Page 95 of Kiss of Deceit

“For your secret mission.”

“I’ll tell you when I can.”

“I’m holding you to that.”

We stopped in front of the police station, and my stomach knotted. Whatever Natalie wanted me to see was important. Why did I have a feeling it was something bad?

Kole opened the door, letting me enter first. Matt shot up from the chair, hastily hiding his open beer behind his back.

“Kole,” he sputtered. “What are you doing here?”

“Break time,” Kole grumbled, jerking a nod toward the door. “Harry wants me to cover for you so you can grab food. You have fifteen minutes.”

Matt’s eyes drifted to me. “Why is she with you?”

“Because there’s a murderer on the loose, and I’m not letting her walk home alone,” Kole snapped. “So hurry your ass up. I want to go home.”

Matt scurried away, still trying to hide his drink. A blast of cold air whipped through the space when he left. Kole had respect in this town that Harry didn’t even have. People listened to him. I grinned, raising on my tiptoes to give him a quick kiss on his cheek. He turned last second, his lips meeting mine. He deepened the kiss, letting out a groan.

I reluctantly pulled away, remembering we were on a time crunch. “Thank you for helping me.”

“Go do whatever you came here for. I’ll make sure no one bothers you.”

He leaned against the desk Tristin used to sit at, crossing his arms. I hurried to the back, only to freeze in my tracks when I stepped through the doorway. The lights were on, and I peered around the large space as that night played through my head. Natalie’s pained voice. Miles’s scream of anguish when he’d gotten stabbed.

The room had been cleaned, the evidence gone. Our desks were still in the same spot, and I crept toward Natalie’s. There was a heaviness in the air that wouldn’t ever leave.

I sank into the office chair, hitting the power button on the ancient computer. Tapping my foot, I stared at the screen as it booted up. Finally, the login screen popped up. I quickly typed inher email before pulling out the small paper towel I’d written her password on that night at the clinic.

I let the mouse hover over the enter button for a moment before clicking it. Her home screen took what felt like minutes to load. My pulse thudded as I glanced toward the door. Hopefully fifteen minutes was enough time.

The only folder on her home screen was labeledWinterlake, and I clicked on it. It opened into more folders to choose from. I frowned, seeing some of them color coded. The green highlighted one was namedLow Level. Orange wasMedium, and red wasHigh Risk. The file above those caught my attention most.

Winterlake Experiment.

My breaths came out faster as I clicked on that one. The word document loaded after a few moments, and I saw Natalie’s name on the top. I leaned forward and began reading.

To whom it may concern,

Five Year Overview.

In my professional opinion, Winterlake has been a success. These years have proven that reintegration is possible. Men and women who never had a chance at freedom again can learn to reassimilate to civilian life. I have had therapy sessions with every inmate in this town, and while some are lost causes, there are many who can be part of society again, and they will thrive.

Winterlake consists of people convicted of crimes ranging from theft and drug charges to capital murder. (Please refer to labeled files for inmate details.)

The requirement for inmates to participate in the Winterlake Experiment:

-A minimum of a three-year sentence.

-At least one year of good behavior.

-A willingness to grow and learn.

Every year or so, we bring a bus load of civilians into Winterlake to work an internship. This is to test how the inmates coexist with law abiding citizens who have no knowledge of this experiment. Results have been positive.

To date, we have allowed seventy-nine men and twenty-four women to re-enter society after completing their time in Winterlake. Every case and every individual is different. For some, I may need to supervise for a period of years. Others may only need a year here before I’m confident they are ready to leave. Once they leave, all their charges are dropped and their criminal file sealed. They sign a contract to never speak a word about this place, and if broken, they could face new charges.

To help with the transition, we send the newly released inmates to a state and city on the opposite coast of where they previously were arrested. We believe that giving them a fresh start in a new place makes falling into old habits more difficult. They each received a specified amount of cash, a rented room for three months, and job prospects.