Total pages in book: 137
Estimated words: 128307 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 642(@200wpm)___ 513(@250wpm)___ 428(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 128307 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 642(@200wpm)___ 513(@250wpm)___ 428(@300wpm)
Grayson has stepped up to the plate for me both personally and professionally, and how do I thank him? I lie. Again.
That stops now.
I mean it this time.
I’ll begin that honesty by admitting it wasn’t solely the fact that I’ve been working this case for the past eighteen months that has me chomping at the bit to join the long list of agents assisting Grayson tomorrow. It was also jealousy.
Adeline is a breath of fresh air. She’s super smart, hilariously funny, and adorably cute. She could have any man eating out of her palm, and Grayson fell into a flow with her remarkably fast. Their instant connection had me wondering whether what Grayson and I have workwise is special, or if it is something he has with every agent he’s assigned.
Female agents volunteered to travel here on their own dime just to work with Grayson tomorrow, so I’m reasonably sure I am not the only one eager to find out if any of the rumors they’ve heard about him at the academy are true.
Hating the snarky bitch I’m becoming, I revert my attention to the task at hand. It is no easy feat when I catch the quickest whiff of Grayson’s unique scent, but I give it my best shot.
“Hey, can I ask you something?” Although I’m a stubborn mule, I know when it is time to wave the white flag. That time is now.
Grayson stops running his fingers through his recently cleaned hair, giving it that sexed-up look all women love, before he jerks up his chin.
I wait for him to join me on the couch he’ll only allow me to vacate for my bed or a quick bathroom break. “I have some questions about Cameron’s case.” He nods again, more absentmindedly this time. “You mentioned that Cameron had stolen the car from her ex after he had attempted to sexually assault her during the commute to an away game she was cheerleading for.” I wish he’d use words instead of non-communicative head bobs; alas, beggars can’t be choosers. “Then why didn’t Blake report his car as stolen? The trip from the freeway Cameron mentioned to your meeting place was a thirty-minute drive.” I pull across the paperwork I was pursuing. “Your statement states you tore up the fields at St. Eugene’s for approximately ten to fifteen minutes, then walked for an additional ten. That gave Blake almost an hour to report his vehicle as stolen. He never did.”
I imagine Grayson’s brain ticking over with the facts when his eyes flicker. His delay isn’t because he’s mulling over reports he knows as intimately as the back of his hand. He’s giving himself time to get over his anger that Blake allegedly assaulted Cameron the evening she was abducted. Cameron’s file details Grayson’s reaction to Blake being brought in for questioning. He didn’t use words to express himself that time around.
“The reports state that he didn’t report it because he was afraid Cameron would retaliate with a sexual assault charge.”
“I know that.” I gesture at the files. “I saw that in the file, but what is your gut telling you?” I have no grounds after my poor display of sportsmanship earlier tonight, but I play the we-promised-to-be-honest ruse to perfection. “What is the truth?”
He takes longer to reply this time around. So long that I’m almost afraid he never will. “I believe he didn’t notify the authorities about his vehicle being stolen because he didn’t know it had been.”
“Why do you say that?” I’m shocked my plea for honesty so soon after lying was successful, but also stunned at something he hasn’t done in seventeen years. He’s never cast doubt over Cameron’s recollection of events previously, but the same Spidey sense that led me to believe I was stupid for being jealous over an imaginary theory was too loud to discount.
Grayson scratches his brow as his throat works hard to swallow. He isn’t the only one struggling to keep his expression impassive when he flips this case on its head. “There were no keys in the ignition.” He allows me a second to get over my shock before he adds, “Which leads me to believe Cameron had hot-wired the car.” His following words come out in a flurry. “But that doesn’t mean Blake didn’t attempt to sexually assault her. It just didn’t happen in the car, as Cameron stated. She was upset and crying, so she probably mixed up the timeline a little.”
The new version of events is comprehensible, but the more I dig into Cameron’s background, the more I realize her seemingly perfect life was chaos in disguise.
“If the assault occurred after they drove to the game instead of during the commute, it makes sense that Blake wouldn’t report his car stolen until after the authorities informed him about it. I’ve never been to a game, but I’m guessing they run longer than forty-five minutes.” When his complex expression softens, I say, “But that doesn’t clear up why you didn’t change your statement to say the vehicle had been hot-wired.” One flare in his impressive eyes reveals all. “If you had cast doubt on one statement, they would scrutinize every truth you told.”