Page 15 of The Billionaire's Special Relationship

“She ran into me,” Tabby said in disbelief too. “She ran into me!”

“That’s not what I heard,” said the officer. “You also put your hands on her and she’s pressing charges.”

“What?” Stuart was floored. “Officer, my name is Stuart Jacobs. I witnessed this entire affair. The driver of that SUV backed into this young lady’s car, and then she started a fight withher once she got out of her SUV. This young lady is not at fault.”

“You stay out of this,” the officer warned him as he put handcuffs on a terrified Tabby. “If she’s innocent, we’ll sought it out downtown. But she’s coming with me,” he said as he cuffed her and slung her toward his police car.

“But I didn’t do anything wrong, Officer,” Tabby was saying as he jerked her by the arm.

“Did you not hear me?” Stuart yelled at the officer, hurrying with them. “That white girl started the fight. This young lady was defending herself. Did you not hear me?”

The officer gave him a nasty look. “Back off or you’ll be joining her. Did you not hearme?”

Stuart could not believe it as the officer took a still protesting Tabby and put her in the backseat of his patrol car. Chris walked up beside Stuart. “Can you believe this?” Stuart asked frustratingly. “He’s arresting the wrong person!”

“Maybe he is. Maybe he’s not.”

Stuart looked at Chris. “What’s that supposed to mean? You saw what happened.”

“But I didn’t see what happened before that. Maybe she hit that lady’s SUV first. I don’t know and you don’t either. My advice? Just stay out of it.”

Stuart should not have been surprised. Larkin was always a hotbed of ignorance. Then he thought about it. “What about cameras?”

“What about’em?”

Stuart lookedacross the street at Chris’s office. He saw the camera. “You have a camera. Wouldn’t you have footage that can show what really happened?”

“You think they care?”

“Chris, I asked you a question.”

“I got a camera, yes. But it ain’t working,” he said.

Stuart knew he was lying. He just knew it.

“Look, Stu, this ain’t no New York City. This is Ohio. We do things differently here. You said you wanted to meet with the realtor and get out of town. I suggest you do that and let the police do their job. Besides,” Chris added, “don’t you have your enough of your own business to worry about?”

It was the first indication Stuart had that Chris knew about the hostile takeover of his corporation. Stuart stared at him.

“I’m just saying,” Chris said. “MisterI Don’t Get Involved. I suggest you don’t get involved. That’s all I’m saying.”

He wasn’t wrong. Stuart had far too much on his plate to even consider getting involved in somebody else’s drama. Way too much.

Chris extended his hand. “Nice seeing you again, Stuart.”

Stuart looked at that fat hand, and then he looked at Chris, and he walked back across the street, got into his Porsche, and drove away. It was still true: his plate was full. But he still remembered that terror he saw on that young lady’s face. And how unfair it was that the cop wouldn’t even take a statement from her. They discarded her just likeJennifer tried to discard her two years ago in that restaurant. They discarded her the same way that same town discarded Stuart when he was a kid. It was a haunting feeling.

So much so that instead of heading to meet with the realtor and then getting out of Dodge the way he had planned it all along, he flipped a U-turn near the end of Grant Street and headed straight for the Larkin, Ohio Police Department. He’d only gotten involved twice in his recent memory. And both times involved the same person.

CHAPTER NINE

Stuart entered into the small but busy police station knowing it was going to cost him money. A man with a nose for these things, he could smell the corruption all over that filthy place. From the cops questioning a prostitute, to another group questioning her businessman john, it was all about what can you do for me to get you out of the hole you just got yourself into. His line of work often involved greasing palms with politicians and other officials to get what he wanted. He was in his element.

“May I help you?”

The desk sergeant was an older Hispanic who seemed more bent on getting to retirement than making any waves. “Good afternoon,” Stuart said. “I wish to speak with the Chief.”

“Speak to him about what?”