Framed, p.17
Framed, page 17
Braden had his phone out by the time Jessica stopped talking.
“You can’t do that,” one of the officers said.
“The fuck I can’t. Tell me why not? Captain Patrick is your boss. He might not be on Karli’s case, but he’s definitely involved with Raina’s.”
The officers shared a look. One of them stepped back toward the door, his gaze lingering on Silver.
Jessica felt a tiny sliver of hope. If they believed her, even just a little, there was a chance Silver wouldn’t get away with everything he did. There was a chance they could prove he was the one who killed Karli. And then they could prove he was involved in however many other murders he committed.
“Marcus,” Braden said, “are you at home? I need you to find Raina. I have a suspect here. Yes, I’m with him now. With Jessica.” Braden looked at her, his eyes blazing with…something. “Okay, call me right back.”
Jessica’s hope started to falter. He didn’t believe her.
“He’s going to find Raina, then he’ll call back with video so he can record it.” Braden glared at Silver.
Silver paled, just slightly. He was still on the couch, complaining about his injuries. Wray had his arm stabilized and was working on his knee.
“I need to go to the hospital. Right now. I don’t feel well. You’ve kept me here too long. I should already be in the hospital and safe from her. Instead, you’ve made me suffer in the same room as my attacker,” Silver whined.
“Shut up,” Wray snarled. “I’m giving you the best treatment possible. If you keep moving, you’re going to make your injuries worse. And judging by the bruising on her face, you weren’t the victim here.”
Silver scowled at Wray, but fell silent when Braden’s phone rang.
“Hey,” Braden said.
“Raina is here. She’s not going to speak, and she doesn’t want him to see her.”
“Understood. I’m going to flip my camera so you can see what I see instead of seeing me. I’ll still be able to see you. Are you ready?”
Jessica watched the screen as Raina nodded. She offered Jessica a faint smile, and Jessica wished she could have done more.
Braden flipped the camera around, bringing Silver onto the screen. Silver immediately ducked, slithering down the couch like the snake he was.
“I don’t consent to having my image recorded,” Silver barked.
“Get his ass up,” Braden snapped. “He doesn’t get to choose that when he’s a suspect.”
To Jessica’s relief, the other cops moved toward Silver and lifted him. They turned him around so his face was in full view of the camera.
Raina gasped. She looked up at Marcus and nodded.
“We have a positive identification. Who’s there with you?” Marcus said.
“Officers Maxwell and Dempsey,” Braden growled.
“Officers. Detain that man for attempted kidnapping. I’ll be in touch with Lieutenant Juarez about the rest. We’ll meet you, all of you, at the station,” Marcus demanded.
The officers nodded, and Braden told Marcus they agreed to his request.
Braden switched the camera back around so Marcus could see him. “Thank you. He had the murder weapon. He said Jessica planted it in his apartment.”
“We’ll get it all straightened out. But Jessica needs to come to the station, too. She’s still a suspect until we can prove he’s the one we should have been after all this time.”
Braden looked up at her and met her gaze. She wanted to cry again, but she still had a fight. A fight that was almost over. One that meant she would finally be free.
At the police station, Jessica was shown into an interrogation room and cuffed to the table. Her arm hurt from the cuts, and she was so tired she almost fell asleep, but she had hope that it would all be over soon now that Marcus was involved, even just a little.
Marcus talked to her when she arrived and asked how she was. He said he wouldn’t be involved in questioning her, but he was going to make sure she was okay. That was the best news she’d heard in weeks.
When the door finally opened, a tall man with dark hair and brown skin walked in. He was followed by one of the officers from Silver’s apartment.
“Ms. German,” the first man said. “You’ve given us quite a chase.”
Jessica didn’t reply. Agreeing would have incriminated herself and confirmed that she knew the police were looking for her. Even though everyone in the room knew that was the truth, Jessica wasn’t going to admit it.
“My officer here said you made some pretty pointed accusations against the man you attacked.” His shirt said Juarez, and Jessica remembered that was the name of the lieutenant Marcus was going to talk to. He was in charge of Karli’s case.
“Silver told me he killed Karli.”
“Why were you at his apartment?”
“I received a message through social media with a recording of the nine-one-one call. He said his address.”
“So, you thought you’d tie up loose ends?” Juarez asked.
“No! I wanted to know why he said I killed Karli. I was in her apartment when I called nine-one-one, and the operator said someone had already called it in. The only way he would have known she was dead was if he killed her.”
“What were you going to do?”
“I wanted the truth. I wanted to know why my friend was dead. She was a good person. She was kind and caring. She loved her job, and she was a good friend. She didn’t deserve to die.”
“Let me get this right. You went to his apartment, wearing a mask, so you could talk to the man?” Juarez asked.
Jessica nodded. She understood it didn’t look good, but it was the truth. All she was after was the truth. Karli deserved that much.
Jessica shifted, the cuffs tugging at her wrists and pulling on the slices on her arms. She didn’t bother to complain, but she shifted again to alleviate the pain.
