Retribution Boxed Set (Books One and Two) Page 22

  “The kitchen,” she whispered, her throat sore from the coating of acid. She moved out of the way and sagged against the wall.

  The officer rushed past her as another cop moved forward in his place. This one was also young, but female. She assessed her with dark unreadable eyes. “Besides the head wound, are you all right, ma’am?”

  “Some burns on my skin.” Janie set the vase back on the table near the door. Her stomach had calmed, but she wasn’t strong enough to clean her mess, yet.

  The officer spoke into her shoulder mike, reporting on the situation and checking on medical assistance. The person on the other end responded, saying they were outside.

  “Can you tell me what happened?” the officer asked.

  Janie took a deep breath, but before she could answer, a crew of EMTs carrying a gurney arrived. They hurried into the kitchen, and she listened, trying to tell from their flurry of activity and hushed voices if Paul was still alive.

  “Ma’am,” the officer said, pulling her back to their conversation. “What happened here tonight?”

  She wrapped the blanket tighter around her. “He went crazy. I think he wanted to kill me.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  The officer’s intense gaze trapped her, making her feel as though she couldn’t breathe again. She shivered as Sam’s words came back to her, telling her to wait for an attorney. “Am I under arrest?”

  “No, ma’am. Not yet. I’m just trying to ascertain what took place.”

  More noise from the kitchen distracted her, and a second later, the EMTs pulled the gurney through the living room and out the door. They hadn’t covered Paul’s ashen face which she hoped meant he was still alive. They also hadn’t removed the knife protruding from his chest. She put a shaking hand to her mouth as fresh tears ran from the corners of her eyes.

  Dear God. She was a smart, savvy woman. Never, in a million years, could she have imagined she’d end up where she now sat.

  If she was going to see this thing through however it ended, she’d need to steel her emotions. She had wanted out, away from Paul. For better or for worse, she had broken free. Now she had to figure out a way to keep that freedom.

  “I think I would like to wait for my lawyer.”

  Chapter Four

  Janie sat alone in the small interrogation room inside the Central Precinct in downtown Portland. Barren walls surrounded her with the exception of a large one-way mirror. She wrapped her arms around her and prayed she wouldn’t have to wait long before Detective Holden arrived.

  The sickening fear that had been coursing through her veins since Paul attacked her had calmed, leaving her numb. The police had brought her in for questioning, but so far, no one had said a word to her. They had to be waiting for her lawyer to arrive. She hoped Xander and Nicole had been able to find someone this late at night.

  She laced her fingers together as her brain set about creating the worst possible scenarios. Paul had died, and she’d be tried for murder. Or, Paul lived and would be coming after her with a vengeance. If he died, she could claim self-defense because that’s what it had been, but what if they still found her guilty?

  Then again, what if he was alive? He’d wanted to hurt her for dancing with Sam. She couldn’t imagine how many ways he’d torture her for what she’d done to him. She swallowed. Death would be the easy way out.

  She splayed her fingers on the table in front of her, trying to still her thoughts as well as her hands. She’d never done well sitting in one place. It made her too nervous. She needed to be up, doing something. Like cooking.

  Playing with ingredients, creating new flavors calmed her mind and her soul. She’d learned that at an early age while staying at her grandmother’s house.

  The sight of dirt beneath her fingernails caught her attention, and she wondered how she’d gotten dirty. She turned her hands palms up to inspect them, only to realize it wasn’t dirt, but dried blood. Could have been hers. Could have been Paul’s. Both left her nauseated.

  She startled when the door opened. In walked a woman near her age with dark auburn hair dressed in black pants, a form-fitting black jacket and a gray silk blouse underneath that clung to her, emphasizing her trim waist and ample chest. Her clothes were gorgeous, her hair styled, and Janie couldn’t help compare herself. She’d tossed on old jeans and a t-shirt while the officer had waited. Her hair hung in limp strands after being soaked in the shower, much like her spirit.

  “Janie? The woman extended a hand. “I’m Eliana Conway. Xander Secrist said you needed representation.”

