Page 170 of Enigma: The Complete Collection
I hit the speed dial for Regan. She answers on the very first ring. “The IA’s case against Isabelle is being squashed as we speak. They had not a leg to stand on,” she informs me, not bothering to issue a greeting.
Although she can’t see me, I nod. I knew she wouldn’t have any problems getting the IA’s investigation into Isabelle dropped. She’s the best lawyer in the country, but even better than that is the fact she works solely for me.
“I need you at Ravenshoe Police Station now.”
Her sigh makes me smirk. “What did you do this time?”
“For once, it isn’t me.” When my eyes float back to Isabelle, all the humor in my voice vanishes. “But I need you to treat this case as if it were me, Regan. I need you at your very best. This case is more imperative than any you’ve worked before.”
“Come on, Isaac, you know me. I always bring my bat to the game.” She tries to keep her tone pompous and conceited despite her uneased breaths. “I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”
The weight on my chest slackens from her confidence. She does always bring her bat to the game. She’s saved my ass on numerous occasions, but this is an entirely new ball game we’re playing, one filled with corrupt cops who won’t stop until someone strikes out, and all their curveballs are aimed at Isabelle.
CHAPTER3
ISABELLE
“What part of ‘I’m not talking to you without my lawyer present’ did you have a hard time understanding?”
When my slit eyes drift from Theresa to the direction the soulful voice came from, my jaw drops. Standing just inside the door of the interrogation room is a beautiful blonde wearing a pricy outfit and gravity-defying stilettos. I’m not known for perving on girls, but she’s so stunningly beautiful, I can’t tear my eyes away. It’s like looking at an eclipse. You risk damage if you stare too long, but you can’t help it.
The intruder’s wavy platinum-blonde locks fall in front of her petite shoulders when she tilts her head so the daggers her steel-green eyes are shooting at Theresa can hit their mark. Even with only a slight amount of sheen on her lips, her face is flawless. She seems familiar, although I’m reasonably sure we’ve never met. I’d remember someone with the face of an angel.
As I absorb her tight, black-pleated pencil skirt, silk blouse, and a well-tailored black jacket, horrible notion after horrible notion fills my head. I really hope this isn’t Regan, Isaac’s lawyer. Compared to her expensive designer clothing, my jeans and beige jacket are stained with oily soot from the two male officers arresting me in the alley of my apartment building. The bruise on my cheek is a result of them rough handling me during my arrest.
I had just rounded the corner of my building, rushing to Brandon’s car parked in the alleyway, when my elbow was seized in a tight grip. Since I was cautious of Col’s vendetta against Isaac and being tailed the prior week, my first instinct was to protect myself. It was only after striking the gentleman who was roughly gripping my arm did I realize he was a police officer.
I instantly halted my resistance before raising my hands into the air to signal I meant no harm. When two male officers, who were easily double my weight, threw me onto the ground, Brandon lunged for them. His fist connected with one of the officer’s nose, knocking him to the ground with a loud thud, before he restrained another one in a headlock.
His attack only slackened when a third officer drew his gun on him. Every knee and elbow inflicted on my body during my arrest fueled Brandon’s anger, but with a gun pinching his temple, there wasn’t anything he could do.
When a female officer read me my rights, revealing I was under arrest for the murder of Megan Shroud, my stomach lurched into my throat. “Get Isaac,” was the last thing I said to Brandon before I was ushered to Ravenshoe PD in the back of a police cruiser.
For the past hour, while shackled to the stainless-steel table, my hazy mind worked through each event that had happened the past forty-eight hours. Discovering Megan’s secret room, her plot to steal Nick and Jenni’s newborn son from the womb he was safely nestled in, and the murder of her dad, it all came rushing back to the forefront of my mind. Then I recalled Isaac talking to Henry Gottle, Sr. on the satellite phone earlier this morning. Aware the whole Megan incident could be the very thing to push him into doing something unlawful was the reason I hesitated when Hugo requested I let Isaac’s security team into Megan’s bedroom before local authorities.
It’s also why I was planning to plead guilty to my charges.
Any decisions made in haste can conjure poor results, but I’d do anything to protect Isaac—anything at all. Even going to jail for a crime I didn’t commit. If Isaac were responsible for Megan’s death, I would have taken the blame. I would have falsely testified to protect him, but I believe him when he said he had nothing to do with harming Megan. His eyes are a gateway to his soul. They tell his true story. Although he’s frustrated by the entire Megan incident, he didn’t have her killed. I should have known better. He’s not that type of person. He isn’t a monster like Col and Vladimir. He’s just misunderstood like all good enigmas are.
With newfound knowledge and a heart not as heavy as it was thirty minutes ago, my decisions veered in an entirely new direction. I will not stop fighting until both Isaac and I are vindicated from Megan’s case. Once that happens, my focus will shift to us—as a couple. I refuse to put our relationship second-best anymore. We’ve been dragged down by so much controversy, yet my love for him continues to blossom, so it’s time to stand up for what I believe in. That includes Isaac, me, and our relationship.
My bones jump out of my skin when a stern, “Get out!” roars through my ears. The blonde swings her rake-thin arm to the door she just walked through. “If I’m forced to repeat myself, you’ll find yourself relinquished of your position before sunrise tomorrow. A loss of hearing will be an easy dismissal case for me to win.”
As a vein in Theresa’s neck works overtime, she stands from her chair. “Likeyoucould have me fired.”
The unique scent of vanilla frosting filters through my nose when the blonde steps closer to our gathering. “Please, feel free to test me.” She flashes a wicked smile that says she doesn’t just have looks. She has smarts as well. “As I’d love the opportunity to prove you wrong…again.”
Her defensive pose frustrates Theresa further, but instead of responding as I am anticipating, she storms out of the room, barging past the unnamed blonde grinning like she just won a gold medal.
Once the door slams shut as abruptly as it did when Isaac left, the blonde’s humored-filled eyes shift to the two-way mirror. She appears to wink at her reflection, but I know who has her affection. I can’t see Isaac, but I can feel his eyes on me. My cheeks only cooled when the blonde silently demanded his attention.
When the intruder’s green eyes return to me, she assesses my face in precise detail before taking in the rest of my package—aka my body. My cheeks flush from her avid inspection, but I don’t feel threatened. Her confrontation with Theresa was brutal, but she hasn’t given off anything but friendly vibes since Theresa’s dramatic storm out.
With my hands sweatier than I’m happy about, I stand from my chair, so I can offer the stranger my hand to shake. She snugs my offer by angling her head back to the two-way mirror. “You’ve always had a fondness for blushers.” She winks again, this one arriving with a dainty laugh. “I can’t say I don’t understand your fascination. Blushers keep things interesting.”
Her smile enlarges when she spots my puzzled expression.I really wish she quit smiling. She’s already beautiful, but when she smiles, my god, it’s like heaven opened its gates, and an angel fell from the sky. I can’t compete with that on my best day, let alone my worst.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Isabelle.” The stranger accepts the handshake she left hanging before gesturing for me to retake my seat. I do, albeit hesitantly. “For how often Isaac talks about you, I feel as if I already know you.”
