Page 119 of Bound By Fire
I try to go after them, but Reed steps forward, blocking my path.
“You and I need to talk,” she tells me.
Reed closes the door and pulls the blinds all the way shut. The room goes dim.
“What the hell are you doing here, Ridge?” Her voice is low. “I told you to stay away. I warned you.”
I turn to face her. “He didn’t do this, Councilor.”
“That isn’t what I asked.”
“He didn’t do this. I’m telling you. Whatever you found, it was planted. He’s smarter than that. If Magma had been working against this island, you would never have found that kind of evidence on him. Not that easily. I’m assuming these items were fairly easy to find. He doesn’t make sloppy mistakes. The only way that evidence exists is if someone put it there.”
She sighs and closes her eyes for a second.
“There is a burner phone, Ridge. With his fingerprints on it. There are documents that were found in his place of residence, taped under the bed. It’s enough to put him away for the rest of his life.”
“That’s exactly my point. Taped under his bed? Magma? You think a male who has run frontline operations would hide classified material under his bed like an idiot? It’s a setup. The whole thing reeks of one.”
“I don’t disagree.”
“Exactly. So why the arrest? It’s exactly what they want. The unrest on this island is growing.”
“Both islands,” she corrects me.
“Exactly. Magma arrested like this is the last thing we need at a time like this.”
She rubs a hand over her face. “It’s too neat. It’s been too neat from the start. If I had any choice, I would have held off on the arrest. I do not have that choice. A vote was taken, and this is the result.”
“Tell me you have your best males working the angle that he was framed.”
“Absolutely.” She steps closer. “Now, I’ll ask you again. Why are you here, Ridge?”
I push out a breath.
“I came to tell Magma I was stepping away from the Keller assignment.”
She narrows her eyes. “Explain your reasoning behind this decision.”
“I’m no longer the best person for the job because I had sex with Dr. Keller. I compromised the investigation. I need to be pulled.”
She mutters what sounds like a curse under her breath and stares at the far wall for a few seconds.
“Do you have feelings for her, or was it just sex?” Her eyes slowly drag up to mine.
“I’m attracted to her. I won’t pretend otherwise. There are no feelings beyond that. We had sex, and therefore, I’m not the right male for this assignment any longer. I came to inform Magma because he would have suspected that something was up otherwise. Turns out I could have saved myself the trip.”
She turns and walks to the window
When she turns back, her face has shifted again.
“Can you still be objective where Dr. Keller is concerned?”
“Of course I can, but?—”
“Could you build a case against her if she is guilty? Could you be the one to put her in handcuffs?”
“If she’s guilty, I’ll build the case myself, and I’ll put her in the cuffs. I won’t enjoy it. But I’ll do it.”
