Page 67 of White Raven (Nevermore Duet #2)

UNDER THE MICROSCOPE

“So…you’re saying that she—” she paused, looking at the captain, and the redhead, and guarding her words carefully around the ears of ‘Average Joes’, still ignorant to a world they’d never believe existed.

“She had a moment …and St. James did the one thing I told her not to do. And now she’s rotting in a bed, trapped in her own body? ”

“That about sums it up,” the lawyer answered, sliding a hand from around the redhead’s back and flattening it at her waist. Foster smirked.

“You get around, don’t you, Stratford?”

“Watch your tongue, bitch.” The ginger clenched her fists, and Foster grinned.

“You’re the bestie. Where is Sarah?”

“If I knew, I wouldn’t tell you. Sarah made it clear enough that she doesn’t trust you much.”

Of course. Why wouldn’t St. James make this ten times more difficult.

She didn’t know why she’d expected anything less.

But regardless of that aspect, she did sound desperate on the phone, and Foster figured if that was the case, then the help she was offering would have been welcomed.

She wanted to find Kane. Foster directed her attention to Foley next.

“You know…I don’t think that’s why she jumped ship. What happened at that antique store?”

Foley shoved his hands into his pockets and blew a heavy breath. “St. James thinks I wanna lock her up for murder.”

“Murder?” Foster spat, narrowing her eyes.

“She—she’s…like Kane now.”

“I knew that already. I’ve known since the last time I saw her, right before I left to go back to Seattle. Are you telling me it’s…related to that? Or was this an ‘I’m feeling stabby’ moment?”

“Who cares?” The redhead interrupted, slashing a hand through the air. “Kane is missing, Sarah is out there alone, Nell is dead, and Rhaena won’t fucking wake up. Can we get on track here? Somebody put me to work!”

Foster shot her a look and pursed her lips. “What was your name, again?”

The redhead’s fuse fired off, and she leaned forward. “Wren fucking Vintorri.” Stratford smiled with pride behind her, with a knowing look in his pretty eyes.

“Well, Wren fucking Vintorri, I think you’ve already jumped on some work ,” Foster smiled, narrowing her eyes.

“If Sarah has talked to you about me, then you must know I take my job seriously. I’ve got the eyes of a hawk, little girl.

I know you made a pit stop before you came here.

And…I know it must have been important, judging by the obvious grief you were feeling at the antique shop. ”

“You went to see Erickson?” Foley asked, looking pointedly at Wren.

“I did. All plans we made before you barged in,” she sneered, irritation simmering in her eyes as she cut them at Foster.

“Neither here, nor there. I’m here to help whether you like it or not. Who is Erickson, and why is this person important?”

“Leigh Erickson works the counter at the tattoo shop I used to work at. Ryan Sykes was banging her while she was here in Boston.” Wren crossed her arms.

That could have easily been who Sykes had been on the phone with in the photo taken on top of the building in Seattle. Interesting. Foster cocked her head, biting the corner of her mouth. “Alright. I’ll bite. I wasn’t aware she was serious with anyone.”

“Then how good are you at your job, really?” Stratford huffed.

“Cute, Stratford. It won’t help our situation. If we’re gonna work together, then you’ll have to save your bullshit for after we’ve closed this case.” She focused on Wren, then. “Did this girl have any information we could possibly use? Please say, yes.”

“All she said was that Sykes reached out to her not too long ago. Apologized for ghosting her and told her that she’d be the only reason that she would come back to Boston.”

So, she was on the phone with this girl. The evasive Ryan Sykes caught the feels.

“I’m not convinced that’s all she knows. I wanna talk to her,” Foster said, straightening in her chair.

“If she says that was all, then that was all. Leave her alone.” Wren tensed like she was ready to pounce, and Foster would have been lying if she said she didn’t admire that fire in her that seemed to filter right through her very hair .

“While I can appreciate your need to try and protect her, it’s obvious you haven’t been in a relationship very long, Vintorri.

Believe me when I say, I mean no offense, I’m just as rusty…

however, I’ve been at this particular line of work for a really long time, and I’m telling you…

if there’s even a chance that a spark of romance ignited between those two, then there’s more she’s not telling you.

She’s probably doing the same thing you are and attempting to protect Sykes by withholding information. ”

“You can’t prove that,” Wren barked.

