SUNSHINE [Frank Castle]

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX - I AM MINE

7:17 pm

Her calmness unsettled him. The detective across from her. She could tell. Especially as he shifted in his chair, looking at her as if she were something other than human. Maybe she was.

Brett Mahoney had only been in the room alone with her for five minutes, but she could tell he already did not like her.

"Why were you even here, Ms. Romanoff?" He asked. He rubbed his temples with his first three fingers.

"I'm Karen Page's friend and lawyer. I was here for moral support. And to help her ask the Senator the right questions."

He looked at her like he knew there was something she was lying about, but couldn't put his finger on what it was. All of it, or none of it.

"Why do you think Frank Castle was here?"

"If you somehow think that Frank Castle was helping the psychopath that bombed this city, you're mistaken." It was the wrong thing to say, but she was so goddamn defensive when it came to Frank.

"And how is it that you know that?"

"I know Frank Castle. I've been inside his mind. He isn't crazy. He wouldn't team up with a guy like that. He only kills bad people."

"Do you think that Castle is a good person?"

"As someone that has spoken to him, studied him, and fought for him in court with hard evidence. . ." Charlotte exhaled and met Mahoney's eyes. "Absolutely."

"You're sure of that? He held a gun to your head."

"It wasn't the first time, and it certainly won't be the last. Yes, I'm sure of it."

"Then I'll ask again: why do you think that Castle was here?"

"He looks out for people," she said. "Karen and I believed in him when no one else did, and we were in danger."

"You think he was trying to save you from the bomber."

"Me, Karen, the Senator. Everyone in the building. That's who Frank is." She stared at Brett Mahoney, right into his eyes. "Are we quite finished, Detective? It's getting late."

"Yeah, you can go," he replied, reluctantly.

"Thank you."

1:28 pm

Evidently, it was not in Karen Page's nature to lay low and stay home. No, she decided to interview Senator Ori once again, this time in a hotel room. Charlotte told her that she was either coming with her or physically incapacitating her so that she couldn't go. Karen chose the former.

She let Karen go in first and walked in a few minutes after her friend. This, unfortunately, set her up to run into Billy Russo in the hallway. Apparently his company was supplying the protection.