  “I do.” Janie shook her hand, noticing how warm Eliana’s hand felt compared to her own. “My boyfriend—ex-boyfriend tried to hurt me tonight.” How did she reduce her horrifying experience to mere words? “I stabbed him.” It seemed so surreal now. “And hit him with a heavy fry pan.”

  The woman arched a perfect brow. “I see.” She sat next to her and removed a legal pad. “When you say hurt, do you mean…”

  “He forced me into the shower and turned the faucet all the way hot. He started to scald me, so I had to fight back.” She folded her hands in her lap to keep them from shaking.

  Eliana continued to scratch on her pad. “Were you afraid for your life?”

  “Yes,” she whispered, remembering the terrifying feeling of Paul holding her in place and watching him adjust the water temperature. Janie blinked rapidly, trying to control her tears. “He was so angry.”

  “When the officers interview you, please make that clear. Don’t say he tried to hurt you. The wound on your forehead tells me he did more than try. You tell them exactly how afraid you were.”

  Janie nodded, taking a tissue from the box in the middle of the table.

  “Did the officers photograph the gash on your head?”

  “Yes.” She hadn’t had much time to inspect it at home when she’d been changing clothes because the EMTs had placed a bandage over it, but it pretty much covered the right half of her forehead. It also hurt like hell.

  “What other injuries do you have?”

  Janie lifted the sleeve of her shirt so the day-old bruise became visible. “That was from yesterday.” Then she lifted her left wrist. Dark red with hints of purple circled her wrist like a bracelet. “He did this tonight. There might be more on my stomach. He pushed me into the couch pretty hard.” She touched the back of her head. “And yanked out some of my hair.”

  The woman pursed her lips together. “How long has this abuse been going on?”

  The door opened again, interrupting their conversation, and in walked two men, one of them Sam, the other a younger man with cropped dark hair. Thank God. The sight of a friendly face made her want to cry all over again. Janie tried to capture his gaze, but he didn’t seem particularly interested in making eye contact.

  “Eliana,” Sam said to her attorney with a nod.

  “Sam.” The woman gave him an easy smile that bespoke some level of familiarity.

  The other man echoed Sam’s greeting to her attorney before he took the seat across from her. Sam sat at the end of the table where he could observe without being in the direct line of questioning. Janie inhaled a shuddering breath and let it slide out of her lungs. Her time of reckoning had arrived.

  Janie caught her attorney watching Sam and frowned. She didn’t want to wonder if the beautiful lawyer had any kind of relationship with the handsome detective. She had enough to worry about with her life in chaos.

  “Miss Singleton, I’m Detective Reed. This is my partner, Detective Holden. We have a few questions for you.”

  Janie folded her arms in front of her. The quiet fear that had been simmering inside her since she’d arrived erupted again, making her tremble. “Okay.”

  For the first time since entering the room, Sam looked directly at her. “Can you tell us what happened tonight?”

  “We—Paul and I had been at a wedding where he’d had a lot to drink. I think he might have been doing coke, too.” She closed her eyes,
sick to think she’d stayed with him for so long. “We’d been there a while when he got very angry with me. He started to make a scene, but I convinced him to leave.” Her gaze jumped to Sam’s.

  He narrowed his eyes. “What made him so angry?”

  “He, uh…” She swallowed past the thick lump in her throat, now realizing how difficult it was to have Sam in the room. She’d wanted someone on her side to help her through her ordeal, but confessing to him was its own torture. “He saw me dancing with a friend.”

  Sam’s eyes widened almost imperceptibly. He stared at her. Hard. The muscles in his jaw clenched, and she glanced away, not able to bear his expression.

  “His name?” the younger officer asked.

  Janie looked back to Sam for guidance, and he turned away. “Steven Marsden,” she said, giving them the name of a childhood acquaintance.

  “It was just an innocent dance with a friend,” she continued, trying to explain to the others. “But Paul didn’t see it that way.”

  “Then what happened?” Detective Reed asked.

