Page 16 of 4th Silence
“Without Helen,” JJ insists.
Tall order.
“I’ll figure out a way to keep her away.” I steel myself for the next uphill battle. “There’s one more thing. We need clearance for new DNA testing.”
His eyes snap. His voice stays low, controlled. “Do you have any idea what kind of red tape that involves? The expense?”
“Schock Investigations will use our lab and pay for it.” No clue where I’ll find the money. Maybe Mom can start a GoFundMe. “With the latest advances in genome matching, it could break the case wide open. We can’t ignore?—”
“I’m aware of what we can and can’t ignore.” He looks like he’s mentally planning my funeral. “As I stated, we start with the records and security video. That’s all.”
“For now,” Meg says.
He glares at her. She just keeps smiling.
Death wish, that one.
The DNA testing is crucial. If JJ won’t give us official clearance...
A plan forms in my mind, a risky and potentially career-ending one. Meg will love it.
“Understood.” I’m not lying. I do understand, but I’m not agreeing to back down. “We’ll focus on the other stuff.”
The unsaid ‘for now’ hangs in the air.
JJ narrows his eyes, suspicious of my sudden acquiescence. His phone rings, and Carolyn tells him he’s needed in a meeting. He acknowledges he’ll be there momentarily, then hustles us out.
He escorts us into the elevator and all the way to the ground floor. It’s as if he doesn’t trust us to leave. “We’ll reconvene tonight,” he says, holding the doors open so he can return upstairs. His tone is less commanding now. “I’ll bring pizza.”
For a moment, I see a flicker of the man I love—the one who laughs at my terrible jokes and challenges me to ridiculous bets.
“Thank you,” Meg says. “We won’t let you—or Tiffany—down.”
No smile, no nod, and I’m left hollow. Meg must sense my unease and squeezes my arm.
A commotion reaches us as we cross the expansive lobby.
Matt frowns. “What’s that noise?”
Extra security guards swarm in from other parts of the building. Outside the entrance doors, it’s chaos.
“Oh my God,” Meg gasps.
A sea of people floods the snowy lawns and sidewalks. They’re spilling into the street, causing drivers to honk and yell. Signs wave in the air, demanding justice, and they chant various ill-rhyming slogans.
At the center of it all stands a familiar figure—Helen Schock.
My stomach twists. “For the love of all that’s holy.”
News vans roll up, reporters and cameras spilling out. As we watch, Mom raises a bullhorn, her voice blasting over the noise. “Tiffany deserves justice!” The crowd goes wild. She has to wait a few seconds before she can be heard again. “We won’t be silenced until she has it!”
I pull out my phone and dial.
“Who are you calling?” Meg asks.
“A lawyer,” I say. “She’s going to need it.”
Matt eyes a patrol car, easing its way toward the throng. “It’s a peaceful protest. I doubt they’ll arrest?—”
