She shrugs, eyes dancing between us. “I’m not admitting to killing any of these people, Agents. I’m innocent until proven otherwise. Pretty picture you paint though. Fame…” She closes her eyes, like the word itself gives her a rush. After a few seconds, she opens her eyes, wide, staring directly at me. “It’s secondary. Fame comes with the acts of murder, doesn’t it? If youcanprove it’s me, fame is what I’ll end up with. That’s my forever.”
Shaking my head, I turn away from her and move across the room, banging on the door. She’s not going to reason with us, whether or not it might help. She’s completely convinced that her claim to fame will work, and anyone who died along the way is just collateral.
Once we’re free of the visitation room and outside the prison, stepping into the sun, Gabe blows out a breath. “She’s not going to make this easy, is she?”
“The longer the case is in the courts, the longer she has before she’s convicted,” I sigh. “She’ll keep doing this until she can’t. The attention is important to her.”
Gabe sighs. “We weren’t ever going to get her to admit guilt before we left Florida, were we?”
I shake my head. I seriously doubt it. We have evidence, and I know in my gut that Porscha killed these people. Hell, at some point in time, Dad makes it sound like even Lance Wallsburg was tricked by her charms in the past. She’s good at manipulating things to work in her favor.
But she’s in lockup now, and she won’t be able to change things on the inside. We can continue collecting evidence, running interviews, and stacking the facts against her for the DA to bring to her trial. Alastair never had this issue, because he accepted fault for crimes that weren’t even his. And he still sat on Death Row for almost sixteen years without being executed.
Thinking about it that way, I worry how long it’ll take to get Porscha tried and convicted. At this point, she’s going to drag the case out for as long as she possibly can.
Chapter 16
On Sunday, I spend the whole day with Jo and Vinny. My team isn’t working today since it's the weekend and I want them to have lives outside of the case even if I’m mired in it. I spend all night with the married couple, slipping into their world like I belong there. They fly out late Monday, and we’re making the most of our time we have left together.
“Do you really need a job?” Jo asks, fiddling with the cups in Emeric’s cupboard. She’s already explained that the cleaner Emeric hires is coming as soon as they leave, so the unnecessary cleaning is just a distraction. “I mean, you could come to the club with us in Colorado. We have a security team. You wouldn’t be bored.”
I laugh, and he shoots me a soft smile. “Tempting, sure. It’s probably more fun than my day to day job. But I’m not even finished with this case, Jo.”
“We know what we need to,” she argues, turning to lean against the counter. Vinny peers at us over the edge of his coffee cup from the table, and I peer between them. “Alastair’s dead because of this. My mother should be dead. She’s not talking anymore, right? But she’ll be in prison for the rest of her days.”
I hesitate. “That’s the hope-”
“So why stay?” she stresses, stepping closer. Her hands wraps around me, locking behind my back, and she glares up at me through her hair. “Fine, go back to Quantico and work. Be one of those workaholic types. But you could come see us. Denver is fun to visit. There’s all the parks, and plenty of entertainment, and-”
“Your BDSM club?” I ask, amused.
“Well, that,” she agrees, smiling softly. “Ever been to one?”
“When I’m not working a case and arresting someone… no?”
Vinny starts laughing from the table, and we peer over at him. “If you come to S&S, that sounds like the setup to a stage show.”
I frown. “How-”
“Oh, don’t ask,” Jo interrupts, tightening her grip until I turn back to her. “It’s more fun that way. You should come when Julio is in town. Those shows are the best.”
I have no idea who or what she’s talking about, but I smile anyway. Club life isn’t something I’m familiar with, but it’s an integral part of their lives. And because of me, and the threats I made against Sins and Secrets back in February, they’ve been away for nearly six months. Hopefully the club is just like they remember it when they return.
“You can’t avoid coming, Agent,” Vinny teases, crossing the kitchen to us. The sink is close by, and he rinses the mug before staring at me. “You threatened our club without really understanding it. The least you can do is stop by for a visit.”
“Or, stay longer,” Jo says, peering between us. “We have lots of space at our house. Emeric stayed there with my cousin for a while, but they moved into their own place. We bought a spot big enough for ourselves and the ghosts of our pasts that we missed. There’s… a guest room.”
“Jo,” Vinny says behind her, and she whips her gaze around to him. “We’re not stuffing him in the guest room. They make bigger beds for a reason.”
I smile when she turns back to me. These two are nothing like I expected, not from the past or the people I thought I would have to deal with when they came back to Citrus Grove. “The FBI will be watching me for a while after this. I’ve had to speak with the Deputy Director a few times about the case. I don’t think it would be wise if I showed up in Colorado so soon after leaving here. We don’t need anyone suspecting foul play.”
Jo frowns. “We would never kill Alastair.”
“That’s not what I mean. This is an extremely complicated case with a lot of working parts and a lot of different people involved. I can come to Colorado at one point when I have some vacation time and things have settled down. I need to get things in order back at Quantico, and I’m sure you’ll need time to adjust to being back at the club.”
Her shoulders drop, and I feel like a jerk. But it’s realistic considering how incomplete the case feels. Alastair is dead, and it doesn’t even fix the CGS issue. “So… someday could mean we’re waiting forever.”
“Not forever,” I tell her instantly. “I’ll make you a deal. If nothing else I’ll be out there in December. Crime kicks up around the holidays, but I’ve never really taken a vacation from the agency.”