  “We left. I’d hoped he would calm down by the time we got home, but he didn’t.” She wrapped her arms tighter around her waist. “He wanted me to shower.” She paused. “To wash off the other man’s touch.” Her chest expanded in jerks as she inhaled and then blew out the breath, trying to detach from her emotions. “He said he wanted the water hot. Scalding hot.” She dug at a hangnail, making it bleed. “I said okay. I thought I’d have time in the bathroom to call for help, you know? But he cut my clothes off me with a knife, holding the knife right up to my face and threatening me, and then he followed me into the bathroom. He pushed me into the shower and then— Her voice hitched, and she realized she was crying again.

  Eliana pulled a tissue from the box and handed it to her. “Take your time.”

  She glanced at her attorney and then quickly to the other faces.

  Compassion filled Detective Reed’s eyes. Bloody rage colored Sam’s.

  “What did he do, Janie? Sam’s voice was soft, belying his obvious emotions.

  She held his gaze for a moment before dropping it to the marred wooden table in front of her. “He turned the temperature all the way to the hot side,” she whispered. “I knew then this wasn’t going to be one of those times when he just smacked me around a little bit.” She looked at her attorney, needing someone to anchor to. She’d been mistaken when she’d thought Sam could have been that person. “I thought he was going to kill me.”

  “Fuck,” Sam said under his breath, and everyone turned their gazes toward him. “Sorry.” He rubbed the scruff on his chin. “Please continue.”

  She stared at Sam. She hadn’t wanted to tell him, hadn’t wanted him to know he’d played a part in what had happened to her. “When it started to burn, scalding my skin, I panicked. I shoved him, and we fell. I hit my head.” She touched the spot above her eye. “I tried to get away, but he grabbed me.” She glanced at Sam, saw the horror on his face, and her words came faster. She needed to get this done and get out of there. “But I was wet so I got away. I ran for the door, but he caught me. I hit him with the lamp…I think.” Her memory started to jumble. “I couldn’t get out so I ran for the kitchen to get something to protect myself with. A knife. I told him not to come closer. He didn’t listen. He—I stabbed him.” She put a shaking hand over her mouth. “He fell. But it didn’t stop him. So I hit him really hard with a pan.”

  She looked to Eliana, voicing the thoughts that haunted her. “I didn’t kill him, did I?”

  Her attorney shook her head and handed her another tissue.

  “The fu— Sam stopped for a moment as though to gain control over his words. “Mr. Castell is currently in surgery. They believe he’ll recover.”

  A loud sob escaped her lips, and she put her head on the table. It was as though she’d been holding her breath this whole time, wondering if she’d killed a man. She was grateful she hadn’t. But now she’d live her life in fear.

  “Is that good enough for you, detectives?” Eliana asked. “My client has been through a traumatic ordeal tonight. I’d like to get her out of here if you don’t mind. I think she needs to see a doctor. I’d like to have the remainder of her bruises documented.”

  “The remainder?” Sam asked, disbelief echoing in his voice.

  Eliana took her wrist with gentle hands and turned it over. “She has this one here and who knows where else.”

  “No.” Janie lifted her head. “I don’t want to go to a doctor.”

  “You need—”

  Sam interrupted her attorney. “We can document everything here. We have a female officer on duty that can take pictures.”

  “Okay,” Janie agreed before Eliana could argue otherwise. “Then I want to go home.”

  The room went silent.

  She glanced at her attorney who was currently challenging the detectives with raised brows.

  Sam gave a small nod of his head to his partner.

  “We won’t be making an arrest in the case until we’ve gathered more information,” Detective Reed answered. “But make sure you don’t leave town.”

  “Me? She was sure she must have misheard. “I can’t leave town? When Paul recovers, he’ll kill me.” She glanced to Sam, but he wouldn’t meet her gaze. “I’m the victim here.” Sam was supposed to be helping her, not throwing her to the wolves.

  “I understand, Miss Singleton.” Detective Reed eyed her with a serious, but not unkind look. “I don’t want to seem insensitive, but you did stab a man tonight.”

  Every muscle inside her tightened in response. “In self defense.”

