Page 143 of The Curse Trilogy

“You can’t tell a suspect you’ll release them. You’re out of line. He’s guilty of blood fucking a girl without permission until she says otherwise. I’ve already contacted Captain Hawkins.”

“Good. You saved me a phone call,” I snarl, and then I walk back into the other viewing box.

“So you know it’s a major felony to file a false blood rape report?” Brazen says.

“What are you accusing me of?” she barks, and I smile at the anger he has been able to provoke.

“Nothing. I have to inform you of these things while filling out the paperwork. It’s protocol.”

“No it’s not. You just fill out your statement, and then they arrest the man who took advantage. Then you walk out, and he goes to jail.”

“I think I know better than you about what’s protocol,” he says to play along.

“Apparently you don’t. I’ve fucking done this before, and I’ve never been asked these questions.”

“I see. You poor girl. This sort of thing is rare. I hate you’ve had to endure it more than once,” and his eyes look for mine through the glass.

I’m already typing on my phone - working on his silent request.

“What are you doing?” Leon asks.

“I’m looking up Melinda Hanbrook to see how many times she’s been blood raped.”

I finally find her file, and I see the seventeen cases with her name tagged as the victim. I shake my head in disgusted disbelief, and then Nicholas walks in.

“What’s going on? I thought this was an open and shut case of blood rape.”

“Sir, Ms. Crush is showing leniency on the hybrid by blaming our full blood victim.”

Nicholas’s eyes widen, and he tilts his head in confusion.

“Araya? Is this true?”

“Yes it is. I don’t prosecute innocent people when I have proof the other party is guilty. She’s a serial falsifier. She has been involved in seventeen cases of blood rape in which all the men were hybrid, all the attacks were jugular, and the locations were always suspicious. No one stopped to listen to the hybrids, but I’m not going to let him go to prison for something he didn’t do. You can fire me if you want to.”

Nicholas’s eyes burn toward the lying wench behind the glass. For so long she has been the Jezebel pretending to be the Mother Mary, and until she rolled into my interrogation room, no one caught on.

“Leon, you forgot to give me all the facts it seems,” Nicholas growls, his glower forcing Leon to look away. Then he turns to me. “Start from the beginning.”

“The hybrid boy is new to his change - his eyes are still adjusting. She’s a seasoned full blood claiming he forced himself on her, and he bled her from the throat. He’s terrified, and she’s pissed. She has a record of attacks, as I mentioned, and she’s not the least bit intimidated by Brazen. If you send in a hybrid male, she’ll show her attraction, and she’ll sell herself out. I’m going to go release the terrified boy who looks to be close to the same age as your daughter. He doesn’t have a dad looking out for him,” I snap, and Nicholas takes a deep breath.

“I’m not going to fire you for releasing an innocent man. I thought you knew me better than that. I fully agree with you,” he murmurs, and Brazen steps back into the room to join me at my side.

“She’s definitely guilty,” he utters in disgust. “She’s so used to everyone believing her that she doesn’t even try to sound convincing anymore.”

“You don’t know that,” Leon scoffs.

“I’ve been a detective for a damn long time. She’s lying. You’re welcome to prove me wrong. Get a hybrid male and see how she reacts.”

I laugh a little, and Nicholas lets a smile free.

“What’d I say?” Brazen asks innocently.

“Nothing. Go with me to let our real innocent victim free.”

He smirks, and then Nicholas glares at Leon very disapprovingly before turning his gaze back to me.

“I’ll call for a hybrid male, and I’ll make sure she goes to jail for this.”