“What if it was Eric himself?”
“I don’t think my dad would do something like that,” Lily interrupted, a frown hovering on the edge of her lips. “I mean, lately, it feels like I never really knew the guy, but from what Idoknow of him, he wouldn’t do his own dirty work.”
Ian blew out a breath. “Okay, so what would he do?”
Lily cleared her throat. “He’s the kind of man who likes to watch his enemies and wait. He gathers as much leverage as he can and strikes when they least expect it.”
A tremor raced through Ian. “Maybe I should contact him and get this over with. We’re wasting police resources on this when we already know who it is.”
“We don’t have proof,” Marissa argued, her eyes tightening around the edges. “And as long as we don’t have proof, we can’t go after a man like Eric.”
“You don’t go after a man like that unless you’ve got most, if not all, of your ducks in a row,” Liam added, emerging with a cup of coffee in one hand and his phone in the other. “I’ve already got feelers out to try and figure out his next move, but he’s been quiet.”
Ian exhaled shakily. “What if we never have our ducks in a row?”
Liam took a sip of his coffee and winced. “Uncle Ian, you have no idea how powerful my grandpa is. He’s one of the best lawyers in the city because he’s a shark, and he hasn’t stayed that way by letting his guard down. If you go after him without evidence that fully backs your claim, he will bury you.”
“He can’t do anything to me here.”
“He can, and he would.” Liam set his cup down on an empty table and shoved both hands into his pockets. “Don’t underestimate him. I’ve seen how he operates.”
Ian nodded. “Okay, so what are our options?”
“Find out who made the call and take it from there,” Marissa decided with a quick look around her. “Before you ask, I’vealready tried to get in touch with Jake Long, but he’s been moved to a different prison with a reduced security.”
“He must have something good on Eric if he’s going through all this trouble.”
“Again, we can’t prove any of this, so our goal for the rest of the day is to try and make some headway with your mystery caller.”
Ian pressed his lips together and said nothing.
While everyone else around him erupted into a frenzy of chaotic energy, Ian sat in his chair by the windows, turning the information over and over in his head.
Halfway through the day, Lucy and the children stopped by to check in and bring everyone food.
Ian was barely aware of anything happening around him.
All he knew was that he wanted the nightmare to end.
Suddenly, Ian felt very, very tired, and he regretted making any kind of promise or commitment regarding his mom’s case.
By the end of the day shift, everyone around him was exhausted and ready to go home to their families. One by one, they all filed out of the staff lounge, with Marissa staying behind, along with Lily, Dean, and Dana. Kelli and Sophia ushered Lucy out the door and back home to get some rest.
What are you doing? You have a family to consider and their well-being to think of. You shouldn’t have made that promise, Ian.
Because what if the price demanded was too high?
What if he’d already crossed the line, and there was no going back?
Unable to bear the pressure any longer, Ian left the station amidst a slew of protests from Liam and Marissa. He drove home, thinking of his family the entire time and of the kind of evening he wanted to spend with them. Ian had even plannedout an entire meal, knowing it had been too long since he cooked something for them.
His entire evening flashed before his eyes when he pulled up a few blocks away from his house and saw the swarm of police cars surrounding the place. Without knowing it, Ian unbuckled his seat belt and flew out of the car, fear pumping through his veins. In a daze, he pushed past the row of cops, who stepped aside when they recognized him. Then he saw Lucy, Sophia, and Dana huddled together underneath a blanket and shivering.
He made a beeline for his family and crushed Lucy to him. “What happened? Are you okay?”
Lucy clung to him, and a shudder went through her. “We came home, and it was like this. I have no idea what happened.”
Ian glanced over her shoulder, and it was only then he saw the shattered glass on the front lawn, the graffiti painted on the side of the house, and the front door torn off its hinges. Toilet paper was strewn in every direction, and Lucy’s car had been keyed and the tires slashed.
