Page 170 of Lau Ahi
“I’ve been giving explicit instructions—”
I kept my eyes on the glass ignoring how Agent Anderson attempted to posture in front of me by asserting authority I wouldn’t acknowledge.
“You don’t care anything about that. It’s clear you hope they fail so that you can swoop in at the eleventh hour and attempt to be the hero. I hope you know that there isn’t anyone who will forget the work they’ve put in so why try to eat off of what another man kills. It’s quite pathetic.”
“We are trying to keep you safe—“
I looked at him then because he really was audacious. His arms were crossed and nothing about his body language made it look as though he wanted to be protective or cooperative.
“Oh, come off it. You want me to believe that this bureau founded in a nation that never wanted Black Americans to haveequality has suddenly gotten to where you’re too worried about the life of one Black woman? And animmigrantat that? Never insult my intelligence again by thinking I would believe such a fallacy.”
“Why would you—” I held up my hand to stop the lying because he was irritating me and I was trying to listen to what was going on.
“Just say that Ori and Alec scare the piss out of you and that they’ve threatened you to within an inch of your life. That much is far more believable.”
“You think I’m a racist or something like that?”
Hello Captain Obvious. I wasn’t even going to honor his comment with a response and changed the subject. “Do you know why I’m here?”
“So that you can help with the case.”
“I’m here because I can provide insight that others miss. One look at you and I can tell I’m not your favourite person. Additionally, you hate the two of them because you feel as though their success should be yours. You positively reek of jealousy and disdain.” I wrinkled my nose up as I looked at him to make my disgust plain.
“Hold up—”
“Shhh! Do be quiet! There’s no reason for you to deny it because I’ve already observed your behavior. You roll your eyes when they talk and you’ve been shuffling around since you were relegated to stay here and babysit. Why don’t you just lie and say I got away from you if they ask?”
“That would make me look bad.”
I perked up and grinned, since I’d already decided.
“Then I guess you need to concoct your story now.”
I opened the door and took a sharp right into the meeting room where Ori and Alec had been gaining no leeway with the suspect.
All three of them looked up in surprise as I entered the room and I walked in as if I belonged in the room. There was no need to speak to anyone; I was only here to observe. Like I knew he would Ori got back to business as soon as I got comfortable.
“You realize that the warrant for your arrest included a search of your home.”
Christopher looked as though the entire situation were a game. Not because he was innocent but because he thought he had outsmarted us. The smirk on his face wasn’t arrogance born of privilege and thinking he was the smartest man in the room.
He thinks he got rid of all the evidence.
“That’s going to be one hell of a lawsuit when it’s all over. Especially since you don’t have any evidence against me.” Christopher casually leaned back in his seat mirroring Ori’s behavior like he was stealing the power in the room from him. It was laughable, since at best the Christopher boy was an inch taller than me. Which meant both Ori and Alec towered over him.
“Do you know the most ironic thing about all of this, Christopher?” I spoke up then hoping to break the tension in the room. His eyes widened with interest as he heard me speak and I could feel the fury Ori was broadcasting as he burned a hole in my head.
“And what is that beautiful?”
Christopher sat forward and folded his arms on the table far less arrogant than before.
“Not once in all the time I’ve been observing you have I heard you say that you never did this. Why is that?”
His face broke out into a sweat and I glanced at both Ori and Alec who looked ready to jump across the table to him.
“Because dead men tell no tales.” He grinned but it was with far less condescension than before.
“And again, that’s not a refusal.”