“I can.” Foster craned her neck around the couple standing at the edge of the desk, and a pink-haired spunky firecracker approached them from the elevator.

“She’s right. I didn’t lie to you, Wren.

But I did… omit some shit.” Wren eyed her the entire way to where they gathered at Northwood and Kane’s desks, betrayal flashing in her eyes as the girl, who was obviously Leigh Erickson, finally stopped in front of them.

“Leigh, how the fuck could you not tell me everything?” Wren shoved her in the shoulder, only hard enough to turn the girl’s body to face her. “I told you that bitch was dangerous. I told you she killed somebody close to me!”

“I know that, Wren. I didn’t wanna believe Ryan could do something like that, okay? You can say what you want about her, but she’s not a bad person.”

“She’s a fucking murderer,” Wren spat through her teeth.

“And you said yourself that was yet to be determined. But I felt guilty. I didn’t last ten minutes after you left the tattoo shop.

Dom promised to fire me if I wasn’t back in an hour.

I probably won’t get my lunch breaks for a month after this.

I should have just said something…but I just don’t want anything bad to happen to her, alright? ”

“Nobody can promise you that, Miss Erickson,” Foley piped up.

“That’s not exactly true.” Foster rose from her chair and offered a hand towards the new girl.

“I’m Rachel Foster. I’m an agent working for a secure investigation team funded by the federal government.

As I’ve already explained to Sarah, I need Ryan Sykes alive.

” Leigh shook her hand, and Wren jerked her face towards Foster.

“You didn’t explain shit to Sarah. You threatened to get in her way. And when she returned your threat with a promise, you decided it was better to come stick your nose in our fucking business.”

“Jesus, Vintorri, can we just get on the same team here?” Foster gestured at the long-stemmed red rose in Leigh’s other hand. “Does this have anything to do with what you omitted? ”

Leigh cleared her throat and brought the rose close to her chest. “I think she left this for me. It was in my car when I left work…the night you said Sarah’s hot boyfriend went missing.”

“And the night Nell was killed,” Wren added, her voice cracking with emotion.

“How do you know it was her?” Stratford asked.

“I guess I don’t, but she’s the only one I’ve been…”

“Fucking,” Wren finished.

“Whatever. It’s more than that. At least it feels like it.

She said it was a risk calling me that day.

She said she wanted you guys to seek her out.

She said she’d only come back to Boston for me .

I guess she lied about that too. But why go through all the trouble if she didn’t feel something more? ”

“Maybe she knew you’d tell us. Maybe she was counting on it. If she’s the one that killed that old woman, and she had the good sense to get rid of all possible clues as to where she’d take Kane…then leaving that rose for you as a vague bread crumb was a slick move,” Foley offered.

“Or a careful one.” Foster pulled the photo of Sykes from her jacket pocket and handed it to Leigh.

“I’ve been chasing this woman for weeks.

She’s very good at hiding. If she doesn’t wanna be found, then she won’t be.

And she takes drastic measures to make sure we’re always a step behind.

Whoever she’s working for? This might have been an attempt to go against his orders. A cry for help.”

“I thought you said she was more dangerous than we thought?” Wren argued.

“She is, but for a completely different reason.”

“And what’s that?” Foley asked.

Foster sighed and met eyes with the captain. “If we’re gonna put Ryan Sykes under the microscope, then we’ll need a more private place to discuss this.”

It was a wonder. The young woman that had become the center of something dark, and unfair.

The utterly ridiculous lengths that she’d had to go through just to be left alone.

The aspiring hope that he’d hired one of the most brilliant and daring minds to work in his labs, and to think he had been a part of the wrecking ball that had crashed into Sarah St. James’ life…

Nick’s muscles stiffened, and his regret ran deep.

He watched her hunch over a microscope on his kitchen island as he poured two short glasses of scotch.

“If I haven’t told you enough already, I’m truly sorry for whatever part I played in making your life so complicated.

You’re a dedicated chemist. And a courageous friend to those you care about.

I’ll regret my shitty decisions every day for the rest of my life.

” He sat a glass down next to her as she looked away from the eyepiece.

“Does having kids make you that soft? If it does, then I don’t want any,” she smirked, taking a sip of the scotch. Nick chuckled through his nose and joined her on a bar stool at her side.