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“Because…” he sighed. “Because it sucks. They killed Lila, and they’re just going to get away with it because they’re rich.” He met her eyes, and the accusation in his was strong enough that Lena flinched slightly. “You know that wasn’t a damned accident.”
Yes, I do.
She sighed and tapped her desk. “I’m going to be honest with you, Nate. I don’t know if I believe you. I mean, I believe some of what you’re saying, but there’s a lot you’re not saying that you should, and there are a few things you’re telling me that you don’t realize you’re telling me. So here’s where I’m sitting: I have a kid who shows up out of nowhere, who’s clearly on drugs.”
He flinched. “I’m not high!”
“Not now, but you have been very recently. Not all of those tracks on your arm are old.”
He flinched again and crossed his arms.
“So I have a kid who’s clearly on drugs, who is experienced enough that he can tell immediately that someone’s using drugs—”
“I saw the coke on the damned table!”
"Let me finish. You show up out of nowhere, and Lila Kensington dies. Then, after the death is ruled an accident, you show up in my office and claim that Clara's a junkie and probably killed her daughter. Maybe everything you're saying is true. Maybe Clara did kill Lila. Certainly, she didn't help keep her alive.
“The big question here is how do you fit into all of this.”
“I don’t! For God’s sake, I just started this job!”
“I know. I just wonder what you were doing before.”
“What do you mean? I was…” There go those eyes again.
“Selling drugs?”
“No!”
She lifted her hand. “Okay. But this is where I get confused. Lila Kensington is an honor roll student in high school. She gets a full ride to UCLA and is comfortably top of her class in every subject. Then last semester rolls around. Her glades start slipping. She starts getting into fights.”
“I didn’t know about that.”
“Let me finish. Her parents pull her out of the dorms and start keeping her home. Stop letting her friends see her. Supposedly, she has an eating disorder, but they keep that under wraps. Then, out of nowhere, a kid her age shows up who's clearly got a habit. Next thing I know, Lila's dead and Mom is coked out, and new kid is somehow at the house for both of those events."
“So you think I sold them drugs? That’s it?”
“You said it, not me.”
“All right.” Nate stood up. “I was just trying to help, but clearly you only care about rich people. Just like all fucking cops.”
“Hold on.”
“No, fuck you. You want to pin this on me? Go ahead. I’m sure you can figure out where to find me. But Clara Kensington killed Lila, and if you give a single shit about actual justice, you’ll look at her again. But hey, what do I know? I’m just a poor junkie.”
He stormed out of the office, and Lena let him leave. Harris came in a moment later. "That looked bad."
“Maybe.” She tapped her desk again. “I’m going to have to take a rain check on dinner tonight, Damien.”
Harris frowned. “Don’t get pulled down a rabbit hole, Lena. The case is over.”
She smiled. “You want to catch a bunny, you have to dive down a few holes.”
“Your dry humor needs work,” he said. “Do what you want. You get yourself fired, it’s another step up the ladder for me.”
He left, and Lena leaned back in her desk. She stared up at the ceiling for a moment, then opened her web browser and typed Clara Kensington into the search box.
Harris was right. She was risking her career digging into something the department considered buried.
