Page 128 of Velvet Chains

Lucy placed a second image beside it. A man—hood up, broader build—carrying something down the front steps. The resolution was too poor to see what it was.

That wasn’t Kieran. That was one of the men he’d had clean up the mess. But I sure as fuck wasn’t going to say that.

“We believe this was Mr. Callahan leaving your residence with a body.”

I didn’t speak.

“Did you see Mr. Callahan that night?”

“Yes.”

“Was he carrying anything when he left?”

“I—I don’t know.”

“Did he say where he was going?”

I shook my head.

“Did you ask?”

“No.”

Lucy leaned back slightly. “Why not?”

Alek cut in. “She’s answered your question. She did not know.”

Lucy didn’t argue. She just let the silence sit.

Then, calmly: “We recovered a burner phone near Mr. Russell’s body. On it was a single, unsent text message. It reads: ‘I’m scared. If anything happens—’ The rest is missing. Possibly deleted, possibly interrupted. We don’t know.”

My palms were damp against the table.

“Did Mr. Russell contact you that night, Ms. Marquez?”

I hesitated.

Alek spoke before I could. “Given the scope of the investigation and the presence of federal agents, we’re not going to speculate on the content or timing of any private communications unless you can present concrete evidence.”

“DA Marquez, did you know Mr. Russell was in your house that night?”

Alek answered for me. “Once again, Special Agent, we will not speculate.”

Lucy didn’t flinch. “That’s not a denial.”

“It’s also not an admission,” Alek said smoothly.

Darnell looked at me again, but I kept my expression still. I wasn’t sure what they already knew—or what they were waiting for me to admit. Lucy held my gaze a moment longer, then nodded once. She slipped the photograph back into the folder and closed it with a quiet click.

“That concludes my questions for today.” Her tone was smooth. Neutral. But I could feel the weight of the wordtodayhanging in the air like smoke.

And it felt like she’d gotten something out of me.

She probably had.

It was already ending…faster than I could’ve imagined.

Alek straightened in his chair. “Are we free to go?”