Page 35 of Let Her Hide

"Your Honor, please," Jake pleaded, his heart sinking as he realized how much this delay could cost them. "Can't you expedite the process somehow?”

"Agent Tucker," Miriam said, her tone brooking no argument. "You will have to wait."

“When will your colleague return?” Jake pressed.

“Within a few hours, I’m sure,” Miriam said. “I’m sorry, Agent Tucker. I know this isn’t what you want to hear.”

Jake's jaw clenched, his frustration mounting as he took in the unwavering expression on Judge Miriam's face. He knew that pushing her further would be futile; she had made up her mind, and there was no swaying her. However, his thoughts raced with the potential consequences of this delay, the lives that hung in the balance.

"Very well, Your Honor," Jake said through gritted teeth, forcing himself to maintain a semblance of composure. "I appreciate your time and consideration."

"Thank you for understanding," Miriam replied, her voice softening. "I assure you, we will discuss your request as soon as my colleague arrives."

Jake nodded stiffly before turning to leave the courtroom, his entire body taut with tension. The heavy doors creaked as he pushed them open. It did little to cool the fury simmering beneath his skin as he strode down the marble hallway, his footsteps echoing off the walls.

"Damn!" Jake muttered under his breath, his hand forming a tight fist. He couldn't shake the sinking feeling that time was slipping through his fingers like sand in an hourglass, each grain bringing them closer to disaster. He’d been hoping this would get them closer to the truth, but now he had to go back to Fiona empty-handed.

***

Fiona leaned against the table in the briefing room, her eyes fixed on the whiteboard where the details of their latest murder case were scrawled. The air was tense with frustration, the scent of stale coffee lingering in the room.

What would motivate someone to kill with stinging insects?she thought, her mind suddenly spinning with possibilities. Perhaps the killer was someone who had been wronged in some way and was seeking revenge. Maybe they felt a powerful urge to right an injustice they had experienced or witnessed. It could be that a loved one had been taken from them, and they wanted to channel that sorrow into something vengeful.

No matter what the cause, it seemed clear that venom was at the center of it all. Whoever this killer was, they were driven by a deep-seated need for retribution, and their weapon of choice reflected that. Whether it was hatred, anger, or grief that powered their actions—Fiona knew that one thing would remain constant: They would continue to kill until their goal was reached.

Unless someone stopped them first.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket, and she pulled it out, hoping for a lead or any bit of good news to lift her spirits. The text was from Roger, the private investigator she had hired to look into her sister's disappearance. Her heart sank as she read his message: "Lead didn't pan out. Sorry, Fiona."

"Damn it," she muttered under her breath, rubbing her temple as if she could will away the headache that threatened to form. This wasn't just another dead end in the murder case – it was a crushing blow to her hopes of ever finding her sister. She had hoped Roger would be the thing that changed the course of the investigation, but it seemed not even he could dig up information on Marissa or the apparent guy she'd once dated. The guy who took Joslyn.

Frustration gripped her heart. No matter how close she got to Joslyn, it seemed she was always too far away. The answers she'd needed had died with Marissa, and for all Fiona knew, Marissa had been lying too... she didn't know.

She just needed the identity of that man.

Just then, the door to the room opened, and Jake walked in, looking frustrated. Fiona turned to him, hoping for some good news. But the look on his face told her otherwise.

“I couldn’t get the warrant expedited,” he said with a frustrated sigh. “The judge is waiting for her colleague to come back to run it past them. Thinks it’s too dicey.”

Fiona’s heart sank. That wasn’t what she wanted to hear, especially after what she’d just heard from Jack.

She turned away, hiding her face from him.

"Everything okay here?" Jake asked, concern etched in the lines around his brown eyes. He crossed his arms over his broad chest, his gaze never leaving her face.

Fiona hesitated, her thumb hovering over the screen of her phone as she debated whether to tell him about her personal investigation. Fiona's eyes flickered back and forth between Jake and the text message that had left her heart aching. She tried to hide her disappointment, but it was clear that something was bothering her. The room seemed colder than before as if a shadow had crept into the precinct.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Jake asked, stepping closer to her. He could always sense when something was off with her.

Fiona hesitated for a moment, debating whether or not to share. But at this point, what did she have to lose? Finally, she decided to be honest. "I've still been looking into my sister's disappearance on the side," she confessed, her voice barely above a whisper. "I even hired a PI, but he just told me the lead he had didn't pan out."

Jake's expression softened. "Damn, Red, I'm sorry... I wish you'd come to me for help. I'd love to help you find her," he said earnestly.

Fiona felt touched by his offer, but she was reluctant. She didn't want things between them to get too personal again – they were partners, after all, and there was a line she didn't want to cross when they'd already agreed to keep things professional. "Thank you, Jake," she replied, trying to keep her voice steady. "But I need to handle this on my own. It's... it's just too personal."

She looked away from him, focusing on the cold cup of coffee sitting on the table between them. Its bitter scent reminded her of the harsh reality she faced every day: her sister was still missing, and she had no idea where to start looking. But she knew she couldn't let herself become consumed by it, not when there was still work to be done.

Jake hesitated for a moment, his gaze fixed on a stain near the edge of the table. "You know, Red," he began, his voice barely more than a whisper, "there's something I've been wanting to tell you for a while."

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