“A friend gave me the mask. Said it would make me feel confident. She knew what I was walking in to. And—”
“Someone knew you were going there and didn’t call it in?” the other officer blurted.
Jessica shook her head, wincing at the dizziness the movement caused. Braden said she likely had a concussion, but there was nothing that could be done to speed up the healing. His advice was to rest, but that wasn’t an option.
“She didn’t know where I was going. She knew I was going to talk to someone, and that I thought I’d figured out who’d killed Karli, but she didn’t know who it was. I didn’t tell her.”
“Who was this person?” Lieutenant Juarez asked.
“When do I get a lawyer?”
Lieutenant Juarez leaned back in his seat. “You haven’t asked for one.”
“I am now. I’d like a lawyer, please.”
The officer from the scene rolled his eyes, but Lieutenant Juarez simply stood and nodded. They left the room, leaving Jessica alone again.
Maybe now someone would listen to her.
“What’s going on?” Braden asked Marcus. He had to report back for the rest of his shift, but as soon as he was off duty, he went to the police station to get Jessica.
And found her still in custody.
“Lieutenant Juarez questioned her, but she asked for a lawyer.”
“I’ll call Taylor,” Braden said.
“I already got her one. He’s the best criminal defense attorney in town.”
Braden opened his mouth to say something, but Marcus held up his hand.
“Because he’s good at what he does and he’s not crooked. He has no ties to any criminal organization. He only works with individuals. He never takes on cases for big companies.”
“How does he get paid?” Braden asked.
“I don’t ask. But he’s good. The best. I called him because I knew he’d be the best option for Jessica.”
“Thank you,” Braden breathed. “She needs some support right now.”
Marcus nodded. “The guy they brought in with her?”
Braden nodded in understanding.
“His DNA matched the DNA on Raina’s clothes. He was definitely the one who tried to kidnap her.”
“Have you spoken to him yet?”
Marcus shook his head. “No. We’re waiting on the results from the brick. We want to be able to go at him with both things.”
“Does that mean they believe Jessica now?”
“It means they’re more open to the possibility. Juarez is a reasonable person, but he had no choice but to follow the evidence. The video he had first was the one that showed the calls came in after Jessica left. There were a lot of things stacked against her. I would have proceeded the same way if I didn’t know her.”
“You never would have thought she did this.”
“No, but that’s why I wasn’t on the case. You know how it is when personal feelings get in the way of doing your job.”
Braden nodded slowly, thinking about walking away from Jessica earlier. He didn’t want to leave her side. He wanted to stay with her. But if he had, he would have lost his job. It killed him to walk away, but he did it.
And regretted it every second.
“If they prove this Silver guy killed Karli, what’s going to happen to Jessica?”
Marcus shrugged. “That’s going to be up to Juarez. But her lawyer will argue that she should be released since she did nothing wrong. She didn’t resist arrest or attack anyone. The worst they could do would be obstruction of justice, but even that wouldn’t hold up if she’s no longer a suspect.”
“So, she might be done?”
“Maybe. I can’t guarantee that.”
“But it’s possible.”
Marcus nodded. “It’s possible.”
“Thank God.”
“I am so sorry you’re in the middle of this mess, Ms. German. Marcus called me and explained everything. I will get you out of here and get all of this erased for you. I’m Gage Stevens, by the way, your attorney. We haven’t met.”
Gage Stevens was a force. He walked into the room looking like a man with power and confidence and strength Jessica had never possessed. She liked him on sight, even more when he smiled kindly at her and closed the door in the face of the officer who escorted him to her interrogation room.
“Marcus called you?” Jessica asked.
Gage nodded. “We’re old friends. He knows I take on cases like yours. I have to ask, because I ask all my clients, are you guilty of what they’re trying to accuse you of?”
Jessica shook her head. “Karli Sloane was my best friend. I was going to her apartment to talk about a date I had the night before. I brought pizza. She was dead when I got there, and I panicked.”
“Good. Not that you panicked, but that you’re innocent. And panicking in a situation like that is completely normal. If you hadn’t panicked, I’d be a little worried about you.” He laughed, his eyes crinkling on the sides. He was an attractive man. Dark skin and eyes with short, dark hair. His teeth were slightly crooked in the front, but it added to his charm and made him more approachable and personable.
“What do we do now?”
“You sit tight. I’m going to argue that there’s no reason to hold you since you haven’t been charged with anything and you’ve been through hell. Is it true the man who actually killed your friend is the one whose apartment you were in?”
Jessica nodded, her cheeks warming at the admission. “I got a message with the nine-one-one call. The full recording, which I hadn’t heard before. He said his address. I wanted to know why he said he saw me running from Karli’s apartment.”
“Did you?”
“Did I what?”
“Did you run?”
“Yes, but not until after he called, after I called. The operator I spoke to said the police were already on the way when I called. That’s why I ran.”
“And the police didn’t line all this up?”
