wide with shock. “When was that search done?”
Mike looks at the screen as Jeremy navigates through the phone. “This was done the week before Halloween. Why? Does this correspond with something?”
Zane’s jaw is clenched. “Yeah, my fiancée just happened to end up severely ill and in the hospital on Halloween after drinking a smoothie from the gym.”
Little Ricky’s voice speaks up from the phone, and I jump insurprise. I had no idea he was with Jeremy. “Mikey, you wanna give her to your old man? Cause I’d be down to help with that. Comedian could put a big smile on her face. Oh, wait—shit. I mean, do you want to turn her into a fucking pizza?”
Mike shakes his head. “No, man. We’re going to keep this on the up and up here. She belongs in prison, and with her priors, she won’t be getting out. Jarvis, wipe surveillance when you’re done.”
“What will they charge her with?” I ask him.
“Falsely reporting a crime, for starters. I might be able to get her on perjury… forgery… grand theft. I think we can get her on attempted murder charges with what she did to Dakota. I’ll have someone at the gym review the tapes and see what we come up with. On top of that, she’s violating her parole, so she won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.”
I lean down and hug him. “Thank you.”
He nods and squeezes me tightly in his arms. “Happy to help.”
“I’m going to go home and go to bed; try to forget this happened. Wait, can I leave?”
Zane stands up and stretches. “I’ll drive you back to your car. We’re not charging her, right?”
Mike looks down at his watch. “No. I’ve got someone up at the hospital right now with Jess. I’ll need a search warrant to get her computer. Just lay low until we arrest her. Do not talk to anyone.”
Zane grips Mike’s shoulder on the way out. “You make sure what you’ve got on her is enough to keep her locked away forever. You don’t want me getting my hands on her.”
Mike nods. “I’ll take care of it. Kate, stay home until this blows over.”
I agree and drag myself to Zane’s truck, blasting the heat on high until I stop shaking. I feel like I’m coming down with something—maybe the flu.
He looks over at me. “You gonna be okay over there?”
I shake my head. “I feel awful. When did you start working with Grey?”
Zane keeps his eyes on the road as he answers, “I’m not. I’m just trying to keep you out of jail—the same as Sullivan.”
Once I reach Dakota’s, I wearily climb into my Tahoe and drive back to my apartment, feeling like I’m returning to another life—a life without Nate.
Grief hits me like a sucker punch, and I lay my face against the steering wheel, sobbing until I’m incapable of producing any more tears.
He slipped past my defenses and burrowed under my armor. And six hours ago, he left me standing in our bedroom alone, holding the battered remains of my heart.
