Page 47 of Range
“Alright,” he sighed, leaning in to kiss my lips. “I’ll call you.”
“Okay.”
I slammedmy body against the leather chair. The lights of my study were low, but I was on high alert. I adjusted the silk dress, finding comfort underneath my desk. I entered my password and watched the screen change before my eyes.
Josiah Blackwood.
My fingers moved faster than they ever had. A Google search was hardly enough. I entered his name in the system. My system. A system that Psalms had helped me perfect. One that was clever and consuming. One that could locate your last cafe receipt ifyou gave it enough seconds. It was thorough, and it was a hell of a tool in my line of work.
Wife?
Children?
Measly charges?
Drug history?
Anything?
I searched for the flaws. They were destined to appear. My patience was plentiful. I allowed the software to complete its search.
Blackwood Pharmaceuticals appeared in his profile time and time again. I scrolled, waiting for images of his wife to appear. At the end of the first page, I realize there wouldn’t be any. No one carried his last name but his mother and father.
His sister’s name had been changed, hyphenated to include her husband’s name. To my surprise, it was the name of the man who Josiah was being accused of murdering. My brows furrowed at my lack of information on the case.
It’s not mine. I reasoned.It’s not mine.
Hadn’t I denounced my assistance with the case, I’d know the details as well as I knew my last name and the notes of the last scent Teddy wore.
It’s not mine.I reminded myself.It’s not mine.
The guilt still clung to me. Holding me tightly. Lingering. Taunting.
My deep dive into Josiah Blackwood did little to satisfy my growing curiosity. It enhanced his mystique. The odds were not in my favor.
I now had evidence that Josiah was:
A gifted chemist.
A wealthy Black man.
A well-connected man.
A resourceful man.
A businessman.
Very knowledgeable.
Unmarried.
Without children.
A saint on paper.
A sinner behind doors.
Flawless.