  Her attorney took her arm. “It’s okay, Janie. This is common practice. These men need to follow procedure, but there’s plenty of evidence to suggest it was self-defense.” She turned to the men and spoke in harsher tones. “Let’s get that photographer and get this done.”

  “One more thing, Miss Singleton. We have your phone number listed, but no address. Do you have somewhere to stay?”

  Oh, God…nowhere.

  As of that moment in time, she was homeless with nothing but the clothes on her back. She’d needed a little more time to secure somewhere new to live. But Paul had taken that from her. “I want to call my friend, Nicole.” She glanced at Sam. “She’ll let me stay with her.” Maybe that was the solution to her problem since Nicole and Xander would be leaving on their honeymoon, and that would give her time to hear back from the job in Texas.

  Sam tore a piece of paper from his notebook and slid it across the table to her with a pen. “If you’ll give me her number, I’ll call her while our officer documents your injuries.”

  Janie wrote Nicole’s number on the paper knowing Sam already had Xander’s. But he’d asked her to play along so she would, though it didn’t seem to help her having Sam at the station with her. He appeared to be all cop and zero friend.

  He took the lined paper and stood, Detective Reed following suit.

  “Once Officer Collins is finished taking photos, you’re free to leave,” said the dark-haired officer.

  Janie waited with her attorney for the female officer to arrive, hating the fact that her stupidity would be forever documented, but knowing it was a necessity if she ever needed to prove her innocence. Which she wouldn’t. Paul wouldn’t press charges against her. It would bring him too close in contact with the law. He was in enough trouble for what he’d done to her. Besides, he had his own way of solving problems, none of it legal.

  * * *

  “Something wrong with you, man? Noah Reed rounded on Sam as soon as he closed the door behind them.

  The question caught him off guard. “What do you mean?”

  “I’ve never seen you react like that during a questioning before. Showing emotion in front of a witness? Hell, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you that pissed off.”

  “What can I say? He started walking toward their tiny office, acting as casual as possible, but needing to escape his partner’s direct gaze.
“Any time a man abuses a woman or child, it makes my blood boil.” Noah was well aware of the fact that abuse cases carried a special place in his heart. “You know that.” Sam wished someone had been there for his sister when she’d found herself in that desperate place. Hunter had helped him get justice afterward, but that hadn’t changed the outcome. Sam stopped in front of their office door and faced his partner, daring him to deny it.

  Noah narrowed his gaze. “This seemed different. You kept staring at her, and she kept glancing at you.”

  “We were all staring at her. We were questioning her. Don’t you usually look at the person you’re talking to?”

  “Yeah,” he nodded slowly, still watching Sam with his detective’s eyes. “Did you think she was pretty?”

  “I don’t know,” he spewed the words, growing short on patience. “I guess. Did you?”

  He nodded thoughtfully. “Maybe that’s what threw me off.” He smiled then. “There was some serious chemistry firing between the two of you.”

  “Chemistry? It seemed wrong to acknowledge his attraction to her when she’d just been through hell. “I think you need some sleep and some coffee. What the hell are you doing here so late on a Sunday night, anyway? He wasn’t the only one acting out of character.

  “Me? What about you? I thought you had some party or something.”

  He wanted to accuse Noah of turning the tables, but let it slide instead. The more relaxed he appeared, the less suspicion he raised. “I did. I left a phone number I needed on my desk, so I figured I’d stop on my way home and grab it. Guess we were both in the right place at the right time with Grimes and Snell out of the office working that case.”

  “Guess so. I hope the chief appreciates our dedication.”

  Sam’s laugh came easy. Whatever suspicion Noah had had of him seemed to have disappeared. “Hell, we’ll probably get reprimanded for having too many hours.”

  His partner chuckled. “Probably.”

  Sam unlocked their office. “I’m going to call her friend and get the note with my number. Let’s start on this fresh in the morning. That’ll give the officers on scene time to process their information, and you know the hospital won’t let us interview the dickhead before then. I think I’ll have them bring in the drug dogs, too, since she mentioned he did coke.”