Page 61 of Vengeance of Childhood Proportions (Till Death Do Us Part #7)
Chapter Fifty-One
Mal
Mira disconnected the video call with the agents on the ground in Atelihai Valley. I sat back in my plush, black conference chair, trying to process what I just saw, as the others cleared out of the room.
“It doesn’t fit,” I finally said when it was just the two of us.
“How so? He had your precious Holly’s obit stapled to his forehead. That’s more of a signature than her name being sketched into Sam Keene’s skin.”
My fingers steepled in front of me, I glanced to my left at her towards the front of the room. She was holding the button down to raise the projector screen and once again reveal my murder board. “What the fuck is your problem?”
I was the one who’d been taken away from my little owl. I’d already been gone nearly three hours and was nowhere near able to return to her. If it wasn’t for X-rated text messages that I’d told her to send me, I never would have gotten through the morning.
My favorite was a video of her running naked on my treadmill.
At breakfast this morning, we’d both discovered that the other liked to run long distance.
I planned on adding it to our morning routine for the days we were together.
I’d never had a running partner before, but I knew I’d enjoy having one if that running partner was her.
“Did you not just hear yourself during that entire meeting?” Mira stepped forward towards the table, but pointed behind herself at the non-existent screen we’d just conferenced on with Atelihai Valley.
I just stared at her without responding.
I was not in the mood, nor did I have the patience.
What exactly did she want me to say, anyway?
Sorry, no, I had earplugs in, so I couldn’t hear my own fucking words that came out of my own fucking mouth.
Did you happen to record the meeting so I could know what I said?
Mira lowered her arm, placing both hands flat on the shiny surface of the table. “Mal, I am saying this with the utmost respect for you and your position, but you need to get your head out of your ass.”
I cocked an eyebrow. “Why is it that when someone says ‘no disrespect intended’ or ‘I say this with the utmost respect’ that whatever comes next is always disrespectful?” I sat up in my chair. “Now, what is it you feel I have my head up my ass about?”
“This entire case!” she shouted. Twisting with her hand still on the table, she pointed behind herself at Holly’s picture on my board.
“Holly Marteen is not our victim, Mal! She was a victim and what happened to her was tragic, but she is not our current victim! Yet, everything about this case for you, brings you back to her. Why? I understand she’s the motive, I can no longer argue that, but you are acting like you can save her!
Like there’s a ticking clock to save her!
” Mira twisted again, only this time to her right towards the middle of the board.
“These people are our victims, Mal. We can still save them .”
I didn’t bother to argue that I had no desire to save them, that I thought they were getting their just desserts. But I couldn’t say that because I had sworn to uphold the Constitution and protect the American people—even if those people were rapists and murderers.
“Where are we with Hagley?” I asked instead of responding to her.
Mira made a face. “Same place we were yesterday. ADA Kirlin says we don’t have enough on him for a warrant, especially when we can’t even say what it is we are looking for.”
I slammed my hand down on the table, making her jump. “That’s bullshit! He’s the key! He started this whole thing with that fucking hockey game!”
“Only you can’t prove it!” she shot back at me. “Mal, what Hagley did or did not do back then has nothing to do with now?—”
“It has everything to do with now!” I stood up so fast that the wheels of my chair took it all the way to the window. “Hagley started this whole thing when he covered up Holly’s attack!”
“He’s not a current victim!” Mira argued, enunciating each word.
She pointed to the window where my line of headshots were of the Atelihai Valley residents who had died suspicious deaths over the past fifteen years, including Holly’s parents.
“He is not kidnapped, nor is he on your list! We have nothing on him because there’s nothing there!
Even Roberts’ statement doesn’t implicate him!
Sheriff Renfrew has weeks left to live according to his doctors.
No jury in the world would touch him even with a written confession.
You need to drop your obsession with Hagley and start paying attention to the people currently dying or we will never solve this case! ”
I stared at Mira for a long moment, crossing my arms over my broad chest. Instead of giving my little owl pleasure right now, I was standing in a fucking conference room fighting with my partner because she thought rapists were victims. How had my world gotten so turned upside down?
“Is that all you care about, Mira?” I asked her in a low voice, though no less intimidating. “Solving this case?”
“Of course!” she snapped, her icy eyes nearly ablaze. “Why wouldn’t I want to solve this case?”
I started towards the door, done with this place.
And done with her. I paused behind her, speaking to the back of her head.
“Not everything is about recognition and promotions, Mira. Justice comes in many forms. Ask yourself what you would do if it was your daughter’s photo on my murder board.
Then ask me who the true victim is in this case. ”