Ted had always said he didn’t know who led the Black Knights. Part of me believed him. The other part of me didn’t, only because he wouldn’t want to ruin an investigation or put me in danger by telling me.
“You’re mad about Dillon Hart. Aren’t you?” I knew otherwise, although Ted always tried to give me fatherly advice on topics. Since I didn’t date steadily, he hardly knew the men I’d slept with.
A large window separated Ted’s office from the pit. A feeling of claustrophobia enveloped me, and I wasn’t even afraid of small spaces.
Ted nudged me into his office, or more like blocked me from turning around and darting out of the building as if I were the Flash.
“Sit your ass in that chair.” His deep, commanding voice made the hairs on my neck stand up.
I lowered my shaking body into the lone chair in front of his desk. A wall of honors and pictures stared back at me. Ted was a decorated police officer, having received awards for his valiant efforts on saving victims over the years.
Ted circled his desk, sat down, steepled his fingers, and glared at me. “I don’t like that Dillon Hart. He’s all wrong for you.”
Inwardly, I sighed. I was there to get the third degree about Dillon. I could handle that. “I’ll decide who’s right or wrong for me.” The shivers melted as confidence worked its way back into my bones.
“So I guess you’ll decide if you sit in a jail cell or get to go home tonight,” he deadpanned.
I clasped my hands together in my lap. “Instead of playing games, Ted, tell me why I’m here.” If he wanted to play his cop game, then I could play my own.
He leaned back in his chair. “Tell me about Nadine.”
There it was. And he didn’t ask but commanded in his brusque tone.
How he knew wasn’t even a question. After all, he was a detective.
I slumped my shoulders. “I ran into Nadine right after your standoff the other night.” Although the other night was only last night, it felt as if months had passed. “She was scared. She didn’t want to go to the cops. She said if she did, Miguel would kill her. I wanted to get her to safety before I called you. Anyway, when Dillon reached out to me about his sister, I learned he’d opened a shelter for women. So I brought Nadine there. I swear I was going to tell you, especially after I heard you found the redhead, but you took off so fast. I feel horrible that she’s dead. All I wanted to do was help her.”
I hung my head as tears sprang forth.
“Mags.” His voice softened. “Did she tell you anything else about Miguel?”
I sniffled. “He was her pimp, and she never heard of the gang the Black Knights.”
He rubbed a thumb over the corner of his mustache. “I should throw your ass in jail for nothing more than slowing down my case and not telling me.”
“How did you know I was with Nadine?”
“A witness identified Nadine getting into a VW Bug. She didn’t see you, and there are several yellow VW Bugs in the city, but you were at the scene. Look, I’m giving you a warning. Get in the middle of any of my cases, and I won’t hesitate to lock you up. Are we understood?”
I nodded and nodded and nodded. “Yes.”
He opened the top drawer and produced a white envelope. “I know, Mags, that you want to see Cory Calderon behind bars. But you can’t shove your way into situations that are dangerous.”
“I’m a reporter. We want the juicy stories. The paper wants stories that sell. I’m not in the market to get fired. Also, Cory needs to pay for what he did to me.”
His expression grew somber. “Sadly, you don’t have proof, and as much as I wouldn’t mind throwing him in a cell, it would be hard for a judge to even take on a rape case from several years ago, and the statute of limitations on rape has passed. You’ve got to let go of your revenge for Cory.”
Even if the statute of limitations hadn’t run out, the rape would have been hard to prove in court. It would have been Cory’s word against mine, which was why I hadn’t pursued legal action.
I tugged on my braid, hard, as tears shot out. “You don’t get it. You weren’t the one raped. You weren’t the one he carved up like a dead animal.” With my hand, I hid my scar. I shouldn’t have been so frightened of going to the cops after he raped me. “Sometimes I wake up in a cold sweat from dreaming about the asshole over me, smiling, like he’d just captured the winning prize.” Tears were pouring out of my eyes. “I can’t live until I get closure.” All my strength that I wore on the outside crumbled.
Ted didn’t move or speak. He didn’t have to. His eyes became glossy. “Mags.” Pain laced his tone. “I’m sorry. I don’t have a solid thing on Cory. He’s an upstanding citizen.”
I refused to believe that. “My source tells me Cory roughed up a prostitute last week, and the rumor is he’s with the Black Knights. He might not be the big boss, but he’s part of that gang.”
He scrubbed a hand over his face. “That may be true. But until you can prove that, we got nothing on the man.”
Even though I knew that, I frowned anyway. “What do you have? Something I can print?”
