Page 71 of Sinful Justice

AUBREE

Detective Charlie Fletcher is a goofball most of the time. He’s a flirt, a slut in the most liberal sense of the word, and he’s the last in a crowd to take things seriously…

Except when his best friend is out of the room. Then, responsibility falls on him. At that point, he’s the smartest, stoutest, most serious of the bunch, so right now, while Arch is absent, he paces Minka’s office while I sit back at her desk.

She won’t mind, because she’s not coming back today.

Fletcher and I have been discussing Louisa in the hour since Archer and Minka left. Pondering the letter found. The devastation left upon all four of us after reading words penned by a now deceased ten-year-old.

It’s part of the job; we all know that. But that doesn’t mean her words won’t haunt us tonight when we should be resting.

On Minka’s desk, my cell vibrates and breaks the silence that was, only a moment ago, the humming aftermath of Fletch trying to find a judge brave enough to stand up against the mayor.

So far, he’s had no luck.

Dropping my feet and spying the screen of my phone, I snatch it and send my eyes to a watchful Fletch when Arch’s name flashes up at me.

Why would he call me, when his partner is just feet away?

Swiping to answer, I hit speaker and set the device back down as Fletch comes over and drops into the visitor chair. “Hey. Fletch and I are still—”

“I have a hypothetical question for you.” Archer rolls right over me. “A hypothetical for a doctor.”

“Arch?” Fletcher sits forward so his elbows rest on his knees. “Everything okay?”

“Aubree?”

“Yeah.” I clear my throat. “I’m here. What kind of question? What kind of doctor?”

“The practicing kind of doctor who deals with alive patients and their medical issues.”

“Well… I’m not one of those.” I narrow my eyes and hate how my heart drops to my stomach. There’s calling something hypothetical, and then there’s believing that to be the case. “What’s going on?”

Rustling sounds come from his side of the call. Frenzied pacing. The coarse slide of a palm along unshaved stubble. “So, say I have this friend with a medical condition. Ahypotheticalmedical condition. And that medical condition is, by all accounts, life-threatening.”

“Okay…”

“But this hypothetical friend is both proudandentitled to privacy. In fact, sharing such medical information without their permission could be considered a terrible, horrible, shameful betrayal, and in the end, may destroy whatever hypothetical friendship once existed.”

“So,” I hesitate. “I suppose I would advise against sharing said hypothetical medical situation—unless, of course, that person is in immediate medical distress. In which case, you should hypothetically call an ambulance.”

“My hypothetical friend is currently unconscious and unable to voice such hypothetical concerns.”

“Unconscious?” Fletcher barks. “Arch! What the fuck is going on? Where are you?”

“I don’t think… I can’t…” He groans through the phone. “I don’t know what to do. But I want information, and I don’t know where else to get it.”

“Is your hypothetical friend in danger?” I demand.Is Minka in danger?

“Right this moment?” he pauses. “No. I think my hypothetical friend is fine. But, Aubs…” He goes back to pacing. “She scared the fuck outta me. She was freaking out. And needles… And medicine… and then she was being nice to me.” He stops and booms, “She wasniceto me!”

“Doctor Delicious was nice to you?” Fletcher asks. “She sick or something?”

“My fucking point exactly,” Archer growls. “And this is hypothetical!”

“You said needles?” I bring the conversation back on track. “Like, actual needles inserted into actual veins?”

When he says nothing, I add, “Hypothetically.”

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