Abigail

"What do you mean he was moved?"

The officer behind the desk didn’t bother meeting my glacial countenance from behind his computer screen.

His fingers tapped on the keyboard, unbothered. All that remained was a gum snapping in his teeth and he would be a perfect hotel receptionist.

With the way he was acting, you would think I and Annette came to beg for some loan or some shit like that.

Yesterday, Gavin had attacked me and the officers had agreed that I could give a proper statement, today.

So what the hell was this?

"Did you not hear us?" Annette snapped,

earning a few raised brows from others in the bullpen except for the jackass cop attending to us.

"He was transferred to another jurisdiction," he gritted out,his fingers slamming harder against the keys. I just knew he was typing a bunch of rubbish on the screen with how fast he was typing. "That’s all I’m authorized to tell you."

"That’s all you’re authorized to tell us?" I pressed my hands flat on the counter, wincing from the sight pain around my throat.

"He attacked me, twice. There are photographs of the bruising on my throat that are currently sitting in a file somewhere in this building."

"He hasn’t been placed on trial, neither has he appeared in court. So why exactly has he been transferred to another jurisdiction before any of that happened?"

The officer’s fingers paused on the keys. He finally lifted his gaze, those beady, dark eyes, the colour of dishwater settling on mine.

Finally, Hallelujah.

"Ma’am, listen—"he trailed off, his words irritating me to the core.

"Don’t ma’am me." I snapped, slamming a palm on the desk.

"You cannot tell me there’s no report on him. I filed a report. I gave my statement already and you can fucking see his handprints on my neck right now, can’t you?"

Except you’re frigging related to Blind Bartimeus.

"If you’re not going to be calm and listen, then sorry I cannot help you,"

"You’ve hardly helped us," Annette hissed next to me.

I pinched the bridge of my nose,trying to breathe. I could do this. I could fucking do this. They were just trying to mess with my head, that was all.

"Look, officer, I answered every question your colleagues asked me. I reported him twice. You can’t tell me a man charged for assault has has been suddenly moved to somewhere else without even appearing in court? What if he attacks me again?"

"He won’t," The officer grunted then slapped a hand over his mouth.

How did he know that?

"And how do you know, he won’t? What judge signed off on an interstate transfer for someone awaiting trial on assault and suspected homicide charges? Give me a name, or anything at all."

He blinked, glanced around and his jaw tightened. He rose from his chair then, pressing his lips into a malicious sneer that spoke volumes.

"I’ve told you what I’m authorized to tell you. If you want further information you can submit a formal records request and someone will get back to you in four to six weeks."

"No," I spat, "I know that’s bullshit. You guys have pulled that on me before, it won’t work."

"If you don’t have anything else then please leave."

"He killed someone." Annette stepped forward beside me, her voice coiled with irritation. "Raymond Cole. He’s a retired detective. He was murdered and this man was connected to it-"

"Ladies!" The officer held up one hand. "I’m going to need you to lower your voices or I’m going to have to ask you to leave."

Seething, I held up the middle finger at him and well, that didn’t end well.

Our asses got hauled out of the police station and the full-faced asshole slammed the door shut behind us.

A strangled, frustrating scream ripped from Annette’s throat, her hands flying into her hair as she stalked towards the car.

"They’re all corrupt," her voice shook with fury as she ranted. "Every single one of them. That man knew exactly what happened and he sat there with his stupid face and his..." She yanked the driver’s door open. "Corrupt. All of them. Corrupt their teeth."

I got in, a headache blooming in the back of my head. After another day of trying to ignore Finnegan when every single cell in my body ached for him, I was exhausted.

Then this happened. Gavin was moved out of state before any trial, Cole’s phone was off the grid. Gavin’s nerdy hacker must have destroyed the tracker.

I had no fucking lead on my parent’s death. The phone was gone, Gavin was gone. I had nothing.

It didn’t help that the thing with Finnegan kept bothering me.

I knew he wasn’t lying. He would never lie. It didn’t change the sting of being the other woman, but God, being stuck in a marriage like that?

All that glitters really wasn’t gold. I was sure there were people who would kill to be in his shoes, wishing they could live his life.

They had no idea he had been suffering for years in a shamble of a marriage.

And that his mother had practically tried to ruin his life. It seemed she was also behind the Dorian partnership falling to pieces. I swear I could never understand that woman and I didn’t think I wanted to.

It must be heartbreaking for him, living a life like that. Family was supposed to be your resting place, not a freaking warzone.

I knew love, my parents loved each other, my grandparents, ugh, Gramps would die a hundred times for Meemaw and I knew she would do the same for him.

My fingers itched to grab the phone and call him. I missed him. I shouldn’t be missing a married man though.

"What now?" Annette said quietly, driving the car into the street.

"I don’t know yet," I sighed. "We keep looking. There has to be something we missed. Someone who...why is the street empty?"

The road ahead of us had gone quiet which was unusual as heck. Where did all the cars go? There weren’t even people around and I was sure when we were driving to the police station, the street was full and busy.

"Uhh, I’ve got a bad feeling," Anette whispered, quickly trying to reverse when a huge trailer suddenly appeared at the far end, driving too fast and barreling toward us down the narrow road.

Shit!

"GO, Annie!" I grabbed the door handle trying to get out but it was too late.