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“I don’t know where. I’m in our car, and the police just got here. There’s three of them, and I don’t think?—”

“Please step out of the vehicle,” an angry male voice booms from behind her.

“Break…oh my God. Listen. She’s my fuckingmother. I love you so much. I’m so sorry.”

Then the line goes dead.

“Mr. Royale isn’t pressing charges.”A cool as a cucumber looking Remington Wilde walks out of the door marked No Entry.

“They better not be, motherfuckers. I swear to God, Remi?—”

“Listen, if you’re going to live here, you should know that I’m not a criminal lawyer. I came down because you’re a friend, but I’m going to give you someone else’s number?—”

“We don’t need a criminal lawyer. She didn’t break into anything, and if they so much as think of saying she did again, I don’t care what it means or what it costs, I will make sure they don’t have another truly happy day in their lives again.”

Remi sighs, hands on his hips, and shakes his head. “Again, I’ll send you the number for my friend who practices criminal law.”

“Whatever. Can I see her?”

“Yes. She’s being processed, but you can go back and sit with her in a minute.”

“Thank you, Remi. I’m sorry to pull you away from work.”

“It’s all right. You guys come to dinner on Friday at our place. Tyson and Dina will be there, and she’s itching to meet Jules.”

“We’ll do our best.”

He pats my shoulder. “I’m sorry this didn’t pan out. We can talk about that more on Friday. Go get your girl. She’s holding up, but she looks like she’s about to shatter.”

Fuck. My gut clenches. She’s been back there for hours now.

He knocks on the door and waves up at a small camera at the top of it, and with a buzz, it unlocks.

I walk down a too brightly lit hallway and past the first door and stop when I see Jules sitting at a table through the window next to it. She’s curled her body into itself, her hands are tucked between her knees, and her head is bent. It kills me to see my Beat so flat and out of tune.

I open the door slowly.

She looks up then, and her eyes are exactly what Remi described. Shattered.

“She’s my mother. She thought I killed him. And she left me to face it on my own. She didn’t want me to ever find her.”

I’m so angry I don’t know what to do with myself. But I push it aside and focus on her. “Baby, I’m so sorry.” I move to stand in front of her chair and drop to my haunches so she doesn’t have to look up at me.

She shakes her head. “I didn’t do anything to her. I have the whole thing recorded and as soon as they give me my phone, I can prove it. I just… I can’t believe she called the police.”

“She didn’t. Her husband did.”

Her face creases with confusion. “What? How? He wasn’t in the house when I left.”

“I don’t know. His statement says he chased you out.”

“He’s lying. When I get my phone back, I can prove it. I forgot to stop recording until I pulled my phone out to call you after the police showed up. But…why would he make that up?”

“I don’t know Jules. I don’t understand any of this.” I’ve never felt more helpless in my life. “We’ll get to the bottom of it.But first, tell me what happened in her room. She said she’s your mother? How is that possible?”

She shrugs. “I don’t know, but I believe her.”

“But…Noah is my age. His sister Rachel, from what I remember, is ten years younger than him. Which would make her two years younger than you. So I get that she wouldn’t have a clue. But if his mother had a baby when he was eight years old, he’d absolutely remember.”