Page 106 of White Raven
She nodded pointedly. “I can only think of one thing,otherthan John Allan that all these things seem to have in common.”
“But there’s noproof, St. James. Even when there is proof, there’s a million reasons why the pieces sometimes never fit.” Foley weighed out his next words carefully, and then decided to come clean. “Do you think I don’t know? About you and Kane, and what went down in that subway tunnel?” Horror paled every inch of her pretty face. “Once there’s too many hands in the pot, shit can get a lot more complicated, instead of finding strength in numbers…sometimes the numbers are the reason for the scramble. Secrets only help complicate things. What’s not a secret is that none of us have ever truly been on the same page. We might be on the sameside, but it isn’t the same, Sarah.”
Kane’s fiance stared him down, and then looked over to where Stratford was consoling Vintorri by the open back door as the woman’s body was urged through it to the coroner’s van. “Are you gonna lock me up?” she asked, her tone almost challenging.
He studied her carefully. “Lock you up? For what?”
“For killing the man in the terminal.”
“Killing the—” he stopped short, brows relaxing, and expression falling. He failed. “After everything that’s happened, you think I’d wait for an opportunity to use that against you?”
“I don’t know you well enough. Athan might trust you, but I don’t. I killed somebody. If it weren’t for Athan, it could have been somebody likeNell. Could have been somebody like Lindsay. I don’t care what any of you think. I don’t care what pieces don’t fit. I’m gonna find him. I’m gonna findher. Maybe my warning to Foster wasn’t clear enough. I’ll bulldoze anybody that stands between me and mymate. I really hope you’re not planning to be one of them, Captain.”
She stood poised, and ready to strike as if any move to take her from this spot would earn him a swift death. Sarah St. James was a killer. Worse, she was a killer in love with a seasoned murderer that wouldn’t die. No matter his affection for any of his crew, he couldn’t deny that truth. Even if he was one of them. He turned slowly, shock still etched on every part of his face as he pieced together everything he thought he’d been sure about. Wren and Stratford had walked outside. The medical examiner flipped his notepad shut and turned to follow them out. It was like everything was moving in slow motion. By the time he opened his mouth to speak, and attempted to turn around, St. James had disappeared.
“Well,” a familiar voice said from the open doorway, “you look like you’ve seen a ghost.” Rachel Foster stood, arms crossed, and wearing an annoyed expression as he turned to meet her gaze. “Tell me it wasn’t Kane’s body leaving in the back of that van.”
Foley mindlessly shook his head. “No.”
“Alright then. Where’s St. James?”
He looked over his shoulder, finding nothing but a vacant spot where she’d been standing only seconds ago, and then returned his attention to Foster.
“I have no idea.”
It surprised her…how fast she could move without a sound. She was able to slip out of the front of the shop and move unnoticed around the cops at the sidewalk, disappearing into the throng of people that were thirsty for drama, and a headliner. She phoned Wren first.
“Hey, why are you—”
“I’m not inside. I want you to listen to me, and I want you to pretend we never had this conversation. Understand?”
“Yeah.”
“I’m taking the battery out of my phone. I’m gonna stash it under the bench at the bus stop across from the hardware store a block down. You know where I’m talking about?”
“Yes.”
“I have Athan’s phone. I don’t know if I can trust Captain Foley. Rhaena once said that she thought she couldn’t trust him at one time, and I still think even though that bridge is being mended, there’s still shit he isn’t telling us.”
“I can’t disagree. Some hot agent showed up here. They’re talking at Nell’s back door.”
“Where are you?”
“Still in the alley with Brent.”
“Foster. Let them keep each other busy, and if they come looking for me, stay on them. I’m not trying to be found until I’ve figured out where Athan is.”
“Sarah, why are you trying to do this alone?”
“I’mnotdoing this alone. But Foley’s got dirt on me, and Foster will find some too if she digs deep enough. If they arrest me to try and keep peace, God knows what could happen toAthan. Bide your time and go get my phone. Don’t tell anybody that you talked to me. If you need me, call Athan’s number.”
“Where are you gonna go?”
“I’m gonna test that blood and map out my next move. I still need you to get information from Leigh if you can work yourself up to it. Wren, I know it’s been a hard day, but if Sykes had anything to do with Nell’s death, then Foster was right, and we need to make sure Leigh’s safe, and that somebody puts the bitch down before anybody else gets killed.”
“I’ve got you. I understand. I’ll give you a running start, and then I’ll grab your phone. I’ll text you whatever I find out. Just…please be careful.”
“I will. I love you, Wren.”
