PAINT IT RED (MikhAiah)

73: Echoes of Chaos

"'Tis one thing to be tempted, another thing to fall."—William Shakespeare
***

MIKHA

"They have the evidence. There's a fucking video of what they did to Peter Visceral, for fuck's sake! And you're still holding me here? On what grounds?" I snap, glaring at Pablo and Director Atayde.

"On the grounds you aided a possible murder suspect in fleeing a town the same night her husband was killed, along with two men inside her home."

"Sheryl Cruz feared for her life, and she was not a suspect. She was attacked in her home, and our unsub saved her life."

Atayde points a finger at me. "And that mentality is why you're here. You don't get to assume she's innocent because she says she is. Especially after you swore to your team the unsub was a female. Your entire profile for this case is all over the map, and it doesn't make a damn bit of sense. Then you just release a woman after two men are slaughtered in her living room with a skill far too advanced to ignore?"

"Two hit men," I growl.

"Speculation," Atayde growls back.

"Let's all take a step back," Pablo says, easing his hands between us and pushing us apart, creating much-needed separation. "I've sent the evidence to be examined," he goes on.

Atayde narrows his eyes at Pablo. "A woman digs up her basement floor and happens to hand you the keys to a closed case from years ago? And yet she's nowhere to be found now, as though she magically vanished. It's not like she can corroborate this story if we can find her, which makes it completely inadmissible."

"You hope," I add, glaring at him.

He takes a step forward, and Pablo lands a hand on his chest, holding him back.

"All the lies and cover-up schemes in the world won't do you a bit of good once I get my hands on that video evidence and have it authenticated."

He takes a step back, his eyes narrowing. "You have no idea who you're dealing with. I'll bury you, Lim. I'll ruin your name so fucking well that nothing out of your mouth will mean a damn thing. All the evidence in the world won't do you a bit of good with a reputation like I plan for you."

"Is that a threat?" Pablo asks him, eyeing the director like he just slipped up.

A sinister smile lines the director's lips. "She's being held for charges of obstruction and conspiracy to aide a known serial killer."

"You can't do that," Pablo growls.

"Watch me. She doesn't leave this floor until they come with an arrest warrant and escort her out."

He turns and stalks away, and Pablo runs a hand through his hair.

"He must have played a really big part in covering all that shit up if he's pushing the limits this far," Pablo says, looking over his shoulder. "I need to meet up with some people and get this sorted before he really does try to have you arrested. If you leave here, though, it'll look bad. I won't doubt that he has people blocking your exit. They'll have permission to restrain you by any means necessary. So stay put. Don't do anything stupid."

He turns and walks away, and I grab the first thing I can get my hands on and throw it across the room. People gasp and scatter away as the broken stapler falls to the ground in two pieces.

"They just pulled in Justin," Gwen says near me, looking around like she's wary of everyone's intentions.

"They're going to split us all up and talk to us one-by-one. Just remember this is about me and none of you. Say whatever you need to in order to keep any blame off you."