Page 104 of Anyone But You

Victoria

I was putting a dent in Knox’s credit card when I received an incoming call.

“Hello?” I answered, not paying attention to the caller ID. I was more concerned with figuring out which store I’d hit up next.

“Ms. Caldwell, this is Special Agent Domer.”

I froze. Even through the line, he sounded like someone who was about to deliver bad news. I tightened my grip around the phone and the shopping bags.

“Special Agent Domer. Did you… did you get a chance to speak with my sisters?”

There was a pause before he replied.

“We attempted to; however, things didn’t go as planned.” My heart sank, fearing the worst. They were cruel to me, and I wanted justice, but that didn’t mean I wanted them harmed.

“What happened?” I asked breathlessly.

“When we arrived to conduct the interview, your sister Faith became combative with an officer, and Hope was attempting to destroy evidence. Both were immediately taken into custody.”

The words slammed into me like a bus.

“Taken into custody? They’re arrested?”

“Yes, ma’am. Given the seriousness of the fraud and identity-theft allegations, and the new charges, including tampering with evidence and assault of an agent, they will be held, likely without bail. We’ve recovered several items matching the personal belongings you described in your statement, including your identification, electronics, and a recipe book. We’re cataloging them now.”

I leaned against the storefront window in a daze. I was shocked. You always heard how sluggish the legal system was, and here it was, three weeks post-island, and my sisters were already incarcerated.

“You’re welcome to come down to our field office this afternoon to identify and collect the recovered property. It will help us close the evidence chain.”

I swallowed hard. I was getting the closure and the justice I wanted, but it was still painful—painful but necessary.

“Text me the address. I’ll be there.”

“Of course. I’ll meet you in the lobby.”

“Will I be able to speak with them?”

“That can be arranged.”

“Thank you, Agent Domer. I’ll see you soon.”

I hung up, and my first thought was to call Knox, but I quickly abandoned that thought. I needed to handle this myself.

* * *

By the time I pulled into the concrete parking lot of the federal field office, my palms were slipping and sliding against the steering wheel from the dampness. The building had looked exactly how I expected—nondescript with a flag pole outside with a flag lowered half-mast, snapping in the wind.

I threw up a prayer and asked God to calm my nerves before venturing into the office. My teeth chattered as soon as I entered the office, and the air smelled faintly of citrus disinfectant, coffee, and toner.

“May I help you, ma’am?” the officer at the reception desk asked.

“Yes, I’m Victoria Caldwell,” I said, voice coming out steadier than I felt. “Special Agent Domer is expecting me.”

“I need to see some identification. Please sign in, here,” he said, extending a clipboard with a pen attached by a silver chain.

I fished my ID out of my wallet, slid it over to him, and signed in while he contacted Agent Domer.

“Thank you, Ms. Caldwell,” he said, nodding towards the metal detector. “Place your bag on the belt, remove any metal, keys, watch, belt, et cetera, and step through.”