“They had video that was tampered with, I guess. He told me he gave it to them so they would believe his story.”
“He sounds smart. A whole lot smarter than he appears to be.”
Jessica nodded. “He’s evil. He’s killed others. He shouldn’t be free.” She shivered at the memory of the things he shared.
Gage watched her closely for a moment, then nodded. “Thank you, Ms. German. I will make sure he isn’t set free. And that you are.”
“Thank you.”
Gage squeezed her shoulder, then walked out of the room.
Jessica wondered how long she would have to sit there, but knowing someone was on her side made the whole thing easier. Someone believed her. She’d get her freedom.
Damon stared at the report on his phone in the backseat of the SUV. He tied up all the loose ends with the shipment and was heading back to the office when a text came in with a link to the news report.
Local woman captured. Accomplice in custody.
Damon swore as he read the short article beneath the video. Jessica found Silver. Not only that, but she had enough on him to get Silver arrested, too. Which meant it was only a matter of time before the man made a deal to get away with murder. Literally.
Damon glanced at his driver. The new, new guy. The last new guy didn’t come back after Damon put a gun to his head. No fucking loyalty. He was paid for his service and would never tell anyone who he worked for. Dead men didn’t talk.
The old driver Damon had was a man he could say anything in front of and know it would never go anywhere. He proved his loyalty time and again. When he decided to retire and leave the area, Damon agreed on the condition the man never told anyone what he used to do or who he worked for. When he assured Damon he wouldn’t, Damon trusted the man and let him go.
But the newest one was still a wildcard. Better than the last, but not as good as the old one. Damon had hope, though. So far, he hadn’t questioned Damon.
“I need to go to the office,” Damon barked at the driver.
Time was running out. If the article was already published, it was possible it was too late, but Damon couldn’t risk anything getting out. He had to take care of the threat.
The driver pulled up in front of the office a few minutes later and turned off the vehicle.
“Keep it running. I’ll be back in a minute,” Damon said.
The driver nodded and cranked the SUV back up. He was learning. He must have figured out loyalty was the only way to keep the job, and his life.
Damon stalked through the warehouse and into his office. Mick followed behind him, guarding Damon’s movements. Mick stayed outside the office, watching the door while Damon sat behind his desk.
He lifted the receiver on his desk, one he always used and knew couldn’t be traced.
“Yeah?” the voice on the other end of the line said.
“You have a suspect in custody. Silver James. He knows too much. He needs to be taken care of. Immediately.”
“Yes, sir,” the voice said.
The line went dead.
Silver would be next.
19
“You’re free to go,” Marcus said as he opened the door to the room Jessica had been in for hours.
She had no idea how much time had passed, but it didn’t matter. She was free. “Free? Like I can walk out of here and no one is going to chase me? You’re not sneaking me out, are you?”
Marcus breathed a laugh and shook his head. “No illegal stuff going on. You’re free, Jessica. And you helped us bring in a killer.”
“He really did it. He really killed her, didn’t he?”
Marcus nodded. “He did. The DNA on the brick matched Karli’s from her autopsy and Silver’s. There was another DNA that isn’t in our system, but it didn’t match you, so there’s no way to tie you to it.”
“Maybe it was Raina’s?” Jessica said.
“That’s what I figured, too. It doesn’t really matter, though. It’s all the proof we need that he—”
“Call nine-one-one!” someone shouted down the hallway.
Jessica and Marcus looked at each other, then moved into the hallway together. Marcus looked to where the officers were rushing and followed them. Jessica wasn’t sure where she was supposed to go, so she went with him, hanging back to stay out of the way.
“He’s not breathing,” someone said.
“Someone start CPR.”
“What the hell happened?”
Jessica reached the door and saw Silver slumped over in his seat. Drool pooled on his face and down to his shirt. His color was even paler than the last time she saw him. Gray. Ashy. Dead.
The officers removed his cuffs and laid him on the floor. One of them started CPR, pressing on Silver’s chest.
Jessica felt like she was in a trance, staring as the man’s lifeless body jerked and twitched with the futile efforts of the officer. A minute later, someone bumped her to the side and hurried into the room.
The new person told the officer to stop for a vitals check. He set two fingers on Silver’s throat, like Jessica had done to Karli weeks ago. A few seconds later, the man shook his head. “He’s dead.”
“How the fuck did this happen?” someone in the room barked.
Jessica moved to see who it was and found Lieutenant Juarez staring at the body.
“He’s been in our custody for hours. No one has been in here to see him. How is he dead?”
“He has a water bottle,” Marcus said. “Someone could have put something in it.”
“Those bottles come from the station storage. It had to be signed out. Who the hell gave him the water?”
“I did, sir,” an officer Jessica didn’t recognize said.
“Why did you give him water?”
“He asked. I’ve done it for people tons of times. I didn’t know it would be an issue.”
“Did you tamper with it?”
“No, sir. I don’t know what happened.”
“This is not good. Had anyone questioned him?” Juarez asked. His gaze found Marcus.
