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“Because I fucked up. I called Bella Butler, just like you said, but she recorded the call and told the cops.”
“Oh fuck,” Allyson breathed. “Didn’t you tell her not to?”
“No. I just told her to be discreet. I thought she might go to the cops, but I didn’t think she’d recorded me. They dragged me downtown early this morning to question me. I didn’t give them your name, I swear.”
A beat of silence. “You know who I am?”
“Yeah. I remembered you from when I interviewed Bella. But I did not tell the police your name. I only called because I didn’t want you to be blindsided when you got to work.”
“I was afraid of this,” Allyson said bitterly. “The head of security sounded off when I talked to him last night. Yesterday and today were supposed to be my days off, but he called everyone in for an emergency meeting this afternoon. Guess I now know why, huh?”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t think she’d be able to identify me. I should have altered my voice.”
Allyson huffed angrily. “Yeah, you really should have.”
“I said I’m sorry.”
“It doesn’t matter. Thanks for letting me know. Be careful. If word gets back to... well, you know who—”
“Just say his damn name,” Noni interrupted, angry herself now. “He’s not Voldemort. He’s Corey Gates and he deserves to be punished.”
Her only answer was dead air, as Allyson had ended the call. Noni wanted to throw her phone at the glass wall of the conference room, but of course she didn’t. She composed herself instead. She had to get her makeup on for the news at noon.
She had meetings all afternoon and her final broadcast at six, but after that she’d call Allyson again and make sure she was all right. And then she’d do her job—investigating Corey Gates and exposing him for all the world to see.
19
Mid-City, New Orleans, Louisiana
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 27, 12:10 P.M.
VAL SAT ON the sofa in Kaj’s living room, a notebook in hand. Elijah was curled up in an armchair with his headphones on, watching a video for a science assignment. Czar lay on the floor between Elijah and Jace. Also wearing headphones, Jace was watching a movie on the tablet Molly had loaned him—an older model that had belonged to her niece. The internet was now blocked from the device, but Molly had downloaded a few movies for him. And Antoine had set it up to alert them if Jace tried to send any messages.
Antoine still sat at Kaj’s table, his three laptops gathering information on the names Val had identified as potential victims of Corey’s criminal organization. She had the feeling that Burke had asked him to work here in case she needed moral support before her meeting with Sandra Springfield. She loved her work family.
Kaj was in his office upstairs, taking advantage of a quiet spell in Phin’s construction of the safe room in Elijah’s bedroom to make some phone calls. He’d explained that his caseload was heavy and taking this week off was going to put him behind—especially as he anticipated being in court the following week for the trial of Bella Butler’s rapist.
Val didn’t want to think about that. She’d sat through two trials of her own—and she did think of herself as having been on trial. She’d had to endure the probing questions from the defense attorney and the insinuations that she’d been to blame for what had happened to her.
That even one of the three men had received some prison time had been a shock. She’d known it would be a long shot and she hadn’t cared. She’d wanted them to be humiliated and afraid, even if just for the few days of the trial.
She fervently hoped that Bella would get justice. At least Bella got Kaj as a prosecutor. If justice was possible, Kaj would get it for her.
And that was all the mental space she was going to give to the upcoming trial. She had other things to worry about. Like how she’d use the few minutes she was going to get with Sandra Springfield this afternoon.
She’d been staring at her notebook, trying to organize her thoughts, for over an hour. She’d have only ten minutes or so, according to Kaj. She wouldn’t have time to think then.
A creak on the stairs had her looking up. Phin waved. “Coffee break. Want some?”
Maybe caffeine would help her focus. “That’d be nice. Thank you.”
She expected him to hand her the coffee and go back upstairs, but he surprised her. After giving both her and Antoine a cup, he made himself comfortable on the opposite end of the sofa.
Phin pointed to her notepad. “What are you doing?”
“Trying to figure out what to ask Sandra Springfield.”
He grimaced. “Must have been a shock, realizing she’d been with your brother.”
