SUNSHINE [Frank Castle]

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN - THE RETURN OF THE BLACK WIDOW

Dinah Madani's office was about how Charlotte pictured it. Plain, with only a few photos on her desk. Papers in neat piles on the left and right sides. One chair on one side of the desk, and one in the corner. Just in case she had company.

Charlotte took the chair and placed it directly across from where Madani would be sitting. She set her hands in her lap, crossed her right leg over her left, and waited. It only took about five minutes for her to arrive.

When Charlotte heard the door open, she slipped deeper into the Black Widow mask she'd put on before entering the building. Madani sat across from her, the very image of what a Homeland Security Agent should be.

"Agent Madani," Charlotte greeted, little to no emotion in her words.

"Miss Romanoff." Madani's eyes subtly flicked over Charlotte's form, assessing her threat level.

"You asked me here to talk about Frank Castle."

"I did."

"And why is that, exactly? Frank Castle is dead."

"I think we both know that isn't true." Madani smiled at her, though that smile was extremely false.

"Are there any actual questions you'd like to ask me, Agent Madani, or will we continue talking in circles?"

"What exactly is your relationship with Frank Castle?" Madani asked, blatantly studying her face. She found nothing on it. No expression, no emotions.

"I was his lawyer," Charlotte answered.

"Not friend? Something more?"

"If you're asking me if I fucked Frank Castle, the answer is no."

Madani considered her. The other woman couldn't tell if she was lying or not, so she moved on. "Is there any reason that Castle might try to hurt you?"

"No." Even the fact that she would ask that made Charlotte angry. She had to remind herself that Madani didn't know him like she did, that she didn't realize how good he was.

"How can you be sure?"

"Because Frank only hurt people because they deserved it. Murderers, rapists. The worst of the worst. He wouldn't hurt me." Or you, she wanted to add.

"You seem to think that The Punisher isn't a bad person."

"The story of Frank Castle is a tragedy. That's why I defended him in court. He didn't deserve what they wanted for him." Her mask cracked a little when she talked about him, but it wasn't long before she repaired it. "But I suppose that doesn't matter anymore. Justice failed, and Frank Castle is dead."

"He killed someone a few days ago."

"A copycat." Charlotte brushed it off easily.

"I got in a car crash chasing another car. Castle pulled me out of the wreck."