Page 58 of Sinister Secrets

“Did you just conveniently forget to give me his update that he found something suspicious with the body?”

“The crystals in the tissue,” I say, frowning.

“That’s right. You never told me about them.”

“It wasn’t like I was trying to keep it from you. I forwarded you the copy of the preliminary report he sent me. It was all in there. I’m sorry if there’s been some kind of misunderstanding, but I assumed he’d called and spoken to you himself.”

“And you didn’t think that was something we would have discussed if he had?”

“Why would we until he figured out the significance of it?”

“Well, he has.”

“And?”

“And the victim was frozen. Which means that you, missy, no longer have the alibi of being out of state when he was killed.”

If feels like a giant pair of hands just shoved me backward, knocking the air from my lungs. In an instant, it clicks—I know exactly what the humming sound coming from within the kitchen at the duplex was—and what the sheriff and his men are going to find when they open the chest freezer that I’m sure exists. This is bad, really bad.

“You can’t really think that I had something to do with this?”

“Oh, can’t I? That’s probably why you insinuated yourself into the investigation in the first place.”

“Are you mad? I didn’t insinuate myself into anything. You insisted!”

“I can’t believe you fooled me into giving you a chance. You need to stay away from my son.”

Is that why he was being civil to me? Why he talked about me making a good mother? Because he thought I might get back together with Matt?

I laugh, the turmoil of emotions inside me bubbling out into a single, loud, “Ha. That’s one thing you never have to worry about. The only one who’s ever disgusted me more than that narcissistic slimeball you spawned is you.”

For once, the sheriff doesn’t react, and that’s when I know—I’m in real trouble here. The kind that I might not be able to get out of. Someone went to a lot of effort to make sure they’d be able to pin this on me and considering that I have no idea how many more tricks they might have up their sleeve, it’s really starting to look like they might succeed.

CHAPTER 33

This isn’t the type of problem that I can run from—it’s the kind that needs to be faced head-on. I need to show everyone involved that I don’t plan on retreating and taking a back seat while my fate is decided without me. Which is why I’m already well on my way to the Miami field office when I get the call from Director Lopez.

“We need to talk.”

I try to analyze his voice, to tell if it betrays what he’s feeling, but his tone is devoid of emotion. He could be just as likely to fire me as to offer me a cupcake.

“I’m already on my way, sir. I’ll be there in twenty.”

It might be my imagination, but his words seem softer, almost like he’s smiling as he says, “Excellent. I’ll see you then.”

Ten minutes later, I pull into the parking lot. Make my way through security, then duck into the ladies’ room. Standing in front of the long counter of sinks, I meet my own eyes in my reflection in the mirror.

“You’re going to be okay,” I whisper. “No matter what gets thrown at you, you’ve got this.”

As I wash and dry my hands, exit the bathroom and continue on to Lopez’s office, I’m not sure if it’s true, but I feel slightly more centered than I had a few minutes ago. Would I lie to myself? Absolutely. But one thing that I’ve discovered over the last year is that I’ll also fight tooth and nail for myself, and whoever’s doing this to me? They’re going to get to feel the sharp bite of my fangs.

But I have to be careful about it. I can’t go off half-cocked, fueled by injustice and outrage like I usually do. I need to take a page from Jake’s book and use a little finesse. No gut reactions. Instead, I need to strategize carefully before I execute a plan.

Because even though a week ago I didn’t want to be a federal agent anymore, and there’s no denying that this entire situation would certainly be easier if I weren’t bound by the constraints of the law, the thought of walking away from the Bureau now feels like a sacrifice I’m not willing to make.

Hopefully it won’t come to that… though it seems like a pretty big hope.

I knock on Director Lopez’s door. Step inside when he answers, “Enter.” Eye the chair in front of his desk, not sure if I’m going to be here long enough to get settled. As if he can hear the thought, he says, “Take a seat.”